Embedding children’s rights into the Healthy Child Programme

This service is contracted to deliver the Healthy Child Programme (Health Visiting and School Nursing service).

Training

All operational leads attend child rights training, and this is also included in the induction for new staff. This training has enabled the team to think differently to ensure they always bring children’s rights to the fore of their service.  

Listening to children

The service asked for children and young people’s views on their experience of the service, through questionnaires. Children have contributed to resources, including a school nursing resource to be used in schools by school nurses. Children have been included in developmental review videos (with parental consent).

Embedding principles

This service has already been accredited under the UNICEF Baby Friendly initiative and have carried these principles through their work. Policies, procedures and practices have formally changed, to ensure the rights of children and young people are central to the delivery of this service.

Example: embedding the rights of children seldom heard

An inclusion health visitor has been introduced into the service to work with underserved families in the borough, including with families placed in Refugee hotels. The inclusion health visitor collaborated with colleagues to address unhealthy meal provision in one of the refugee hotels, and arranged a tasting session with a hot meal food provider for the residents of the hotel. The supplier subsequently agreed to provide fresh healthy meals that can be reheated, and agreed to roll this out across the other hotels they supply. 

Feedback

From a parent: “We're so grateful to have a health visitor who has our son's best interests at heart and who continues to help, guide and signpost us to additional support.”