I am a married father of three children who has just been made redundant from my company of ten years and I dont know what to do or where to turn.
I would suggest that you seek information, advice and guidance from two areas.
Firstly, speak to Social Security about how your contributions are affected and any other financial support that may be available.
Secondly, make an appointment to see a trained careers adviser at Careers Jersey (Tel 449440). They can help you to consider a number of questions: Would I like to continue in the same occupational area? Is this an opportunity to look at a change in career direction? What skills do I have?
What skills would I like to develop?
They can also give practical advice on CVs, arrange mock interviews and signpost training.
Redundancy does hit people hard. Although you know that it is often happening to others, at the same time it still feels very personal and can hit your self-confidence. Talking about what you can do and what you would like to do can be the first step in restoring that self-worth.
I am scared about letting my children, aged eight and 12, use the internet but I understand it is a great educational tool. How can I be sure that they are going to be safe online?
The internet is a fantastic educational tool if used correctly; here are a few steps to ensure a more controlled and safer online environment for your children.
Firstly, make sure your devices have internet security software installed, reducing the risk of virus or ‘cyber attacks’. You can get ‘apps’ for mobile devices that do the same as their computer counterparts.
Another step is to have individual accounts for each user, thus restricting what can be viewed, depending on the user.
If you are unsure of how to do this, ask a technically minded friend or colleague, seek assistance from an authorised expert or websites such as getsafeonline.org or cyberstreetwise.com.
I am a pregnant mum in my first trimester and have been told that my blood tests showed that the MMR vaccine I had when I was younger hasnt worked properly on protecting me against rubella. I have been told to be careful who I come into contact with and watch out for children who may have this. I am scared to be around people now.
Immunisation against rubella has been available for many years. When first introduced as a combined vaccine, measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) was given as a single dose.
Later studies identified that a small number of children (2–5%), did not respond adequately and a second (booster) dose of MMR was recommended. In the late 1990s, the uptake of MMR in the UK and elsewhere fell, leading to the re-emergence of these diseases. Fortunately, this situation has turned around and in the last 2–3 years the uptake of MMR in Jersey and in the UK is once again very high. Today, the risk of exposure to rubella (or measles/mumps) in Jersey is extremely low. Nevertheless, the programme to screen pregnant women for immunity to MMR will continue, to ensure their protection and that of their babies. If you are planning to have a child and are unsure about your immunity to MMR, speak to your doctor.
I am worried that my childs nursery isnt very hygienic and wondered if there were any checks that are made to make sure they are up to standard?
All day nurseries and pre-schools are annually registered by Childcare Registration, which is part of the Education Department.
If you have a concern, it is usually best to speak to the manager of the setting in the first instance.
If your concerns continue, then there is a Complaints/Concerns Procedure which is carried out by officers of the Minister for Education.
You can call the administrator of childcare registration on 449387 so that the appropriate documents can be sent to you in order to submit your complaint or allegation.
For more information visit the Jersey Child Care Trust website.
My eight-year-old son has started to wet the bed. He seems happy at school and at home but I am very worried, as it is very unusual for him to do this.
It sounds as if this is a recent problem and perhaps a new rather than recurring issue. This is a common but distressing childhood condition. I wonder if there are also any day-time symptoms? If so, it is worth ruling out a urinary tract infection and/or constipation. Toileting pattern and fluid intake is also important.
An average day-time pattern is to wee 4–7 times per day and fluid intake 1litre to 1.5 litres daily, with no caffeine. There can be emotional triggers as well as physical ones. Situations like this can occur when changes are happening at home or school, for instance; and your son is adjusting to them. It’s worth considering what these changes may be and that their impact might be those that he is experiencing. Other considerations include whether he is drinking excessively and particularly before bedtime. Emptying his bladder before going to bed will help. Waking and lifting your son is not likely to solve the issue in the long term. Use of bed protection will offer practical help. If this problem continues, then consideration can be made as to whether an alarm or medications are appropriate, depending upon the age, maturity and abilities of your child. If concerns continue, then speak to your GP or school nurse for further advice. For more information visit fnhc.org.je.
My toddler is always falling over and banging his head. Sometimes he hits it so hard I am worried he has caused internal damage. Should I take him to A&E when he falls on his head and how do I know when it is serious enough to take him to hospital?
I am sure lots of parents reading this will sympathise with you, as we have all watched as our toddlers have fallen and hurt themselves without us being able to prevent it.
However, while grazed knees and elbows are usually nothing more than a painful part of learning about speed or distance, head injuries can be more serious. Firstly, are you concerned that you toddler falls over more than usual?
In this case I would suggest you go to your GP or health visitor and ask for some advice regarding that.
If your concern is that he has hit his head and may have injured himself, then I would suggest you contact the Emergency Department, either by phone or by taking him down to them.
While most of these knocks and bumps will probably not cause him any lasting damage it is always better to seek medical attention in the event of any head injury.
For more information visit cap.je.
