School Health Team :: Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust

Who we are

We provided the School Health part of the Integrated 0-19 Healthy Child Programme (0-25 for SEND) Special Educational Needs and Disabilties, working in conjunction with the Health Visiting team.

Each school has a named school nurse who work together with the wider team to deliver the Healthy Child Programme to children aged 4 to 19 years within Sefton.

The team consists of school nurses (some of whom hold a specialist practitioner qualification), community staff nurses, clinical and administrative support workers

As a team we offer:

Advice, information and support on all aspects of health and well-being encompassing both physical and emotional health
A health needs assessment in the form of an online questionnaire which is completed by parents of Reception aged children and pupils in Years 6, 9 and 11 (Letters will be sent to parents during the school year to inform them of when these will be completed)
Health screening for all Reception aged children which includes height, weight, vision and hearing
The National Childhood Measurement Programme (height and weight measurement) is offered to all pupils in Reception and Year 6
Support for young carers
The school aged enhanced service is delivered by our school nurses with an emphasis on early intervention. We work with children and young people who are referred to one of Sefton’s pupil referral units which are Jigsaw and Impact including the Oakfield and Daleacre Campus
We also offer our service to children and young people who live in Sefton who are receiving elective home education, the gypsy and traveller population, and identified young people aged 16-19 years who are not in education, employment, or training and have not attended a school or college in Sefton.

We work with:

Partner agencies to safeguard vulnerable children and young people
Families, children and young people and can offer health assessment, targeted interventions and further referrals according to needs identified
Partner agencies to identify need and offer early support.

School Nurses also work with the Children in Care Team who complete the statutory health assessments for Children in Care. If you have a question in relation to this please email lac.sefton@nhs.net or telephone 0151 295 9690.

Sefton has three School Health Teams. Each School Health Team has responsibility for all school age children who attend school in the geographical area of Sefton.

We have made it simpler to request support:

If you are a parent or carer please call our Single Point of Access number 0151 247 6354 or email mcn-tr.seftonschoolhealth@nhs.net. Please include your child’s name, DoB and School so your query can be directed to the appropriate team/person.
If you are a professional please complete the School Nursing Referral Form and return to mcn-tr.seftonschoolhealth@nhs.net

We deliver support, advice and interventions to children, young people, families and schools within Sefton.

We strive to promote and protect health and to prevent ill health by delivering a high quality service, which is responsive to local need. This is achieved through working collaboratively with our partner agencies including schools, Children’s Centres, statutory and voluntary agencies.

In addition, we work closely with schools to develop health policies and promote good health and attendance, by supporting them in delivering information to pupils on a wide range of health related subjects, both within lessons and at health events.

If your child has a medical need, we are here to support you and the school in completing a health care plan. We will also offer assessment and ongoing support through early help and intervention services.

We provide information and advice on a wide range of health related topics including:

ADHD
Alcohol
Allergy
Anxiety
ASD
Asthma
Bed wetting
Behaviour management
Bereavement
Bullying
Constipation
Dental health and hygiene
Drugs
Eczema
Eating disorders
Emotional health
Epilepsy
Head lice
Healthy eating
Healthy lifestyle
Immunisations
Infectious diseases
Overweight and obesity
Physical activity
Puberty
Self-harm
Sexual health
Sleep problems
Smoking

If you have any health concerns for your child please contact your school nurse to discuss these further. We will offer advice and support and can make further referrals if required.

Schools, Children’s Services, Specialist Nurses, Enhanced Services Team, GP's, Children’s Centres, Active Sefton.

We also work alongside the Immunisation Team, delivering immunisations to children and young people in accordance with the UK schedule.

You can either contact us by telephone on the clinic numbers stated, attend a drop-in at school or be referred via your GP.

We have introduced a quick and easy way for young people in to get in touch with their school nurse.

Did you know you can now send a message to your school nurse for confidential help and advice? If you are aged 11 to 19 and live in Sefton and are worried about your health and wellbeing, you can send a confidential and anonymous message to get advice about all kinds of things like emotional health, sexual health, relationships, alcohol and drugs and bullying.

To start a chat with your school nurse, just send a message to 07312 263 291

So how does it work?

When you send a message, you’ll get confirmation that your message has been received. A trained healthcare professional will reply to your message between 9am and 4.30pm and within 24 working hours at most.

What if it’s urgent?

If you need urgent help, you should visit an NHS walk-in centre or call NHS 111. In an emergency, dial 999 or go to A&E. For more information, or to start a chat go to www.chathealth.nhs.uk