We work with special schools to make sure children with complex health needs can access their education safely.

We work collaboratively with school staff – empowering them through training and competency assessment – to deliver care to students.

School staff are supervised throughout the year so they feel supported.

Our team of specialist nurses are committed to making sure students receive high quality care at school and we support students with more complex health needs by:

• carrying out nursing assessments and liaising with other health professionals
• delivering core health training of school staff – asthma, seizure awareness and management, pressure area care awareness
• training and competency assessing  school staff to safely carry out specific health tasks bespoke to the student, for example enteral feeding, tracheostomy care, oral suctioning
• supporting the school in completing personalised care and support plans
• making sure there are clear escalation plans for students so school staff can be responsive to student’s needs
• supporting the student to return to school following a change in health need
• contributing to the student’s Education and Health Care Plan and annual review, as required
• promoting continence, through proactive toileting assessments, advice and product management
• supporting transition to adult services.

Some students may have health needs that are not suitable to delegate to school staff and where this is the case, the nurses will discuss jointly with the school and parents/carers to decide what arrangements or plans need to be made.

Who can access the service?

Any child or young person with a health need attending one of the named special schools has access to the service.

How to contact us

The special schools have been grouped into clusters according to area and while the nurses work within the school, they work together to address the safety of all the students in their cluster.