The Healthy Child Programme - 0-19 years

The 0-19 Healthy Child Programme (HCP) is the early intervention and prevention public health programme that lies at the heart of universal service for children, young people, and families at a crucial stage of life, including pre-conception.

The 0-19 HCP's universal reach provides an invaluable opportunity to identify families that need additional support and children who are at risk of poor outcomes.\r \r The 0-19 HCP sets out the good practice framework for prevention and early intervention services for children, young people and their families and recommends how health, education and other partners working together across a range of settings can significantly enhance a child's or young person's life chances.\r \r The Service will provide clinical leadership, co-ordination, and delivery of the 0-19 HCP across the Westmorland and Furness Council footprint. \r \r The Service sets out the good practice framework for prevention and early intervention services for children, young people and their families and recommends how health, education and other partners working together across a range of settings can significantly enhance a child's or young person's life chances.\r \r The current guidance for local government, the NHS, integrated care boards and other partners inform local implementation of the healthy child programme framework.

These include evidence led approaches to: \r • preconception care\r • promoting child development\r • improving child health outcomes\r • ensuring that families at risk are identified at the earliest opportunity\r \r Safeguarding responsibilities apply through all elements from identification of risk and need to early help and targeted work, and formal child protection.\r \r The COVID-19 pandemic raises specific considerations for childhood vulnerability and the impact on their education, time with family and to their emotional health and wellbeing.

The Provider will act in accordance with the No child left behind - a public health informed approach to improving outcomes for vulnerable children. \r \r The service will utilise the DHSC Campaign Resource Centre in working with babies, children, young people and families.

Campaign Resource Centre (dhsc.gov.uk).