The Healthy Child Programme is a national framework for improving the health and wellbeing of children and young people. It is aimed at those aged 0 to 19 (25 for care leavers or those living with special educational needs and disabilities) in England.
It sets out evidence-based approaches to prevention, early intervention and family support, supporting the government’s ambition of raising the healthiest ever generation of children.
Middlesbrough Council is statutorily responsible for commissioning the Healthy Child Programme (HCP) for children aged 0–19 (up to 25 for SEND/care leavers), which is led on its behalf by Public Health South Tees.
The programme is delivered and led by Specialist Community Public Health Nurses (health visitors and school nurses) and practitioners who work with families to provide personalised support to families with children. They offer guidance on child development, parenting, infant feeding, and mental health through home visits, clinics, and health reviews.
What is happening to delivery of the programme in Middlesbrough?
A new delivery model for the Middlesbrough Healthy Child Programme will come into effect on 1 April 2026. This will see two separate services developed and offered for children aged 0-19 years; a Middlesbrough 0-11 Healthy Child Programme Service and a 11-19 Health Support young people (presently in development).
0-11 Middlesbrough Healthy Child Programme – commences 1 April 2026
The new Middlesbrough 0-11 Healthy Child Programme service will commence on 1 April 2026. The service will be delivered by Harrogate and District Foundation NHS Trust.
The service will offer Public Health Nurse-led support for children below secondary school age. The service will be delivered to national and local standards and will be better aligned to local needs.
We expect there to be little or no change to the universal service presently offered under the old contract for children under 11 years. Developmental review for children aged 2.5 years and under, vision screening and National Child Measurement Programme are all offered by the new service. The new service will have increased resource available to offer targeted support for children and families aged 11 and under and will have an increased focus on prevention in early years and schools.
Changes to the new service are driven by a need for better visibility in the community, particularly Family Hubs, a stronger offer in early years and better integration with primary schools to ensure that children and the families get effective preventative health support. The changes support Middlesbrough Council’s delivery of their Best Start in Life plan, which aims to improve child health, enhance education, and target support in specific localities.
Middlesbrough’s Healthy Child Programme offer for young people aged 11-19 – scheduled to commence 1 April 2027
Work is under way to develop a new service for young people aged 11-19 in Middlesbrough and the new service is expected to commence 1 April 2027. During 2026 work will be undertaken in conjunction with stakeholders to look at needs for young people and co-design a service that better meets health needs. If you are an interested stakeholder and would like to find out more please contact ralph_presgrave@middlesbrough.gov.uk
Support for children aged 11-19 between 1 April 2026- 31 March 2027
Local services are available for children and young people both in school and in the community and Public Health South Tees will continue to offer a number of key services for children and young people. A list of local health services available can be found here: Access to Health Services | Explore Healthcare Options Today — Public Health South Tees.
During 2024 Public Health South Tees undertook a review of the existing 0-19 Healthy Child Programme Service, which included reviewing local data and focus groups with stakeholders. It identified that the service model for children age 11-19 offered little health provision and was not offering any direct interventions within schools, therefore we expect there to be little or no changes to the amount of provision offered locally for children and young people during 2026/27.
Why are the changes needed?
During 2024 Public Health South Tees undertook a review of the existing 0-19 Healthy Child Programme Service, which included reviewing local data and focus groups with stakeholders. It identified that the current service model for children age 5-19 offered little public health provision and was not delivering any direct interventions within schools.
The service was primarily offered input into safeguarding strategy meetings, completing health needs assessments for children subject to strategy processes, and delivering only minimal brief interventions.
The health and wellbeing needs of the Middlesbrough 11-19 population are very different from children aged 11 years and under. Young people aged 11-19 would benefit from a separate healthy child programme offer of their own that meets their needs. To deliver this vision the council will develop a 0-11 Healthy Child Programme Service for children aged below secondary school age and develop a new bespoke 11-19 young person’s healthy child programme service.
What specifically is happening to Healthy Child Programme Support for young people aged 11-19?
Middlesbrough Council are in the process of reviewing what Healthy Child Programme support is delivered for our young people aged 11–19.
The 11-19 healthy child programme will be developed to focus on prevention and early intervention. It is envisaged that this new service model will focus on non-clinical interventions such as mental and emotional wellbeing, healthy lifestyles (weight, diet, activity), relationships and sexual health, which were highlighted as key areas of need during the 2024 review of the old service.
The focus on developing a bespoke service for those 11-19 recognises that young people today face emerging health and well-being issues. These include contemporary issues around healthy relationships, emotional health and contextual harms which require a refreshed approach.
We will be consulting with schools, young people, parents and key partners to design a modern, accessible service that strengthens health and well-being and supports prevention. Stakeholder engagement and young person’s voices will directly shape the new model and service for a launch of the new service April 2027.
