A new health and wellbeing service for young people will help children in Bolton get the best possible start in life.
Bolton NHS Foundation Trust has been selected as the single provider of an integrated 0 to 19 service designed around the needs of young people and families.
The service, commissioned jointly by Bolton Council and the local CCG, includes health visits, school nurses and promoting healthy lifestyles.
It will aim to address a number of priority areas including school readiness, helping children be more active and preparing young people for adult life.
The trust will work with the council, GPs and the voluntary sector to focus on prevention, early intervention and to identify families who would benefit from extra support.
Bolton Council Leader, Cllr Linda Thomas, said:
“We are committed to giving young people in Bolton the best possible start in life, and ensuring they are healthy and happy is a major part of that commitment.
“By promoting healthy choices and active lifestyles we aim to stop long term problems from developing at an early age.
“We will work with families to create services that work for them and offer a little extra help when it is needed.”
Barry Silvert, Clinical Director of Commissioning at Bolton CCG, said:
“We have worked hard across commissioning teams at the CCG and the council to design this new, single service for the benefit of our young people and families in the borough.
“This is a major service for Bolton and a significant achievement in the way we have worked with our partners to commission something that is focused on the health of children from their early years right though to adulthood.”
Divisional Director of Operations for Families Division at Bolton NHS FT Lynne Barnes said:
“We are pleased that our bid to deliver the 0-19 service was successful. The benefits as a single provider for all children’s services mean that our families only need to tell their story once, and to an expert practitioner dedicated to the family.
“We aim to make every contact count in order to educate families and improve the health of the infants, children, young people and their families.”
“We are keen to further develop service user involvement and welcome young people and parents in co-designing services. We want to hear their voice and their views about how we can improve on what we do.”
The new service is expected to begin in the autumn.