Frequently Asked Questions about the flu vaccination

Below are answers to some of the frequently asked questions people ask about flu and the flu vaccination.

You can get the flu from a flu jab? False

This myth really caught on over the years. Flu jabs are made with dead viruses or pieces (proteins) from the flu virus. You can’t catch the flu from getting one. Your arm might hurt after the jab. You might have aches or a low fever. But you’d feel a lot worse if you caught the flu.

You can spread the flu before you know you’re sick? True

Here’s one of the tricky things about the flu: You can pass it to someone before you have symptoms, while you’re sick, and up to a week after you start feeling bad. Some people, especially kids and those with weakened immune systems, can be contagious even longer.

The flu isn’t serious? False

Some people get so sick that they need to go to the hospital. They can get pneumonia or even respiratory failure. The flu is most dangerous for children, people ages 65 and older, and those with other health problems. About 90% of people who die from the flu are older adults. Flu is the top cause of vaccine-preventable deaths.

Who should get the flu jab? Everyone

Getting the flu jab is the best way to protect yourself. Everyone 6 months and older should get it every year. It will help guard you against the 3 or 4 strains predicted to strike hard that flu season. Scientists update the vaccine each year. Talk to your doctor if you have any health concerns or questions.

The flu virus changes all the time. True

The flu that’s keeping your partner in bed might not be the same one that made your aunt sick last year. That’s because flu viruses are always changing. They can vary from year to year. They can even change in the middle of a flu season.

Getting a flu vaccine in December is too late? False

Its recommended that people get vaccinated as soon as the vaccine becomes available and that vaccination continue in December, January and beyond. Influenza activity normally peaks in February most years, but disease can occur as late as May.

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Ricky’s story has made it into a podcast!

PBS Matters is a podcast from The PBS Special Interest Group. This is a group that brings together practitioners, educators, researchers and students interested in Positive Behaviour Support (PBS). PBS are part of the UK Society for Behaviour Analysis.

Hamish O’Brien and Georgia Mitchell are the PBS leads for Beyond Limits and they attended a Positive Behaviour Support conference where they came across Paddy Behan who was presenting at the conference. They got chatting and inevitably the conversation turned to the work they have done with Ricky. Their work epitomises PBS (getting people a good life) and Paddy invited them, along with Ricky’s Nan, Carol, to go on the show and tell Ricky’s story.

Follow this link to listen to the podcast or search for PBS Matters in your favourite podcast player.

For more information about PBS Matters visit their website.

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Thank You NHS

12th May is International Nurses Day, we think this is a very fitting tribute to all Nurses and indeed everyone who works in our NHS.

For more information about the day please visit the International Council of Nurses page.

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What to do when you have Type 2 diabetes

On this page are a video and two booklets about Diabetes.

What is diabetes video

What to do when you have diabetes – An easy read guide.

The first booklet is by Diabetes UK who are leading the fight against diabetes.

If you are using a desktop or laptop computer you can click on the Full Screen button to zoom the page. Click on your browser’s back button to return to normal size.

Getting started if you have Diabetes

This booklet was produced by the Bristol Central Community Learning Team.

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Keep your heart and yourself Healthy!!

This page will tell you the best ways to keep your heart healthy.

It is very important for all of us to look at the way we live! Eating too much of the wrong food, drinking too much alcohol, smoking, not getting enough exercise and being stressed out can all damage our hearts.

Keeping your heart healthy means you can keep doing the things you like, and enjoying life, for longer!

The heart of the matter!

Your heart is a muscle in your chest that pumps blood around your body. You need this to live!

If you eat too much of the wrong food, or smoke, or drink too much alcohol, or don’t get enough exercise, your heart could stop working properly. You could have a heart attack and die!

Your heart pumps blood around your body through tubes called arteries. They should be nice and clear.

Smoking

Once you start smoking it’s hard to stop, but there are people who can help if you want to.

Your doctor, community nurse or carer can all help you stop smoking, but you have to want to do it!

Alcohol

You should have at least two days a week when you do not drink at all.

Food that’s good for you

One of the best ways to keep your heart healthy is to eat the right sort of food. You should eat five portions of fruit or vegetables each day to stay really healthy. This picture shows are some types of food that are good for you.

If you’re not sure what kind of food is good for you, ask your dietician, community nurse or doctor.

Food that’s bad for you

Greasy fatty food, like chips and pies, and sugary foods like sweets and chocolate are not very good for your heart.

Try not to add salt to your food. It’s probably tasty enough without it anyway! Try to cut out sugar altogether, but if you still need to sweeten your tea and coffee, you can try an artificial sweetener.

How much should you eat?

You should have proper sized portions when you eat. You can see below roughly how much that is. Sometimes people eat too much because they feel down. You’ll be a lot happier if you look and feel good!

How do you know if you have a weight problem?

People are all different shapes and sizes, so it’s hard sometimes to know if you are overweight.

If you’re not sure, you should ask your doctor for help. They will weigh you and take your blood pressure. This is a good way to tell if you need to lose weight and tell if your heart is OK.

Get some exercise!

One of the best ways to keep healthy and keep your weight down is to get regular exercise. You don’t have to do anything too difficult. A lot of things you do for fun are great exercise, like dancing, swimming or going for walks.

You can even do exercises while sitting watching the telly. Try lifting your feet off the ground and holding them there for the count of ten.

Housework is great exercise. Try a bit of hoovering and cleaning.

Are you stressed out?

One of the main causes of heart attacks is stress – worrying about things all the time and not taking it easy. People can get stressed over lots of things – changes in their lives, moving to a new home, not getting on with people, filling in forms, going to meetings… Aaargh!

Relax!

Pets are great for relieving stress too!

Some people you can talk to

Some community nurses can offer you a free check-up in your own home. Your doctor should be able to help you get in touch with them. Your doctor can give you a check-up too.

FAIR in association with Community Nurses for People with Learning Disabilities, NHS Lothian. This work was made possible with support from the The Esmee Fairburn Trust and Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland.

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Female Health: Breast Awareness

When you are age 50 you will be offered Breast Screening appointments every 3 years.

This page helps you make sure your breasts are healthy.

You need to know what is normal for you, how your breasts look and feel.

Below are the changes you should look out for

These pictures have been taken from a great website about women’s health called The Pink Ribbon Foundation.

A change in skin texture such as dimpling or puckering.

Any lumps or a lumpy area • which may not be visible but which can be felt.

Any change to the nipple in appearance or direction.

A discharge from one or both nipples or any rash or crusting of the nipple or surrounding area.

Any pain or swelling in the breast area, armpit or collarbone.

What to do if you find something NEW

If you are checking yourself and you find something that wasn’t there before, arrange to see a doctor.

Arrange to see your doctor or community nurse. They will know what to do.

Ask a Pratice Nurse

You can ask your Practice Nurse to help you become breast aware and ask for a Breast Awareness Leaflet for visual help in how you check your breasts.

If you need extra support to prepare for a breast screening appointment, you can contact The Learning Disability Community Nurse Team on Telephone: 08451558077

Breast pictures from Pictures from Pink Ribbon Foundation. Other information produced by FAIR in association with Community Nurses for People with Learning Disabilities, Lothian Primary Care NHS Trust.

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Men’s health: Testicular Awareness

Cancer of your Testicles (Balls) can develop in men from the age of 15 years onwards
therefore you should not feel embarrassed to talk to your parents, friends or partners about
Testicular self examination.

Check your balls about once a month. If you have any concerns talk to your Doctor.
**AFTER ALL IT’S YOUR HEALTH AT STAKE.**

Watch a helpful video

Here’s a good video that tells you how to do an examination from ITV’s Lorraine Breakfast show.

Changes you should look out for:

Small hard painless lump
A dull ache
A testicle getting larger
One testicle feeling heavier than the other
Collection of fluid.

How to look after my balls

Check for swelling, and check to see is one ball is getting larger?

A good way to check yourself is in the shower, where you are warm.

Ask for help straight away if you find something wrong.

Don’t wait! Go and see your doctor straight away.

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Exeter Jobs Fair Wednesday 4 September

Beyond Limits is recruiting in the Southwest and we have a range of positions available. We offer a competitive starting salary, excellent training and career development.

We are looking for staff who can see the person behind the disability, who can help the people we support to achieve their dreams, goals and ambitions. For more information about the benefits of working for us visit Susannah’s “Reasons to become a support worker”.

If you are looking for an exciting challenge and want to make a real difference, then come along to our jobs fair on the Wednesday 4 September 2019 at the Corn Exchange in Exeter. We’ll be there from 10am to 1pm and would love to chat to you and tell you more about these opportunities.

Exeter Corn Exchange, Market Street, Exeter, EX1 1BW.

Telephone: 01392 665938

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Support worker with personin wheelcahir on the beach

Ten reasons to work for Beyond Limits

There are more than ten good reasons to work for Beyond Limits, below are some of the main ones…

Ten Reasons

We reward our staff with competitive salaries
We offer an Award Winning Pension Scheme
We have a company sick pay scheme
Excellent annual leave allowance, including top up pay
Critical Illness cover, reassurance when you need it the most
Life Insurance, reassurance for your family when they need it the most
A really good mandatory induction
Ongoing high quality training
Career development opportunities
A real chance to make a difference to someone’s life

Benefits

We know money makes the world go round which is why we offer competitive rates. We also know our employees are our most valuable resource which is why we look after you. We provide Critical Illness cover (subject to terms) a vital benefit paid to you when you need it the most. As a responsible employer we also recognise the impact on families when life events take a difficult turn and so we pay Life Insurance, 2 x your basic salary paid out when your family need it the most.

But when you join Beyond Limits you get more than good terms and conditions, you also benefit from being part of a ground breaking organisation that helps free people from restricted lives in institutions, supports them to re-connect with their families and most of all, that helps them get the good lives we all deserve. But we can’t do any of this without you…

Minimum hourly rate £12.10 including overtime
Minimum £70.00 per night for sleepover
Up to 4% Employer Contribution to Award Winning Pension Scheme
7 weeks holiday a year (pro rata) including top up pay
Company Sick Pay Scheme
A Comprehensive Induction and Excellent Training Calendar
Reflective Support and Supervision.

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Staying safe and Staying healthy

We have added a new section to our website called Useful information.

We think part of providing good support is giving the people we support information to help them stay safe and stay healthy. We have started the Useful information by adding some pages about bad people who pretend to be friends. Soon we will be having pages about health checks, healthy food with recipes and activities to keep you fit.

Follow this link to visit Useful information

Our first pages are:

Keeping safe from loan sharks

Mate crime – how to spot it

Information about Cuckooing and County Lines

How to deal with cold callers

What to tell the police when calling 101 or 999

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Keeping safe from loan sharks

What is a loan shark or illegal money lender

Illegal money lenders are also known as loan sharks.

Loan sharks are people who lend money without permission and are criminals.

Loan sharks can appear very friendly and helpful at first if you are having problems with your money. This is because they want to get you into debt.

If you cannot pay what you owe loan sharks will often threaten you with violence to make you give them money.

How to know if you’ve met a loan shark

The Illegal Money Lending Team have the following 4 questions to help you know if you have met a loan shark.

**Question 1.** Has someone lent you money at your door and are charging you a lot of interest?

**Question 2.** Have you been threatened when you couldn’t pay?

**Question 3.** Has someone taken your bankcard to look after until you have paid what you owe?

**Question 4.** Does the money you owe keep getting bigger even though you are making payments?

What to do if you have met a loan shark.

If you have answered yes to any of the questions you have been targeted by a loan shark.

You can call the Illegal Money Lending Team 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, on **0300 555 2222** to make a report.

Talk to your local PCSO if you are worried or suspicious.

Phone 999 if you have been threatened or feel scared.

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Mate crime – how to spot it

Below are some examples of a learning disability mate crime

Mate crime is when someone pretends to be your friend because they want to use or take advantage of you.

Mate crime is when someone borrows your mobile phone and uses up all your credit.

Mate crime is when your ‘mate’ comes round on the day you get your benefit money so you can go to the pub and buy him or her lots of drinks.

Mate crime is when your family members take money off you without asking you.

Mate crime is when your ‘friend’ takes you out in the car and then charges you £20 for taking you.

Mate crime is when your neighbours call you names each time they see you but always say they are ‘only joking’.

Mate crime is when friends send abusive (rude or threatening) emails or texts to you. This includes messages on Twitter and Facebook.

Mate crime is when your ‘mate’ comes to your place, stays a couple nights, eats all your food and drink and leaves you with nothing for the rest of the week.

What to do if you are a victim of mate crime

Tell someone you trust for example: your support worker, advocate or centre manager who will help you to call the police.

Call the police on 999 saying you think you have been a victim of learning disability mate crime.

Call your local safeguarding adults team.

Cornwall Adult Safeguarding: 0300 1234 131

Plymouth Adult Safeguarding: 01752 668000

Devon Adult Safeguarding: 0345 1551 007

Somerset Adult Safeguarding: 0300 123 2224

Talk to Stop Hate UK on free phone 0800 138 1625, they are open 24 hours a day.

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Contact Beyond Limits Southwest

This page tells you how to get in touch with Beyond Limits. There is also a map showing the location of the Beyond Limits offices, a photo of the entrance and a Google Streetview of the car park and entrance from Somerset Place.

Postal address

Beyond Limits
York House, Unit 4,
Stoke Damerel Business Centre
Church Street, Stoke
Plymouth, PL3 4DT
United Kingdom

Phone

Office telephone: 01752 546 449

Doreen Kelly: 0771 4456 403

Email

Contact form: Contact us using our contact form.

Email: info@beyondlimits-uk.org

Beyond Limits York House entrance — Photo of Beyond Limits office entrance

Streetview from Somerset Place showing entrance and car park

Map of the area.

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Attention! There may be drug dealing in your area

Devon and Cornwall Police know that drug dealing is happening in their area. If you use drugs or know someone who does we want to help you so that it stops.

Sometimes drug dealers take over people’s homes to supply or store drugs. They pretend they are friends but do not act like it. They may refuse to leave and invite other people to stay.

They may damage things in your home, threaten or hurt you.

Taking over someone’s home to use to sell drugs is called ‘Cuckooing’ – see our page about ‘Cuckooing’ and County Lines.

We want to stop dealers in this area and we need your help.

We want to work with you to keep you safe and you can talk to us in confidence. We will work with other services to help you.

If this has happened to you and you don’t tell the Police or your housing provider you could be breaking the law.

If you would like to talk to someone about this please contact your local officer. In an emergency please phone 999.

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Information about Cuckooing and County Lines

What is Cuckooing?

Cuckooing is when someone you don’t know takes over your home and uses it as a place to sell, supply or store drugs.

What is County Lines?

County Lines is when drug dealers travel to different areas to sell drugs. This includes Devon and Cornwall. They use mobile phones to sell drugs and ‘cuckoo’ taking over people’s homes.

Things to look out for

Someone who stays in your home longer than you want them to. Someone who takes over your home and does what they want in your home.

Someone who threatens or hurts you or someone who invites other people to stay in your home without asking you.

Someone who pays bills for, offers you drugs or gives you gifts or cash or someone who sells, or supplies drugs from your home or stores them in your home. Sometime people even block off your doors so people can’t get in.

What to do to keep safe

Make sure your windows and doors are shut and locked and **do not give your door key to anyone**.

If someone tries to get in to your home and you don’t feel safe phone the Police on 999. Tell the Police it could be ‘Cuckooing’.

You should also tell your local Police Officer, Housing Officer, Doctor or Drug and Alcohol worker.

Where to get advice or help if you are worried

Talk to your local Police Officer or PCSO

Contact the Devon and Cornwall Victim Care Unit

Visit the Victim Care Unit website

For information about Drug and alcohol services

Talk to Frank – Honest information about drugs

Talk to Frank website

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July 5th 2019 Jobs Fair, Plymouth Guildhall

Beyond Limits is recruiting in the Plymouth area and we have a range of positions available. We offer a competitive starting salary, excellent training and career development. We are looking for staff who can see the person behind the disability, who can help the people we support to achieve their dreams, goals and ambitions. For more information about the benefits of working for us visit Susannah’s “Reasons to become a support worker”.

Current vacancies

For the latest vacancies follow this link

If you are looking for an exciting challenge and want to make a real difference, then come along to our jobs fair on the 5th July 2019 at the Guildhall in Plymouth. We’ll be there from 10am to 1pm and would love to chat to you and tell you more about these opportunities.