Community School Nurse
The Community School Nurse visits the school regularly. We have been asked by the School Nursing Service to provide the following information which explains the role of the School Nurse and what the Nurse can provide for you and your child.
School Nursing team
The School Nursing team consists of Specialist Community Public Health Nurses (SCPHN), School Staff Nurses and Community Nursery Nurses. The team offers services throughout the year, including school holidays.
What is a School Nurse?
School nurses are registered nurses who have professional experience in supporting the health needs of all school aged children. They continue the work of the Health Visitor in promoting good health and prevention of illness in the school aged population. This is in line with the Department of Health ‘Healthy Child Programme’ The School Nursing team also work closely with a number of other community and voluntary sectors. These services include GP surgeries, Paediatricians, Schools, Early Help teams and other Sutton Health and Care partners.
The School Nursing team works with parents, carers, children and young people providing advice and support on the following:
• Children with additional needs and complex health needs
• Sleep
• Behaviour
• Child development
• Healthy lifestyles
• Eating concerns
• Toileting
• Alcohol, drugs and smoking
• Emotional and mental health issues
• Sexual health and relationships
School Nursing team offer:
• Confidential drop in offered in high schools
• PSHE health education in schools
• Enuresis (bedwetting) clinics
• National Child Measurement Programme
• Supporting health needs in school- health care plan where required
• Home visits
• Safeguarding
• Referral to other specialists
This can be part of direct work with individual children and families or as group talks within the classroom in both primary schools and high schools.
Who do we work with?
We often work with other agencies in the best interests of families, including, education staff, GPs, health visitors, speech therapists, hospital staff, therapists and both children and adult social services.
We may share confidential information with these agencies with your consent. We will only share information without permission when we have a duty of care due to serious concerns about the welfare or safety of a child or young person.
When to expect to see your school nurse team
Your school nurse will contact you at the following stages:
• When your child starts in reception – we will ask you to fill in a health questionnaire about your child’s health. We will also ask for your consent to see your child in school to be weighed and measured. If you identify that your child has some health needs, we will contact you to discuss further and possibly arrange to meet with you.
• Year 6 – we will offer you the opportunity to have your child weighed and measured again.
• Year 10 – you and your child will be sent a health questionnaire.
In addition: A member of the School Nursing team may meet with you at the school’s parent/teacher afternoons and evenings.
• School Nurses provide a safe, confidential and accessible environment in high schools for young people, so that they can access information on health issues. The school nurse team currently offer a drop in service to each high school once a week. Young people can access the drop-in at high school without an appointment; just ask in the school office for the day of the week and available times.
• Young people can self-refer or be encouraged to self-refer by teaching staff. Teaching staff can also refer with parental consent using referral form. Parent are also able to refer young people directly.
Contact us
By phone on 020 8770 5409
By email at hcpadmin@sutton.gov.uk
Ask at your school’s office
The School Nursing team are available Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays) 9am–5pm and we can visit you at school, home, within a community setting or at a children’s centre.
Young Person confidential phone line 020 8770 4409 9am-4pm Monday - Friday
By email at schoolnursing@sutton.gov.uk
Instagram @suttonschoolnursing