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Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust - Child Health Services

What do Child Health Services do?

Child Health Services provide a wide range of health support for babies, children and young people (0–19 years old) across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. They work closely with families, schools, GPs and other professionals to help children stay healthy, develop well and get the right support when it’s needed.  

These services support both physical health and emotional wellbeing, and can offer help at different stages of a child or young person’s life.

Who are these services for?

  • Babies, children and young people aged 0–19 years
  • Families and carers who need advice or support
  • Children and young people with additional needs or long-term health conditions, including SEND
To find our more about the services offered under Child Health Services, expand the boxes below.

What does the 0-19 Health Visiting and School Nursing Team Offer?

  • Support from health visitors and school nurses
  • Advice on your child’s development, health and wellbeing through ChatHealth
  • Help with feeding, sleep, behaviour and emotional health
  • Available to all families from birth up to age 19

Find your school nursing team's details

Find your health visitor's details

Got questions about your child’s development?

ChatHealth is a free, confidential text messaging service that allows parents and carers to contact a qualified nurse for advice and support about their child or family’s health and wellbeing.

Parents can text a question or concern and receive a response from an experienced health visitor or school nurse, who can:

  • Offer advice and reassurance on a wide range of issues
  • Help with health, development, behaviour, sleep, emotional wellbeing and more
  • Signpost to other services if additional or specialist support is needed

The service is:

  • Easy to use – just send a text message with your question
  • Confidential – conversations are private
  • Non‑judgemental – you can ask any question, big or small
  • Flexible – you can text at a time that suits you, with replies usually within one working day if outside opening hours

Separate text lines are available depending on your child’s age (e.g. under 5s or school‑aged children), ensuring advice comes from the most relevant team.

ChatHealth contact numbers for parents

  • Parents of children aged 0–5 years
    Text: 07520 615720  
  • Parents of children and young people aged 5–19 years
    Text: 07507 332417

What does the 0-19 Health Visiting and School Nursing Team Offer?

  • Support from health visitors and school nurses
  • Advice on your child’s development, health and wellbeing through ChatHealth
  • Help with feeding, sleep, behaviour and emotional health
  • Available to all families from birth up to age 19

Find your school nursing team's details

Find your health visitor's details

Got questions about your child’s development?

ChatHealth is a free, confidential text messaging service that allows parents and carers to contact a qualified nurse for advice and support about their child or family’s health and wellbeing.

Parents can text a question or concern and receive a response from an experienced health visitor or school nurse, who can:

  • Offer advice and reassurance on a wide range of issues
  • Help with health, development, behaviour, sleep, emotional wellbeing and more
  • Signpost to other services if additional or specialist support is needed

The service is:

  • Easy to use – just send a text message with your question
  • Confidential – conversations are private
  • Non‑judgemental – you can ask any question, big or small
  • Flexible – you can text at a time that suits you, with replies usually within one working day if outside opening hours

Separate text lines are available depending on your child’s age (e.g. under 5s or school‑aged children), ensuring advice comes from the most relevant team.

ChatHealth contact numbers for parents

  • Parents of children aged 0–5 years
    Text: 07520 615720  
  • Parents of children and young people aged 5–19 years
    Text: 07507 332417

The Children in Care service works in close partnership with children, young people, their carers and local authorities to ensure that children and young people’s health needs are supported whilst they remain in care and as care leavers.

  • Supports children and young people who are looked after
  • Works with carers and professionals to meet health needs
  • Provides ongoing support during care and when leaving care

More information

The Children in Care service works in close partnership with children, young people, their carers and local authorities to ensure that children and young people’s health needs are supported whilst they remain in care and as care leavers.

  • Supports children and young people who are looked after
  • Works with carers and professionals to meet health needs
  • Provides ongoing support during care and when leaving care

More information

Community Children's Nursing is a team of nurses with specialist skills and experience who provide assessment and support to children with acute and short-term health conditions at home.

The team:

  • Provides nursing care for children with health needs at home or in the community
  • Supports children who may otherwise need hospital care
  • Works closely with families to manage ongoing health conditions

More information

Community Children's Nursing is a team of nurses with specialist skills and experience who provide assessment and support to children with acute and short-term health conditions at home.

The team:

  • Provides nursing care for children with health needs at home or in the community
  • Supports children who may otherwise need hospital care
  • Works closely with families to manage ongoing health conditions

More information

The Community Children’s Asthma Nursing Service is available to children and young people with a Portsmouth City GP or a Southampton City GP even if you live in Hampshire.

  • Specialist support for children with asthma or suspected asthma
  • Short-term support to help manage symptoms
  • Advice on treatment and managing asthma safely  

More information

The Community Children’s Asthma Nursing Service is available to children and young people with a Portsmouth City GP or a Southampton City GP even if you live in Hampshire.

  • Specialist support for children with asthma or suspected asthma
  • Short-term support to help manage symptoms
  • Advice on treatment and managing asthma safely  

More information

The School Age Immunisation Service offers vaccinations to children (aged 4-16) across all Hampshire schools and children who are electively home educated. For children attending a special school, vaccinations are offered up to their 25th birthday.

  • Provides vaccinations for children aged 4–16
  • Available in schools and for children educated at home
  • Helps protect children from serious illnesses

More information

The School Age Immunisation Service offers vaccinations to children (aged 4-16) across all Hampshire schools and children who are electively home educated. For children attending a special school, vaccinations are offered up to their 25th birthday.

  • Provides vaccinations for children aged 4–16
  • Available in schools and for children educated at home
  • Helps protect children from serious illnesses

More information

The Family Nurse Partnership (FNP) is a voluntary programme for young parents. A healthy pregnancy gives babies the best possible start in life, and the relationship parents have with their babies right from the start is crucial for their future health and happiness.

  • Support programme for young parents (aged 24 and under)
  • A specially trained nurse provides regular home visits
  • Support from pregnancy until the child is around 1–2 years old

 

 

More information

The Family Nurse Partnership (FNP) is a voluntary programme for young parents. A healthy pregnancy gives babies the best possible start in life, and the relationship parents have with their babies right from the start is crucial for their future health and happiness.

  • Support programme for young parents (aged 24 and under)
  • A specially trained nurse provides regular home visits
  • Support from pregnancy until the child is around 1–2 years old

 

 

More information

Mental Health Support Teams are an early help service in schools that support children and young people with mild to moderate mental health difficulties.

They aim to make it easier to access mental health support and help schools create a positive, whole‑school approach to wellbeing.

MHSTs are part of a national rollout, so more schools are being added over time, but full coverage hasn’t been reached yet. Ask your child's school if they are part of the scheme.

Watch the video to find out more

 

Support for children and families

MHST practitioners work directly with young people and parents to:

  • Provide talking therapies (such as CBT) to help manage difficulties like anxiety, low mood, worries, sleep problems or behaviour challenges
  • Offer support 1:1, in groups, or sometimes working with parents depending on what’s needed
  • Deliver sessions face-to-face or online

Support within schools

They also work closely with schools to:

  • Help improve how schools support mental health and wellbeing
  • Provide training, workshops and advice for staff
  • Offer consultation and guidance on supporting pupils
  • Contribute to a whole-school approach to mental health

Working with other services

MHST link with other professionals (e.g. CAMHS teams, school nurses, educational psychologists) to:

  • Make sure children get the right level of support
  • Signpost or refer on if more specialist help is needed

How to access

  • The service is based in specific schools, so availability depends on whether your child’s school has a team
  • Referrals are usually made through the school

 

Mental Health Support Teams are an early help service in schools that support children and young people with mild to moderate mental health difficulties.

They aim to make it easier to access mental health support and help schools create a positive, whole‑school approach to wellbeing.

MHSTs are part of a national rollout, so more schools are being added over time, but full coverage hasn’t been reached yet. Ask your child's school if they are part of the scheme.

Watch the video to find out more

 

Support for children and families

MHST practitioners work directly with young people and parents to:

  • Provide talking therapies (such as CBT) to help manage difficulties like anxiety, low mood, worries, sleep problems or behaviour challenges
  • Offer support 1:1, in groups, or sometimes working with parents depending on what’s needed
  • Deliver sessions face-to-face or online

Support within schools

They also work closely with schools to:

  • Help improve how schools support mental health and wellbeing
  • Provide training, workshops and advice for staff
  • Offer consultation and guidance on supporting pupils
  • Contribute to a whole-school approach to mental health

Working with other services

MHST link with other professionals (e.g. CAMHS teams, school nurses, educational psychologists) to:

  • Make sure children get the right level of support
  • Signpost or refer on if more specialist help is needed

How to access

  • The service is based in specific schools, so availability depends on whether your child’s school has a team
  • Referrals are usually made through the school

 

You can usually access Child Health Services through:

  • Your GP
  • Your child’s school or nursery
  • A health visitor or school nurse
  • Other professionals supporting your child

Some services may accept self-referrals or offer open access support. 

👉 Find out more about Child Health Services

You can usually access Child Health Services through:

  • Your GP
  • Your child’s school or nursery
  • A health visitor or school nurse
  • Other professionals supporting your child

Some services may accept self-referrals or offer open access support. 

👉 Find out more about Child Health Services

Previous Page Children's Therapy Service

In this section

  1. Annual Health Checks
  2. Special Care Dental Service
  3. The Children's Community Continence Service
  4. Specialist Community Public Health Nurses
  5. Community Learning Disability Teams
  6. Community Paediatric Medical Service (CPMS)
  7. Children's Therapy Service
  8. Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust - Child Health Services