School nursing
On this page:
The School Nursing service has a reputation for delivering visible, confidential and accessible services to all school age children in Wandsworth schools.
A universal, child centred public health model, aims to provide early help and extra support for children and young people at times when they need it. This also includes services to help children and young people with medical conditions and disability within the school and beyond.
The service is responding to the public health agenda and works collaboratively with local colleagues and organisations to help shape future services in Wandsworth for children and young people.
The school health service is configured in 3 Localities to facilitate joint working with partners in primary care, health visiting service, early years services, youth services and safeguarding team.
What we offer:
School nurses work with multi agency professionals from different sectors to provide an integrated year round holistic service to support children, young people and families. It is a way of working that ensures those who need additional support receive timely and appropriate early interventions to meet their health, emotional and educational needs including support with healthy choices and managing risk.
The service model is set within the Healthy Child Programme 5-19 which is based on best evidence to promote and protect the health of children in the developing years.
The service is detailed in a dedicated leaflet entitled ‘About your school health service’ in a format designed to engage children and young people. The leaflet outlines the school nurse role and specifies specific areas of school nurse practice including;
- Gives health advice and information to students
- Makes referral to specialists
- Promotes healthy life style options
- Supports the immunisation team delivering vaccines in schools
- Supports children with special needs and complex medical needs
- Helps children in need
- Provides a private and confidential service
- Supports parents with their children.
The school health service provides these services within the school and community on an individual and group basis, delivering on health priorities including:
- Accident prevention
- Alcohol and drugs
- Smoking cessation
- Mental health
- Obesity, nutrition and physical activity
- Sexual health and teenage pregnancy
- Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children
Contact details
All school nursing service contact details can be found on the fis@wandsworth.gov.uk website or by contacting the FIS directly on 020 8871 7899.
Specific school nursing teams can be contacted as follows:
Clinical Team Leader for School Nursing
Christine Pickering
Phone 07775 406699 or email christine.pickering@stgeorges.nhs.uk
North Locality
Christine Pickering
Phone 07775 406699 or email christine.pickering@stgeorges.nhs.uk
West Locality
Christine Pickering
Phone 07775 406699 or email christine.pickering@stgeorges.nhs.uk
South Locality
Claudia Dobson Team Leader
Phone 0208 812 5636 or email claudia.dobson@stgeoreges.nhs.uk
Key staff
The School Nurse service works using a multi professional approach and consists of qualified specialist school nurses, staff nurses and nursery nurses who have a special interest in working with children and young people along side school staff and other professionals, parents and carers.
Referrals
Referrals to the School Nursing service are received from a variety of sources including schools, parents and the students themselves.
Schools are asked to complete an identified school nurse referral form indicating the child’s specific health need.
Students can self refer via the school nurse drop- in service or by contacting the school reception who are able to sign post the student to the service.
Parents/guardians can obtain the phone contact details for the practitioner attached to their child’s school from the school reception staff or from the Family information Service (FIS) website fis@wandsworth.gov.uk.
Trust multi professional team can access contact details for the service via the Trust Internet site so direct contact can then be made with the appropriate team via e-mail or by telephone.
Agencies outside the Trust can find the contact details for each school nurse team on the Family information Service (FIS) website, by email fis@wandsworth.gov.uk or contact the FIS on 020 8871 7899.
