Today, Wednesday 1 September, marks the official launch of the 0 -19+ Health and Wellbeing Service for local children, young people, and families across St Helens.
The 0 -19+ Health and Wellbeing Service will help improve the current and future health and wellbeing of children and young people, help reduce health inequalities, respond to local need, and provide universal and targeted support as required.
Following a tender process, our Trust was selected to deliver the Healthy Child Programme which includes:
- Health Visiting
- School Nursing
- Enhanced Service for families who might need tailored support for a longer period
Local parents, carers and young people will continue to see the same health professionals in their local community and continue to receive dedicated care and support.
Over the past seven years our teams have been delivering an outstanding, responsive, and innovative integrated 0-19 Health and Wellbeing Service in Wirral, providing support for over 71,000 local children and young people. Following the award of the Wirral contract our 0 -19 journey soon travelled to Cheshire East with teams supporting over 83,000 0 – 19 year olds. From birth to adulthood teams give families the best possible start in life and have a huge impact on the long-term health of children and young people.
Councillor Anthony Burns, Cabinet Member for Wellbeing, Culture and Heritage at St Helens Borough Council, said: “We’re happy to welcome the new partnership with Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust and they will continue to provide the vital services that make a difference to young people and their families across our borough who will benefit from continued care from the same people with new innovative ways to provide support to our residents.”
Over the coming months the team will be launching ChatHealth in St Helens, a confidential NHS approved, text messaging service for local young people aged 11-19. This new service, a winner of the NHS Innovation Challenge Award, can provide advice, information and guidance, and signpost to other services if needed. Delivered by School Nurses, young people across St Helens will be able to access a range of advice and support, including:
- anxiety
- healthy lifestyles
- relationships
- feelings and emotions
- body image
- bullying
- mental wellbeing
- stress
The 0-19 and 0-19+ Services also have a dedicated children and young people’s microsite. With the click of a button, parents, carers, and young people can access a range of local and tailored support, information, and advice, including videos, resources – ranging from baby packs to fussy eating to puberty support and vaccination schedules, as well accessing local online support groups.
To search for a particular service people can either use the A-Z service directory or the search function. Young people can also complete our online feedback form about their experiences about the services they’ve received.
Liz Jones, Mobilisation Lead said: “Winning the bid to deliver the Healthy Child Programme for 0–19-year-olds in St Helens is a great achievement for the Trust and a true reflection of the great job that our services deliver every day.”
Karen Howell, CEO, said: “The growth of our 0-19 and 0-19+ Health and Wellbeing Services is a true reflection of the excellent work that already goes on in Wirral and Cheshire East to support children, young people, and their families. It is a privilege, and we are looking forward to providing high quality services and tailored support to the families of St Helens and working with the local workforce and local people.”
