Hackney Council announces £7m boost for school nursing

Hackney has a child poverty rate that is 10% higher than the capital's average, according to Trust for London, which tackles poverty in the city

Council funding of £7m has been announced to support nursing in schools across the London borough of Hackney.

The money will be used to renew the City and Hackney School-Based Health Service (SBHS), which helps to provide health services in primary and secondary schools.

The council says the funding shows its commitment despite "immense financial pressures".

The SBHS contract will last three years and can be extended for a further two.

Providing more nursing in schools is part of Hackney Council's wider initiative to improve the health of children, it says.

Hackney has a child poverty rate of 43%, according to Trust for London, which tackles poverty in the city, 10% higher than the capital's average.

'Needs are going up'

Councillor Chris Kennedy, cabinet member for health, said the contract showed the council's commitment to "not reducing spending on health despite the immense financial pressures we're under".

"The number of children in schools is going down, but their individual needs are going up" he added.

In renewing the SBHS programme, the council hopes to rebuild what it sees is a disconnect between schools and their school nurses, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

Following the announcement, public health consultant Carolyn Sharpe said the new structure of nurses would expand "capacity to deliver essential health guidance, and the core elements of care, such as contraceptive and vaccination advice".

She said the investment should enable nurses to "use their clinical skills and judgement to identify children in need of early help and work... to ensure the right support is delivered".

"This is what modern school nursing should look like," Ms Sharpe said.

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