When your child transitions into secondary school this may be the first opportunity they have had to meet members of their School Nursing teams. Our teams will endeavour to attend the new starter parent meetings to introduce the team and explain what is available for your child.
We will attend assemblies and / or tutorials to talk to new starters about our service. We also let young people know how they can access their School Nurse.
All School Nurse teams will offer a drop in service. Frequency will depend on the needs of the local area. The drop ins are available for young people to access health information, advice and support. Young people may see the School Nurse once or have an on-going plan of care.
When a young person is in Years 9 and 10 your School Nurse team will also offer an optional routine health review. The health review offer helps to:
- identify any unmet health need
- support a young person to access appropriate services
- help them to achieve their full health potential
School Nurses can support a young person with a range of emotional and mental health issues including:
- anxiety
- low mood
- depression or stress
- self-harm
- suicidal thoughts
We can assess the young person and offer strategies and advice. We may also signpost to other supportive services that may be best placed to provide this intervention.
Please see the list of resources and links to local services available to young people:
- HeadStart Kernow
- Kooth
- Mind
- Young People Cornwall
- Stem 4 : supporting teenage mental health : information and apps
- Teen Sleep Hub: support for sleep
If you feel you require support from the Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS), please visit the Early Help Hub to make a referral.
Day / night time wetting
According to ERIC (the children's bowel and bladder charity), around 900,000 children and young people face bowel and bladder control problems in the UK. That's around 30 or 40 young people in an average sized secondary school.
Dealing with incontinence can have a huge impact on all areas of a young person's life.
The following resources are available to help:
Some health interventions School Nurses may help with the below along with some useful websites:
Sexual health services
School Nurses will offer a range of services to secondary schools and alternative provisions including:
- condom card scheme
- screening and testing for sexually transmitted infections
- advice and guidance for pregnancy
School Nurses will work closely with schools to agree on the services the school are happy for the School Nursing team to deliver. School Nurses will also work closely with partner agencies involved in sexual health services. These include Brook, GP’s and pharmacies.
- Brook
- Royal Cornwall Hospital
- Teenage pregnancy and sexual health services
- Keeping safe - alcohol and substance misuse
- Safer Cornwall
- Talk to Frank
Relationship advice
Young people experience significant changes throughout their teenage years. It is a time for growth spurts and puberty changes. However these changes are not just physical but also mentally and socially. Young people will develop new friendships and physical relationships. It is a time for young people to have the opportunity to be informed of these changes. Schools have a duty to provide RSE as part of the national curriculum. School Nurses can also provide support, advice and will work closely with partner agencies in regard to the RSE curriculum.
Internet safety
Domestic violence can happen against anyone, and anybody can be an abuser. Find out how to recognise the signs and where to get help.
Domestic violence, also called domestic abuse, includes physical, emotional and sexual abuse in couple relationships or between family members.
