My health
Being healthy covers things like what you eat, what exercise you do and being confident and happy. It is also important that you know when and how to seek help or advice from professionals if you are feeling unwell or worried about your health.
Everyone has a unique body and all young people will have questions at some time or another about their aches and pains, whether things are working properly or not or if their bits and pieces are ‘normal’! It is also natural that as you become a teenager you will have questions around your development and sexual health. Any questions you will be able to discuss with someone you trust like your carers, key worker or social worker.
What is a health assessment?
SHOW
You will meet with a doctor/nurse or sometimes a school nurse for your health assessment to discuss your health. The assessment should be about how you are feeling, the things you can do to be healthy and any problems you have or things you are worried about.
It should include whether you have been to a dentist and whether you need your height and weight, eyes or hearing checked. It might include things about smoking, alcohol and other drugs, sexual health, caring for your skin, hair and help or treatment with any health problems.
Why do I need a health assessment?
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You have the right to good health care to help you to stay healthy and feel good. To help us do this when you first become looked after you should have a health assessment with a community paediatrician.
Then once a year you should have a further health check with your school nurse/health visitor or a doctor (twice a year for children under five years old).
Where will my health assessment take place?
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Your health assessments may take place at the child development centre, your local clinic, at home or at school. You can be seen with your carer or other trusted adult or you can speak to the doctor/nurse on your own. You may also be asked to sign to give your consent to the health assessment.
How long will my health assessment take?
SHOW
The health assessment should take about one hour depending on your individual health needs.
What will happen after my health assessment?
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A health plan will be written with you to ensure all your health needs are identified, how they will be met and by whom. The health plan will be discussed at your review and shared with your social worker, carers, GP and maybe your birth parents. This will be discussed with you first.
Your health plan will be reviewed at your review health assessment by a school nurse, health visitor or doctor, after 12 months (6 months for children under 5 years old) or at any time, if your health needs change in any way whilst you are looked after.
Emotional wellbeing
Just like good physical health, looking after your emotional wellbeing is really important. It’s ok not to be ok - there are always people you can talk to if you need help. You could tell your carers, key worker, social worker, teacher or someone else you trust.
Everyone gets sad, frustrated and overwhelmed at times and sometimes these feelings can make you feel helpless and unsupported. There is not a time when an event suddenly stops influencing someone, so there is no reason to feel like you should have ‘gotten over it.’
There are a number of places you can go for mental wellbeing support in Southampton, both online and in person. Below are some examples provided jointly by Southampton Mental Health Network and NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight which you can also view in PDF format: Your wellbeing journey.
1
Self-help and online support
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Apps, websites and services where you can find online support and self-help for your wellbeing journey and to help your mental health.
- Every Mind Matters - for wellbeing tips and mental health information
- Southampton Mental Health Network - for a directory of local services, groups and support available across the city in your neighbourhood
- Solent Mind - for information about their services and support for better mental health
- Kooth - free, safe and anonymous online chat and emotional wellbeing with qualified counsellors and therapists, for people aged 11 - 25
- No Limits - drop in or online support including counselling and health and wellbeing for people under the age of 26
2
Get some more support from your community
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Talk to someone, see someone, get involved, attend a wellbeing workshop, activity or group.
3
Getting some more support from NHS services
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- Southampton Steps 2 Wellbeing - self-refer to NHS Talking Therapies for over 18s, for common mental health problems such as depression, anxiety and stress
- Speak to your GP - new mental health support is available in local GP practices
- NHS 111 - mental health triage team, call 111 or visit NHS 111 online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
4
Immediate and urgent help and support if you or someone you know is experiencing a crisis
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- The Lighthouse - offers a safe space for over 18s in mental
health crisis to get support, between 4:30 and 11:30pm. Open 7 days a week.
- Shout - text ‘HANTS’ to 85258 for free, 24/7 mental health text support in the UK
- NHS 111 (see step 3)
- Samaritans - call the helpline on 116 123, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, for those in emotional distress
- Safe Haven - online, telephone and open-access sessions. Emotional and practical support for people aged 11-25 who are experiencing difficulties with their mental health and who need access to out-of-hours help
My school life
We want to support you with your education to help you achieve your hopes and wishes for the future.
Will I go to the same school?
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If it is possible (and if it’s the right thing for you), then you’ll stay at the same school while you’re living in foster care or residential care. If it is not possible the virtual school, your social worker and carer will work together to support you to move to a new school.
Who can I talk to at school about being in care?
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Your school will have a designated teacher who is responsible for making sure you are given all the information, advice and support you need to do well in school. Your teacher will monitor how well you are doing in school and will arrange extra help and support if you need it.
Your teacher may do some of the following:
- They will make sure that you have a Personal Education Plan (PEP), reviewed termly
- They will have regular contact with your social worker and your carer to make sure they are offering as much support for your education as possible
- They will keep up to date information about how well you are doing in school and in your education and get you help if you need it
- They will arrange and offer support if you have any issues which are affecting your education
What is a personal education plan?
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Within 20 days of you entering care you will have a Personal Education Plan. Your social worker will work with the designated teacher at your school to arrange a meeting to discuss your plan.
- The teacher at your school or college will meet with you to discuss why you are having the meeting and make sure you feel able to have your say
- Before the meeting your teacher will collect information about you such as your attendance record, exam results and may ask other teachers about how you are doing
- Everyone who attends your meeting will discuss your plan and make sure it meets all your needs
- Together you will make sure your plan is complete and everyone understands what the plan says
- You will also set the time and date for your next plan Personal Education Plan meeting
What is Southampton Virtual School?
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The responsibility for your education and your educational success, lies with the school you attend and your teachers and Head Teacher. However there is also a virtual school that is able to keep an overview of all our Looked After Children’s education. The Virtual School makes sure that your education is high up on the priority list for schools and the council.
Virtual schools will build the links between social workers and your teachers to make sure you are getting the education that suits your needs and help you achieve your dreams for the future.
Southampton’s Virtual School Head Teacher is Maria Anderson. You can contact your virtual school through your carer, social worker and IRO or by emailing thevirtualschool@southampton.gov.uk.
My voice
As well as being able to share your views and opinions by speaking to your social worker, carers, key worker or reviewing officer, sometimes it can be difficult to talk about some concerns or worries.
You have the right to:
- Be treated with respect, as a real person, whatever your age
- Be treated fairly whatever your age, race, your disability, your religion or the clothes you wear
- Be listened to and your feelings and wishes to be heard and considered when people are making plans about your future
- Be able to go to school
- Be in good health
- Be able to complain if you are unhappy or worried
- About something like being bullied, abused, not listened to etc
- Be able to have an advocate who can help you sort things out when you are unhappy
Useful links
