School Health Nurse

Sherrie Handley - school health nurse 600px My name is Sherrie Handley and I am the School Health Nurse covering Wykham Park Academy and Futures Institute.

I am a qualified Adult Nurse who has completed additional training to become a Specialist Community Public Health Nurse – School Nurse.

How can you access the School Nurse?

Term-time, Monday – Friday, 9-3.

Students can pop in without a referral – I am near the large lecture theatre.

Speak to Welfare staff or teachers about a referral
Text / call – 07385 407962 (during hours above)
E-mail – sherrie.handley@oxfordhealth.nhs.net
I can also be contacted via the School Switchboard.

Role

Secondary schools within Oxfordshire have a named NHS School Health Nurse who is based in the school. The aim of the School Nurse is to offer evidence-based preventative health care for children and young people. We strive to improve young people’s health and wellbeing and their life chances. I will work closely with teaching and wellbeing staff at school, encouraging students to be both physically and emotionally healthy in order to make informed lifestyle choices and reach their full potential.

What we do

We offer support with medication in school, particularly with emergency medications such as auto adrenaline injectors (EpiPen/ Jext/ Emerade etc), insulin, epilepsy treatments and asthma inhalers.

School Nurses can also provide public health interventions including:
· Someone to talk to confidentially concerning emotional, physical, sexual and social health and wellbeing.
· Healthy lifestyle choices (keeping safe, smoking cessation, substance misuse advice).
· Support teachers with PSHE delivery.
· Refer and signpost to specialist services as required.
· Provide contraception, pregnancy testing and sexual health screening – Oxfordshire School Health Nurse Service can provide, with the agreement and support of the Head Teacher, a range of services to protect and promote the sexual health of young people, easily accessible on school premises. To read the full SHN Sexual Health Offer, please click here.

If we cannot help, we will help you find someone who can.

The School Aged Immunisation Service (SAIS)

This team will offer the routine childhood vaccinations which include:

Year 8 and 9 – HPV cervical cancer
Year 9 – Tetanus /Diphtheria/ Polio booster and Meningitis ACW

If you have any queries regarding immunisations, please contact SAIS directly: Contact us – Oxfordshire School Aged Immunisation ServiceOxfordshire School Aged Immunisation Service (oxfordhealth.nhs.uk)

The School Nursing service is confidential. This means we can discuss personal information with young people in confidence and will not discuss it with anyone else without their permission. However, we would pass on any information that we feel is needed to protect a young person or someone else from serious harm. Whenever possible this would be discussed with the young person first.

Further Information

School Nurse Website
OXME
NHS Covid 19 advice
Young Minds
Childline: 0800 1111 or visit childline.org.uk
Samaritans: 116 123 (free from any phone) or visit samaritans.org
24/7 Mental Health Helpline for Oxfordshire

Out of hours

Please contact your GP or 111

If you are in immediate danger dial 999 and ask for the appropriate emergency service.

Emergency Contraception advice: Emergency Contraception | OXME.INFO

Read the School Health Nurse Newsletter for Parents for Term 2 November 2022 here.

Read the School Health Nurse Newsletter for Parents for Term 1 September 2022 here.

Read the School Health Nurse Newsletter for Parents for Term 3 February 2022 here.

Read the School Health Nurse Newsletter for Parents for Term 2 November 2021 here.

Read the School Health Nurse Newsletter for Parents for Term 1 September 2021 here.

Read the School Health Nurse Newsletter for Term 1 September 2021 here.

Read the School Health Nurse Newsletter for Term 6 June 2021 here (includes a link to book into the clinic for any immunisations your child has missed).