Public Health: Child & Youth Health Services
MidCentral Health’s Public Health Service provides a range of health services within the early childhood, primary and secondary education sector. These are delivered in a culturally sensitive manner across our region – Manawatu, Tararua and Horowhenua.
Lady and two young girls walking along a footpath in the rain with umbrellas
Maximising child health gains requires a focus on improving health outcomes for children in the MidCentral District Health Board district. The Public Health Service takes a “whole child approach” to planning and providing services for children, their family and the immediate community.
MDHB Child Health Strategy Vision:
“Children/tamariki and their families/whanau are paramount in our community and we will work together to improve their health outcomes by considering their wairua (spirituality), and physical, mental and social wellbeing”
Public Health Service Early Childhood Centre & School based services include:
Public Health Nursing Service
Public Health Nursing is a specialised field of nursing practice within the wider area of health.
- MidCentral Health’s Public Health Service is committed to maintaining and enhancing the health status of children, adolescents and their families in the preschool and school setting. The focus is the identification of children with health needs and onward referral, health promotion and disease prevention.
Public Health Nurses (PHNs) are registered nurses who collectively bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to their work
Public Health Newsletters.
The Public Health Nursing Service offers
A Personal Health and Health Promotion Service which aims to create an environment that is conducive to, and supportive of the child, parent/caregiver, family/whanau and the education sector. This service helps to ensure that children parents/caregivers, family /whanau and education sector staff have access to a health service and ensures they are informed and empowered to take advantage of the potential benefits that the service can offer.
Public Health Nurses:
- Work to ensure the well being of children, young people and their families.
- Advocate for children, young people and their families by working alongside their families/ whanau, school staff, allied health professionals and social agencies to ensure positive health outcomes.
- Organise and deliver immunisation programmes in schools.
- Follow-up children and young people with identified hearing/ vision needs.
- Provide specialist nursing services to school children as required.
- Resource schools in planning health education and health promotion in the following Public Health programmes; Well Child, Nutrition and Physical Activity, Tobacco Control, Mental Health promotion, Communicable Disease and Immunisation programmes.
- Resource the Early Childhood sector in planning health education and health promotion in the following Well Child Public Health programmes; Oral Health, Hearing Loss Prevention, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, Asthma Prevention, Parenting Programme and Skills Promotion.
- Work closely with schools to promote and support development of Health Promoting Schools.
- Work closely with schools to promote and support the delivery of the Fruit In Schools Initiative - Decile 1 & 2 only.
- Provide specialist youth clinics in high schools and the community.
- Have general linkages to Public Health Programmes e.g. responding to emergent health events.
Referral to the Service:
Admission Criteria
Self referrals for youth
Self selecting schools for Health Promoting Schools
Referrals can be received from
- Parent/ Caregiver
- Education Services – RTLBs (Resource Teachers Learning and Behaviour), Early Childhood Centres and schools,
- Primary Health Organisation (PHO) / General Practice Team (GPT),
- Child Youth and Family (CYF),
- Interagency Coordination (Strengthening Families),
- Paediatricians
- Dental Services
Referrals can be made by
Completing the Public Health “Referral Form”
For further information:
Kidshealth
Joint initiative between Starship Foundation and Paediatric Society of N.Z.
Extensive information on Conditions, tests and treatments; Parent Support;
Support groups and Keeping Your Child Well.
NZAAHD
New Zealand Association for Adolescent Health and Development (NZAAHD) is a national network organisation for people who work with young people (12 - 25).
Site has news, updates, reports and documents.
(IMAC) NZ
Immunisation Advisory Centre
Allergy NZ
Allergy news, information, and support.
Asthmanz
Asthma and Respiratory Foundation of NZ website has information, news, research and resources relating to asthma and other lung illnesses.
Sexual Health Service
Information, links, clinic and contact details. (Or ring 06 350 8602)
Contact Us:
Public Health Nursing Service offices:
Hours: 8am – 4.30pm Monday to Friday ( Not open on Public Holidays)
Palmerston North
Health On Main
575 Main Street
Palmerston North
Ph (06) 350 4560
Fax (06) 350 4561
Freephone 0800 153 042
Dannevirke
Gordon Street Health Centre
11 Gordon Street
Dannevirke
Ph (06) 374 8496
Fax (06) 374 8937
Pahiatua
Pahiatua Medical Centre
Corner Main and Centre Streets
Ph (06) 376 7444 (option 4)
Fax (06) 376 6136
Pongaroa
PO Box 20
Weber Road
Ph (06) 376 2807
Fax (06) 376 2511
Horowhenua
Horowhenua Health Centre
Liverpool Street
Levin
Ph (06) 366 0888
Fax (06) 366 0049
Manawatu
Clevely Health Centre
Duke Street
Feilding
Ph 06 323 6658
Fax 06 323 8388
Vision Hearing Screening Service
Public Health Vision Hearing Screening Service is a specialised field of practice within the wider area of health. Their committment is to maintaining and enhancing the health status of individual children, adolescents and their families in the preschool and school setting. The focus is; the detection and referral of children with identified hearing and vision problems to appropriate agencies for assessment and or intervention. This minimises the impact of hearing and vision problems on the child’s overall development.
“ Screening is a health service where people from certain population groups, (who may not see they are affected by disease or at risk) are asked a question or offered a test. This is to identify those people who may benefit from future tests or from treatment to reduce the risk or effects of a disease or condition.”
Hearing Screening is not a bother!
The Vision Hearing Screening Service offers
The Vision Hearing Screening programme is a national programme designed to identify the prevalence of undetected vision and hearing problems at specific targeted age groups in New Zealand children.
Vision Hearing Technicians;
- Undertake screening of children aged 3 to 11 years
tympanometry screening at 3 years and 5years
audiometry at 5 years
squint and visual acuity at 4 years, 5 years
visual acuity 11 years
colour vision at 11 years (boys only).
- Refer children with identified vision/hearing problems to appropriate agencies for assessment and/or intervention.
- Have established links with other health professionals -especially for those children who may be at risk of adverse outcomes.
- Promote understanding of the Vision Hearing Screening services in registered educational settings, so that educational staff can refer appropriately.
- Provide a culturally appropriate screening service and provide information to all children and their families/whanau. We recognise the needs of identified priority groups including tamariki Maori and Pacific children.
Clinics
Early Childhood Centres and Schools are visited regularly
Additional Community Clinics are provided to increase access to the service.
Palmerston North:
every 2nd Wednesday
Tararua:
Dannevirke every second month on a Wednesday
Pahiatua every second month on a Thursday
Horowhenua:
Levin monthly clinic on a Wednesday
Otaki monthly on a Wednesday
Manawatu:
Every 5th Wednesday
Referral to Our Service:
Admission Criteria
- Any child registered in an early childhood centre if aged 3 years plus with informed parental consent
- Any school aged child with informed parental consent
Referrals can be received from
- Parent/ Caregiver
- Education Services – RTLBs (Resource Teachers Learning and Behaviour), Early Childhood Centres and schools,
- Primary Health Organisation (PHO) / General Practice Team (GPT),
- Child Youth and Family (CYF),
- Interagency Coordination (Strengthening Families),
- Paediatricians,
- Dental Services
Referrals can be made by
- Completing the Public Health “Referral Form”.
For further information:
IMPORTANT INFORMATION and links to other websites
Kidshealth
Joint initiative between Starship Foundation and Paediatric Society of N.Z.
Extensive information on Conditions, tests and treatments; Parent Support; Support groups and Keeping Your Child Well.
Contact us:
Vision/Hearing Screening Technicians:
Ph (06) 350 4560
Fax (06) 350 4561
Medical Officer
The Child and Youth Service of MidCentral Health’s Public Health Service has a Medical Officer. This Doctor works with Public Health Nurses and Vision and Hearing Technicians to optimise the health and well being of pre-school and school age children and young people. Advice and medical services are provided.
The service is particularly provided to families with no regular general practitioner (e.g. mobile families) and to “at risk” children and families. Clinics are held at Public Health bases and at schools and early childhood centres, in the Midcentral Health region.
Services provided by the Medical Officer include:
- Providing health education and advice to children and youth.
- Making referrals as appropriate e.g. to general practitioners, audiologists or specialists
- Providing medical advice and support for public health nurses throughout the Midcentral Health region.
- Providing medical advice and support for the vision hearing technicians. e.g. Assessment and medical examination of children who have failed tympanometry, hearing, or vision tests
- Assessment and medical examination of students (primary & high school) and young people referred by the public health nurses, vision hearing technicians, teachers, school counsellors and parents
- Providing medical advice and / or assessment and examination for high school students and young people who have self-referred
- Providing contraceptive advice and treatment to high school students and youth
- Providing treatment for the prevention of Rheumatic fever
Contact Child & Youth Health Service Medical Officer at:
Child and Youth Health Service Base
Health On Main
Ph (06) 350 4560
Fax (06) 350 4561
Health Promoting Schools
MidCentral Health’s Public Health Service works with schools throughout our region on Health Promoting Schools strategies and projects.
What is a Health Promoting School?
The World Health Organisation defines a Health Promoting School as “ a school that is constantly strengthening itself as a healthy setting for learning and working”. This sets the Health Promoting School approach – not a programme as such but a hikoi or journey to health, for students, staff and community encompassing many different activities and aspects of health.
The main focus is on low decile school communities, however we work with all interested schools. Can get advice and assistance. Strategies foster supportive school environments and the mapping process gets students, staff and whanau to look at what does a healthy school mean. The first step is to identify and celebrate the good practice or strengths, and then prioritise what is to be worked on.
What is emphasised?
- Health is for everyone to think about – not just nurses and health teachers
- Making it easier to have healthy choices
- Using a “whole school” or systems approach to change
- Te Whare Tapa Wha (four cornerstones of health) model of Maori Health
All this is set within the framework of reducing inequalities and improving access for communities
Resource persons to assist schools in the process:
- Health Promoting Schools Advisor
- Fruit in Schools Advisor
- Public Health Nurses
- Health Protection Officers and other Health Promoters are available for advice on a wide range of areas from lifestyles to food and water safety.
What are schools doing?
After consulting their wider school communities schools have addressed a broad range of topics. A number address food and physical activity, some address surrounding infra structure. A sample:
- Replacing winter sausage sizzles with soup and bun lunches or healthy hamburgers
- Fundraising with sunblock not chocolate
- Lobbying for roading changes
- Recycling
- Upgrading school water quality
- Shared school breakfasts
- Revamping canteen and food choices
- Walking programme for staff and students
- Involvement with neighbouring wetlands
These are some of the schools in MidCentral’s area that have become Health Promoting Schools.
Ashhurst School
Cornerstone Christian School
Fairfield School
Foxton Beach Primary
Hillcrest Primary – Pahiatua
Horowhenua College
Otaki College
Pahiatua Primary
For further information:
Health Promoting Schools- resources, discussion forums, newsletters, research and links.
Health Promoting Schools Powerpoint
“Health Promoting Schools – Kura Whaiora
Contact us:
Health Promoting Schools
Ph (06) 350 4560
Fax (06) 350 4561
Fruit in Schools
Fruit in Schools is a unique, innovative initiative targeted at a limited number of primary schools in areas of high deprivation. By providing fruit, the programme encourages healthy eating which is a protective factor for an individuals life-long health.
MidCentral Health’s Public Health Service is co-ordinating this initiative in our area. Within the MidCentral region we have five decile-one schools funded by the Ministry of Health. MidCentral District Health Board further funds Fruit in Schools for the five decile-two schools in the region.
How does it work?
Fruit in Schools provides one piece of free fruit per student and per teacher every day – encouraging positive role modelling for our young people and creating healthy lifestyles early in life.
Fruit in Schools also aims to enhance student learning through promoting the wellbeing of the school community with particular focus on:
- healthy eating
- physical activity
- being sun smart
- being smoke free
The Fruit in Schools programme works within the Health Promoting Schools framework. It adopts a whole school approach, where everyone -including students, teachers, principals, BOT members, family/whanau, caregivers, “the whole school community” -can have input into the health and wellbeing of our tamariki. This is a successful and sustainable way to implement the programmes available to schools around the four priority areas in Fruit and Schools.
Objectives:
- Children in participating school communities eating more fruit
- More school communities promoting health through a whole school approach
- Increasing awareness and implementation of policies and practices that encourage healthy eating, physical activity, smokefree and sun protection in school community environments
For further information:
Fruit in schools Ministry of Health information on goals and objectives, case studies, FAQs, publications, how to create your own FIS programme.
SmokeFree Schools-Fruit in Schools Links and criteria
Education-NHF National Heart Foundation page for Schools and Early Childhood Centres outling the programmes offered around healthy eating policies plus body facts, heart health and under fives nutrition.
Heart Health-NHF Page with links to statistics, FAQs and information on healthy living.
Healthy Eating-NHF Food and Nutrition information.
Cancer & Physical Activity
SPARC information on reducing cancer via physical activity and links to cancer resources.
Exercise & Nutrition Cancer Society information re Nutrition - Cancer link.
Health Promoting Schools
Fruit in Schools Powerpoint
Disclaimer:
MidCentral District Health Board is not responsible for the contents or reliability of the linked websites and does not necessarily endorse the views expressed within them. Listing shall not be taken as endorsement of any kind. We cannot guarantee that these links will work all of the time and we have no control over availability of the linked pages.
Contact us:
Fruit In Schools Co-ordinator
Ph (06) 350 4560
Fax (06) 350 4561
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Last Updated 08/11/2007