Growing Well
Brook
As a parent or carer, you care about the health and wellbeing of your children, and about the choices they make in life. Most importantly you care about their safety.
It’s natural to feel anxious about your kids growing up and learning about relationships and sex, but young people are infinitely curious and without a safe space to ask questions they will search elsewhere.
Having open conversations that are timely and relevant to their experiences gives them the power to recognise harmful behaviour and to be heard. If you don’t feel equipped to have those conversations just yet, Brook is here. Brook has pages about everything from cleaning properly to contraception to mental health support. Allow your child to explore their website link in their own time.
School Nurses
The School Nursing team provides a consistent approach across the borough of Sandwell for children and young people age five to 19 attending school as well as those not attending school, those who are electively home educated and those attending alternative provisions across the authority.
All secondary schools have a named school health nurse (SHN) who works with a wider cluster of nurses offering support across each of the towns in Sandwell inclusive of primary schools.
School Nurses will provide support and advice for a wide variety of health needs to support children and young people in reaching their full potential and accessing appropriate education provision. School Nurses will also signpost or refer on as appropriate.
If you are ever unsure if your referral is appropriate please do not hesitate to contact our Duty Nurse. You can contact the duty nurse by calling 0121 612 2974 or emailing the service at swbh.shnsandwell@nhs.net
You can find out the latest updates from the team by following them on social media:
School nurses deliver offer a core health education programme to all primary schools across the authority session offered are:
- Reception – Hand Washing and Tooth Brushing
- Year 3 and 4 – Healthy Eating
- Year 5 – Puberty
- Year 6 – Emotional health with a focus on transition to secondary school
Health for Kids is a fun and exciting website to help children to think about how they can stay healthy and look after their health.
games to making learning about health even more fun.
There is a parent section too.
people aged 11-19 to learn about their health.
This website features bite-sized information on a comprehensive range of physical and emotional health topics for teenagers, including healthy eating, body image, managing stress, advice on relationships, puberty, sexuality and much more.
The National Child
Measurement Programme
The National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) is a yearly process that measures the height and weight of over one-million children in Reception (age 4 to 5 years) and Year 6 (age 10 to 11 years) each year in primary schools in England. Traditionally information on their Body Mass Index is then fed back to parents in a letter. The feedback classes children as being ‘underweight’, ‘healthy weight’, ‘overweight’ or ‘obese’. However parents, teachers and young people told us that the NCMP feedback letters are viewed badly in Sandwell.
Using our Stronger Sandwell approach, we set out to update this process by co-designing a resource that would;
- Eliminate stigma and
- Acknowledge the crucial role of mental wellbeing in childhood obesity.
The end product of the co-design work is a colourful and easy to read one-page resource providing parents with advice on:
- Change 4life ‘Top Tips’
- Sugar Swap’ ideas
- Physical activities for the family
- Emotional well-being
Any parents who wish to have information on their child’s body mass index (BMI) can still obtain it from the School Health nursing team, following the information and contact details given in the pre-measurement letter.
Healthy Families
There are lots of free activities in Sandwell for you and your family to take part in;
Free Holiday Activities and Food programme
Find activities in our Active Green Spaces Hub
Find a led ride or cycle route
Free led Walks
Holiday Activities
Who can join?
Any child who lives or goes to school in Sandwell up to the age of 16 (or 25 with SEND) can join and book activities. Activities are predominantly for children between 5 to 16 years. However, Sandwell Holiday Activities have several family activities where little ones are welcome.
Some activities are free for everyone, and some ask for a contribution. Sandwell Holiday Activities also offer free activities and food that support families in receipt of benefit-related free school meals. All their activities are designed to give quality experiences where caregivers assure they are getting great value.
How does it work?
SHAPE
The Just Youth website is an online information hub for all children and young people in Sandwell. It is the go to place for children and young people to find something to do, someone to talk to and somewhere to go.
Designed in collaboration with young people, the website provides:
- Advice, guidance and sign posting on a wide range of topics
- Finding someone to talk to if they have an issue
- Finding something to do in their local area
- Having their voice heard through a youth forum or group, and much more!
SHAPE
Sandwell’s SHAPE Programme is a Child’s Voice Initiative, led by Sandwell Council, designed to listen to children and young people in Sandwell. The SHAPE Initiative began in December 2014 and will soon reach its 10 year milestone, of delivering a unique programme focussed on listening to the voice of young people.
The programme focusses on the 5 Every Child Matters Outcomes:
- Staying Safe
- Being Healthy
- Enjoying and Achieving
- Making a Positive Contribution
- Economic Wellbeing
The Children and Young People’s Engagement Strategy underpins SHAPE’s vision “Where Every Child’s Voice Matters in Sandwell” and provides the principles and methods of engagement with children and young people, for the council and partners.
The SHAPE Programme is governed by the SHAPE Strategic Board, which is made up of many partners including the Police, Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), NHS and the Community and Voluntary Sector. The Board report to the Health and Wellbeing Board and the Strategic Commissioning Partnership for children, young people and families.
The governance structure below shows all the key organisations and partnerships the SHAPE Programme is linked to.
The Programme is managed by Neesha Patel, and the team now consists of two SHAPE Project Support Officers, Asha Lawrence and Rajdeep Atwal and a Young Person’s Digital Communications Officer, Emily Rees-Woodhall. The team is young, creative and dynamic and all passionate and they are all driven to embed child’s voice across Sandwell, with exciting projects, such as our popular talent show.
The SHAPE Programme organises events and opportunities throughout the calendar year for children and young people to engage in positive activities, both individually and through their schools. The timetable below highlights our key opportunities:
Some of the initiative’s schools and young people can get involved in are:
- SHAPE Survey – The SHAPE Survey is an annual online survey sent to schools and colleges for children and young people aged 9 – 18 years to consult with them on various topic areas that affect young people in today’s society. More information, and links to the survey, can be found here.
- Youth Elections – Every 2 years, young people aged 11-18 years in the UK get the chance to vote in the ‘Make Your Mark’ ballot, on the biggest issues facing young people in today’s society. Young people are also invited to vote to elect their new Members of Youth Parliament. More information about youth elections can be found here.
- SHAPE Our Future Conferences – Annual school conferences for children and young people, based on issues relating to the 5 key areas of SHAPE. More information, and registration details for the SHAPE Our Future Conferences can be found here.
- Anti-Bullying Roadshow – An annual anti-bullying roadshow takes place during Anti-Bullying week. Schools can book on to the roadshow, for a workshop to be delivered in their school. More information, and registration details for the Anti-Bullying Roadshow can be found here.
- National Takeover Challenges – The Takeover Challenge is an imaginative and exciting activity where Sandwell Council and partners open their doors to children and young people to take over adult roles. It gives children and young people across the country the chance to work with adults and get involved in organisational decision-making. More information about the National Takeover Challenges can be found here.
- SHAPE Your Talent – A talent competition for children and young people aged 9-18 years (up to 25 years for children and young people with special educational needs). More information about SHAPE Your Talent can be found here.
- SHAPE Youth Summer Fest – A large, free entry community festival, for children, young people and their families, that takes place annually at Sandwell Valley. More information about SHAPE Youth Summer Fest can be found here.
- SHAPE Youth Forum – Young people aged 11 – 21 years (up to 25 for young people with special educational needs and disabilities) who live, work or study in Sandwell can join SHAPE Youth Forum to get their voices and opinions heard on many different topics. A maximum of 3 young people from each Sandwell school can be part of SHAPE Youth Forum. More information about SHAPE Youth Forum, and how to apply, can be found here.
- Just Youth Website – We have also developed a comprehensive information hub with young people for young people.
We also work collaboratively with many partners and stakeholders to ensure true coproduction, with young people takes place when redesigning or reviewing services which matter to them as well as coming together for our events. Below are some of the stakeholders and partners we have worked with…
We hope together, we become pioneers in embedding child’s voice across Sandwell and ensure the needs of our children and young people are met.
To find out more about the SHAPE Programme, please contact shape_events@sandwell.gov.uk or your schools’ designated SHAPE Project Support Officer:
- Smethwick, Oldbury and Rowley Regis schools, – Rajdeep Atwal – rajdeep_atwal@sandwell.gov.uk
- Wednesbury, West Bromwich and Tipton schools, – Asha Lawrence – asha_lawrence@sandwell.gov.uk
Growing Well
Brook
As a parent or carer, you care about the health and wellbeing of your children, and about the choices they make in life. Most importantly you care about their safety.
It’s natural to feel anxious about your kids growing up and learning about relationships and sex, but young people are infinitely curious and without a safe space to ask questions they will search elsewhere.
Having open conversations that are timely and relevant to their experiences gives them the power to recognise harmful behaviour and to be heard. If you don’t feel equipped to have those conversations just yet, Brook is here. Brook has pages about everything from cleaning properly to contraception to mental health support. Allow your child to explore their website link in their own time.
School Nurses
The School Nursing team provides a consistent approach across the borough of Sandwell for children and young people age five to 19 attending school as well as those not attending school, those who are electively home educated and those attending alternative provisions across the authority.
All secondary schools have a named school health nurse (SHN) who works with a wider cluster of nurses offering support across each of the towns in Sandwell inclusive of primary schools.
School Nurses will provide support and advice for a wide variety of health needs to support children and young people in reaching their full potential and accessing appropriate education provision. School Nurses will also signpost or refer on as appropriate.
If you are ever unsure if your referral is appropriate please do not hesitate to contact our Duty Nurse. You can contact the duty nurse by calling 0121 612 2974 or emailing the service at swbh.shnsandwell@nhs.net
You can find out the latest updates from the team by following them on social media:
School nurses deliver offer a core health education programme to all primary schools across the authority session offered are:
- Reception – Hand Washing and Tooth Brushing
- Year 3 and 4 – Healthy Eating
- Year 5 – Puberty
- Year 6 – Emotional health with a focus on transition to secondary school
Health for Kids is a fun and exciting website to help children to think about how they can stay healthy and look after their health.
games to making learning about health even more fun.
There is a parent section too.
people aged 11-19 to learn about their health.
This website features bite-sized information on a comprehensive range of physical and emotional health topics for teenagers, including healthy eating, body image, managing stress, advice on relationships, puberty, sexuality and much more.
The National Child
Measurement Programme
The National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) is a yearly process that measures the height and weight of over one-million children in Reception (age 4 to 5 years) and Year 6 (age 10 to 11 years) each year in primary schools in England. Traditionally information on their Body Mass Index is then fed back to parents in a letter. The feedback classes children as being ‘underweight’, ‘healthy weight’, ‘overweight’ or ‘obese’. However parents, teachers and young people told us that the NCMP feedback letters are viewed badly in Sandwell.
Using our Stronger Sandwell approach, we set out to update this process by co-designing a resource that would;
- Eliminate stigma and
- Acknowledge the crucial role of mental wellbeing in childhood obesity.
The end product of the co-design work is a colourful and easy to read one-page resource providing parents with advice on:
- Change 4life ‘Top Tips’
- Sugar Swap’ ideas
- Physical activities for the family
- Emotional well-being
Any parents who wish to have information on their child’s body mass index (BMI) can still obtain it from the School Health nursing team, following the information and contact details given in the pre-measurement letter.
Healthy Families
There are lots of free activities in Sandwell for you and your family to take part in;
Free Holiday Activities and Food programme
Find activities in our Active Green Spaces Hub
Find a led ride or cycle route
Free led Walks
Holiday Activities
Who can join?
Any child who lives or goes to school in Sandwell up to the age of 16 (or 25 with SEND) can join and book activities. Activities are predominantly for children between 5 to 16 years. However, Sandwell Holiday Activities have several family activities where little ones are welcome.
Some activities are free for everyone, and some ask for a contribution. Sandwell Holiday Activities also offer free activities and food that support families in receipt of benefit-related free school meals. All their activities are designed to give quality experiences where caregivers assure they are getting great value.
How does it work?
SHAPE
The Just Youth website is an online information hub for all children and young people in Sandwell. It is the go to place for children and young people to find something to do, someone to talk to and somewhere to go.
Designed in collaboration with young people, the website provides:
- Advice, guidance and sign posting on a wide range of topics
- Finding someone to talk to if they have an issue
- Finding something to do in their local area
- Having their voice heard through a youth forum or group, and much more!
SHAPE
Sandwell’s SHAPE Programme is a Child’s Voice Initiative, led by Sandwell Council, designed to listen to children and young people in Sandwell. The SHAPE Initiative began in December 2014 and will soon reach its 10 year milestone, of delivering a unique programme focussed on listening to the voice of young people.
The programme focusses on the 5 Every Child Matters Outcomes:
- Staying Safe
- Being Healthy
- Enjoying and Achieving
- Making a Positive Contribution
- Economic Wellbeing
The Children and Young People’s Engagement Strategy underpins SHAPE’s vision “Where Every Child’s Voice Matters in Sandwell” and provides the principles and methods of engagement with children and young people, for the council and partners.
The SHAPE Programme is governed by the SHAPE Strategic Board, which is made up of many partners including the Police, Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), NHS and the Community and Voluntary Sector. The Board report to the Health and Wellbeing Board and the Strategic Commissioning Partnership for children, young people and families.
The governance structure below shows all the key organisations and partnerships the SHAPE Programme is linked to.
The Programme is managed by Neesha Patel, and the team now consists of two SHAPE Project Support Officers, Asha Lawrence and Rajdeep Atwal and a Young Person’s Digital Communications Officer, Emily Rees-Woodhall. The team is young, creative and dynamic and all passionate and they are all driven to embed child’s voice across Sandwell, with exciting projects, such as our popular talent show.
The SHAPE Programme organises events and opportunities throughout the calendar year for children and young people to engage in positive activities, both individually and through their schools. The timetable below highlights our key opportunities:
Some of the initiative’s schools and young people can get involved in are:
- SHAPE Survey – The SHAPE Survey is an annual online survey sent to schools and colleges for children and young people aged 9 – 18 years to consult with them on various topic areas that affect young people in today’s society. More information, and links to the survey, can be found here.
- Youth Elections – Every 2 years, young people aged 11-18 years in the UK get the chance to vote in the ‘Make Your Mark’ ballot, on the biggest issues facing young people in today’s society. Young people are also invited to vote to elect their new Members of Youth Parliament. More information about youth elections can be found here.
- SHAPE Our Future Conferences – Annual school conferences for children and young people, based on issues relating to the 5 key areas of SHAPE. More information, and registration details for the SHAPE Our Future Conferences can be found here.
- Anti-Bullying Roadshow – An annual anti-bullying roadshow takes place during Anti-Bullying week. Schools can book on to the roadshow, for a workshop to be delivered in their school. More information, and registration details for the Anti-Bullying Roadshow can be found here.
- National Takeover Challenges – The Takeover Challenge is an imaginative and exciting activity where Sandwell Council and partners open their doors to children and young people to take over adult roles. It gives children and young people across the country the chance to work with adults and get involved in organisational decision-making. More information about the National Takeover Challenges can be found here.
- SHAPE Your Talent – A talent competition for children and young people aged 9-18 years (up to 25 years for children and young people with special educational needs). More information about SHAPE Your Talent can be found here.
- SHAPE Youth Summer Fest – A large, free entry community festival, for children, young people and their families, that takes place annually at Sandwell Valley. More information about SHAPE Youth Summer Fest can be found here.
- SHAPE Youth Forum – Young people aged 11 – 21 years (up to 25 for young people with special educational needs and disabilities) who live, work or study in Sandwell can join SHAPE Youth Forum to get their voices and opinions heard on many different topics. A maximum of 3 young people from each Sandwell school can be part of SHAPE Youth Forum. More information about SHAPE Youth Forum, and how to apply, can be found here.
- Just Youth Website – We have also developed a comprehensive information hub with young people for young people.
We also work collaboratively with many partners and stakeholders to ensure true coproduction, with young people takes place when redesigning or reviewing services which matter to them as well as coming together for our events. Below are some of the stakeholders and partners we have worked with…
We hope together, we become pioneers in embedding child’s voice across Sandwell and ensure the needs of our children and young people are met.
To find out more about the SHAPE Programme, please contact shape_events@sandwell.gov.uk or your schools’ designated SHAPE Project Support Officer:
- Smethwick, Oldbury and Rowley Regis schools, – Rajdeep Atwal – rajdeep_atwal@sandwell.gov.uk
- Wednesbury, West Bromwich and Tipton schools, – Asha Lawrence – asha_lawrence@sandwell.gov.uk
