Introduction

School nurses are public health nurses who will work with 5 to 19 year-olds, including children educated in school and those who are educated at home. They give confidential advice, care and treatment to children and young people, and work with parents and carers in schools and other community settings.

They work to improve the health and wellbeing of this age group and identify anyone who needs early help. They can also help with conversations between health and education.

A school nurse helps by:

• Empowering children and young people to make healthy lifestyle choices
• Providing a point of contact for children and young people, parents or carers, and schools that need health advice or information. This may involve assessing individual needs, offering advice and referring to other services, as necessary
• Supporting children and young people with some ongoing or specific health needs. This may include children with complex health needs or a learning or physical disability
• Children looked after health reviews
• Running school based drop-in clinics within Somerset secondary schools

School nurses also run school-based drop-in clinics in Somerset secondary schools. At these they help with the following:

• Health information
• Signposting to other services
• Sexual health services
• Mental health
• Alcohol, smoking and substance misuse
• Healthy lifestyles

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