- Helps children keep healthy during their school days and for the rest of their lives
- Prevents ill health in children and the local community
- Supports children with medical needs and those needing medication
- Ensures that educational potential is not hampered by unmet health needs
In their public health role school nurses work in partnership with schools and the National Healthy Schools programme and provide health promotion relating to the schools sex & relationship education and drug and alcohol use programmes, mental health and bullying and obesity issues, as well as other wider determinants of health and inequalities. They also provide an annual secondary schools programme for leavers booster immunisation, and provide support and HP advice to parents, children re the management of TB in school – aged children. SNs are currently working on the development of a clinic based service for children & families, following the national closure of the Schools BCG programme.
The school nurse is the key health worker in schools and is a unique position to identify early problems, which may affect the health or development of school aged children. Each school in Brent has a named school nurse with whom parents and education staff can discuss any concerns.
They are able to liaise with other health professionals and refer on where necessary. The school nurse can advise, or will know where help can be sought on many health matters including the following:
¨ ACCIDENT PREVENTION
¨ ADOLESCENCE
¨ BED-WETTING
¨ BEHAVIOURAL PROBLEMS
¨ BULLYING/ EMOTIONAL SUPPORT/ domestic violence
¨ CHILD PROTECTION
¨ HEALTHY EATING / obesity / anorexia
¨ IMMUNISATIONS
¨ SEXUAL HEALTH
¨ VISION AND HEARING & GROWTH PROBLEMS
¨ Management of conditions such as:
ANAPHYLAXIS (allergic reactions) ASTHMA,
DIABETES, ECZEMA, EPILEPSY, SICKLE CELL
AND THALASSAEMIA etc.
All discussions between the parent and the school nurse remain confidential. If there is a need to talk to someone else, this will only be done after we have discussed the reason to do so.
Pupils in secondary school are encouraged to start taking more responsibility for their own health needs, and to make informed choices, but for them to share those decisions with their families, where it is considered in their best interest to do so.
The service works closely, and together with GPs, Community Children’s Nurses, Health Visitors, Dentists, Chiropodists, Speech Therapists, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Psychologists and Dietitians and other specialist advisers; it can refer direct to as appropriate.
The service seeks to work in partnership with Education, Social Services, YOT and other agencies, as and when required, to meet a child’s needs and in order to respond to DOH and DfES documents.
For any child with special needs an individual care plan can be developed together with parents / carers and teachers, and appointments for a health interview or medical with the school doctor/paediatrician can be arranged in school, and can include any therapist involved at the time. The school nurse will have information on many self- help groups, and on the availability of special equipment, and can refer directly to the community paediatric consultants if required.
Children are encouraged and enabled to start taking responsibility for their own health and adopt a healthy life style.
The school nurse aims to visit her named schools regularly each week and can be contacted there during school hours or at her clinic base at other times.
For further information please contact:
Carole Bellringer
Professional Facilitator School Health
Wembley Centre for Health & Care
020 8795 6800
