We are here to help support you and your family to make healthy lifestyle choices.
Our Starting Well for Life programme is for children in Reception and Year 6 living in Northumberland and their families who have recently had a weight and height check at school as part of the National Child Measurement Programme and been offered additional support
It’s sometimes difficult to know if your child’s overweight and the results can be surprising to hear, but there is lots of help and support available to get you back to a healthy weight with a few simple changes.
Programme details
Our programme offers six weeks of one to one support from one of our health improvement practitioner specialists who will give help you to make lifestyle changes around eating well and moving more. Northumbria Healthcare offer this service free to families.
Each week you will focus on a different topic to support you to make small changes to help your child and family make healthier choices in the future.
We also have weekly workbooks with questions and extra information and advice which you can find below. These contain useful information for you to refer to during the programme and to help you keep on track once you’ve finished.
Before you start the programme download your Super Stars Trophy Cupboard reward chart here. The weekly topics are as follows:
- Week 1 Introduction to the programme
- Week 2 The Eatwell guide
- Week 3 Sugar and fat swaps
- Week 4 Food labelling and healthy packed lunches
- Week 5 Getting active
- Week 6 Programme recap weeks 1-5 and next steps to a healthier you
Information for parents and carers
- What is the National Child Measurement Programme?
Children have their height and weight measured in Reception and Year 6 as part of the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP). This information is used to plan and provide better services for children and families.
If your child’s NCMP letter surprised or worried you, speak to your GP or school nurse for advice and support. You can call the number on the results letter for advice and support too. Find out more about National Child Measurement Programme here
- Why have I been contacted?
If your child’s results of the child measurement programme identify them as being very overweight we will call you directly in regards to enrolling your child onto a Starting Well for Life programme.
We take the security of your personal information very seriously and our Privacy Policy is available at the bottom of this page.
- Should I be worried?
Today, nearly a third of children aged 2 to 15 are overweight or obese. We are seeing an increase in younger generations becoming obese at earlier ages and staying obese for longer. It’s becoming more common, which is why it’s important to utilise the resources and services available in your community to help your child adopt a healthier lifestyle.
The fact that you’re on our website shows you’ve taken the first step towards helping your child achieve a healthier weight. Our goal is to help support you throughout the programme and we will also put you in touch with other services if you want extra support.
- How do I speak to my child about being above a healthy weight?
Conversations with a child about their weight can be a difficult experience for any parent. Ask them how they feel about their weight. Listen to what they say, and feel free to ask questions. Your child’s response can guide the conversation. Weight related labels can hurt feelings even if that wasn’t your intention, so avoid words like obesity and overweight and try to focus more on health, and the importance of healthy living.
- How can I get healthy lifestyle information for my child if they aren't eligible for Starting Well for Life?
Our website contains a broad range of resources that are free and easily accessed at home. If you are concerned about your child, speak to your GP or practice nurse to see what support is available locally. If you’re living in Northumberland and your child is over 16 you can also use our health trainer service for advice and support on healthy eating, exercise and much more. Find out more here
How to access the service
If your child’s results of the child measurement programme identify them as being very overweight we will call you directly in regards to enrolling your child onto a Starting Well for Life programme
Contact us
For more information, please contact the team on 01670 623840 or email them at startingwell@northumbria.nhs.uk
Useful links
Eating well
Check out quick and easy healthy recipes here
Change4Life
Find out more about easy ways to eat well and move more here
BMI Calculator
Online Consultation
Where appropriate you may be asked to attend a consultation online via a video call.
Rather than travelling to your appointment, you go into the clinic’s online ‘waiting area’. We will be notified when you arrive and your clinician will join you when ready
You don’t need to set up an account and no information you enter is stored.
If you have been given an online appointment please click on the following link to start the consultation at your appointment time – online consultation
