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Every week we circulate a round-up of information we have been asked to distribute to our members, along with any other items of interest to share with you.
Contact us via the email address below if you have any items to request for inclusion, using the subject line ‘Child Health Tuesday’.
Email us: nencicb.northernchildnetwork@nhs.net Find us on LinkedIn and Bluesky
If you have been forwarded this email, join the Network now to receive future bulletins directly to your inbox.
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Interactive asthma webinar for education settings
Monday 9th March 4pm-5pm Register here
For all involved in looking after children and young people with asthma in an education setting.
Join us and learn:
Asthma is a common condition – one in every 11 children in the UK has asthma. It is important to recognise the key role of schools in children’s lives and that education staff should feel confident in the management of asthma within school. In view of the updated national asthma guidelines published in 2024, there have also been some changes in the type and use of some inhalers that may be brought to school.
Everyone can play a part in creating an asthma-friendly environment from parent/carer to the whole school community. Parents should have confidence in sending their child to school and children with asthma should feel safe within school.
Identifying the signs and symptoms of an asthma attack can support children and young people with recognising and initiating asthma relief treatment and to follow their personalised asthma action plan.
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Project spotlight: GNCH Emergency Department Family Support Worker Project
Funded through the Child Health and Wellbeing Network, the Barnardo’s Family Support Worker Project, delivered into the Great North Children’s Hospital Emergency Department (ED), provides responsive, child‑centred support to children and families attending the ED.
The aim of the service is to reduce pressure on the ED, by encouraging and supporting families to tap into locally available support for non-clinical issues which may impact on a child or family’s healthcare. Since launching in July 2025, it has supported more than 220 children and their families, delivering timely, strengths‑based intervention at critical points of need.
What we offer to families: Working closely with ED clinicians and multidisciplinary colleagues, Family Support Workers (FSWs) engage with families in a trauma‑informed and compassionate way to assess strengths, needs, and risk factors, collaboratively agreeing appropriate next steps to help keep children safe and well, at home.
The project operates within a clearly defined tiered model of support. This includes immediate, in-the-moment intervention while families are in the ED, ensuring that emotional and practical needs are acknowledged and addressed in real time. Where further support is required, FSWs provide liaison, referral, and signposting to relevant partner agencies for ongoing support. In addition, short-term, community-based intervention may be offered. This structured yet flexible approach reflects Barnardo’s commitment to early intervention, collaboration, and delivering the right support at the right time.
Service Outcomes and Key Principles: Demand for the service remains consistently high, reflecting the complex and evolving pressures experienced by children and families in our communities. Feedback from healthcare professionals and parents highlights the value of a dedicated Barnardo’s presence within the ED — offering skilled, empathetic engagement within a high-pressure clinical environment and ensuring that wider, non-clinical factors impacting a child’s wellbeing are recognised and responded to appropriately.
The project continues to strengthen interagency pathways and collaborative practice, with early indicators demonstrating improved engagement with community supports and enhanced parent and carer confidence in understanding and meeting their children’s health needs. Current outcomes are evidencing 100% “Improved family access to support services”, 90% of individuals having “Improved access to information to health issues” and 90% Improved parent/carer confidence/resilience/ health.
GNCH Emergency Department Family Support Worker Project Telephone: 0191 282 1837 Email: Nuth.barnardosfsw@nhs.net Request for service form: GNCH Request for Support Website: Barnardo’s Family Support @ Great North Children’s Hospital Emergency Department | Barnardo’s
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Hospital-based healthcare survey
Do you work with children, young people, family or carers across the North East & North Cumbria? Your valued input is needed!
We request your feedback to improve children and young people’s hospital-based healthcare into the long-term. Your feedback will help to set some priorities for the work that NHS Foundation Trusts can jointly progress to make children and young people’s hospital services resilient, equitable and of the highest quality over the next ten years.
The work is being led through a partnership between the NENC Child Health and Wellbeing Network, the NENC Paediatric Critical Care and Surgery in Children Operational Delivery Network, the Northern Neonatal Network, and the NENC Provider Collaborative.
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‘Elephant in the room’ new sexual health campaign for young people
NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB), Durham County Council (on behalf of 13 local authorities), the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) have worked together to develop a regional sexual health campaign for young people aged 15–24 years.
The ‘Elephant in the Room’ campaign aims to reduce the stigma associated with sex and sexual health by encouraging honest conversations among young people, as well as increasing condom use and testing, to help reduce the number of STIs.
All campaign assets and the full toolkit for the sexual health campaign are available to download on the ICB website
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Fresh Lunchtime Learning Session – The economic impact of smoking
Tuesday 10th March, 12.30-1.30pm, online
Please join us for our next Fresh lunchtime learning session on the topic of the economic impact of smoking.
Dr Tessa Langley, Associate Professor in Public Health Economics and Evaluation at the University of Nottingham, will join us to talk about the economic impact of smoking on communities, and particularly the benefits of significantly reducing smoking rates further including through smoking cessation.
Her studies have shown that making England completely smokefree could free up billions of pounds and provide substantial benefits to local economies. Her research has also shown that areas with higher smoking prevalence and lower average incomes stand to benefit the most from smoking cessation efforts, offering an opportunity to reduce socioeconomic inequalities. By reducing smoking rates and freeing up disposable income, policymakers have the opportunity to alleviate smoking-induced deprivation and empower individuals to redirect funds towards essential needs.
Dr Langley will also talk about the forthcoming introduction of the Vaping Products Duty in October 2026 and discuss the potential implications on misperceptions about the harms of vaping; the extent to which higher prices could discourage adults who smoke from switching to vaping and the potential implications of the duty for health inequalities.
Please do share this widely with colleagues and we look forward to seeing you on 10th March.
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Role opportunity: Children and Young People’s Mental Health Support Worker
A new opportunity to support young people’s mental health in the North East!
Join the team at the North East’s first Children and Young People’s Safe Haven, a partnership between Children North East and Everyturn Mental Health. This is a turning point for the region as we are working to provide accessible mental health care at a time where we are seeing record highs for wait times and late intervention. The role is based in our hubs in Newcastle and Gateshead, where you’ll be working with the team to provide drop-in sessions for 13 – 18-year-olds in the region.
The role;
Apply and read more on the Children North East website
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Ready Steady Go & Hello – Study Day – 2026
Hybrid: Face to Face & Virtual
Delivering Patient Empowerment, Shared Decision Making & Transition
The Ready Steady Go and Hello programmes help empower young people and adults to manage their healthcare by equipping them with the skills, knowledge and confidence to understand and manage their condition, using a structured framework to support discussion, education and shared decision-making This is important for patients of all ages with a chronic condition. This hybrid study day will allow live online streaming of the presentations or face to face attendance at the Heartbeat Suite at Southampton General Hospital. If you are not able to attend the study day in person or online, presentations will be available for ticket holders after the event. Topics we will cover include:
Who is the Study Day for?
More information and register to attend
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SEND reform consultation open
The government are consulting on proposals to reform the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system.
The consultation document explains the changes they plan to make and asks for comments from everyone with an interest.
The changes aim to improve help and support for children and young people with SEND across the 0 to 25 years system.
They would like to hear from everyone who has an interest in the reforms including:
The proposals may also be of interest to:
Every child achieving and thriving outlines the reforms to the schools and SEND system in England.
They have also written shorter, simpler documents that summarise the schools white paper and SEND consultation for parents and those working in the sector. Alternative formats are also available.
This consultation closes at 11:59pm on 18 May 2026
Access the consultation: SEND reform: putting children and young people first – GOV.UK
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NENC Staff Mental Health and Wellbeing Hub
Quick, Free & Confidential Support for You!
Free, confidential support for all health and social care staff across the North East and North Cumbria. We aim to offer you an initial appointment within seven working days, followed by up to three additional brief therapy or support sessions. All with no waiting lists! Most sessions are via videocall or telephone, at times that work for you.
Whether you’re facing challenges at work, at home, or both, we’re here to help. Our experienced NHS clinicians are ready to listen and support you with flexible, timely appointments.
Getting help is simple:
Click here and self-refer online with our confidential brief form Email us: hubstheword@cntw.nhs.uk Leave us a confidential voicemail: 0191 223 2030
Don’t wait. Reach out today!
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Wellbeing resource on Boost website
A free health and wellbeing offer is available on the Boost platform for all staff and volunteers across the North East and North Cumbria. It includes resources for emotional, physical, and financial wellbeing, plus resilience tools and useful apps. You can also explore support for organisational change. Perhaps start with the ‘Emotional Wellbeing’ section for quick tools you can use today.
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The following messages have been circulated by the Children and Young People’s Transformation Programme team for information and action where appropriate.
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Launch of the application window for the Applied Population Health Programme (APHP) – Next Cohort
Population Health is an approach aimed at improving the health of an entire population. It is about improving the physical and mental health outcomes and wellbeing of people, while reducing health inequalities within and across a defined population.
As part of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan personalised care and public health core skills and knowledge must be embedded across the wider NHS workforce to improve population health. With over one million patient interactions daily, NHS frontline staff have an important role in supporting people, including those with long-term conditions, to improve their health and wellbeing.
The Applied Population Health Programme for health and care workforces in England aims to develop and grow a workforce of professionals who will incorporate population health into their everyday jobs. Previously fellows have been recruited from a wide range of backgrounds including nursing, pharmacy, medicine, speech and language therapy, dietetics, orthotics, physiotherapy and non-clinical.
Providing exciting opportunities for a wide range of health professionals successful applicants will embark on a one-year part-time fellowship, The core learning elements will take place on a Wednesday. We then ask that those undertaking the course are given time to undertake their project and assessment.
As part of the initiative, they will receive a taught learning programme, PgCert qualification at level 7, provided by the University of Salford and will be required to undertake a population health project in the workplace.
As part of the Applied Population Health Programme NHS England will be supporting the tuition fees of 55 eligible and successful students on the course. All applicants must complete the Applied Population Health Programme Pre-Screening Form before submitting their application through the admission portal. The closing date to apply via the pre-screening form for funded places will be 1st June 2026.
You can find out more information, including the eligibility criteria, by visiting the course page – PgCert Population Health | University of Salford
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Published: March 8