ChatHealth Text Messaging Service
Parents/ Carers text: 07312 277161
For young people living in Stoke-on-Trent, text 07520 615723
Stoke-on-Trent 0-19 Integrated Health Visiting and School Nursing Service are a team of Health Visitors, School Nurses and wider team members working in the community to support children and families in Stoke-on-Trent.
Health Visitors provide the Healthy Child Programme for all families with children up to the age of 5. The programme ensures a healthy start for children, (for example immunisation, health and development checks), support for parents and access to a range of resources.
School Nurses provide a service for young people aged between 5 and 19 years, their families, carers, schools and other professional agencies. The team is led by Specialist Community Public Health Nurses (School Nurses), who are supported by qualified Staff Nurses and 0-19 Children, Young People and Families Practitioners, we work in partnership to keep the children of Stoke-on-Trent healthy, happy and safe.
All families in Stoke-on-Trent will be offered an antenatal contact from the Health Visiting team, a new birth visit at home, and a 6 week and 3-4 month mother and baby review. When your baby is 9-12 months and 2-2½ years we offer a development review. Once your child starts school you will receive a questionnaire about your child's health. Weight and height reviews will be offered in reception and year 6 as part of the National Child Measurement Programme through the Local Authority team.
Some families may require more support. Your Health Visitor and School Nurse will identify the level of support which your family requires and if needed, will talk your through additional offers of support available to you.
In addition to these routine contacts parents and young people can contact us for support or advice on by calling the Hub, texting our ChatHealth service or attending one of our clinics. We also have active Facebook, Twitter and Instagram sites - see below for links, further information and contact details.
The Hub is a central point of contact, accessible by telephoning 0808 178 3374. Our Hub team provide advice, guidance and signposting to families, young people and professionals.
ChatHealth is a text message service for young people and parents to ask for health and wellbeing advice. Messages sent to the dedicated number are delivered to a secure website and responded to by one of the trained health professionals from the Stoke-on-Trent 0-19 Integrated Health Visiting and School Nursing Service. Texts are usually replied to within one working day.
ChatHealth is available between 09:00 and 17:00 Monday to Friday. Outside of these times, anyone who texts the service receives a message explaining where to get help if their question is urgent, and when they can expect a response.
The number to text if you are a young person living in Stoke-on-Trent is: 07520 615723
The number to text if you are a parent/carer living in Stoke-on-Trent is: 07312 277161
The legal bit
For young people: We do not usually inform your parents, teachers or anyone else if you contact the school nurse. We might inform someone if we were concerned about your safety, but we would usually speak to you first.
For all: Your messages are stored and can be seen by other healthcare staff who follow the same confidentiality rules. We aim to reply to you within one working day and you should get an immediate response to confirm we have received your text. Texts will not be seen outside of normal working hours. If you need help before you hear back from us, contact NHS 111 or your family doctor (in an emergency situation dial 999). Our text number does not receive voice calls or MMS picture messages. We support messaging from UK mobile numbers only (which does not include messages sent from landlines, international mobile numbers and some 'number masking' mobile apps). Prevent the service from sending messages to you by texting STOP to our number. Messages are charged at your usual rate.
Our service has active Facebook, Instagram and X/Twitter accounts, why not give us a 'like' and 'follow'?
Below are translated copies of the Families' Health and Wellbeing service leaflet. Please select the image to download the leaflet:
Dari
Pashto - پښتو
Russian - Русский
Ukrainian - українська
Antenatal contact
In addition to the care and support from your Midwives, all pregnant women will be contacted and offered a visit from a member of a Health Visiting team after 28 weeks of pregnancy. You will be given information about our service, including how and when to contact us. You will have the chance to discuss your feelings about becoming a parent, any concerns you may have and to ask any questions. You will be offered health promotion advice to help you and your unborn baby stay healthy, including infant feeding, diet and safe sleep.
New birth visit
A Health Visitor will visit you and your family at home, usually when your new baby is between 10-14 days old. This visit gives you the chance to discuss any concerns about the health and well-being of yourself, your new baby or the rest of the family. You will be able to ask for any advice or information and discuss any worries you may have, for example; coping with crying, reducing the risk of SIDS ('cot death'), infant feeding, immunisations, home and car safety, sibling rivalry, looking after yourself or your new role as a parent. You will be offered a Bookstart pack to encourage reading with your baby.
Well baby clinic
Well baby clinics are weekly appointed clinics where you can bring your baby or child to be weighed or ask questions about your own or your baby’s health.
6 week review
This review is usually done by your Health Visitor at home (before a check from your doctor at 8 weeks). This is a chance to discuss any worries, even minor things. Your baby’s weight, health, growth and development will be reviewed with you. Postnatal depression is common and you will be asked about your emotional wellbeing.
3-4 month contact
Your Health Visitor Team will contact you at 3-4 months with information regarding baby development, introducing solid foods and Perinatal Mental Health. If you have any concerns you will be invited to contact the service to arrange an appointment.
Between nine and twelve months your baby’s general health and development will be reviewed with you by a member of the Health Visiting team. You will be able to have your baby weighed and measured.
This is a chance to talk about your baby, their health and general behaviour and discuss any worries. You will be sent a questionnaire prior to the appointment which allows you to try out some activities with your baby at home, where they are comfortable and in familiar surroundings. Your Health Visitor will go through this questionnaire at your appointment; this is just a guide and it is not expected that your child will be able to do all the things on the questionnaire.
Some things you may want to discuss when you go for the review include:
How you are feeling yourself
Your baby’s feeding, sleep, and/or behaviour
Your baby’s weight
Is your baby sitting alone?
Does your baby babble (ba-ba, da-da, etc)?
Your baby’s eyesight and hearing
Your child’s immunisations
Your baby’s teeth
Switching from bottle to cup
Getting rid of dummies
Accident prevention
Childcare / going back to work or training
Remember: if you are worried about your child’s behaviour, health, growth or development you can contact your Health Visitor through your local Hub at any time.
Your child’s progress will be reviewed at around 2 - 2½ years by a member of the Health Visiting team. This is a chance to talk about your child, their health and general behaviour and discuss any worries you may have, for example:
Speech and language development
Behaviour
Toilet training
Home safety
Brushing your child’s teeth / registering with a dentist
Immunisations.
Getting ready for nursery
You will be sent a questionnaire prior to the appointment which allows you to try out some activities with your baby at home, where they are comfortable and in familiar surroundings. Your Health Visitor will go through this questionnaire at your appointment. This is just a guide and it is not expected that your child will be able to do all the things on the questionnaire.
Transition from Health Visiting services at 5 years of age and onward support.
What you can expect from us
When your child is in their Reception year you will receive a letter based on a health questionnaire from our Team. There will be details on how to contact us via our Hub or our parent chat Helpline. We can offer you support and help you with any concerns or questions that you may have. We can also arrange to meet you and your child if you need to be seen. We work closely with other partner services within the community who are there also to support children and families.
When your child reaches Year 6 and Year 10, further letters with lots of age appropriate links and information will be sent out from our service.
In Year 7 our School Nurses will offer assemblies to your child/young person to introduce services available to them, for example Chat Health, Health4teens and Drop ins at their school.
National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP)
Weight and height reviews will be offered in Reception and Year 6 as part of the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) by our Local Authority team.
Drop-ins
All young people in high schools in Stoke on Trent can access health advice and support at confidential drop-ins every other week.
We will continue to support pupils and families with medical conditions, care planning and coordinating services.
Clinics
Clinics are provided throughout the city for Enuresis (bed wetting) and advice about constipation.
Additional support
The service will support applications for Continuing Care Funding and contribute to Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Assessments. We support our Children in Care by completing health assessments and work with other professionals to support the work of safeguarding children and families through Early Help Intervention, Child in Need and Child Protection.
Referrals
Referral can be made for children and young people aged between 5 to 19 years, who live in Stoke-on-Trent. Referrals can be made by parents, young people, carers, teaching staff, GPs, social workers and allied health professionals. We operate Monday to Friday 9am- 5pm excluding Bank Holidays and weekends. Our contact number is 0808 178 3374
If you are ever unsure if your referral is appropriate, please do not hesitate to contact the 0-19 team directly. All referrals into the service will be reviewed. If information has been left out, or the referral is inappropriate we will contact you to discuss this further.
Please complete and return the referral form by email to 019CityHub@mpft.nhs.uk or by post to Smallthorne Health Centre, 2 Baden Road, Stoke-on-Trent, ST6 1SA
You can also refer by calling 0808 178 3374 during 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday.
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Stoke-on-Trent 0-19 Integrated Health Visiting and School Nursing Service supports families from 0-19. The Health Visiting service supports you and your family from pregnancy through to when you child is 5 years old. Once your child is at school, you and your child are supported by our School Nursing team.
Our Area Manager looks after all the localities within Stoke-on-Trent. We have one combined Health Visiting and School Nursing Hub and teams based across Stoke-on-Trent.
Team Leader: The team leader manages the day to day running of the team. The team leader is usually either a qualified Health Visitor or School Nurse.
Health Visitors: Your Health Visitor is a trained nurse or midwife, who has completed additional training in child development and public health nursing to become a Specialist Community Public Health Nurse. Your Health Visitor looks after you and your family, from pregnancy through to when your child starts to school.
School Nurses: Your School Nurse is a trained nurse or midwife, who has also completed additional public health and child development training to be a Specialist Community Public Health Nurse. Your School Nurse looks after you and your family, from the age of 5 through to 19 years.
0-19 Children and Young People and Families Practitioners: Our practitioners all hold a relevant child development qualification and are experienced in supporting children, young people and their families. They either work in clinic settings, out in the community or within the hub.
Clinical Support Workers (CSW): Our CSWs work under the direction of the Health Visitor. They have a varied role, often working within the Well Baby Clinics across the City.
Administrators: Our administrators provide office support to the teams and are your initial telephone contact within the locality hubs for appointments and general queries. They may signpost you to an appropriate health professional or service as required.
Other members of the service
Professional Lead for Universal Services: Our professional lead ensures the Health Visiting and School Nursing services are implementing the latest standards. The lead has responsibility for ensuring all policies and procedures are in place for the service.
Clinical Practice Educators (CPE): The Health Visiting and School Nursing CPEs ensure all the clinical training needs of new and existing staff are met. You may meet them during home, school and clinic visits when they’re out and about supporting staff.
Specialist Practice Team: The team comprise of an Infant Feeding Lead and Perinatal Mental Health Lead. The leads provide specialist support and advice to the wider team. They develop and deliver training in their specialism as well as shaping policies and procedures.
All the images in this section have been designed by the young family members of our team during the COVID-19 pandemic 2020.
Our partners
We have lots of services within Stoke who can support your children and your family.
Please take a look at the link below for information on Education, childcare, Children’s social care, children’s centres and Early Help Intervention services and other useful information and guidance
Please check out the new Family Hub website! We will be reviewing how it looks and how people are using it, so if you have any comments, or suggestions as to how it could be improved please email familyhubs@stoke.gov.uk
