Extra health support is set to be provided for youngsters in Glasgow schools as part of plans by the city's health and social care partnership (HSCP) to bring more care into local communities and help young people access appropriate healthcare.
The HSCP has been working to shift the balance of care from hospitals into the community and primary care settings and nearer people’s homes to improve health and safety, and secure best value from health and social care services.
In December 2017 the Scottish Government published the first of a series of papers on Transforming Nursing, Midwifery and Health Professions’ (NMaHP) Roles as part of the transformations change agenda in health and social care in Scotland.
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Following this review, the Scottish Government committed to fund an increase of 250 qualified school nurses across the country.
The agreed refocused school nursing role would focus on prevention and early intervention and taking a targeted approach to supporting the most vulnerable children and families over the next five years.
A report presented to members of the Integrated Joint Board highlighted that health visitors, family nurses, general practice nurses, district nurses, community children’s nurses, school nurses and their wider teams play a key role in meeting the requirements of people with more complex health and care needs.
Following an assessment carried out by health visitors, children aged four-years-old whose families have been allocated an “additional” health plan indicator will benefit from extra health support at school.
The national review identified eleven priority areas and pathways for qualified school nurses to focus on including emotional/mental health and wellbeing, substance misuse, child protection/vulnerability, domestic abuse, looked-after children, homelessness, sexual health, pregnancy and parenthood, youth justice, young carers and transitions.
Speaking about the report, IJB member, John Matthews said: “This initiative is to be greatly welcomed. We all remember the school nurses looking for knits in our hair but this is much more than that.
“We should be welcoming this as it is about prevention, it’s about early intervention and so on with young people. At this stage to have nurses of this type of calibre has to be welcomed. I certainly do.”
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