School Nursing Service
The School Nursing Service for Bradford is available to support children and young people aged 5 years to their 19th birthday and their parents/carers. The team forms part of 0-19 Family Health Services and work alongside the Health Visiting Team who support parents of children aged 0-4 years. Part of the School Nurse Service role is to connect professionals, children, young people, and families more directly with the most appropriate source of help or advice. They can help to navigate care and identify local and national services available both in person and/or digitally.
The team can support you with things such as:
1.General health issues may include physical activity and nutrition, obesity, sexuality/identity, tobacco/vapes and substance abuse
2. Initial advice and assessment for mild or low level emotional and mental health issues including basic strategies and interventions for issues such as:
- Self esteem
- Anxiety which may present as:
– Avoidance
– Defiance
– Seeking constant reassurance
– Excessive worries
– Physical symptoms (such as sweating, heart palpitations or feeling shaky)
– Panic attacks or feeling dizzy/sick
– Change in social interaction
- Low mood which may present as:
– Sadness or low mood
– Loss of interest or pleasure
– Fatigue or low energy
– Disturbed sleep (increased or decreased)
– Lack of concentration
– Low self confidence
– Changes in appetite
– Suicidal ideation (thoughts of but no active plans to attempt this)
– Self-injury
– Guilt or self-blame
- Self-harm, which may present as:
– Cutting
– Over or under eating
– Excessive exercise
– Self-biting, punching or head banging
– Picking or scratching skin excessively
– Burning skin deliberately
– Hair pulling
- Difficulties in managing emotions/anger, which may present as:
– Problems verbally expressing emotions in a calm and healthy way
– Outward aggression which may include physical behaviour towards self, others or objects
– Inward aggression may include isolation or self-harm.
3. Basic sexual health advice
4. Sleep issues (not related to a medical condition or lack of parental boundaries/routine)
5. Development or co-ordination concerns that affect a child’s ability to perform everyday tasks such as:
- Frequently described as clumsy or awkward
- Difficulty mastering simple motor activities, such as tying shoes or co-ordinating movements smoothly
- Inability to perform age appropriate academic or self-care tasks
- Delayed motor skills
6. Primary Nocturnal Enuresis (known as bedwetting/never been dry at night)
This list is not exhaustive and if you are unsure, please contact a member of the School Nurse Team to discuss your concerns further. Furthermore, sometimes a different service to School Nursing may be needed, however we can discuss this when you contact us. Contact the team via Single Point of Access Hub on 01274 221203 Monday to Friday between 8.30-5pm and ask for School Nursing.
If your child or young person is offered one-to-one support, this will consist of an initial assessment, basic strategies and interventions, up to a maximum of three sessions. The child or young person will then be discharged if a positive outcome has been achieved; discharged with on-going self-management advise or referred onto a more appropriate service to meet their needs.
We have many ways in which we offer appointments with children and young people. This may be virtually, via video or telephone contact or a face-to-face appointment at an appropriate venue including schools on a needs led basis.
Support can be with the child or young person on a one-to-one basis, with their parent or carer depending on the child’s age, or together with their families or teachers based on the needs of the child or young person
Please note: The school nursing service is not an emergency service. If you have immediate or urgent concerns about your child’s physical wellbeing, please call your GP; NHS 111 or your local A&E department. For immediate or urgent concerns regarding your child’s mental health which makes them or you feel unsafe, distressed or worried, there is a First Response crisis service available. This offers support 24 hours a day, seven days a week to people of all ages living in Bradford, Airedale, Wharfedale or Craven experiencing a mental health crisis. Their telephone number is 0800 952 1181.
