Parent Portal

Parent Portal

Welcome to our dedicated ‘Parent Portal’

We have developed this page in response to our consultation on the types of information families wanted. You asked us to provide clear, concise information, simple play ideas and news without having to wade through lots of reading.

We hope you will find our carefully chosen information, useful links,  play ideas and resources relevant and helpful.

Information and news from our CALA Early Learning and Out of School Care settings.

Fun play and learning ideas for you and your children.

Information, news, videos and resources from our Family Services team

Care Inspectorate: Keeping Children Safe – Look, Think, Act Campaign

The Care Inspectorate have launched a campaign and resources for those working in Early Learning and Childcare. Published on 25th August 2021 they introduced SIMOA (Safe, Inspect, Monitor, Observe, Act)  the elephant to all ELC settings to support practitioners to be alert to how and why children could leave a childcare setting without a responsible adult. Click on the button on the left to access the resources and further information

Information and advice

Children (Equal Protection from Assault)(Scotland) Act 2019 

The law on all forms of physical punishment of children in Scotland has changed.

On 7 November 2020, all forms of physical punishment of children became against the law in Scotland. Click on the ‘green’ button on the right to access a helpful poster with a summary of key aspects of the changes in the law.

For further information and resources to use to discuss this with your children, visit the Child Protection area of our website by CLICKING HERE  or click here to visit Parentclub.scot

Parent Club 

The Scottish Government’s Parent Club is a comprehensive online resource that provides helpful advice and information on a range of topics from managing your children’s behaviour to healthy eating.

Children 1st Parentline

Call 08000 28 22 33 (Freephone)

Browse their website for advice and support, or start a webchat. 

One Parent Families Scotland 

Support and advice for single parents from face to face family support services to financial advice.

Supporting young children’s behaviour for parents

We are providing FREE access to this module during the COVID – 19 pandemic to support families. With the significant changes to our daily routines, parents may be seeing different behaviours from their children. While we can’t offer a magic wand for you, you may find some of the information and strategies helpful.

 

Bumps 2 Bairns

Information and support parents and those who work with young children. 

NHS – services and support for parents

Advice and information about what’s available to new parents through the NHS, local authority services, helplines and local parent groups. 

Criomagan Gàidhlig / Bitesize Gaelic

Criomagan Gàidhlig is a new weekly online get-together for parents who want to get a taste of Gaelic.

Click here to access further information

Vitamin D Guidance - Scottish Government

Vitamin D Guidance – Scottish Government

Introduction

In Scotland, it is important that people maintain sufficient levels of vitamin D. Vitamin D has a number of important functions and is needed to support bone and muscle health.

Our main source of vitamin D is sunlight. In Scotland, we only get enough of the right kind of sunlight for our bodies to make vitamin D between April and September, mostly between 11 am and 3 pm. From October to March, we need to rely on dietary sources of vitamin D. Since vitamin D is found only in a small number of foods, it might be difficult to get enough from foods that naturally contain vitamin D and/or fortified foods alone.

Good food sources are oily fish and eggs. Other food sources include fortified foods such as breakfast cereals and spreads. 

Our advice

Everyone (including children) should consider taking a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D, particularly during the winter months (October – March). It is specifically recommended that groups at higher risk of vitamin D deficiency take a daily supplement all year round. These groups include:

  • all pregnant and breastfeeding women
  • infants and children under 5 years old
  • people who have low or no exposure to the sun, for example, those who cover their skin for cultural reasons, are housebound, confined indoors for long periods or live in an institution 
  • people from minority ethnic groups with dark skin such as those of African, African-Caribbean and South Asian origin, who require more sun exposure to make as much vitamin D

The current guidance on sun exposure should be followed: 10–15 minutes of unprotected Scottish sun exposure is safe for all. Once sunscreen is correctly applied, vitamin D synthesis is blocked. Staying in the sun for prolonged periods without the protection of sunscreen increases the risk of skin cancer.

Further guidance for babies, young children and pregnant women

Babies and young children

  • breastfed babies from birth to 1 year of age should be given a daily supplement containing 8.5 to 10 micrograms of vitamin D to make sure they get enough
  • formula-fed babies shouldn’t be given a vitamin D supplement until they’re having less than 500ml (about a pint) of infant formula a day, as infant formula is fortified with vitamin D
  • children aged 1 to 4 years old should be given a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D

You can buy vitamin D supplements or vitamin drops containing vitamin D (for under 5s) at most pharmacies and supermarkets. Please don’t buy more than you need.

Read advice and support for parents to follow the recommendation for infants from birth to 6 months.

Read further information at:

Vitamin D: advice for all age groups – gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Sleep Scotland

Sleep Scotland is the UK’s longest-established children’s sleep charity. We promote healthy sleep for children and young people across the country.

Click here to access

Parentzone

Information about education in Scotland and ideas to help parents support their children’s learning. Includes choosing a school, the curriculum, parent councils etc…. 

Click here to access

Keep your child safe online information

Care and Learning Alliance

Visit the CALA site on useful information and guidance. Click here


NSPCC

From setting up parental controls to advice on sexting, online games and video apps, this useful site from NSPCC  can help you to understand the risks and keep your child safe. Click here to access

Play Scotland

Play information, ideas and resources for parents, carers and families to feel more confident and able to facilitate play opportunities in and around their homes.

Click here to access

Action for Happiness Calendars

Action for Happiness

Action for Happiness state:

“We are a movement of people committed to building a happier and more caring society. We want to see a fundamentally different way of life – where people care less about what they can get just for themselves and more about the happiness of others.

Click here to access more information and their resources.

 

Changes to physically distancing for children

Information on physical distancing for children from Parent Club

Click here to access

Scotland Learns - activities to help parents support their children’s learning at home

From Education Scotland:

Here you will find a range of ideas and suggestions of activities to help parents and carers support their child’s learning at home. The activities are aimed at a variety of ages and we will be adding new activities each week. Choose an activity from the list that your children would like to do. Our weekly newsletter for parents and carers also has additional ideas, hints and tips and links to other useful resources

Click here to access

Bookbug

Bookbug

The Bookbug book gifting programme gives every child four free packs of books between birth and primary 1, without any need to register. It also runs free song and rhymes sessions in libraries and community centres across Scotland.

Check out their website for information, guidance and resources to use with your child.

Click here to access

Parent Information on GIRFEC

  1. Leaflet explaining the Child’s Plan, part of the Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC) framework. Click here

Education Scotland - Scotland Learns

From Education Scotland:

Here you will find a range of ideas and suggestions of activities to help parents and carers support their child’s learning at home. The activities are aimed at a variety of ages and we will be adding new activities each week. Choose an activity from the list that your children would like to do. Our weekly newsletter for parents and carers also has additional ideas, hints and tips and links to other useful resources

Click here to access

Playtypes Toolkt

Click here to learn about the 16 different types of play

Click here

Just Ask - Highland enquiry line for parents, carers, children and young people..

Just Ask – Highland Children and Young People’s Allied Health Professionals (AHP)

This enquiry line is for our parents, carers, children, young people, and those who work with them.

Click here for further information and contact details

 

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