Referral information
Kent School Health is available Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm (excluding bank holidays). We support children and young people aged four to nineteen.
What we can help with:
Issues related to a child’s behaviour
- Anger – Mild frustration, outbursts, or difficulty managing temper.
- Sleep – Trouble falling or staying asleep.
- Challenging behaviours – Mild aggression, difficulty sharing, or cooperating with others.
- Parenting advice – Calming techniques, and positive reinforcement.
Toileting
Parents are usually offered a toileting webinar first and asked to try the strategies for three months before further support is considered. We do not provide continence products.
- Bullying – Physical, verbal, online, or social exclusion.
- Transitions – Starting or moving schools, moving house, or starting puberty.
- Low self-esteem – Struggles at home, at school or with relationships.
- Friendships – Conflict or difficulty making friends.
Tip: Check if your school has an Emotional Wellbeing Team before referring. They can support with stress, low mood, and anxiety. Ask your school for more information.
Risk-taking behaviours
Healthy weight and lifestyles
We cannot accept referrals:
- with missing information.
- without consent from the parent/carer or young person where appropriate
- if the young person is already getting support from CAMHS, counselling, or Early Help for the same issue.
- if the young person has suicidal thoughts or is self-harming.
- regarding school absence due to minor illness (e.g. colds).
- regarding neurodevelopmental assessments.
- regarding continence products.
Important: We are not an emergency service. If someone is at risk, contact social services, call 999, or go to A&E.
What happens next
A registered school nurse will review your referral. If a referral doesn’t meet our criteria, it will be returned to the referrer. If accepted, we’ll contact you within 10 working days to:
- offer a 90 minute toileting webinar (if suitable), or
- book a 40 minutes phone assessment with a registered nurse.
What to expect after your initial assessment
We’ll explain the support we can offer. This may include four to six 30-minute sessions, around two weeks apart.
Sessions can be held in school, online, in a clinic, or by phone.
How we’ll contact you
We may call you from a withheld number and leave a general message without personal details. If we can’t reach you, we’ll try again. If there’s still no response, we’ll send a letter asking you to contact us within seven days. If we don’t hear from you, your referral will be closed. Missing two appointments may also result in being discharged from our service.
How to complete a referral
The form takes 10 minutes. Please provide accurate information so we can offer the right support. You’ll need the NHS number of the person being referred (found on NHS letters or prescriptions, or via the NHS website).
By completing this form, you consent to Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust sharing the information provided with your GP and other health and social care professionals essential to your care.
Need help?
You can phone, email or webchat with us if you aren’t sure whether Kent School Health can support you or if you are unable to complete the referral form.
School Health
0300 123 5205 option twokentchft.kentschoolhealth@nhs.net
