Case studies

Being a young carer can significantly affect a pupil’s education and mental health with little time to do homework, coursework or socialise with friends. In Leeds routine screening of pupils has begun to identify those who have caring responsibilities and to support them a dedicated pathway has been established to improve links between school nurses and other services. This case study showcases the important role of school nurses in the education system.

The school nurse team in Sefton helped children spot the signs of worry, and how to build resilience.

The challenge of the pandemic and lockdown restrictions have led to an innovative approach to children’s mental health from school nurses in Northamptonshire.

Over the last six months these teams have come up with new ways of supporting families during a pandemic. These case studies highlight the vital role that health visiting and school nurse services play in identifying problems early and giving children the best start in life.

A relationships education, relationships and sex education (RSE) working group was established in late 2017. It has been meeting termly, providing a forum for information sharing, discussion and advice on the support to schools to get ready for the changes. This case study is an example of the many pro-active and positive approaches which local authorities are taking to support inclusive RSE.

Family nurses have been using their skills to train up the wider workforce in support of young parents and families. So far over 100 staff, including health visitors, school nurses and early years workers, have been supported. This case study is an example of the work that councils are doing to support young parents.

Wakefield Council’s award-winning Liaison and Diversion Service is helping young offenders steer themselves away from crime by providing support for everything from mental health problems to help accessing education and training. The approach has proved so successful it is now being replicated in other areas. This case study is an example of how councils are tackling youth violence.

Like all areas, Swindon has a well-established range of support for children identified as overweight or obese during NCMP. The school nursing service will offer families an appointment to discuss concerns, give diet and physical activity advice and can refer them on to healthy weight programmes. This case study forms part of our resource on the National Child Measurement Programme.

The London Boroughs of Islington and Camden run a successful child weight management programme called the Healthy Living Practitioner Service that offers one-to-one support from a nutritionist attached to the school nursing teams. This case study forms part of our resource on the National Child Measurement Programme.

Lambeth Council has been implementing a healthy weight programme to address child obesity – and as part of that a specialist healthy weight school nurse post has been created. This case study forms part of our resource on the National Child Measurement Programme.