Specialist School Nursing Service
We are the provider for the NHS children’s Specialist School Nursing service in West Essex which includes Harlow, Epping and Uttlesford District and supports children and young people aged between 3-19 years old.
We work in special schools to support the health and development of children with special needs, including those with learning disabilities, associated additional health needs and/or complex health needs.
We work collaboratively with parents/carers/teaching staff and members of the multi-professional team to ensure that young people achieve the best possible outcomes
How can we help?
Care provided by the specialist school nurses includes:
- Routine health surveillance and health promotion contributing to the Healthy Schools agenda
- Care planning and supporting clinical assessments and interventions in school for individual children
- Health training for education staff in skills required to meet the child’s needs (such as administration of medicines, epilepsy care, tube feeding and catheterisation)
- Contribution to annual health reviews and Looked After Child reviews
- Promoting the welfare of children and protecting them from harm (safeguarding)
- Support with continence, through assessment, advice and product management
- Support and contribute to PSHE curriculum within the school
- Liaison and support for parents about any issues related to their child’s health and wellbeing, including continence, diet, communication and support for developing self-help skills
- Support transition to adult services
Guidance and helpful information
The specialist school nurse works with school staff to ensure all children’s health needs can be supported when they are in school. This enables all children to access education and achieve their full potential, even if they have complex health needs.
We work within a multidisciplinary team including:
- Health visitors
- GPs and community paediatricians
- Community childrens nurses
- Speech and language therapists
- Physiotherapists
- Occupational therapists
- Dieticians
- Social care
- Emotional wellbeing mental health service (EWMHS)
What happens next?
The Specialist School Nurses can be contacted via the school that the pupil attends:
Harlow Fields School and College, Tendring Road, Harlow CM18 6RN Tel. 01279 423670
Oak View School, Whitehills Road, Loughton Tel. 0208 508 4293
Wells Park School, 3 School Lane, Chigwell IG7 6NN Tel. 0208 502 6442