It is extremely important to keep us informed of your child’s health and any conditions they may have so that we can better ensure their safety and wellbeing.
Any new diagnoses throughout the year should be reported directly to our school medical officer, Melanie Thomas.
This School Health Team, which, at Shuttleworth, is headed by Nicola Pearson, also run a weekly “drop-in” session within the school over Tuesday lunchtimes (1:30-2:00pm). This is an opportunity for young people to access advice and information on a range of issues, such as long term medical conditions, bullying, relationships, behaviour, smoking cessation; physical, emotional and sexual health; alcohol, drugs, and self-harm. We also take direct referrals from parents, who can contact them on the number above to discuss any concerns about the health or wellbeing of your child.
The school nurses do, however, have a duty to keep information confidential. Whilst they will encourage the young person in question to inform their parents or carers of their no obligation for them to inform parents or teachers if the child does not consent, except if there is a risk of significant harm.
Amongst their other duties, the School Health Team carries out an annual School Health Needs Assessment (SHINA). As part of the SHINA process, pupils in Year 9 will complete a questionnaire about their health & wellbeing, helping us to understand and respond to the health needs of the children and young people in our school and to offer them additional support if necessary.
The majority of schools in Lancashire are now involved in this scheme, with over 17,000 children and young people taking part last year. If you would like to know more, please get in touch with the school nurse. The school nurses are based at The Fold, Venice Avenue, Burnley BB11 5JX, and their telephone is 01282 628660.
And click here: https://www.nhs.uk/chq/pages/1309.aspx?categoryid=68 for more information for young people on how to access their medical records.
Melanie Thomas is our school medical officer, who is available every day between the hours of 8 and 3 to ensure the health and well-being of every single child under our care. Her primary focus is to meet any first aid needs that your child may present with during the day, but also manages healthcare plans and any other illness to ensure your child gets the maximum benefit from their education. She also maintains a stock of emergency and prescribed medication that may be accessed by your child if necessary, in accordance with their school healthcare plans, as well as regularly communicating with both teaching and non-teaching staff to ensure we are meeting your child’s needs. Melanie is also passionate about health promotion and is involved in delivering PSHE sessions on healthcare topics to instil your children with the knowledge necessary to make healthy choices in adult life. With 22 years of experience in the healthcare industry, in various roles within both the NHS/government and the private sector, should you wish to contact her to discuss any on-going health related issues with your child or newly diagnosed conditions, she is more than happy to chat with you!
Email: mthomas@shuttleworth.lancs.sch.uk
Telephone: 01282 682300, extension number 11014