Health Visiting
The North Lincolnshire Health Visiting service consists of Specialist Community Public Health nurses and other professionals who provide expert information, assessments and interventions for babies, children, fathers and families. Health visitors help to empower parents to make decisions that affect their family’s health and well being. Their role is central to improving the health outcomes of the population and reduce inequalities.
Why Health Visiting?
Every child is entitled to the best possible start in life and health visitors play an essential role in achieving this. The Health Visiting teams work alongside other health professionals. These include early years practitioners, voluntary organisations, peer supporters, General Practitioners, primary and secondary care providers as well as children’s centres to provide a complete service which is focused on improving health and reducing inequalities. Health visitors take the lead for a prevention and early intervention public health programme called the Healthy Child Programme 0-5. This programme lies at the heart of the universal service for children and families. It aims to support parents at this crucial stage of life, promotes child development, improves child health outcomes and ensures that families with complex needs or are ‘at risk’ are identified at the earliest opportunity.
What do Health Visitors do?
Your health visitor will have extensive knowledge about child development, child health, parenting strategies, breast feeding, nutrition, maternal mood and community support. They offer support with social, emotional and environmental issues that affect families. Health visitors work as part of a healthcare team which includes School Nurses, Community Nurses, nursery nurses and support workers by assessing the health needs of individuals, families and the wider community. The North Lincolnshire 0-19 – 25 SEND – Health and Wellbeing service lead and coordinate the Universal Healthy Child Programme, which offers six visits incorporating advice, support and interventions for children and families from antenatal right through to when your child goes to school.
If you require some additional support our health visiting teams can provide advice on post natal depression, parenting, nutrition or any concerns regarding the health and development of your child. A key part of the Health Visiting team is to build community scope by working together with health professionals such as GPs, midwives, speech therapists and hospital professionals, as well as social and voluntary care partners to deliver local public health campaigns and events.
- Health advice and support throughout your pregnancy and up to your baby’s first birthday
- Emotional and physical wellbeing
- Learn all about how your baby’s brain develops and how you can support this
- Promoting healthy relationships right from the start
- Sharing evidence based ideas and approaches for your family
- Supporting positive outcomes for your family
Our service also offers an Intensive Family Support programme of contacts for those families who are in need of extra support and advice
School Nursing
The North Lincolnshire School Nursing service work as part of a wider team with senior school nurses , community staff nurses and nursery nurses trained to support children and young people in making healthy lifestyle choices, enabling them to reach their full potential and enjoy life. The school nurse team work within education, health and other agencies to safeguard, improve the health and wellbeing of children and young people aged five to nineteen and their families.
With a caseload of over 23,000 children the School Nurse team covers all 75 schools in North Lincolnshire, as well as offering support to the St Hughes and St Lukes, the post 16 colleges and the alternative education providers.
Why School Nursing?
School nurses see all children during their first year of schooling for a health assessment, which will include a vision and hearing test. They help children and families gain additional help and support when required, and provide and coordinate additional services for vulnerable children.
North Lincolnshire School Nursing Service advise on common childhood conditions such as asthma, diabetes and eczema, working closely with our health visitors, general practitioners and other health and social care staff.
Services offered include:
- Height and weight measurements
- Vision and hearing screening
- Providing Immunisation clinics
- Bed wetting advice and support
- Sex and relationship advice
- Home visits to families in need
- Providing health education, advice, and signposting to other agencies
- Behaviour
- Safeguarding and service coordination
eClinic App
New Parent Plus eClinic app is an instant messaging drop-in clinic for parents & carers with children in the North Lincolnshire area and professionals wanting
advice around young people aged 0=19 years to talk to a Health Visitor or School Nurse via their mobile device. The app can be downloaded via android or IOS, register your details and book an appointment via the app. The appointment is held via a text message-based service.
Parent Plus
- Register an account providing all necessary information
- Book your appointment
On the day of your appointment
- Log into your account and wait for your appointment to commence (you’ll be given reminders of your appointment during the day).
- Simply chat to your CAMHS Practitioner via instant messaging.
How we work with other agencies
The Health Visiting and School Nurse teams are based within the community and can be accessed in various venues, including your family home, Health Centres, Children’s Centres or simply by telephoning the Single Point of Contact on: 0300 021 8997
To contact a School Nurse or Health Visitor telephone 0300 021 8997 or access our Facebook page SchoolNursesNLincs