School Health Services promote health, development and wellbeing, helping children and young people reach their full potential. Students learn better when they are healthy, safe and happy.
Community Health Nurses provide the services in schools in partnership with school staff. Working with parents, students, and school staff, Community Health Nurses are able to provide:
- Information and support to students (another families) to help them make informed decisions about their health, wellbeing and development.
- School immunisation programs
- A first point of contact for health care for students.
- Referral to other health professionals, if required.
- Working with teachers to support health education sessions.
- Student health and wellbeing programs.
- Health assessments for vision, hearing and development, if required.
- Helping school staff and parents develop health care plans for students with specials needs (eg. chronic disease, physical disability or other complex health conditions).
- Parenting advice.
Community Health nurses visit primary schools on a regular basis. When your child starts school, you will be asked to complete and return a health assessment form. With your consent, the Community Health Nurse will check your child’s vision, hearing, growth and general development.
You will receive a summary of the health assessment. The Community Nurse will contact you if they need more information or to follow up on part of the assessment. They will also provide support by referring to other services if required eg. Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Dietetics or the Enuresis (bedwetting) program.
The Community Health Nurse can conduct an assessment at any time throughout primary school if you or your child’s teachers have any concerns.