A family fun day during half term will officially launch the newly designed Bolton Children’s Integrated Health and Wellbeing Service.
The event at Bolton Library on Friday 25th October will be an opportunity for Bolton families to take part in free family activities, and learn more about the new way in which public health services will be provided to children in Bolton from birth onwards.
Visitors to the event can expect a host of free, fun, family activities including storytelling, arts and crafts, raffle, Halloween themed goody bags and much more.
There will also be a number of interactive stands providing information and advice from the different parts of the service, with our friendly staff on hand to chat to parents and young people about what we are offering.
This will include the new Adolescent Health and Wellbeing offer based at The Parallel, oral health, and the introduction of brand new text service ‘Chat Health’.
Chat Health is another way for parents and young people to contact one of our specialist nurses with questions ranging from breastfeeding support and child development to support for teenagers around bullying, contraception and emotional health.
There will be a quiet space if any families wish to speak to a professional in more detail.
Earlier this year Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, the organisation that provides health services in the community around Bolton and is responsible for Royal Bolton Hospital, was chosen by Bolton Council and Bolton Clinical Commissioning Group to provide all services for children and young people from 0-19 years (25 years for young people with special educational needs).
The new service provides support for parents and families from birth onwards, including health visiting, school nursing, and services for teenagers including sexual health services and support around emotional wellbeing.
Professionals within the service will work with families to help improve the physical health and wellbeing of children and young people in Bolton through a number of key areas including; school readiness, being more physically active and preparing young people for adult life.
The team will work closely with other partners in the area to prioritise early intervention and to identify families that would benefit from additional support.
An official launch will take part at the start of the event for the partner organisations involved with the service, which includes Bolton NHS Foundation Trust as providers, and Bolton Clinical Commissioning Group and Bolton Council who fund the service.
Divisional Director of Operations for Families Division at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, Lynne Barnes said:
“We’re really looking forward to officially launching our new health and wellbeing service for the families of Bolton.
"There are many benefits to families of having one organisation providing services from birth and adulthood, and we hope that families having a health professional from their child’s earliest years right through to finishing school will help us all work together to ensure that all Bolton’s young people get the best possible start in life.
“We hope to meet many of our families at our event, so please do come along and join us.”
By working with our partners, we want to empower families and young people to make healthier choices and be more active.
Bolton Council’s Executive Cabinet Member for Wellbeing, Cllr Susan Baines, said:
“We want to give all children and young people in Bolton the best possible start in life, and this new service will play a vital role in doing that.
“By working with our partners, we want to empower families and young people to make healthier choices and be more active.
“In the long term, today’s healthy children will become tomorrow’s healthy adults. This launch event marks the first step towards everyone in Bolton living healthier and happier lives.”
Chairman of Bolton Clinical Commissioning Group, Wirin Bhatiani, said:
“Bolton CCG is pleased to be involved in this collaboration which has seen the development of an integrated service for our children and young people in Bolton which focuses on their physical and emotional wellbeing.
£The CCG is passionate about ensuring our young people receive the best possible start in life and we felt it important to invest in a service that strives to do just that, from birth through to entering adulthood.”