School Nursing Service
We are the School Nurse Service for children and young people (5-19 years) who attend a Wigan Borough school or live in Wigan Borough and are educated at home.
Welcome from Wigan School Nurse Team
We are the School Nurse Service for children and young people (5-19 years) who attend a Wigan school or live in Wigan and are educated at home.
We co-ordinate and deliver the Healthy Child Programme for the Wigan Borough addressing;
Prevention and Early Intervention
Public Health issues such as Obesity, Substance Misuse and Sexual Health
General Health Screening
Support around Emotional Health and Wellbeing
Our team is made up of:
- Community Public Health School Nurses (Qualified Nurse Specialists)
- Registered Nurses (Qualified staff nurses)
- Assistant Practitioners
- Senior School Health Care Assistants and School Health Care Assistants
- Support workers and admin support
We deliver a universal service available for all children with some targeted services through our Universal Plus and Universal Partnership Plus offer.
The Health Visiting and School Nurse service delivers on the Healthy Child Programme. This is a health programme for children, young people and families focusing on early intervention and prevention and offers research based guidance on developmental reviews, immunisations, screenings, and healthy choices.
It means that as School Nurses we can offer;
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A confidential health service.
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Physical and emotional health and wellbeing support
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Advice on healthy choices, e.g. healthy eating, dental health, sexual health and substance misuse.
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Health promotion for schools on healthy lifestyles issues including diet and exercise
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Targeted health reviews for young people to ensure they can reach their full potential
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A school age immunisation programme which ensures children are protected against disease and infection
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Information and support to teenage parents.
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Link families/children with complex needs, such as diabetes and asthma, to Specialist support so that they can continue to enjoy their education at school.
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Partnership working with a wide range of agencies to promote the rights and educational needs of vulnerable young people including Young Carers, Children Looked after and Young Offenders.
Please get in touch if you have any worries, questions or concerns.
If you need to get in touch we offer a duty telephone service available Monday to Friday.
This service has an answer machine which is secure and password protected. All messages are retrieved and followed up by the Duty School Nurse promptly with a view to returning your call within 24 hours. To help us deal with your enquiry efficiently please ensure you leave your;
- CHILD’S NAME
- DATE OF BIRTH
- YOUR PREFERRED CONTACT NUMBER
- A BRIEF MESSAGE
Telephone: 0300 707 1091
In September the care of children starting School Reception passes from the Health Visiting Team to the School Nursing Team.
Some skills that help to get your child ready for schools include:
- Using the toilet
- Knowing their full name
- Taking off and putting on shoes
- Colouring/holding a pencil
- Singing nursery rhymes/developing speech.
You can access support from your child care provider or contact your Health Visitor or School Nurse if you need any further information, advice or guidance.
Universal Offer for all children educated in the Wigan Borough
These services are for all children attending a Wigan School or who live in Wigan and are home schooled.
National Screening Programmes
During your child’s education they will be offered the opportunity to receive a range of National Screening Programmes. The School Nurse Service delivers some of these programmes which include hearing screening in Year 1, height and weight measurements in Reception and Year 6 and high school immunisations in Year 8 and Year 10.
There are other screening programmes offered to your child by a range of other providers. These include vision screening and flu vaccines.
Targeted health screening can be offered by your school nurse including continence assessments and healthy weight assessments.
School Readiness is part of our universal offer.
Annual Anaphylaxis Training - School Staff
We offer annual training to all schools around their management of Anaphylaxis and the storage and use of auto-injector adrenaline pens.
Drop-In for Secondary Schools
Your school nurse will provide all High Schools a drop-in once a week to enable staff to refer pupils through for support on any health related issues. Please note that this is not for the provision of first aid.
Information, Advice and Guidance
School Nurses are qualified nurses. If you have any worries, questions or concerns regarding any aspect of your child’s health get in touch.
Hearing Screening
We offer all children a hearing screening assessment in Year 1. This is completed in your child’s school and you will receive a letter giving you details of the day this is to be undertaken. You will need to notify us if you choose to withdraw your child from the hearing screening, for example if they are already under a hearing specialist and this process will be explained in your letter.
We will notify you by letter of the results of your child’s screening.
There can be a number of reasons why a child may fail a hearing assessment such as having a cold or ear infection so if this happens to your child they will have a follow up assessment with the Audiology services a few weeks later to ensure that there are no underlying problems.
Height and Weight
The National Child Measurement Programme requires that each year all Reception and Year 6 children across the country have their height and weight recorded.
We will write to let you know when we will be in your child’s school to complete their measurements, to outline medical exemptions and to let you know what to do if you don’t want your child to participate in the programme.
We do not share the measurements with your child and only provide written results for parents whose children are recorded as under or overweight in order to provide them additional information on local services and opportunities for follow up. Check out Public Health Englands Shake up Games to help encourage children to get more active.
Be Well Wigan offer the Let's Get Movin' service (see first link) supporting families in positive activies around healthy eating and exercise. Let's Get Movin' Session 1 - YouTube
Staying active can have a positive effect on how we feel and support is available for our older children too Let's Get Movin' Promo 2 - YouTube
School Age Immunisations
More information regarding school age immunisations is available below.
Here are services we deliver to children and young people who need short-term additional support.
Individual Care Plans
The School Nurses can provide support in writing individual care plans with parent/s or carer/s and school staff where required.
We can also liaise with other professionals including health professionals who may be involved in your child’s care.
Continence Assessments
Whilst School Nurses can provide advice around childhood routines such as toileting they can also undertake a Continence Assessment for those children requiring further investigation. This assessment can be used to support parents to access additional support services and referrals into other health services where identified.
Healthy Weight
Our children’s weight is complex and can be influenced by genes, diet, exercise and some medical conditions and treatments. If you are concerned that your child is under or over weight you can speak to the school nurse service who can discuss the opportunities to arrange follow up screening, support referrals for further investigation and liaise with specialist services.
Early Help
School Nurses can be asked to contribute to Early Help plans where there is an identified health need.
Clinic in A Box
We offer a young people’s sexual health service to our Secondary Schools. This service is confidential for the student with a key focus on healthy relationships, risk reduction in terms of unplanned pregnancy and infection and to safeguard against exploitation.
Here are services we offer to children and young people with long-term or complex support needs.
Contribute to EHCP’s (Education & Health Care Plans)
School nurses can, if requested, contribute to a child or young person’s Education and Health Care plan (EHCP). School Nurses will work with other professionals to achieve the best outcomes for children and young people.
As well as our core offer, we provide support for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities by providing information, signposting and referring onto other appropriate professionals.
Wigan Parent Carer Forum's Summer Newsletter is now available.
Check out the leaflet on pre-school immunisations below.
UKHSA Guide to Pre-School Immunisations
We deliver the national immunisation programme across the school aged population.
School aged immunisations are offered during your child’s time at Secondary school.
Year 8 boys and girls are offered the HPV vaccine, which from September 2023 will be just one dose. HPV information
In Year 10 they will be offered the Tetanus, Diphtheria and Meningitis ACWY leavers booster.
Children take home a consent form for their parent or carer to complete which needs returning to their school as soon as possible in order for their immunisation to be given.
Immunisations save lives, if you have any questions or your child has any worries about immunisations get in touch. If children and young adults have missed vaccinations in the past, it’s important to take up the vaccine now from their GP.
Please check out the measles leaflet below
Health Profiles – Improving Health
Each year a Public Health School Nurse will meet with a school representative to look at developing a School Health Profile. The Health Profile is an action planning tool that captures student health needs, strengthens partnerships and identifies health priorities with the school.
Anaphylaxis & Asthma Staff Training
Annual training is delivered by the Public Health School Nurse to all staff in all schools. This brief training ensures staff have the latest best practice for supporting students with allergies and/or asthma in school and is clear how to use auto-injectors and inhalers correctly. We can provide advice on medicine management and link schools to health specialists around diabetes and epilepsy.
Early Help
Your school nurse can be invited to attend any Early Help meetings where a health need has been identified.
Public Health Programmes – Interventions and Teaching
Your School Nurse team will co-ordinate with you implementing a number of Public Health Programmes including;
National Child Measurement Programme
Your school nurse service and support staff can provide some direct work or resources around topics such as:
- Hand washing
- Healthy Lifestyles
Your Information
Protecting your Privacy – How we Use Your Information
https://www.wwl.nhs.uk/your-information
Confidentiality, Consent and Data Protection
The School Nurse Service provides a confidential service to families, children and young people. This means that we will not share your information with other services without your permission unless there is a concern about the safety of a child or individual when it may be deemed necessary to share information with other Safeguarding Professionals.
Consent
Parental consent is a parent or carer’s permission and is required in writing in order for young people to receive their Immunisations.
When a student attends a High School Drop-in the student may provide their own consent to receive support from the School Nurse service. School Nurses apply Fraser Guidelines in order to assess a young person’s ability to provide their own consent.
School Nurses work closely with a wide range of professionals to help improve the lives of children and young people in the Wigan Borough.
School Nurses contribute to the safeguarding of children and young people by:
- Attending Initial Case Conference meetings
- Provide Health reports for Courts or Safeguarding meetings
- Follow up missed health appointments or unmet health needs
- Review children and young people’s A&E admissions
Diabetes Support in the North Free Mental Health App
Young People's Sexual Health Clinic
Health for Teens Lots of information for teenagers from exam stress to body image. (Don't select location - just view the site)
One Plus One - Online Courses for Parents supporting relationships and communication
Volunteering
Ready for School
Advice for parents from the Professional Association of Child Care & Early Years
Headlice
NHS Website to help identify, treat and reduce risk of head lice
Toileting
Leading Children’s Bladder and Bowel Charity - Video’s exploring toileting Helpline 0845 370 8008 (Charged at 9.6p per minute).
Teens information page for bladder and bowel issues
Toileting and Autism information
Leaflet: CM155 School Children who are bedwetting
Sleep
The Sleep Charity - https://thesleepcharity.org.uk/information-support/children/
Sleep Foundation - https://www.sleepfoundation.org/children-and-sleep
Young Minds - https://www.youngminds.org.uk/young-person/blog/what-to-do-if-you-re-struggling-to-sleep/
Teen Sleep Hub - https://teensleephub.org.uk/
NHS - https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/health/sleep-problems-in-young-children/
Tips for sleep routines from the NHS
Healthy Eating
Ideas and resources for life long healthy eating
Leaflet: CM 042 Looking after your Child’s Teeth v2
Dental Health
https://www.brushdj.com/ A fun and educational app to help people improve their oral hygiene. The app uses music from your mobile device and plays it for two minutes, the recommended brushing time. It also has videos on how to brush your teeth and aims to make brushing fun.
https://www.bspd.co.uk/ British society of Paediatric Dentistry
https://teethteam.org.uk/ resources for school age children, schools and professionals
https://teethteam.org.uk/resources/BSPD-Practical-parenting-guide.pdf leaflet for children of all ages
Going to the Dentist - A guide for parents and Families from the National Autistic Society
Dental Health Buddy - Resources for schools and families
Eating Disorders
Information about Eating disorders and support
Bullying
Free resources for parents, carer’s and schools
Advice for parents on bullying
Activities/Groups/Volunteering
Search engine for all groups across Wigan for any age
Common Childhood Illnesses
The Little Orange Book a guide to common childhood illnesses
Long Term Medical Conditions
Epilepsy
Asthma UK - Research and guidance
Diabetes UK – Research and guidance
Advice and information on childhood diabetes
Additional Needs
Contact; National Charity For families with disabled children
Bereavement
For children and young people living after loss
Child Bereavement UK Helpline 0800 02 888 40
Child Safety
CHILD ACCIDENT PREVENTION TRUST - PARENT PACK
Dogs and Children Top tips to keeping them safe and happy together CAPT
Translated Fact Sheets Child Safety
Online Safety
Guidance on parental-controls and internet safety
UK Internet Safety guidance, quizzes and top tips for young people
CEOP Ask the Awkward Questions guide for Parents and Carers
Mental Health
Greater Manchester Silver Cloud Platform for Parents & Carers children and teens experiencing anxieties and worries and want strategies to help them.
Advice for support your child's mental health https://thismayhelp.me/
Think Wellbeing Support for Adults 16 and over
Your Information - Think Wellbeing