Special School Nursing

We work in collaboration with teachers, teaching assistants, lunchtime supervisors and transport guides to ensure that each individual pupil's needs are met.

We support this through:

• undertaking an assessment and writing a care-plan for each new pupil starting in a special school which is updated as needs change whilst the pupil is attending a special school;
• providing clinical treatments during the day while pupils are in school; 
• identifying possible problems with vision, hearing or dental health and making referral to appropriate service;
• monitoring a child young person’s growth and development and raising any concerns;
• supporting immunisation programmes within the school setting;
• identifying children who are at risk of failing to reach their full potential either through ill health affecting attendance or from the pressures families experience in caring for a child or young person with learning disabilities or difficulties; and providing appropriate support, advice or signposting to other services;
• working with teachers, speech and language therapists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, paediatricians, psychiatrists, dietitians, hospital consultants, nurse specialists, GPs and other agencies to provide ongoing care and support for children and their families;
• providing training, information and guidance to education colleagues, enabling them to    provide   safe & effective care to pupils with additional health care needs;
• contributing to the education, health and care plan (EHC) ensuring pupils health needs are appropriately met and managed while in school; 
• completing annual health assessments for children and young people who are in care;
• offering health education, support and advice to individual pupils during confidential drop-in sessions, as part of taught sessions with teaching staff or at the specific request of parents/carers.

The special school nursing team aims to provide health care for the children and young people in special schools that is personalised, with minimal disruption to the school timetable.

Special School Nursing Holiday Service  

There are three registered nurses available during the school holidays to provide support and advice to pupils and families referred to the holiday service by their named school nurse. Referrals to the holiday service are accepted from the special school nursing team, social workers, GPs, community nursing services and paediatricians by either written referral or telephone contact.

Click here for referral forms, other documents and links to sources of further information to support your child.