We want children and young people in Solihull to be healthy. Healthy children grow into healthy adults and healthy adults have better outcomes.
All children and young people are able to access what is referred to as universal services - these are services that most people will be familiar with and they are often most people’s first point of contact. Universal services include Health Visitors, School Nurses, Doctors, Dentists, Opticians, Pharmacists and Hospitals.
If however your child has health needs that can’t be met by universal services, then they will be referred to services that provide the expertise to meet their health needs. These services are often specialist in nature. Children often use a combination of services to ensure all their health needs are met.
Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Services
In Solihull, services are working together to improve the wellbeing and mental health of children and young people. This section of our Local Offer details the wellbeing and mental health services that are available locally.
The Designated Clinical Officer (DCO) and Designated Medical Officer (DMO)
In Solihull there is a team of Designated Clinical Officers (DCOs) and Designated Medical Officers (DMOs). The designate team support the Health Integrated Care System to ensure they meet their responsibilities under the SEND Code of Practice.
They oversee the health advice and contributions in Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) and in relation to the graduated approach alongside the Local Authority (LA).
The DMO/DCO team also act as point of contact for schools and the LA for health. This includes GPs, health visiting and school nursing services, mental health services, community and hospital services.
They work with their education, social care and expert by experience colleagues with a focus on improving the quality of experience of health support for children and young people who have SEND support needs.
Personal Health Budgets
If you or your child has NHS funded complex healthcare needs, you can ask the NHS for a personal health budget. This is an amount of money from the NHS, which patients agree with their nurse to spend on their health needs. The aim is to give people more choice and control over their healthcare to increase their independence.
Parenting Support
The Solihull Parenting Team offers a range of support for parents and carers in Solihull, taking place both face-to-face and virtually, and free of charge.