Time to Shine: The child that is fully seen, heard, and supported

Abstract

Children and young people would like school nurses to be visible, accessible and confidential. In a time of cuts and high waiting lists, especially in CAMHS services, school nurses can offer valuable evidence-based support. However, when reports suggest that school nurses spend too much time on bureaucratic child protection duties and paperwork and with depleted school nurse numbers nationally, how can this gap be bridged? In this article, Rachel Livsey shares a new way of working where school nurses conduct a holistic health needs assessment, which considers all aspects of a child or young person's life has been suggested and created by the author. This work has been done in conjunction with a new robust safeguarding policy to allows school nurses to immerse themselves in the public health aspect of their work while participating in safeguarding duties in a proportionate and appropriate manner, with the aim of truly making every contact matter.