ßÙßÇÂþ» Child and Family Health is the ßÙßÇÂþ» NHS community health service. It is for children and young people from birth to 19 years of age and their parents and carers.
Services include health visiting, school nursing and school-age immunisation services. There are specialist paediatric, nursing and therapy services to support children and young people who have additional needs requiring on-going care. ßÙßÇÂþ» Child and Family Health services are closely linked to ßÙßÇÂþ»'s mental health services. This helps improve the care and support families receive.
They operate a for all services:
Telephone: 0300 247 0025
Email: scfh.contact@hcrgcaregroup.com
Open: Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm (excluding Bank Holidays)
Visit for more information, top tips and advice.
ßÙßÇÂþ» Wide 0 to 19 Advice Line
Families can find lots of helpful on the ßÙßÇÂþ» Child and Family Health website. Such as:
They can also contact the 0 to 19 Advice Line, by calling the ßÙßÇÂþ» Child and Family Health
Immunisation service (for school-age children and young people)
The plan and deliver the school-age immunisation programmes (vaccines) in ßÙßÇÂþ» schools.
They also offer clinics in community settings for home-educated children and other children depending on their individual needs.
School nursing
School nurses are registered nurses who have completed additional specialist training.
The school nursing teams are made up of school nurses, registered nurses, nursery nurses and clinical health assistants.
The team work across ßÙßÇÂþ» to promote physical health and emotional wellbeing in schools and in the community. They have information about sexual health, illnesses, healthy eating, exam stress and bullying.
You can by calling the ßÙßÇÂþ» Child and Family Health on 0300 247 0025.
Specialist school nursing
The are based in the eight special schools for severe learning disabilities across ßÙßÇÂþ». They also work with children and young people, from nursery to 19 years old.
The Registered Nurses and Assistant Practitioners in the school teams work closely with pupils, parents, carers, teaching staff and a wide range of other professionals. Together they identify the pupils' health needs and provide agreed care plans.
The teams are an integral part of the school community and provide training and support for the school staff to meet the individual health needs of the children and young people. This allows all students to fully access their education and reach their potential, no matter the complexity of their health needs.
Specialist nursing (Continuing Care)
Our gives support and care for children who meet the criteria for NHS funded children's and young people's continuing healthcare. They require additional healthcare support at home and in the community.
A continuing care package may be needed when a child or young person has care needs because of a congenital condition, disability, accident or illness that cannot be met by the existing universal or specialist services on their own.
Developmental Paediatric Service (DPS)
The is dedicated to helping children and young people manage health problems that might be affecting their developmental progress.
The ßÙßÇÂþ» wide service is led by consultants. It assesses children and young people experiencing a wide range of developmental difficulties related to:
- developmental delay or disorder
- neurological disability
- autism spectrum disorder (ASD) - under 6yrs
- attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) - under 6yrs
- cerebral palsy
- severe learning difficulties (SLD) and/or complex needs (the DPS may carry out these assessments in schools).
If your child is registered with a GP from Guildford and Waverley then the appropriate DPS service is the NHS Royal ßÙßÇÂþ» Child Development Centre. Details of the service they provide, eligibility, how to access the service and how to contact them can be found:
NHS Occupational Therapy Service – ßÙßÇÂþ» Child and Family Health
enables children to participate in daily life to improve their health and wellbeing. Daily life is made up of many activities (or occupations).
Occupations for children may include self-care (getting ready to go out, eating a meal, using the toilet), being productive (going to nursery or school), and leisure (playing with toys or doing hobbies).
The occupational therapists support children and young people up to 19 years old who live in ßÙßÇÂþ» and find occupations and participation difficult due to a range of conditions/diagnoses.
You can contact the occupation therapy service by calling the ßÙßÇÂþ» Child and Family Health on 0300 247 0025.
NHS Early Years Speech and Language Therapy - Children and Family Health ßÙßÇÂþ»
provide assessment, therapy and advice to support children with a range of speech, language and communication needs.
They do this by looking at your child's attention, play, understanding of language, the spoken language they use (vocabulary, sentences), social skills, speech sounds, fluency and voice. We also support children with swallowing difficulties.
They support preschool children registered with a GP in ßÙßÇÂþ» and who live in ßÙßÇÂþ» who have speech, language, communication and/or swallowing needs. We also see older children with a stammer, voice difficulties or children with an acquired brain injury who are leaving hospital and returning home. We work with parents and nurseries/schools to ensure they have a good understanding of what they need to do to support the child.
NHS Physiotherapy Service – Children and Family Health ßÙßÇÂþ»
provides assessment, therapy and advice for babies, children and young people with physical difficulties from birth up to 19 years old. Our team of physiotherapists have specialist skills, experience and knowledge of childhood development and childhood disability.
They work closely with your child, family, other professionals and with nurseries and schools, to maximise your child's physical potential and independence.
They support the physical needs and development of children and young people up to 19 years old who live in ßÙßÇÂþ» and have mostly developmental, neurological and neuromuscular conditions. They might also have complex long term medical, social and learning needs.
They work closely with parents and nurseries/ schools to ensure they have a good understanding of what they need to do to support your child.
Continence Services
The Children's Continence Service provide assessment, treatment and support for children and young people with bladder and/or bowel difficulties. Your child will need a referral from a healthcare professional.
Further information can be found on the .
Other community health services:
Wheelchair Services
Refer to ßÙßÇÂþ»'s wheelchair service which is operated by Ross Care on behalf of NHS for enquiries, assessments. eligibility, repairs and maintenance:
If you have never used the Wheelchair Service, you will need a referral from a qualified healthcare practitioner. This could be from a:
- General Practitioner (GP)
- Occupational Therapist, or Physiotherapist
- Hospital Consultant
Community Equipment Service
Refer to the Community Equipment Service to find out more about the range of equipment that can be loaned, eligibility criteria and how to apply.
Respite Care
Respite care for young people in ßÙßÇÂþ» is available through:
- ßÙßÇÂþ» Short Breaks: These services, primarily run by voluntary organisations, offer various activities, including holiday clubs, after-school sessions, and overnight stays. Families can sometimes access these directly, while others are arranged through the Social Care Teams after an assessment.
- : This service provides overnight, daytime, and long-term respite support through options like:
- : A facility in Woking offering overnight stays and activities for young people with additional support needs.
- A scheme that places a young person with an approved carer and their family, either for short breaks or long-term arrangements.
- : Support for activities in the community or a hub setting.
- Children with Disabilities Team (CWD): Works with families of children and young people aged 0-18 with severe and profound disabilities to coordinate support and accommodation options, including overnight respite care when necessary.
Other Organisations and Charities
Several independent organisations and charities also provide respite care and support:
- : A charity that offers professional, in-home respite care for children and adults, allowing carers to take a break. They can provide regular or one-off support.
- : Provides hospice, respite, and family support services for children and young people (0-21) with life-limiting conditions, with hospices located in Guildford and Hampton.
- : Offers short breaks services for children with SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) aged 5 to 11 years called , and aged 12 to 17 year
- : A Woking-based charity offering activities and breaks for children and young people with learning disabilities.
- : Offers various support services including short breaks and respite for parents of children with mental health challenges and disabilities, for young people up to age 25.
- based in Tadworth, ßÙßÇÂþ» who offer a range of residential brain injury rehabilitation services for children and young people with acquired brain injury (ABI).