Health

Health services and support for children and young people, including wellbeing, therapies, specialist care and assessments.

Popular pages

Young people’s mental health

Ways to help you and your friends with mental health issues

Autism and ADHD Pathway

What you can expect when going through the Autism and/or ADHD Assessment Pathway

In this section

Getting medical help

Accessing everyday health support so your child with additional needs can get help early without needing a referral or diagnosis

Family wellbeing

Looking after your family health, manage daily life and feel supported while caring for your child with additional needs

Health and other services

Understanding how health links with education and other services, how support is planned and funded, and what to do when things don’t go as expected

Pages in Getting medical help

The role of a health visitor

Getting to know your Health Visiting Service

School nurses

School nurses are public health nurses who work with 5 to 19 year-olds, including children educated in school and those who are educated at home

Section 23 of the Children and Families Act 2014

Health professionals must tell the council about children who may need extra support when they start school

Your doctor

General Practitioners (GPs) are the doctors who look after your health from when you are born all the way through for the rest of your life.

Dentist

Dentists check your oral health, any risk of future disease, and advise you on the care and treatment you need

Health emergencies

As with all health care services across the county, everyone can access emergency care

Pharmacies and medication support

Advice on pharmacies and medicines, including prescriptions, support and managing medication

Children’s hearing concerns

Signs of hearing loss and what to do if your child is struggling

Children’s vision concerns

Signs of vision problems and what to do if your child is struggling

Pages in Family wellbeing

Sleep and additional needs

Support, advice and services to help children and young people with additional needs improve sleep and wellbeing

Support for parents

Information, advice and services to support you being a parent

Annual Health Checks

Annual health checks are for adults and young people aged 14 or over with a learning disability and help the person stay healthy

Immunisations

Find all the information you need to make an informed decision about immunisations

Digital and health information support

We are offering support to access online health information and services

Accessible swimming pools

Accessible options for swimming with the whole family

Family healthy living

Where to find information on improving physical and mental health and maintaining a healthy lifestyle

Diet and eating

Supporting wellbeing and improving nutrition for those with additional needs

Friends, relationships, and community

You have the right to make your own choices

Smoking and vaping

Stay safe and know what to avoid

Alcohol

Stay safe and know what to avoid

Drugs

Stay safe and know what to avoid

Pages in Health and other services

Specialist health support for children and young people

Specialised services support people with a range of rare and complex health conditions

Supporting children and young people who cannot go to school

Ensuring a good education for children who are excluded, have serious medical needs or no school place (Section 19 of the Education Act).

Section 23 of the Children and Families Act 2014

Health professionals must tell the council about children who may need extra support when they start school

Health professionals that support SEND

An overview of the health teams who work with children and young people with SEND to support their health, development and daily life

Parenting support in Somerset

Parenting programmes can give you time to learn new ideas, try different approaches, and get support to help you and your child.

Personal Health Budgets

Offering people more choice, flexibility and control over the care and support they receive from the NHS.

Resolving SEND concerns

There are organisations and services designed to support people to have their feelings and complaints heard

Autism and ADHD assessments: local NHS services and Right to Choose

A guide for parents and carers to find out more about Autism and ADHD assessments

SEND Notification Form for Health Professionals

How to notify us of an Early Years child with Special Educational Needs and/or Disability (SEND) under section 23

Moving between children’s and adults healthcare

When you reach 14 years old, the service you are involved with will start to talk to you about a ‘transition’ care plan and what transition means

Health transport

If you're going to hospital for an appointment, tests or treatment, you'll normally be expected to make your own way there

Help with health costs

If you are on a low income, have an illness or disability, unemployed or are a carer, you may be able to claim for extra money to help with your health care costs

Developmental needs

Understanding how your child learns, communicates and develops, and support to build independence as they grow

Health and physical needs

Understanding your child’s body and support to keep them as comfortable, active and well as they can be

Sensory needs

Understanding how your child sees, hears or processes the world and support to make everyday life more comfortable and manageable for them.

Pages in Developmental needs

Learning and developmental needs

Understanding the terms we use to describe challenges with learning or development

Child growth and development

The early years of a child’s life are very important for their health and development

Children and young people’s development advice

Advice sheets for schools, parents and carers about children young people’s development

Autism and ADHD Pathway

Steps you can expect - from early support to full assessment - and how families, schools, and health professionals work together to make sure the right help is given.

Dynamic Support Register for children and young people in Somerset

Helping services work together to identify and support people with learning disabilities or autism, to reduce or avoid hospital admission

Annual Health Checks

Annual health checks are for adults and young people aged 14 or over with a learning disability and help the person stay healthy

Children’s Occupational Therapy

Helping children and young people join in activities as much as they can in their daily lives

Learning from Lives and Deaths of People with Learning Disabilities and Autistic People (LeDeR)

Improving access to health care and reduce premature mortality for people with LD and Autistic People. Makaton signed version available

Children’s Speech and Language Therapy

Helping children and young people who have difficulties with communication, or with eating, drinking and swallowing

Pages in Health and physical needs

Somerset Wheelchair Services

Providing NHS wheelchair services to adults, young people and children in Somerset

Sleep and additional needs

Support, advice and services to help children and young people with additional needs improve sleep and wellbeing

Annual Health Checks

Annual health checks are for adults and young people aged 14 or over with a learning disability and help the person stay healthy

Children’s Occupational Therapy

Helping children and young people join in activities as much as they can in their daily lives

Dentist

Dentists check your oral health, any risk of future disease, and advise you on the care and treatment you need

Personal Health Budgets

Offering people more choice, flexibility and control over the care and support they receive from the NHS.

Children’s Physiotherapy

Helping children and young people develop their physical skills

Community Children’s Nursing Services

Supporting children with complex healthcare conditions needing nursing support

Bladder and bowel support for children

Support for children and young people's bladder and bowel care

End of life care and bereavement support

Information, resources and education to improve the end of life experience and bereavement support for every person in Somerset.

Assistance Animals

Animals trained to support people with disabilities and medical conditions to be more independent.

Diet and eating

Supporting wellbeing and improving nutrition for those with additional needs

Pages in Sensory needs

Sensory processing

Information and advice available in Somerset to identify sensory processing difficulties, and find strategies to help.

Children’s hearing concerns

Signs of hearing loss and what to do if your child is struggling

Children’s vision concerns

Signs of vision problems and what to do if your child is struggling

Assistance Animals

Animals trained to support people with disabilities and medical conditions to be more independent.

Emotional needs

Making sense of your own emotions and your child’s feelings and behaviours, especially during times that feel overwhelming or hard to manage

Pages in Emotional needs

Pregnancy emotional health

Your emotional health is as important as your physical health

Adverse Childhood Experiences

Webinar for parent carers who want to prevent Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) or support their children to heal from previous adversity

Self injury

information, support and guidance to help understand, respond to and manage self-injury (part of the Somerset Mental Health Toolkit)

Somerset emotional and mental health support

Guides and resources to know what is available for supporting children and young peoples emotional and mental health in Somerset

Assistance Animals

Animals trained to support people with disabilities and medical conditions to be more independent.

Bereavement and loss

Helpful advice and information about dealing with a loss and grief

Young people’s mental health

Ways to help you and your friends with mental health issues