Special Needs School Nursing
The Special Needs School Nursing team provide a service to all children and young people who attend Sherwood Park School on both campuses.
The team is made up of a Team Leader, four school staff nurses and one administrative support officer, working with approximately 150 children and young people at any one time.
We work partnership with children and young people, their families and carers, educational settings, other agencies to provide appropriate support to children and young people with multiple and complex health needs, enabling them to attend and participate in school life.
We ensure every child is offered a health assessment upon starting at Sherwood Park School and also ensure that every child and young person with medical needs has an individual health care plan which is reviewed and updated at least annually.
We provide training to school staff on medical conditions to support children and young people where required. We also provide telephone advice and support for families and carers on a regular basis.
Our role is hugely varied dependant on the child or young person’s specific need, and can include:
- Attending hospital discharge planning meetings following any significant illness to promote a timely return to school with reasonable adjustments in place.
- Contribute to Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) reviews.
- Providing specific safeguarding support and guidance relating to children’s complex needs.
- Developing, monitoring and maintaining individualised health care plans for children with specific medical conditions such as Enteral feeding, Epilepsy, Respiratory (Asthma), Anaphylaxis (Allergies) and Diabetes
- Signposting to other support services relevant to the children and young people/family’s needs.
- Providing continence support, product assessments and review including toilet training programmes.
- Liaising with an identified lead professional and multidisciplinary team.
- Monitoring growth and blood pressure following referral from an appropriate health professional or as part of the Healthy Child programme. (5-19)
- Work closely with school to promote a healthy lifestyle, including diet and exercise, sexual health and substance misuse awareness.
- Providing transition planning and preparing for adulthood.