NEWS
School nurses perfectly placed to spot girls at risk of joining gangs By Kat Keogh
@katkeogh
Nurses have a major role in identifying girls at risk of joining gangs, according to a mental health charity. A report by the Centre for Mental Health found girls who are already caught up in gang culture often display physical and psychological problems, including self-harm, low self-esteem and sexual health problems. Centre for Mental Health associate director for children and young people Lorraine Khan said school nurses are
well placed to spot the early warning signs that girls may be vulnerable to joining gangs. Speaking at the RCN school nurses conference in London last week, Ms Khan said: ‘School nurses are particularly important in identifying these women, and also acting as a broker to some of the support mechanisms that are out there. ‘School nurses should also be advising schools about what ought to be in place so vulnerable people have the best chance in life.’
MOBILE VAN DRIVES UP TO SCREEN TB Specialist tuberculosis (TB) nurses have been providing chest X-rays, blood testing and education for homeless people from a mobile van. The Kent Community Health NHS Trust nurses (pictured) hit the streets of Canterbury to screen more than 70 homeless and vulnerable people. Homeless people are at greater risk of developing active TB. TB nurse team lead Marianne Stoneman (centre, back), who heads a team of five nurses working across east
Kent, said: ‘Having the X-ray on site, with a radiographer, means we can give people their results there and then. ‘We had a consultant at Kent and Canterbury Hospital standing by for the day so we could send anyone with an abnormal result straight to them.’ The team also provided T spot blood testing which can show if people have latent TB infection. The campaign was funded by NHS Canterbury and Coastal Clinical Commissioning Group.
The centre’s 2013 report, A need to belong, looked at the results of health screenings of more than 8,000 young people in England at the point of arrest. More than one quarter of young women involved with gangs were identified as having a suspected mental health problem and 30 per cent were self-harming or at risk of suicide.
Confidantes
Nearly 40 per cent of girls linked to gangs had behavioural problems before the age of 12, and were three to four times more likely to have a history of running away and exclusion from school. Girls were also three times more likely to have experienced violence, neglect at home and sexual abuse. Ms Khan said school nurses should be looking out for signs in pupils in their care such as behavioural difficulties, early sexual behaviour, repeat presentations for sexual health problems, low self-esteem and depression. School nurses conference chair Ray McMorrow, a safeguarding nurse, said school nurses were seen as confidantes for children and young people. Mr McMorrow helped the police investigate sexual exploitation in Derbyshire, which resulted in nine men being convicted in 2010 for grooming girls as young as 12. ‘School nurses are very important,’ he said. ‘They are the people children and young people turn to for everything from counselling, to curing an injury and making them feel better. They may just tell you a story that they might not tell to anyone else. ‘Going to see a school nurse is a safe place to go.’ Go to tinyurl.com/osn45ue
12 september :: volRCNi.com 29 no 1 ::by2014 STANDARD Downloaded3from ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 14, 2015. For personal use only. NoNURSING other uses without permission. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
School nurses perfectly placed to spot girls at risk of joining gangs By Kat Keogh
@katkeogh
Nurses have a major role in identifying girls at risk of joining gangs, according to a mental health charity. A report by the Centre for Mental Health found girls who are already caught up in gang culture often display physical and psychological problems, including self-harm, low self-esteem and sexual health problems. Centre for Mental Health associate director for children and young people Lorraine Khan said school nurses are
well placed to spot the early warning signs that girls may be vulnerable to joining gangs. Speaking at the RCN school nurses conference in London last week, Ms Khan said: ‘School nurses are particularly important in identifying these women, and also acting as a broker to some of the support mechanisms that are out there. ‘School nurses should also be advising schools about what ought to be in place so vulnerable people have the best chance in life.’
MOBILE VAN DRIVES UP TO SCREEN TB Specialist tuberculosis (TB) nurses have been providing chest X-rays, blood testing and education for homeless people from a mobile van. The Kent Community Health NHS Trust nurses (pictured) hit the streets of Canterbury to screen more than 70 homeless and vulnerable people. Homeless people are at greater risk of developing active TB. TB nurse team lead Marianne Stoneman (centre, back), who heads a team of five nurses working across east
Kent, said: ‘Having the X-ray on site, with a radiographer, means we can give people their results there and then. ‘We had a consultant at Kent and Canterbury Hospital standing by for the day so we could send anyone with an abnormal result straight to them.’ The team also provided T spot blood testing which can show if people have latent TB infection. The campaign was funded by NHS Canterbury and Coastal Clinical Commissioning Group.
The centre’s 2013 report, A need to belong, looked at the results of health screenings of more than 8,000 young people in England at the point of arrest. More than one quarter of young women involved with gangs were identified as having a suspected mental health problem and 30 per cent were self-harming or at risk of suicide.
Confidantes
Nearly 40 per cent of girls linked to gangs had behavioural problems before the age of 12, and were three to four times more likely to have a history of running away and exclusion from school. Girls were also three times more likely to have experienced violence, neglect at home and sexual abuse. Ms Khan said school nurses should be looking out for signs in pupils in their care such as behavioural difficulties, early sexual behaviour, repeat presentations for sexual health problems, low self-esteem and depression. School nurses conference chair Ray McMorrow, a safeguarding nurse, said school nurses were seen as confidantes for children and young people. Mr McMorrow helped the police investigate sexual exploitation in Derbyshire, which resulted in nine men being convicted in 2010 for grooming girls as young as 12. ‘School nurses are very important,’ he said. ‘They are the people children and young people turn to for everything from counselling, to curing an injury and making them feel better. They may just tell you a story that they might not tell to anyone else. ‘Going to see a school nurse is a safe place to go.’ Go to tinyurl.com/osn45ue
12 september :: volRCNi.com 29 no 1 ::by2014 STANDARD Downloaded3from ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 14, 2015. For personal use only. NoNURSING other uses without permission. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
