More children on the Central Coast will have access to wellbeing support at school with the NSW Government committing $60M over four years to continue the successful Wellbeing and Health In-reach Nurse (WHIN) Co-ordinator program.
Since the program started in 2018, more than 10,000 students across the state have been supported by wellbeing nurses.
Students across more than a dozen Central Coast schools will benefit under the expanded program.
Nurses will be located at base schools, but will also service other schools in an outreach arrangement.
Central Coast schools to benefit are: Narara Valley High School; Wyoming Public School; Valley View High School; Gosford High School; Kariong Mountains High School; Point Clare Public School; Blue Haven Public School; Brooke Avenue Public School; The Entrance Public School; Lake Munmorah Public School; Mannering Park Public School; Gwandalan Public School; Brisbane Waters Secondary College Woy Woy Campus; Ettalong Public School; and Woy Woy South Public School.
The program is a joint initiative of NSW Health and the NSW Department of Education and establishes wellbeing nurses in public primary and secondary schools to co-ordinate appropriate early intervention, assessments and referral to health and social services.
Minister for Central Coast and Member for Wyong David Harris welcomed the news as a former school principal.
“Support for schools in addressing complex student needs, particularly in regard to mental health, is welcome,” he said.
“Placing skilled practitioners directly into schools will result in better health outcomes for students and families.”
Member for Swansea Yasmin Catley said the wellbeing nurses would provide crucial support for kids and their families.
“Health and education are cornerstones of our kids’ lives and I’m delighted to see the NSW Government bring them together through this program,” she said.
Member for the Entrance David Mehan and Member for Gosford Liesl Tesch also applauded the announcement.
“Wellbeing nurses perform a vitally important role in our schools,” Tesch said.
“They provide a critical link for students and families to services such as early intervention, assessments and health and social services referrals, providing a multi-faceted approach to young people’s wellbeing.
“This program is a fantastic example of utilising innovative and collaborative programs to benefit young people across the Coast and NSW.”