Health

Health services

Young Greenwich offers a range of school and community based services to support the health and wellbeing of children and families across Greenwich. 

These include: 

  • School nursing 

  • School screening 

  • The Xplore programme 

  • Sexual health support 

School nursing service 

The school nursing service is delivered by Oxleas NHS Trust. Dedicated community nurses and health advisors with the necessary skills and experience support children and young people aged 5-19 at schools (primary and secondary) and youth hubs across the borough. 

The team is on hand every weekday (except bank holidays) 9 am-4 pm to give confidential information, advice, and support on a wide range of health and wellbeing issues including sexual, emotional, and physical health. 

The team also includes school health screeners that provide the following screening across the schooling ages 

Our nurses and health advisors are experienced, approachable, know the schools and area well, and support everyone in strict confidence. 

Specific topics include: 

  • Emotional health & wellbeing 

  • Behaviour management 

  • Sexual health & contraception

  • Healthy lifestyles & weight, including healthy eating, weight management referrals, and fussy eating 

  • Building Healthy Relationships including issues with grooming, child sexual exploitation (CSE), keeping safe online and bullying 

  • Puberty, self-identity & personal hygiene, including periods, body changes and shape   

  • Sleeping difficulties 

  • Day & night wetting, rushing to the toilet and constipation  

  • Smoking, alcohol, and substance Misuse 

The team will also give advice on:

  • School readiness 

  • Transition into reception, secondary school & higher education 

  • Medical needs & care planning including allergies, asthma, and epilepsy etc. 

  • The available parenting support [hyperlink to Parents section] with partnering agencies

To contact or find out more visit here

The Xplore programme 

The Xplore programme provides a friendly, fun, and safe environment to help families lead healthier lifestyles and become more active.  The service is aimed at children, young people (aged 4-19 years) and their families who are above a healthy weight. Weekly sessions take place across our Better Leisure Centres and Children Centres, or virtually with programmes split across 3 age groups: 4-6 years, 7-14 years and 15-19 years.  

The service also offers ongoing support to families after completing the programme to help them to maintain a healthier lifestyle. 

To make a referral visit here or contact us for further information 

Sexual health support

In partnership with METRO, outside the school nursing, Young Greenwich also offers dedicated sexual health support for young people between the ages of 13-24.This can be accessed in a variety of ways. 

Youth Line: 

  • Call our Youth Line on Mondays – Fridays (0208 305001) to talk to one of our Young Greenwich Sexual Health Workers.  

  • You can ask for advice and support on contraception, STIs, abortion, consent, visiting clinics and anything else relating to sexual health and wellbeing.  

  • The team can arrange follow-up phone calls and can refer you to other sexual health services within the borough, such as pharmacies and clinics.  

1:1 Support: 

  • As well as our youth line, you can arrange to have a 1:1 video call, phone call or face-to-face session with one of the Young Greenwich Sexual Health workers.  

  • This service offers more tailored support and advice across one or more sessions. We cover all aspects of sexual health and wellbeing, from contraception to identity and healthy relationships.  

  • Link to service/referral form 

Youth Hubs Workshops and Testing:

  • Our Young Greenwich Sexual Health workers regularly attend the Young Greenwich Youth Hubs and deliver sexual health workshops and advice sessions to the young people that attend these Youth Hubs.  

  • At the Youth Hubs, the Young Greenwich Sexual Health workers can help young people with accessing contraception and are trained to complete tests for STIs, such as Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea, using testing kits. You can also sign up for or collect free condoms during the Youth Hub sessions.  

C-Card Free Condom Scheme:

  • Young people between the ages of 16 and 24 can get free condoms using the C-Card Scheme. To access the scheme, you can register via the Greenwich Sexual Health Website, through the Youth Hubs or from pharmacies registered to deliver the scheme.  

  • C-Card Registrations: www.greenwichsexualhealth.org 

  • Find your closest pharmacy: www.greenwichsexualhealth.org/ walk_in_services/  

  • The C-Card scheme allows you to order free condoms and lube in discreet packaging to your home. You can also pick up packs of condoms and lube from pharmacies and from Youth Hubs.  

Chlamydia screening:

  • We deliver free chlamydia testing kits to your home. This is part of the NHS national chlamydia-screening programme. Chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted infection affecting young people in the UK, so it's important to get tested regularly.