Supporting services within the Local Authority

Youth support team

The Youth Support Team can provide advice and guidance to all young people on a range of important issues that might effect them, including advice and guidance about options beyond Year 11. Please find out more details by accessing the information about the services they provide on the Youth Support Team website.

Gloucestershire’s library services for education

For information about the support Gloucestershire’s library service can provide to home educating families please visit the library service's >home education page

School nursing service

School Nurses are qualified NHS nurses who work with children, young people and families who have concerns, issues and worries about their health and mental well-being. This may be in relation to healthy relationships including sexual health, staying safe, gender identity, it may be in relation to mental health including self-harm, managing stress and anxiety or it may be in relation to healthy lifestyles including healthy eating, activity, smoking, drugs and alcohol. School Nurses can see young people (aged 11-19) in schools, at home or in a mutually agreeable community setting either with parents or without. All information shared is confidential unless there are concerns about safety. Young People can also text a School Nurse anonymously for confidential help and advice on 07507 333 351 Monday to Friday 9-4.30. School Nurses also work with parents and will be holding SN Hubs (parent groups) weekly across the county covering common concerns such as issues with behaviour, sleep, healthy eating, anxiety. More details about school nurses, how to contact them and hint and tips about you and your family’s health can be found on the school nursing page along with the self-referral form.

Immunisations

Children who are registered with a school are more readily identified as being due for immunisations, if that is something the child’s parents would like to do. If your child is home educated you may not be automatically contacted by the NHS with information about immunisations and when these are typically due. Find out how to immunise your children.

In Gloucestershire there is currently a scheme for visual screening throughout primary schools for children in reception. Home educated Children are entitled, like all under 16s, for a free eye test at any opticians. For more information about how to access this please visit the eye tests for children website.

Unregistered schools, out of school settings and the use of private tutors

We know that parents of children who are educated at home sometimes supplement the education at home with attendance at groups and other learning settings (outside of a registered school). This can provide many valuable opportunities for children, however, these organisations are not regulated in the way a registered school would be. The Department of Education has produced some guidance for parents, to help them think about some of the questions they would want to ask the person who runs the setting, in order to reassure themselves that the setting is safe.

Sometimes settings are operating in such a way as to bring them within the scope for needing to register as a school. It is illegal to operate as a school without being registered. More information about unregistered schools is available, along with details of what to do if it appears that an organisation is operating as a school without the required registration.

Where parents engage private tutors they usually wish to undertake the necessary checks that the person is suitable to work with children. The Gloucestershire Safeguarding Children Partnership (GSCE) provides a leaflet for parents to assist them in this task and is available on the Gloucestershire County Council website.