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Health and wellbeing

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As your child grows, starts nursery, preschool, school or is becoming more active they need a healthy, varied diet to get all the energy and nutrients they need. They are also learning about food and eating and this is the perfect time to help them build healthy eating informed choices. Sometimes children have additional needs that impact on their feeding this may be something like prematurity – being born early, a developmental need like autism or a health need like an allergy. 

To find out about local infant feeding resources in your area please visit our Infant feeding resources page.

You can find lots of helpful information on feeding your child in these resources.

Fussy eaters 

Having a child who is selective about what they eat can be worrying for a parent but it's perfectly normal for a toddler to refuse to eat or even taste new foods. You can find out more about fussy eaters from this NHS resource. If you are worried that your child's selective eating may be more than just fussy eating please speak to your health visitor or GP.

Staying active and helping your child to become active is important for keeping you both healthy. It’s good to build this into family life as it will help you all with feeling healthy and happy and supports sleep.

Get top tips for helping your baby, toddler, child or young person to build a healthy lifestyle.

You and your baby

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Your child and young person

Physical activity for children and young people

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Your child’s sleep plays an important part in their health and development and family life. It is common for children to experience sleep difficulties and this can be increased if your child has additional needs. Disrupted or difficult sleep can become a source of stress for tired parents. Here you can find information on how much sleep your child needs, common sleep problems and how to help your child sleep better including information for children and families where their child has ADHD or Autism.

If you need further support with your child's sleep please contact your health visitor or GP.

Sleep advice 

Sleep and Autism

Technology is a big part of everyday lives, and children are spending more time looking at a screen.

Here is some information about the use of screen time:

Each child will develop as an individual with there being no ‘normal’ development . Your child will go through different stages of emotional development and although there is no ‘normal’ you can learn more about key stages here.

You can find out more about Mental Health and local services on our Introduction to Mental Health Pages

Understanding childhood

Positive parenting

Tantrums

For more information about Mental Health and local services see our Introduction to Mental Health Pages.

Barnet, Harrow and Hounslow Immunisation Service

Referral Information:

The CLCH School-aged Immunisation Team currently delivers three universal vaccination programmes in three London Boroughs – Barnet, Harrow & Hounslow. These programmes are commissioned by NHS England, so we do not routinely provide vaccines outside of the list provided. 

School vaccination programmes include: Flu (Primary + Secondary), HPV (Human Papilloma Virus – Year 8) and DTP/MenACWY (Diptheria/Tetanus/Polio + MeningitisACWY – Year 9).

Currently, there is also an MMR / Polio catch up campaign in progress as well. Please contact us if you have any queries around childhood vaccinations, as we can provide information and direct you to other providers as and when required.

Each team liaises with schools in their borough, to arrange school vaccination sessions and offers out-of-school catch up clinic appointments for those students that either missed a school session or were unable to submit an e-consent form before the school session in one of the three boroughs. Your child is provided this service in the borough that they attend school, so if you have any questions, please direct them to this borough even if you live in a different borough.

In Barnet and Harrow, there is also a baby BCG service for children under one year. BCG vaccination is no longer routine, so you need a referral either from the hospital where baby was born or your health visitor or GP. We are not able to accept self-referral.

What are the three Universal vaccinations commissioned by NHS England?

Flu: offered in schools from September – December each year:

  • Nasal Flu spray - Fluenz Tetra vaccine – given in school (note: traces of porcingelatine); or
  • Inactivated Flu given via intramuscular injection – Fluarix Tetra vaccine – given outside of school in a catch up clinic.

HPV: offered in schools from January – April each year:

  • Human Papilloma Virus given via intramuscular injection – Gardasil9 vaccine – a 1 dose programme since September 2023. 

DTP/MenACWY: Two vaccines given together in Year 9:

  • Diptheria/Tetanus/Polio (DTP) teenage booster, given via intramuscular injection - Revaxis vaccine (dose 5 since birth)
  • Meningitis ACWY (one dose only), given via intramuscular injection – Nimenrix vaccine (protects against A, C, W & Y strains of meningitis)

Location and opening hours:
Hours of business are 8am – 4pm Monday to Friday.

Contact details for the three teams are:
**Please note: You will need to contact the borough where your child attends school, even if you live outside of that borough

Barnet team contact:
Address: Mill Hill clinic, Hartley Avenue, Mill Hill NW7 2HX
Email: clcht.barnetimmunisationteam@nhs.net
Phone: 020-8447-3622

Harrow team contact:
Address: The Alexandra Health Centre, 275 Alexandra Avenue, Harrow HA2 9DX
Email: clcht.harrowimmunisationteam@nhs.net
Phone: 020 8102 6333 / 07814 253 095

*For BCG enquiries in Barnet or Harrow, email: clcht.harrowandbarnetbcg@nhs.net

Hounslow team contact:
Address: Heston Health Centre, 25 Cranford Lane, Hounslow TW5 9ER
Email: clcht.hounslowschoolagedimmunisations@nhs.net
Phone: 020 3691 1013

Looking after your child’s teeth helps to protect them from dental decay, you can look after their teeth by brushing them twice a day and taking them to the dentist. It’s important to brush your child’s teeth for them until they are at least 7 years old to make sure they are thoroughly cleaned.

If your child has a learning difficulty caring for their teeth can be more challenging particularly if they process sensory information differently. Here are some helpful resources on how to look after your child’s teeth and how to access a dentist, including specialist community dentists who provide dental services to children with physical or learning difficulties or medical conditions.

Weaning off bottles and dummies