You have open access to the health visiting service (Mon-Friday 8.30am-4pm) by calling the Single Point of Access 0191 282 3319 if you need support or guidance.
It is often said that a healthy body means a healthy mind and here in the 0-19 service our trained nurses and professionals can guide you through making healthy lifestyle choices.
We have diet advice and ideas that can help support lots of families in need, such as fussy eaters, children with specific needs and those looking for advice on becoming more active.
Our close working relationship with the dietitian services mean we can also support families through those more complex eating referrals such as obesity and eating disorders.
We can provide information on healthy recipe ideas, portion size, sugar swaps and more using up to date guidance from Change4Life and using our weight and height measurement programme we can monitor and re-evaluate progress.
School Health have great links in with the local schools and can also liaise with their school to ensure that all adults are working together to support your child.
Children pick up good and not so good habits from the people around them, and that is why it is important to adopt a whole family approach to health. This includes not smoking, so if you need help and support to ‘kick that habit’ we can help to link you in with a local stop smoking service to support your whole family being healthier.
Did you know government guidelines recommend 60 minutes of exercise a day? Indeed – staying active is vital in leading a healthy lifestyle. Here in the 0- 19 service we can provide lots of guidance on the best way for you and your family to get fit and stay fit and provide some help finding out what opportunities there are in your local community for staying active. Whatever your needs are we can help place you on the correct pathway of support.
Similarly, if you feel that your child is picking up unhealthy habits that are affecting their sleep, or needs some encouragement to support healthy dental or body hygiene then school health team are discreet and will adopt a child friendly approach to ensuring they receive good information to enable them to become self supportive and build those good habits that they can take into adulthood with them.
Useful links
Eating and Nutrition
Children and young people’s eating disorders programme
The UK’s Eating Disorder Charity – Beat
Toileting support
Toilet and Potty Training Resources – Bladder & Bowel UK
Sleep Support
Healthy sleep tips for children – NHS
Children and Sleep – Sleep Foundation
Sleep Problems: Signs of Sleep Problems – YoungMinds
Children with SEND – The Sleep Charity
