Community Paediatric Services

The Health Visiting Team offer a universal service for all families with children aged 0 - 5 years. The team aim to empower families to provide the best possible start in life for their children and offer health and wellbeing support and advice for the whole family, from pregnancy through to the child entering school in their reception year.

For more information on the Health Visiting service

Our services

Our teams are based within most secondary schools to increase our accessibility for children and young people. We offer children, young people, parents and carers a confidential service. This means the School Nurse will not tell anyone else what has been discussed unless it is with the young person's consent. However, we will have to share information without consent if we feel a child or young person has been or is at risk of being harmed in any way. This will always be discussed with them before it happens.

School Nurses offer support to children, young people, their families and teachers:

• Promoting healthy lifestyles
• Provide health assessments
• Health screening such as the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) completed in Reception and Year 6
• Supporting pupils with long term health conditions or disabilities such as asthma, diabetes or epilepsy
• Support for Children and Young People with their emotional health and wellbeing
• Primary school, secondary school and community drop-in’s
• Working with schools, children and young people to address smoking, alcohol or drugs.
• Support to parents and carers providing advice on specific issues such as bedwetting or healthy eating
• Protection of vulnerable children to improve their health outcomes
• Signposting and access to other services
• Teacher training on medical conditions

For more information on School health Advisors/ Nurses visit https://www.shropscommunityhealth.nhs.uk/school-nurses-dudley

Who is our service for?

The Children’s Learning Disability Nursing Team (CLDNT) provides individualised family centred care and support in the community for children with significant learning disabilities where a specific identified need cannot be adequately met by universal services.

The CLDNT consists of 2 full time and 1 part time Learning Disability Nurses.

How do we help?

The team works with children and their families mostly at home however they can work flexibly so that assessment can be offered in a variety of community settings, dependant on the presenting need.

The aims and expected benefits of the service are:

To provide individualised therapeutic interventions to support children with learning disabilities to remain living at home in a positive way with their families

   To work in collaboration with other professionals; health, education & voluntary to provide a high quality holistic care package aimed at improving the child’s health and well-being

   To enable children with learning disabilities to have good health by ensuring they access and receive timely health interventions and supporting the family and the health provider to meet the child’s specific need

We can provide specialist interventions for children and young people, such as:

• Toilet management
• Sleep management
• Behaviour management
• Skill development (e.g. play, independence skills)
• Positive Parenting Programme
• Family work to support understanding disability
• Health Care Plans
• Specialist training
• Access to health provisions
• Health promotion/healthy lifestyle choices

Who can refer into our service?

The team operate an open referral system, where parents, professionals and anyone else working with the child can refer. There is a referral form (that can be found on the website) which can be completed or a letter is also acceptable. The referral needs to clearly identify the child’s disabilities/needs along with any level of risk as well as a clear reason for why the service is being sought

How do you contact us?

The CLDNT are located at Brierley Hill Health and Social Care Centre, Venture Way, Brierley Hill, West Midlands, DY5 1RU.

The core hours for the service are 8am to 4pm Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays) however, the nurses work flexibly dependant on casework.

Telephone: 01384 323163

Secure Email: cldnt@nhs.net

Who is our service for?

Children and young people aged 0-18 in Dudley who have a physical, sensory or perceptual difficulty which affects their independence and daily life.

How do we help?

Occupational Therapy (OT) aims to provide a comprehensive range of services including assessment, treatment and training to enable individuals to achieve maximum independence and quality of life.

Who can refer into our service?

Referrals can be made by any healthcare professional, including health visitors, doctors, consultants, and therapists.

Referrals must be discussed and agreed with the child and family.

Referrals must be in writing, on the referral form or as a letter. They can be posted or faxed to the Children’s Occupational Therapy Department at the Sunflower Centre.

When is the service available?

Generally, the service is provided Monday - Friday 9.00 - 17.00 with flexibility in treatment times offered, dependent on patient need.

This is not an emergency service, and no out-of-hours service is available.

However, a message can be left on the answering machine at any time and the service will reply to you as soon as possible.

Alternatively, questions, comments or messages can be left at the e mail address below.

Where is the service provided?

Therapy is provided across the Dudley borough at the child’s home, nursery, school or at the Sunflower Centre.

How do you reach us?

The Children's Occupational Therapy Manager

The Sunflower Centre

John Corbett Drive

Amblecote

Stourbridge

DY8 4HZ

Tel: 01384 366912

Fax: 01384 361012

Email: bcpft.childrensot@nhs.net

Who is our service for?

Children and young people from 0-19 years presenting a range of conditions form mild developmental delay, orthopaedic anomalies through to complex neurological/neuromuscular conditions, including Cerebral Palsy and children presenting with complex health care needs.

 How do we help?

The Paediatric Physiotherapy Team is a team of specialist physiotherapists who are trained at a post-graduate level in Paediatric Physiotherapy, including 3 Physiotherapy assistants. The service in Dudley is a Borough wide community team providing specialist assessment and/or treatment for children aged 0-19 years presenting with a range of conditions from mild developmental delay, orthopaedic anomalies through to complex neurological/neuromuscular conditions, including Cerebral Palsy, including children presenting with complex health care needs.

In addition to the core offer, the team also provide specialist in reach to the Acute Neonatal Service at Russell’s Hall Hospital and Orthopaedic interventions, particularly around the management of children with Cerebral Palsy. There is no paediatric physiotherapy service at Russell’s Hall Hospital.

The team are bound by professional codes of conduct from the CSP (Chartered Society of Physiotherapy) and APCP (Association of Paediatric Physiotherapists) as well as the Health and Care Professionals Counsel. As Paediatric Physiotherapists, bringing their generic skills as physiotherapists, working in a specialist field, they have additional skills and knowledge around:

• the holistic child development
• anatomy, physiology, neurological and psychological development from new born to adulthood
• the recognition of the ages and stages from infancy through transitions to adult life
• a range of child specific medical conditions and disability and the impact they have on participation and wellbeing
• the ability to recognise atypical development and assess, identify, clinically diagnose and offer a range of interventions and options using their clinical judgement and experience
• the understanding of the importance of working in partnership with the children and their families to help them gain an understanding of their situation, teaching and empowering them so that they are able to maximise their abilities and life opportunities 
• the understanding of the possibility for involvement over a prolonged period if a child has a long term condition for which physiotherapy intervention could be beneficial 
• the ability to provide an advocacy and educational role in partnership with the child or young person as they progress through key stages of development, engaging with others to ensure consistent optimum outcomes.

 For further information please see Association of paediatric chartered physiotherapists.

The Paediatric physiotherapy service recognises the importance of working in partnership with the child, parents/carers to maximise a child’s physical abilities and independence. Paediatric Physiotherapists work with children, families and carers in order to enable the child to reach their full potential by maximising function and independence and promoting normal movement; aiming to prevent or limit contractures and deformity, and thereby improve quality of life.

 Who can refer into our service?

Referrals can be made by any health care professionals including Health Visitors, Doctors, Consultant Paediatricians, Orthopaedic Consultants and Therapists. Any child aged birth to school leaving age living or at school in Dudley can be referred to Paediatric Physiotherapy. Referrals are received at the Sunflower Centre and triaged and allocated accordingly. Children are usually assessed initially as outpatients at the Sunflower Centre or at Russell’s Hall Hospital. Following the initial assessment, therapy is provided in a variety of locations, where it best meets the needs of the child and the family. 

Referrals must be received preferably using our referral form attached. They can be posted or emailed to the department at the Sunflower Centre. All referrals are triaged by the team leader or Senior Paediatric Physiotherapist for appropriateness. The referral must be discussed and agreed with the child and family. Self-Referrals are not accepted.

Referrals include:

• Conditions which cause delay to a child's on-going physical development e.g. Cerebral Palsy, neuromuscular disorders, developmental delay
• Movement difficulties in children due to a short-term condition, or a long-term illness or disability
• Conditions children are born with, e.g. positional talipes, Obstetric Brachial Plexus Lesions, Torticollis etc.
• Developmental Co-ordination Disorder (DCD)
• Gait Anomalies

NB. We currently do not have a service for children presenting with Musculoskeletal Problems (MSK), including sports related injuries.

 When is the service available?

The service operates Monday to Thursday 08.00 – 17.00 and Friday 08.00 – 16.00, with flexibility in treatment times offered.

 Where is the service provided?

The team see children in a variety of locations, depending on the child’s assessed need at that time, and include:

• Outpatients (Sunflower Centre and Russell’s Hall Hospital)
• Neonatal Unit (Russell’s Hall Hospital)
• Patients’ own homes
• Nurseries (statutory and private)
• Schools (primary/secondary/special)
• Clinics (various locations within the borough)
• Hydrotherapy (Russell’s Hall Hospital)
• Children's Assessment Unit (Sunflower Centre)
• Physiotherapy Department’s (Russell’s Hall Hospital) Gym

How do you reach us?

Paediatric Physiotherapy Service

Tel: 01384 361243

Email: bcpft.paediatricphysiotherapy@nhs.net 

About the service

We are a newly commissioned service based at the Ridge Hill Centre in Brierley Hill We offer clinics in Sedgley, Stourbridge and Dudley providing support to parents and carers. We work closely with the school nurses and gps to ensure a seamless service.

We consist of specialised continence nurses and an administrator.

How do we help?

The service assists parents / carers and children with the management of bladder and / or bowel dysfunction, for example managing a child’s day or nighttime bed-wetting. It is available to every child age 5 to 16 years (up to age 19 if the child has special needs) who have a Dudley registered GP.

The service also offers guidance and support to families and professionals requesting containment products.

Who can refer into our service?

We accept referrals from GPs, School Nurses, Health visitors, Occupational Therapists and Paediatric Consultants, but there are other professionals within the school or medical setting that may also refer into us. We can only offer assessment and support to children registered to a Dudley GP.

What happens in an emergency?

We are a non-emergency service and operate, Monday to Friday 9.00am - 5.00pm. 

Outside of normal hours, please contact your GP, NHS Direct on 111 or visit your nearest walk in centre. In an emergency, please call 999 or go to your nearest Accident and Emergency (A&E) department.

Where is the service provided?

We are based The Ridge Hill Centre, Stourbridge.

How do you reach us?

Ridge Hill

Brierley Hill Road,

Wordsley,

DY8 5ST

The core hours for the service are 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays)

Telephone: 01384 323110

Email: bcpft.continenceteam@nhs.net

Who is our service for?

For children, young people and adults who have a Dudley GP an have been diagnosed with a Haemoglobinopathy disorder such as Sickle Cell Disease or Beta Thalassaemia Major. 

How do we help?

The service screens, counsells, supports and educates individuals with a haemoglobinopathy disorder or who are carriers of the unusual haemoglobins. 

Who can refer to our service?

Referrals are taken from GPs or direct to the teams Haemoglobinopathies Specialist Nurse/Counsellor. You can also self-refer. 

What happens in an emergency?

In an emergency, patients must attend their local A&E department or their GP practice. 

How do you reach us?

Haemoglobinopathy Specialist Nurse/Counsellor

Brierley Hill Health and Social Care Centre - 3rd Floor 

Venture Way

Brierley Hill

West Midlands

DY5 1RU

Tel: 07766541721 / 01384 321242

Fax: 01384 321230

E-mail:  marites.navarro@bcpft.nhs.uk / m.navarro@nhs.net 

The service is available Tuesday to Thursday 

For more information please visit Haemoglobinopathy Service

Who is our service for?

The Children's Assessment Unit provides a mult-professional assessment of pre-school children. 

How do we help?

The unit is staffed by a specialist health visitor/unit co-ordinator, three nursey nurses, a nursery nurse assistant and admin support.

Children are referred to the servicdes by a consultant paediatrician. The assessment process will depend upon the nature of the child's referral but will involve a home visit by the service and observations by the nursery nurses plus assessment by any other necessary services. This may include Psychology, Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy. We also work very closely with the Specialist Early Years Team from education and they will also input into the assessment. 

Some children will be assessed in our assessment nursey but older children may be assessed in their own nursery setting. Children coming to our nursery will be offered a pre-assessment visit to get to know staff and to become familiar with our nursery environment. 

Who can refer into our service?

Referral is via a consultant paediatrician

What about carers and families?

Parents and/or carers are involved in the development of their child’s care plan.

When is the service available?

The Assessment Nursery is provided Tuesday and Wednesday 10.15am - 13.00pm 

Office hours are 8.30 - 16.30, there is an asnwer phone facility outside of these hours. 

This is not an emergency service, and no out-of-hours service is available.

How do you contact us?

Children’s Assessment Unit

Ridge Hill Centre 

Brierley Hill Road

Wordsley 

West Midlands

DY1 5ST

Tel: 01384 323 107

More information on Childrens Assessment Unit