- how to build and balance a household budget
- how to differentiate between essential and optional expenses
- how to use credit wisely
- how to navigate debt
- understand the importance of personal savings
- how to use helpful money saving resources
Is my child too ill for school?
It can be tricky deciding whether or not to keep your child off school, nursery or playgroup when they're unwell.
There are government guidelines for schools and nurseries about managing specific infectious diseases at GOV.UK. These say when children should be kept off school and when they shouldn't.
If you do keep your child at home, it's important to phone the school or nursery on the first day. Let them know that your child won't be in and give them the reason.
If your child is well enough to go to school but has an infection that could be passed on, such as a cold sore or head lice, let their teacher know.
Other illnesses
Follow this advice for other illnesses:
Coughs and colds
It's fine to send your child to school with a minor cough or common cold. But if they have a fever, keep them off school until the fever goes.
Encourage your child to throw away any used tissues and to wash their hands regularly.
High temperature
If your child has a high temperature, keep them off school until it goes away.
Chickenpox
If your child has chickenpox, keep them off school until all the spots have crusted over.
This is usually about 5 days after the spots first appeared.
Cold sores
There's no need to keep your child off school if they have a cold sore.
Encourage them not to touch the blister or kiss anyone while they have the cold sore, or to share things like cups and towels.
Conjunctivitis
You don't need to keep your child away from school if they have conjunctivitis.
Do get advice from your pharmacist. Encourage your child not to rub their eyes and to wash their hands regularly.
COVID-19
If your child has mild symptoms, such as a runny nose, sore throat, or slight cough, and feels well enough, they can go to school.
Your child should try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people if they have symptoms of COVID-19 and they either:
- have a high temperature
- do not feel well enough to go to school or do their normal activities
What to do if your child has tested positive
Your child is no longer required to do a COVID-19 rapid lateral flow test if they have symptoms. But if your child has tested positive for COVID-19, they should try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for 3 days after the day they took the test.
Ear infection
If your child has an ear infection and a high temperature or severe earache, keep them off school until they're feeling better or their high temperature goes away.
Hand, foot and mouth disease
If your child has hand, foot and mouth disease but seems well enough to go to school, there's no need to keep them off.
Encourage your child to throw away any used tissues straight away and to wash their hands regularly.
Head lice and nits
There's no need to keep your child off school if they have head lice.
You can treat head lice and nits without seeing a GP.
Impetigo
If your child has impetigo, they'll need treatment from a GP, often with antibiotics.
Keep them off school until all the sores have crusted over and healed, or for 48 hours after they start antibiotic treatment.
Encourage your child to wash their hands regularly and not to share things like towels and cups with other children at school.
Ringworm
If your child has ringworm, see your pharmacist unless it's on their scalp, in which case you should see a GP.
It's fine for your child to go to school once they have started treatment.
Scarlet fever
If your child has scarlet fever, they'll need treatment with antibiotics from a GP. Otherwise they'll be infectious for 2 to 3 weeks.
Your child can go back to school 24 hours after starting antibiotics.
Slapped cheek syndrome (fifth disease)
You don't need to keep your child off school if they have slapped cheek syndrome because, once the rash appears, they're no longer infectious.
But let the school or teacher know if you think your child has slapped cheek syndrome.
Sore throat
You can still send your child to school if they have a sore throat. But if they also have a high temperature, they should stay at home until it goes away.
A sore throat and a high temperature can be symptoms of tonsillitis.
Threadworms
You don't need to keep your child off school if they have threadworms.
Speak to your pharmacist, who can recommend a treatment.
Vomiting and diarrhoea
Children with diarrhoea or vomiting should stay away from school until they have not been sick or had diarrhoea for at least 2 days (48 hours).
Anxiety (The Expert Parent’s Guide to Childhood Anxiety)
Guide for parents to help children to understand, cope and become strengthened by their experiences of anxiety at a young age.
Visit: Tutorful
Add Action
Add Action Cornwall offer free and confidential advice, information and support with drug and alcohol problems. Call: 01872 300816
Citizen Advice Bureau
Advice on benefits and housing – call: 08444 994188
Cornwall Housing
Offers free advice and assistance for landlords, tenants and owner occupiers across Cornwall on a wide range of housing issues. Call: 0300 1234 161
Cornwall Council Social Care
Help and advice for issues regarding Social services. Call: 0300 123 4131
Childline
Free, confidential help and support about anything for children up until the age of 19 – nothing is too big or too small to call about. Their helpline is: 0800 11 11 or website to access online support:Childline
CRUSE
Bereavement support and advice for adults on Cornwall. Call : 01726 76100 or
Email: cornwall@cruse.org.uk
Dental Care and emergency Service
This service will give guidance on where to go if you need emergency dental care, but do not have a dentist. Call: 01872 354375
Devon and Cornwall Housing
0300 123 8080
Drug and Alcohol support
National Families Helpline: 08457 023867
Early Help Hub
Early Help aims to ensure that services to support children, young people and their parents are there when they need them. Early Help can help parents access a Family support Worker and can help direct families to the support that they feel would benefit the child or family. Call 01872 322277 for advice. Families can make a request for help by completing the relevant request for help form online: Early help hub
Family Information service
Website with all sorts of information, advice and support for families in Cornwall and professionals that can work alongside them. Website includes links to services supporting families within Cornwall and links to access parenting programmes to help with family life. Their website is: Cornwall support
Forget Me Not charity
Support after pregnancy loss. Call: 01726 820115
Gingerbread
Charity for single-parent families. Helpline provides support and advice on anything from break-ups to help with child maintenance issues. Call: 0808 802 0925 website also offers guidance – visit: Gingerbread
Home-Start Kernow
Volunteer support and Friendship for parents with children under the age of 5 years old in Cornwall – Call: 01209-214490 (Mon-Fri 9-5, Fri 9-4) Email: info@homestartkernow.org.uk
National Childbirth Trust
An agency whose purpose is to provide support and evidence-based information in pregnancy, birth and early days of parenthood: Support line for practical and emotional support for parents at a cost of local rate calls: 0300 330 0700 Website: NCT
NSPCC
Help and guidance if you are worried or concerned for the safety of a child. NSPCC
Email: help@nspcc.org.uk
Outlook Southwest Counselling
Private and NHS counselling service across Cornwall. Call: 01208 871414 for advice.
Penhaligon’s Friends
Bereavement support and advice for children up until the age of 18 in Cornwall.
Call: 01209-210624 or Email: enquires@penhaligonsfriends.org.uk
Samaritans
Offer a safe place to talk through any concerns, worries or troubles. For free non judgmental and confidential help and support call 116 123
Sands
Sands stands for stillbirth and neonatal death charity. It offers support for anyone affected by the death of a baby. Their helpline is: 0808 164 3332 or Email: helpline@sands.org.uk
Young People Cornwall
Support children aged 11-19 years in Cornwall. May be able to provide 1-1 support for children who would benefit from talking to someone confidentially and experiencing severe depression or anxiety. YPC
Young Minds
Online and telephone support for parents and young people worried about their mental health. Website: Young minds
Young Minds Parent Helpline: 08088 025544
Young Minds Crisis Text Line for young people: Free Text service 24/7 across the U.K if you are a young person experiencing mental health crisis and need support, Text YM to 85258