The role of the 0-5 Health Visiting Service in Middlesbrough is to protect and promote the health and wellbeing of children under five and their families. All families with a child under five in Middlesbrough have access to the Health Visiting 0-5 Team, consisting of Health Visitors, Healthy Child Nurses, Family Practitioners, Early Years Practitioners and Infant Feeding Specialists. They provide expert health assessments, advice, support and interventions for babies, children and families.
The Team encourages and supports parents and carers to develop life-long skills to enable them to make informed choices that affect their family’s future health and wellbeing.
The Team works in community settings to deliver universal and targeted interventions designed to meet public health outcomes. We ensure the emotional and physical health and wellbeing of families, children and young people across Middlesbrough.
The service works in partnership with other agencies to ensure all families receive support.
The team is community-based and is accessible at a range of different venues including the family home, Family Hubs, schools and other community venues.
Antenatal courses, introducing solids sessions, Healthy Child clinics and Breastfeeding Support Groups are held in Family Hubs and other community venues.
Health Visitors are registered nurses or midwives who have an additional qualification in specialist community public health nursing. They are highly skilled in the assessment and co-ordination of support tailored to individual and family needs.
We aim to help build parents’ confidence in their ability to give their child the best start in life and listen carefully when parents have concerns. We identify and build on what is going well and provide information to help parents find their own solutions to problems where possible.
The 0-5 Team comprises Specialist Community Public Health Nurses (Health Visitors), Healthy Child Nurses (Registered Nurses), Family Practitioners, Early Years Practitioners and Administrators.
We have a Health Visitor linked to each GP practice.
We work closely with Midwives and School Nurses so that children and families with complex health and social care needs are identified early. We then put in place a health management plan to support the child’s health and development, when ready to transfer to school for their education.
When children and families require targeted interventions, these may be provided solely by the Healthier Together Team or delivered in partnership with other services who can help. Common partners for such interventions are Midwives, Family Hub Team, education, Children’s Services, or Voluntary Sector partners. We liaise with the relevant agencies to provide a ‘one team’ approach.
The Healthy Child Programme is a public health programme for children, young people and families which focus on early intervention and prevention.
For most of us, bringing up children is the most important job we will ever do. It is very rewarding and often challenging. The Health Visiting Team are here to help when families need additional support.
The Best Start Pathway is delivered with our Family Hub colleagues. It is an enhanced visiting pathway for families where additional support is required. Not all families will need additional support.
The Health Visiting (0-5) Team offer targeted support to children and families including those who are safeguarded. We accept referrals for a range of issues including advice around immunisations, safety, support around toileting, behaviour, sleep, fussy eating, parental emotional wellbeing support, targeted support around health and development needs for children with SEND needs with a graduated response regarding any required onward referrals. We provide health information to inform Education, Health Care Plans (EHCPs). We also carry out statutory child in care health assessments
We work individually with families, using a plan of care that we develop together to give all children the best possible start in life. As part of the plan, families and Health Visitors may work closely with other professionals, including midwives, GPs, hospital staff, Family Hub Team and Children’s Services.
All children and young people aged 5-19 and their families have access to the School Nursing Team consisting of Specialist Community Public Health Nurses (School Nurses), Healthy Child Nurses (Registered Nurses), Family Practitioners, Early Years Practitioners and School Screening Practitioners. They work in partnership with children, young people and families to empower and enable them to make informed decisions about health, and to support them in transitioning safely and happily into adult life.
The team works in community settings to deliver universal and targeted interventions designed to meet public health outcomes. We ensure the emotional and physical health and wellbeing of families, children and young people across Middlesbrough.
We work with children, young people and families to empower and enable them to make informed decisions about health, and to support them in transitioning safely and happily into adult life. The 5-19 Healthier Together Service works in community settings to deliver universal and targeted interventions designed to meet public health outcomes. We ensure the emotional and physical health and wellbeing of families, children and young people across Middlesbrough.
School Nurses are Registered Nurses or Midwives who have an additional qualification in Specialist Community Public Health Nursing. They are highly skilled in the assessment and co-ordination of support tailored to individual and family needs
We aim to help build parents’ confidence in their ability to give their child the best start in life and listen carefully when parents have concerns. We identify and build on what is going well and provide information to help parents find their own solutions to problems where possible.
The 5-19 Team comprises Specialist Community Public Health Nurses (School Nurses), Healthy Child Nurses (Registered Nurses), Early Years Practitioners, School Screening Practitioners and Administrators.
We work closely with Health Visitors so that children and families with complex health and social care needs are identified early. We then put in place a health management plan to support the child’s health, school attendance and education.
The School Nursing team provides a service to all children and young people of school age, and their families, whether or not they are attending school. The service is based on the Healthy Child Programme from 5-19 years old. We offer advice and information and work with children and families with health needs that we can affect. We are the first point of contact for schools when there are concerns about a child’s health and wellbeing.
The Healthy Child Programme is a public health programme for children, young people and families which focus on early intervention and prevention.
Young person’s drop ins are available in community venues
Children in need of protection and their families; children and families in need; foster carers and children who are in care.
We support children with SEND with a health need that we can affect and provide information to inform Education and Health Care Plans. We ensure a graduated response to needs and onward referrals as required. We carry out statutory child in care assessments for children that we are actively working with.
When young people and families require targeted interventions, these may be provided solely by the Healthier Together Team or delivered in partnership. Common partners for such interventions are Stronger Families, Education, Leisure Services or Youth Services. We liaise with the relevant agencies to provide a ‘one team’ approach.
The 5-19 Service is delivered in partnership with a range of health, social and education organisations and teams including:
Service Managers: Tina Steel and Claire Young
Professional Lead: Alyson Harker
Locality Manager: Claire Young
Locality Manager: Anne Hutchinson
Locality Manager: Joanne Watson
Locality Manager: Sara Bourner
Locality Manager: Mark Hutchinson
Duty Practitioner available 9am to 5pm Mon to Fri, excluding bank holidays. Health Chat available via our App during these hours.
Give us your feedback!