​Here you can find information on how to access local health services.
Local resources Merton
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To find out about local support for children and families, including impartial information and advice on facilities for children and young people aged up to 19 on the Merton Family Services Directory.
This local borough website provides information on topics including:
- Childcare
- Support for parents and carers
- Your SEND local offer
- Fostering and adopting
- Keeping children safe
Infant feeding support is offered by all members of the Health Visiting team at the new birth visit and any follow up contacts at home or in the child health clinic. Health Visitors, community nurses and nursery nurses undertake the UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative Breastfeeding training and can provide mothers and families with information and practical support to help you achieve your feeding goals.
Our services are aligned with the UNICEF credible, worldwide UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative.
We aim to provide sensitive and effective care, enabling mothers to make an informed choice about feeding, get breastfeeding off to a good start and overcome any challenges.
We provide support and information to parents who are formula feeding their babies, this includes helping them to feed safely and responsively.
Find out more about our local infant feeding service offer.
Pregnancy and the period after childbirth are significant times of change in a person’s life. It is common for women and their partners to experience many different emotions during this time.
Health Visitors will be asking about your mental health at every contact. If you are struggling with your mental health then your health visitor can offer you additional appointments to support you with this. These are called listening visits and they are an opportunity for you to express how you are feeling without judgement.
If you require further support then your health visitor can advise you about additional services and refer you to them. In some cases, your health visitor may also suggest a referral to the specialist perinatal mental health team. If you wish, your health visitor can work together with these other teams to provide you with effective, coordinated care.
Here you can access our New Baby, New Feelings resources for your local area.
Children’s centre are places where families with children under 5 years can go to meet other parents and carers in their community.
Each children’s centre is slightly different but you will often find groups and activities, midwife and health visiting appointments, baby clinics, infant feeding support and parenting courses.
Children’s centres are welcoming places where you can go if you need some extra support. They are experts in helping you find the support you need.
Learn about local specialist services in your area at the CLCH website.
Our Occupational therapy service for children and young people works in partnership with you, supporting children and young people to participate in what they need and want to do.
Our children's Speech and Language Therapy teams assess, diagnose, and provide therapy for children and young people with speech, language, communication and/or swallowing problems to help them communicate to the best of their ability.
We work in partnership with parents, nurseries, children’s centres and school staff to embed communication goals in a child’s everyday environment.
Our children’s Physiotherapy teams work with children with neurodevelopmental and orthopaedic motor difficulties from birth until they leave school.
We provide specialist assessment, advice and intervention with a neuro developmental approach to assist children with their physical function with regard to positioning, movement and balance, to enable them to achieve their optimum physical function/potential.
Our children’s Dietetics service is a team of registered dieticians who specialise in children’s nutrition. The service provides support for children with food allergy and intolerance, coeliac disease, complex obesity, dysphagia, enteral feeding, gastroenterology, faltering growth and malnutrition, restricted diets, special needs, and vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
It is important that we all work together to keep children and young people safe from harm.
If you believe a child is at risk of immediate harm please call the Police on 999
If you are worried that a child may be suffering, or may be at risk of harm you can refer to the Merton social care team here.