For children and young people 5-19 and up to 25 years where there are Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.
The School Nursing Team supports your child from school entry through adolescence, whether they are in a school or not. This is a continuation of the support you have received from your Health Visitor. All schools have a named school health practitioner.
School nurses are nurses with an additional qualification which enables them to accurately assess the needs of school aged young people and the wider family.
School nurses can see you or your child/young person at home, at school and alternative settings of your choice. We are visible in places where lots of young people spend time together such as the ‘youth Zone in Blackburn, the ‘everybody Centre’, and in colleges and 6th forms across the borough. We also support young people who are Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET)
Our support to young people is provided by nurses and Health support workers trained specifically to support young people.
Key health contacts (4-19)
- Health Questionnaire: Complete at school entry (reception) to help us understand your child’s needs and support your child’s transition to school
- National Child Measurement Programme: a nationally directed measurement programme to record the height and weight of all children in Reception and Year 6. The anonymised data is uploaded into a national tool to help identify areas requiring co-ordinated support to manage unhealthy weight in young people.
- School Health Needs assessment Questionnaire (year 9): direct feedback from young people on the health issues important to them with an opportunity for 1:1 support as well as a general session on public health services available to them within Blackburn with Darwen.
All other contacts with the team come through direct referrals or information sharing from parents, education, other professionals and health services or young people themselves.
Our support can include:
- Complex Health Needs: Support and planning to ensure a safe, smooth transition to school, to complete a health care plan or support health training to school staff and contribution to education, health and social care plans (EHCP)
- Support for Children Not in Education: Advice and guidance for parents and children who are homeschooled or temporarily not in school, ensuring their health and wellbeing is supported
- Full holistic health assessments: For children and families who are receiving help through multi-agency support plans
- Face to face drop-in services in Schools, Pupil referral units and places where young people are identified as needing support
- Advice and information to reduce risks: smoking, vaping, sexual health, self-harm, personal and online safety, car seat/road safety, vaccination information and management of common ailments
- School nursing duty service: Daily advice and guidance through our telephone school nursing duty service accessed through the service contact number.
- Referrals for physical/emotional health concerns: Developmental concerns, behavioural issues, bedwetting support, anxiety
Our team is here to provide support whenever you need it however there are links below to supportive, reliable information for parents/carers and young people that you might want to view.