The Public Health Nursing Service is made up of

• Health Visiting
• School Nursing
• Family Nurse Partnership (FNP) for parents 19 years old or under

They work with families of children aged 0-19 years, or 25 years old if they have special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Health Visitors

Health visitors offer support and advice to families of children up to 5 years old with things like:

• breastfeeding
• supporting new mothers with post-natal depression
• parenting programmes
• sleep issues
• toilet training and bed wetting
• specialist services that can support them and their child's healthy development 

New parents are also offered a newborn hearing test.

The service is delivered in a variety of ways, through home visits, telephone advice, child health clinics and doctor's surgeries.

School Nurses

School Nurses can help with the following things:

• Promoting healthy lifestyles
• Provide health assessments
• Health screening, such hearing tests and as the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) completed in Reception and Year 6
• Supporting pupils with long term health conditions or disabilities such as asthma, diabetes or epilepsy
• Confidential Health and Advice for Teens (CHAT) drop-in’s in secondary schools
• Primary school and community drop-in’s
• Working with schools, children and young people to address smoking, alcohol or drugs.
• Support to parents and carers providing advice on specific issues such as bedwetting, healthy eating or sleep support.
• Protection of vulnerable children to improve their health outcomes
• Signposting and access to other services
• Fit Families Weight Management Service

 

Family Nurse Partnership (FNP)

The Family Nurse Partnership (FNP) is an intensive home visiting service; if you are 19 or under and expecting your first baby, a Family Nurse can visit you to help you have a healthy pregnancy and enjoy being the best mum you can.

Your specially trained Family Nurse will help you understand all about your pregnancy and how to care for you and your baby. Your Family Nurse will visit you regularly during pregnancy and then after the birth until your baby is two years old.