Bedfordshire and Luton Health Visiting and School Nursing Service

Welcome to our service

Our team is made up of a variety of NHS staff with specific training and qualifications to support the health needs of children, young people and families in the community. Together we are able to offer a wide range of help, advice and support for children and young people aged 0 to 19 years old.

• 0 to 5 Health Visiting Service

  Our 0 to 5 health visiting team are focused on giving your baby the best start possible. All families will have contact with the health visiting service from pregnancy until your child is 5 years old. Our team has achieved a gold award Unicef baby friendly accreditation.

  The health visiting team can give you all sorts of help and advice including:

  • becoming a parent or carer
  • feeding and healthy lifestyles
  • emotional wellbeing
  • keeping safe
  • sleep
  • behaviour
  • immunisations
  • minor illnesses
  • child development

  Read more about health visits

• 5 to 19 School Nursing Service

  Our school nursing team helps children and young people between 5 to 19 years old. School nurses will help support your child from when they start school until they leave school. We want to ensure that nothing gets in the way of your child's development. We want help them achieve their full potential.

  Your child or young person doesn’t have to be in school to see a school nurse. If you homeschool your child, your child will be able to access this service via their GP.

  We support your child or young person by:

  • promoting and giving advice on making healthy choices such as eating healthy, exercising, sexual health and substance misuse
  • supporting children and young people with their physical and emotional health and wellbeing
  • helping children and young people with issues like bedwetting or constipation
  • helping families with complex needs like diabetes and asthma
  • giving advice and information for teenage parents
  • supporting and promoting the rights and educational needs of young carers

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  Contacting our service

  You can contact our service before your child starts school if they have a medical need that requires emergency medication or an Individual Health Care Plan. For example, allergies or epilepsy.

  We will be contacting you once your child has started school to offer school health screening. 

  You can contact our service at anytime after your child has started school if you have concerns about your child or young person's:

  • eating habits and diet
  • development, both social and physical development
  • behaviour
  • pee or poo, such as peeing or pooing themselves during the day or at night
  • health issues or needs that require support in schools like allergies, asthma or epilepsy

• Baby Friendly Team

  The Baby Friendly Team is made up of NHS staff with specialised training and qualifications to support parents with their feeding preferences. Our 0 to 19 team in Bedfordshire and Luton has proudly achieved a GOLD UNICEF Baby Friendly Accreditation. This means that the Health Visiting service embeds the UNICEF Baby Friendly Standards in all aspects of its work.

  The Baby Friendly Team consists of a skill mix of professionals, including UNICEF Baby Friendly Support Workers, Infant Feeding Coordinators and a Specialist Health Visitor.

  Many of the team members have started as breastfeeding buddies, building their passion for supporting parents on their feeding journey and turning into a career path.

  All our staff possess specialist knowledge in infant feeding and have a high level of skill through experience and training. Together, we are able to offer a wide range of evidence-based support on breastfeeding, responsive bottle feeding, building close and loving relationships and the introduction of family foods.

  The team is committed to ensuring families receive the best possible support during their infant feeding journey.

  Read more about our baby friendly team

• Courses for parents

  Parenting at any stage can be a challenge. That's why there are free courses for parents and carers to understand how best to support your child. 

  For parents and carers in Bedford Borough read our information about Triple P.

  For parents and carers in Central Bedfordshire read our information about Parenting Puzzle.

  For parents and carers in Luton read our information about Togetherness.

  Read our Early Days: Your Baby and You leaflet

• Parentline

  Families can access up to date advice, help and support Monday to Friday 9am to 4:30pm. No matter how big or small the enquiry may be, the 0 to 19 team are always happy to assist by a text message. So, if you are a parent or a carer who is in need of advice you can text:

  • 07507 331456 if you live in Bedfordshire
  • 07507 331886 if you live in Luton

  Read more about Parentline

• Early days: your baby and you

  Explore the Early Days booklet for guidance and advice on feeding and caring for your baby. You'll find information about:

  • responsive feeding
  • baby poo
  • feeding cues
  • starting solids
  • Five to Thrive
  • slings and baby wearing
  • parenting courses

  The booklet also includes details about local support and resources to help you and your family.

  View the Early Days booklet

• Bedfordshire and Luton Family Hubs

  Our service supports, and is part of, Bedfordshire Borough and Luton Family Hubs. This is not available in Central Bedfordshire.

  Family Hubs is a national programme to help ensure that babies, children and families have the support they need, when it is needed. The offer includes:

  • parent support, particularly for parents of children aged 0 to 2 years
  • help and ideas to support your child’s learning and development
  • how to support your child to become happy, independent and resilient adults
  • support for parents emotional wellbeing in the first years of parenthood
  • help with infant feeding
  • information, support and advice online

  

  For more local information visit:

  Bedford Borough Family Hubs

  Luton Family Hubs

• Local groups for parents

  There are a variety of different groups available for parents and families. 

  Children's centres and Luton flying start groups

  A children's centre or flying start group is a space for local families with children. They have staff who are trained to deal with the individual needs your child may have. The purpose of children's centres is to help children and families to be happy, healthy and ready for school. 

  Children's centres and flying start groups have a range of different support groups and activities for you and your family, including:

  • baby feeding support group
  • information about early education and childcare
  • family learning activities
  • parenting courses
  • family support groups

  You can find your local children's centre and Luton flying start groups below:

  Bedford Borough Early Childhood Partnership

  Central Bedfordshire

  Luton Flying Start groups

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  Libraries

  Local libraries have a lot of information and resources. They often host a range of parenting groups and events for families. 

  Find your local library:

  • Bedfordshire libraries
  • Luton libraries

• Who will you see and speak to

  • Administrators are very skilled NHS professionals that provide all the organisational support for the clinical teams. They are also the friendly voices at the other end of the phone when contacting the service.
  • Assistant Practitioners have skills and experience in particular subjects around children and young people's health. They have a high level of skill through their experience and training supporting 0 to 19 team.
  • Health Visitors are nurses or midwives who are passionate about promoting healthy lifestyles and preventing illness. They work with families to give preschool age children (0 to 5 years old) the best possible start in life.
  • Healthy Child Programme Assistants have skills to support the 0 to 19 team.
  • National Child Measurement Programme Practitioners have skills to complete height and weight measurements of children in reception year and year 6.
  • Nursing Associates are registered with the Nursing Midwifery Council. They have skills to support the 0 to 19 team.
  • Nursery Nurses have skills and experience in particular subjects around young children's health. They have a high level of skill through their experience and training supporting the 0 to 5 team.
  • School Nurses work across education and health, providing a link between school, home and the community. Their aim is improve the health and wellbeing of children and young people. They work with families and young people from 5 to 19 years old.
  • Staff Nurses (also known as Public Health Nurses) are qualified nurses, who's expertise support the whole 0 to 19 team.
  • Students are members of the team who are undergoing training. They will partner with a qualified practice supervisor/assessor to help them gain experience and learn.

• Where we work

  We work in the community across Bedfordshire and Luton. As our team has such mixed roles we are in lots of locations. We are in the local areas offering support via text messaging and telephones call as well as face to face visits.  

  You may see a school nurse at your home or in a school. This helps us to support children and families across Bedfordshire and Luton in and out of school settings.