Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of comments by the Children’s Commissioner for England on the impact of bureaucracy on the ability of school nurses to promote children’s well-being.

It is important that there is clarity about the roles that school nurses should, and should not, take on. That is why Public Health England (PHE) and its partners published a model specification for commissioning services for 0-19, in order to help inform decisions around the commissioning of the school nursing service and integrated services for school-aged children and young people.

PHE has also developed a number of professional pathways and guidance to support local delivery of school nursing services, including safeguarding. This guidance is currently being reviewed by partners, including National Health Service England (NHSE), and is expected to be published in early-spring 2017.

Adoption of technology is one way of addressing the burden of paperwork. Many services are now using technology and digital platforms to improve productivity and access, particularly for young people who may not usually access services through more traditional methods.