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Kent School Health

We are a team of school nurses and practitioners who work with children, young people and families in Kent. You do not have to be in school to use this service.

Welcome to Kent School Health. We support children and young people aged four to nineteen.

We can help with a range of issues young people might face including:

You can find lots of helpful information to support your child's development, and keep them healthy and safe in our Kent Child and Kent Teen sections.

Kent Family

Kent Family is here for your child's growth, happiness, and health.

Visit family.kentcht.nhs.uk

Some young people struggle with their feelings and find this impacts on their day-to-day activities – they might seem low, or have trouble eating, sleeping or concentrating at school. Visit our emotional health and wellbeing section for more advice on supporting your child.

Children and Young People's Counselling Service

Teen talking to counsellor

The Children and Young People’s Counselling Service offers counselling to support the emotional health and wellbeing of children and young people aged four to 19. Accessing support to explore, manage and understand difficult feelings can be helpful.

Children and young people might show signs they are struggling and need more support including:

  • nervousness or anxiety
  • difficulty concentrating
  • difficultly sleeping
  • avoiding school or activities
  • feeling low and not good about themselves
  • loss of appetite, or sometimes increased appetite
  • not wanting to be with friends or family.

We offer up to six counselling sessions for young people aged 11-19. These sessions can help a young person gain understanding and develop strategies to help them feel better. For primary school-aged children, we can offer the child six face-to-face sessions with a counsellor,

If appropriate, we can offer parents six weekly sessions with advice on practical, easy to use strategies to support your child.

Parental sessions are offered via video link. If you wish to access this support or find out more please contact us.

Our team achieved the Royal College of Psychiatry Quality Network for Community CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service) Accreditation in 2024. This achievement shows the high standard of care and best practice that our service delivers to children and young people.

The accreditation recognises the excellent care given, with 97 per cent of clients rating the service positively.

ChatHealth

ChatHealth is a text service for 11 to 19 year-olds. Young people can text with a member of our team about any physical or emotional health concerns they have. This service is available Monday to Friday, 9am on 07520 618850. This service is confidential and anonymous.

Screening

Cute little boy visiting children's doctor, space for text. Eye examinationOur team visits your child’s school to offer vision, hearing and height and weight screening in reception and year six. This is quick and simple and help to spot any problem early.

We also offer health and development questionnaires for your child to help identify any emerging health conditions or concerns. You’ll receive more information and asked if you’re happy for your child to consent via a letter.

School transitions

Starting at school or moving to secondary school are big steps and we’re here to support you and your child at these key milestones.

Emotional wellbeing

Some young people struggle with their feelings and find this impacts on their day-to-day activities – they might seem low, or have trouble eating, sleeping or concentrating at school. Visit our emotional health and wellbeing section for more advice on supporting your child.

Families who might need further support

All children are unique and we can offer support based on your child’s needs using one-to-one packages of care. Visit our special educational needs and disability page for more information on support we can offer you and your child.

The Children’s Special Schools Nursing Team works in special schools to support children and young people with complex health needs.

Contact us

If you have any concerns, you don’t need to wait for us to visit your child’s school, you can contact us at any time. You can also access our services if your child is not attending school.

Phone 0300 123 5205 and select option two.

Parents/carers can complete an online referral form. You will receive a confirmation email that your referral has been submitted. If you don't get an email within a few minutes, check your junk folder in case it has gone there or call 0300 123 5205 and select option two to speak to a member of the team.

Young people aged 11 to 19 can text ChatHealth to have direct access to a nurse (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) on 07520 618850. This service is confidential and anonymous.

Nursing Times Award 2020 image

You can find lots of helpful information to support your child's development, and keep them healthy and safe in our Kent Child and Kent Teen sections of the Kent Family website. Check out young people's websites HealthforTeens and Moodspark.

 

Kent School Health referral

Use our online referral form to make a referral into our Kent School Health service.
Complete referral form

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96%

Friends and Family test (FFT) question - percentage of positive responses

(Survey feedback from July to September 2024)

Your comments

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November 2024
Canterbury

Sessions were organised well. Emails were sent in a timely manner, with all necessary information provided. Communication was handled really well. (Children and Young People's counselling)

October 2024
Ashford

My daughter had a very positive experience. She engaged really well with her counsellor. (CYP Counselling)

September 2024
Ashford

Being able to talk to someone that I can trust has been helpful for me to feel better about myself. (Children and Young Peoples Counselling)

September 2024
North Kent

Practitioner was very sympathetic and understanding to my child's needs and had some great suggestions.

August 2024
Ashford

Very friendly, easy to talk to, explained everything fully. My son finds it hard to talk to people, especially new people he doesn't know, but the counsellor made him feel at ease. (Children and Young People's counselling)

August 2024
East Kent

Practitioner was really helpful. Gave some good tips which we are using. They visited my child at school which has really helped, as I feel the school are listening to me and we are where we need to be.

July 2024
Tonbridge

Quick to get in touch. Thoughtful and empathetic. Follow up calls after each session. Brilliant service. (Children and Young People's Counselling)

June 2024
West Kent

Extremely helpful advice and really nice caring attitude to a sensitive subject. Very knowledgeable and friendly. Staff member couldn't have been more helpful.

June 2024
Swale

We've noticed a significant change in our daughter and her confidence. The counsellor also reminded us of the appointments - brilliant communication. They made my daughter feel eased and comfortable. (Children and Young People's Counselling)

May 2024
Ashford

It really helped boost my son's confidence. The counsellor was very friendly and got down to his level. Very efficient and on-time. (Children and Young People's Counselling)

May 2024
East Kent

Nurse was fantastic. She went above and beyond my expectations and gave lots of time and support and she communicated everything really clearly.

April 2024
Maidstone

Gave my child the ability to learn how to navigate thoughts and feelings. Gave me as a parent additional tools to help cope and navigate the circumstances we found ourselves in.

March 2024
East Kent

Staff member was very understanding and listened. She shared lots of solutions to help and support us. The information has been useful and has given us reassurance that we are doing the right things.

February 2024
North Kent

Staff member was brilliant. She was good at communicating with me and my son and my son has really benefitted from this. I couldn't have asked for anything more.

January 2024
East Kent

They were very thorough, they were kind and listened and gave us lots of useful information. They provided their contact details in case there was anything that I hadn't asked during the assessment.

May 2023
South Kent

Learning tools to help with my anxiety. The way my counsellor communicated with me.

May 2023
Thanet

It helped me realise and understand as to how to cope with my anxiety in outdoor environments, such as school. And it helped me experience what I thought were insecurities in a different perspective. (Counselling)

May 2023
West Kent

Having space to talk. Helped me feel less worried.

May 2023
Ashford

Felt comfortable and listened to. We saw progress during the course of sessions. Good location. (Counselling)

May 2023
North Kent

Initial assessment from the team was great and indicated a number of potential actions that could help.

May 2023
Tunbridge Wells

I feel like I always felt very comfortable when in my sessions. They have really helped me talk about and realise how my feelings effect me. (Counselling)

April 2023
Swale

Positive support and communication. (Counselling service)

April 2023
South Kent

Advice and guidance was down to a T. Couldn't fault the lovely lady for all her help.

April 2023
West Kent

I just want to take a moment to thank you and all the people who messaged me on here. You all really helped me to get through the toughest time of my life, so I just want to thank everyone for that. (ChatHealth)

April 2023
Ashford

To be honest there was nothing I could fault. Terry was amazing and very supportive and understanding and really helped my daughter. (Counselling service)

April 2023
West Kent

Local and easy to get to.

April 2023
West Kent

Denise was very helpful and suggested different approaches to help deal with conflict and behaviour that challenges at home. She listened to me and was super supportive and understanding. She gave me lots of tools which I hope to continue to use.

March 2023
Swale

Really supportive sessions and so helpful to have a wide range of practical tools and resources shared to help my child and us as a family. (Counselling service)

March 2023
Maidstone

I learned different ways I can help myself relax in situations. (Counselling service)

March 2023
East Kent

Good communication with counsellor and really listened to. Interaction was appropriate and obviously well considered. Real care was always demonstrated.

March 2023
Gravesham

I feel that i’ve learned a lot and I now have a lot more knowledge on how to cope. (Counselling service)

March 2023
West Kent

The way I can talk about my feelings freely and do not feel judged. (Counselling service)

March 2023
Thanet

It helped me manage my anxiety better and it felt like I had someone to talk to. (Counselling service)

March 2023
East Kent

Very understanding, provided lots of information and support.

March 2023
East Kent

The nurse was absolutely wonderful, reassuring a very nervous 12 year old and made the experience relaxed and comforting.

March 2023
Canterbury

Helped me understand things differently and made more confident about myself and the world. (Counselling service)

January 2023
Maidstone

Very helpful, provided many tips and information that was helpful to me. (Counselling service)

January 2023

Nurse made me feel very comfortable.

January 2023

Quick, easy and friendly.

January 2023

The service was very efficient and accessible.

January 2023
Ashford

Always seen promptly and very welcoming. (Counselling service)

January 2023
West Kent

Denise was so helpful and understanding. Her advice was amazing and she has helped my daughter and I so much.

December 2022
West Kent

The clinician I dealt with was professional, friendly, helpful and encouraging.

December 2022
West Kent

Denise was very polite and listened to my concerns without judgement. She gave helpful and practical advice and was flexible in terms of appointment times offered and when we needed a longer intervention than initially expected.

April 2022
Maidstone

My son come home after second session and said 'Dagmara was a very lovey person, and that she really did care what he told her, she listened and was genuinely interested'. It made me smile and him too more importantly. (Counselling service)

April 2022
Canterbury

Katy was amazing. Always kind, helping and constructive. (Counselling service)

February 2022
Ashford

Excellent counsellor, friendly, my son loved coming and found it such a help. We noticed such a difference at school and home. (Counselling service)

March 2022
Dartford

Siobhan listens to my daughter and understands the impact that autism has on her and her wellbeing. (Counselling service)

January 2022
Swale

Very kind and welcoming. (Counselling service)

November 2022
South Kent

Heather and Judy were very helpful and provided me with lots of useful resources and strategies to help me with not only my son who was referred but all my children.

November 2022
East Kent

Very friendly and supportive.

October 2022
North Kent

Claire was very attentive and really listened to my issues. She has given me lots of information to help going forward and was very kind. I can’t rate her enough.

October 2022
West Kent

I appreciated my child having someone neutral to speak to and the nurse explained how to manage anxiety in a child friendly way that my child could understand.

August 2022
East Kent

Amy was very nice and helped me to relax.

September 2022
East Kent

Regular contact and feedback from nurse to parent. Good relationship built with child.

August 2022
SPA Kent

My daughter really enjoyed the sessions and felt positive after each contact, with tools to support her recovery.

August 2022
SPA Kent

Informative, efficient, reliable and very helpful service.

July 2022
West Kent

The lady I spoke to first week was very thorough. Then Amy has been great. There has been new ideas and advice in every discussion and lots of positivity and encouragement.

July 2022
West Kent

Fast response and incredibly supportive.

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