Children's Community Nursing
We provide nursing services for children and young people with acute and complex health nursing needs across Berkshire. This includes Specialist School Nursing. There are some differences in the services offered in the east and west of the county.
Our Community Children’s Nursing service covers Wokingham, Reading and West Berkshire.
We provide nursing treatment, care, support and advice to children and young people in the community up to age 18 with complex, life-limiting and/or acute nursing needs.
We offer specialist training in helping to care for children’s specific need(s) for parents and carers within their own home, in special schools alongside the specialist school nurse, and in designated local authority short break settings.
The team works very closely with the Specialist School Nursing team who provide health and nursing care to children attending these special needs schools:
- The Avenue School, Reading
- Addington School, Wokingham
- Brookfields School, West Berkshire
- The Castle School, West Berkshire
The East Community Children's Nursing service covers Bracknell, Slough, Windsor, Ascot and Maidenhead.
We provide nursing support, advice and care to children and young people with disabilities and complex conditions, those with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions and long-term conditions. The community children's nurses also support children and young people at end of life.
We work alongside parents and carers to empower them in caring for their child. We aim to reduce the need for hospital attendance and to provide a smooth transition between hospital and home.
The team works very closely with the Specialist School Nursing team who provide health and nursing care to children attending these special schools:
- Arbour Vale School, Slough
- Kennel Lane School, Bracknell
- Manor Green School, Maidenhead
We are also able to provide support and training to school staff within these schools.
Our working hours are Monday to Friday between 9am-5pm. We do not work on bank holidays.
We do not provide an emergency service. If a child on the caseload is unwell or they require urgent assistance and cannot get hold of the CCN team, they will need to contact their GP or call NHS 111/999.
The Specialist School Nursing service provides care and support to children and young people up to the age of 19 who have complex health needs and are enrolled in the following special schools:
- Brookfields Special School, Tilehurst, Reading
- The Avenue Special School, Reading
- Castle Special School, Newbury
- Addington Special School, Wokingham
- Manor Green School, Maidenhead
- Kennel Lane School, Bracknell
- Arbour Vale School, Slough
The specialist school nurses support the health needs of the children with complex medical needs within their school day. They work in collaboration with the school, the Children and Young People’s Integrated Therapy team and other professionals to promote a holistic view of your child’s health and wellbeing.
For children that need a specialised nursing healthcare plan, the Specialist School Nurse works with parents and carers to develop a plan covering your child's needs. When the care plan has been agreed with the parent or carer, the nurse will make sure that school staff are appropriately trained, so that your child can attend school safely.
Parent/carers
If you feel that your child needs a referral to our Children's Community Nursing team, please visit your GP or paediatrician.
Professionals
We accept referrals from health and education and social workers providing the referral criteria below is met.
East:
The child/young person must have the following:
- A nursing need
- A learning disability or complex needs with mainly community service input
- And an East Berkshire GP
If this criteria is met, please make a referral using our referral form: East Berkshire Children's Community Nursing referral form (opens Word doc).
West:
The child/young person must have the following:
- A nursing need
- Be under the care of a paediatrician
- Be registered with a GP within Reading, West Berkshire or Wokingham.
If this criteria is met, please make a referral using our referral form: West Berkshire Children's Community Nursing referral form (opens Word doc).
Specialist School Nursing
Our service offers open access to all children and young people with an identified health need enrolled in one of the seven identified special schools in Berkshire.
Wokingham, Reading and West Berkshire
If you need to contact someone, the Berkshire West Children's Community Nursing team can be contacted on 0118 378 3932 between Monday-Friday, 8am-8pm. Our Bank Holiday hours are 9am-5pm. If you reach our voicemail, please leave a message and someone will call you back.
Alternatively you can call your named nurse’s mobile between 9am-5pm.
Address: L11, CCN Team, University of Reading, RG1 5EX
Bracknell, Slough, Windsor, Ascot and Maidenhead
If you need to contact someone, the Berkshire East Children's Community Nursing team can be contact on 0300 365 0123 (option 4) or your named nurse’s mobile between 9am-5pm.
Email: ccneast@berkshire.nhs.uk
Specialist School Nursing service
Please contact the school your child is at and ask to speak with the specialist school nurse, as below.
Addington School, Woodlands Avenue, Woodley, Reading, Berkshire, RG5 3EU. Phone: 0118 9669073
Arbour Vale School, Farnham Road, Slough, SL2 3AE Phone: 01753 515560
The Avenue School, Conwy Close, Tilehurst, Reading, Berkshire, RG30 4BZ. Phone: 0118 9375554
Brookfields Special School, Sage Road, Tilehurst, Reading, Berkshire, RG31 6SW. Phone: 0118 9421382
Castle School, Love Lane, Donnington, Newbury, Berkshire, RG14 2JG. Phone: 01635 42976
Kennel Lane School, Kennel Lane, Bracknell, RG24 2EX. Phone: 01344 483872
Manor Green School, Elizabeth Hawkes Way, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 3EQ. Phone: 01628 513800
You can also email us:
East Berkshire: SSNeast@berkshire.nhs.uk
West Berkshire: SpecialistSchoolNurses@berkshire.nhs.uk
