Our Child Focussed Service Spec

MY SCHOOL HEALTH

Information Pack Easter 2024

 

You’re reading this because your school have asked about what we do.

This pack aims to tell you most of the things we do but there are always more, if we haven’t mentioned something else, please ask us. We probably offer it and if we don’t, we are very willing to learn to.

 

We have tried to put together information about our service that explains what we do but it becomes very wordy and doesn’t feel child centred. So we decided to explain it the way we explain it to children and young people. We put them at the centre of everything we do so why not this information pack as well.

 

What does inequality mean?

When you get angry a lot and it gets in the way of everything else.

When someone important to you has died.

When you are worried a lot and it gets in the way of everything else.

When you have friendships that aren’t good or are confusing.

When your parents separate or divorce.

When your parents let you do anything you want.

When you don’t understand your feelings so can’t even begin to understand them in other people.

When you have problems with your bladder or bowels that means you go to the toilet too much or not enough.

When you feel like no one notices you and you feel like you have no one to talk to.

When you have an illness or condition that makes things more difficult for you.

When you make choices that aren’t healthy for you.

When you feel suicidal or self harm.

When you don’t feel good enough.

When you don’t sleep properly.

When you say things that other people think are odd or rude or weird.

When you are going to a new school.

When you struggle with the routine of your day.

When something has happened in your past that has changed who you are.

When you have autism or adhd or people think you might have.

When you don’t understand the changes happening in your body as you grow up.

When you can’t hear or see properly.

When you take medicines that other children might not.

When you need some help developing your speech properly.

When your brain has made unusual connections growing up and these are getting in the way of who you are now.

When where you live makes a difference to what you can do.

 

Why does inequality matter?

It makes you more likely to avoid going to school.

It makes you more likely to get into trouble at school.

It makes it more likely you will fail or do less well in your exams.

It makes you more likely to die earlier when you are grown up.

It makes you more likely to try or complete suicide.

It makes you more likely to take illegal drugs.

It makes you more likely to drink too much alcohol.

It makes you more likely to have nowhere to live with your family.

It makes it harder to learn.

It means you might not get the job you want when you’re older.

It means you might not be the best mum or dad you can be when you have your own family.

It means you might have less money when your older.

It means you might not be able to live where you want to when your older.

It means doing the things everyone else does is more difficult.

It means you feel different from everyone else.

It means you might be more likely to commit a crime.

It means you might need to go to the GP or hospital more than other children.

 

How can my school nurse help me?

By helping me understand why I feel the way I do.

By helping me talk about how I feel.

By helping me know what to do when I don’t feel ok.

By helping me make and keep friends.

By helping me talk about my family and people who are important to me.

By helping me cope with changes in my life.

By helping me understand my feelings.

By helping my parents know how to make me feel safe.

By helping me get the medical treatment I need.

By helping me feel important.

By helping me to sleep properly.

By helping me understand what to say and not say to other people.

By helping me get ready or settle into a change in my life.

By helping me manage the day to day routine in my school.

By helping me talk about things that have happened in my life.

By helping me understand my condition.

By helping me understand that my choices matter.

By helping me understand puberty, sex and relationships.

By helping me to hear and see properly.

By helping the grown ups understand my medicines and why I need them.

By helping me to communicate properly.

By helping me reset my brain connections.

By helping me understand how I can change my own future.

 

Why would a school nurse help me?

Because they want you to be the best version of you.

Because they know there are things that will help you

Because they care about you.

Because they want to help the community you live in.

Because they know its possible to change things.

Because nurses help people.

Because you are important.

 

How do you know what will help me?

Because my School Nurse has learned about where I live and go to school.

They know if where I live might make my life more difficult.

They know how many people in my school have free school meals.

They know how many people in my school speak a different language from English at home.

They know how many people in my school have extra needs or disabilities.

They know if my school is really big.

They know if my community might need extra help.

 

 

 

How do I know it will work?

It is based on what has worked for other people.

It is based on what experts say.

It is based on what we have learned.

It is based on what we keep on learning and we add to it as we learn more.

It is designed by nurses who are parents and have children like you.

It is based on what the people we have helped before say has helped them.

It is checked and measured to make sure its working.

 

How will a School Nurse keep me safe?

They have been checked to make sure they haven’t broken any laws or been in serious trouble.

They have insurance in case anything happens.

The Nurse boss has spoken to people they worked for before now and checked they have done a good job.

They are monitored by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

Every three years they have to show the Nursing and Midwifery Council evidence of all the training they’ve done, how many hours they’ve worked and write case studies to show they know what they are doing.

They have a weekly meeting with their boss to talk about how they work and who they are helping.

They have training about how to use the Pathway Interventions to help children and young people.

They go to conferences, meetings, forums and open days to share what they do and find out what other nurses do.

They have yearly training in keeping children safe and know what to do if a child tells them someone is hurting or has hurt them.

They know who to speak to if someone needs more help.

They have a Code of Professional Practice and strict governance.

 

What is a Pathway?

It is six (ish) appointments that will help you understand yourself more and give you some tools to use.

Each session is adding to what you already know.

Each time you come back we ask you how you have used what you’ve learned about.

Each session has a title and a purpose.

By the end you will know lots more about yourself.

You don’t have to stop seeing the nurse after the pathway sessions.

 

An Example of a Pathway

The Secondary School Anger Pathway

Session One Introduction to anger management & when is anger a problem?

Session Two How anger is like an iceberg & the cycle of anger.

Session Three Triggers & anger stop signs.

Session Four The wheel of emotions & the anger thermometer.

Session Five Naming and noticing emotions & developing coping skills.

Session Six Healthy vs unhealthy coping strategies & know your warning signs.

Further sessions Review the learning and effectiveness for as long as needed.

 

When will my nurse see me?

It depends on the school you go to.

Some schools we go into more than once a week, others we go in every two, three or four weeks.

Some schools we go to for a whole day 9am till 3pm.

Some schools we go to for a morning between 9am and 12noon.

Some schools we go to for an afternoon 12:30-3:30 or 5pm.

Your appointment with the nurse might start at once a week but as you learn more they may change to once a fortnight then once a month. This lets you try out what you are learning and still have a nurse to check in with you.

 

Who pays for the nurse to come in my school?

Your school pays for the nurse.

That means your school really care about you and want to help you.

The nurse boss and your school agree how often you will come to school and how much it will cost.

The nurse boss and your school agree what the nurse will do in your school. This depends what the nurse finds out about your school and community and what your school wants help with.

 

 

 

 

Why doesn’t everyone have a School Nurse?

There aren’t enough School Nurses, most children’s nurses work in hospitals.

It takes a long time to learn to be a School Nurse.

It takes a lot of School Nurses together to make sure everyone is doing it right.

The government has lots of things they need to spend money on and a School Nurse isn’t at the top of the lis.t

It takes a very special children’s nurse to become a School Nurse.

Nurses don’t earn much money so do the job because they are caring people.

 

​

How much does it cost to have a nurse in school?

It depends on how many hours a nurse comes into school and when.

If your school get in touch with us we can talk about how much it might cost and what we might be able to help with.

 

How can my school find out more?

They can get in touch with Nurse Jane or Nurse Hayley.

The email to contact them is contact@myschoolhealth.co.uk

Nurse Jane’s mobile is 07368533729

Nurse Hayley’s mobile is