Case studies

Warwickshire has a school health and wellbeing service which incorporates school nurses and a healthy lifestyle team. Between them they take a holistic approach to supporting children and their families to eat healthily and exercising regularly. This case study showcases the important role of school nurses in the education system.

Strengthening Families, Strengthening Communities (SFSC) is an inclusive evidence-based parenting programme, designed to promote protective factors which are associated with good parenting and better outcomes for children.

Waltham Forest has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. To help slow down the local rise in cases, the council launched a Stay Safe Champions scheme. First out on the streets, and now online, council officers and local volunteers have been directly engaging with residents, with the goal of informing, reassuring and supporting them. In parallel, our Play Safe Champions have been out on popular playgrounds to make sure children can safely access outdoor spaces and exercise.

Helping children and young people enjoy good emotional health and wellbeing and develop resilience is really important to their overall health and development. Walsall's school nursing service - delivered by school nurses employed by Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust – provides a wide range of support to children and parents through a programme of group sessions, courses and webinars. This case study showcases the important role of school nurses in the education system.

The challenge of the pandemic and lockdown restrictions have led to an innovative approach to children’s mental health from school nurses in Northamptonshire.

The Cwm Taf Youth Offending Service has embedded a Trauma and ACEs informed approach to working with children. It has an established prevention team that receives referrals from a number of agencies and services, including self referrals, for children aged 8-17 years. They take a developmental and relationship-based approach, responding to the needs of each individual child and family.

In Wakefield the council and local NHS have set up a roving vaccination team to work with communities at risk of low uptake.

Joint health and care teams have been established in the West Yorkshire district of Wakefield. The teams work from community hubs, helping keep people out of hospital. 

Wakefield Council has a range of coordinated and evidence-based projects and programmes which aim to improve the wellbeing of residents, help them into the job market and raise aspirations. They are carefully structured and monitored to produce the best results. 

Wakefield Council’s award-winning Liaison and Diversion Service is helping young offenders steer themselves away from crime by providing support for everything from mental health problems to help accessing education and training. The approach has proved so successful it is now being replicated in other areas. This case study is an example of how councils are tackling youth violence.