Tēnā koutou, This letter is for all parents/caregivers and appropriate whānau members of our Year 9 ākonga.

As per the School Based Health Service directive under Te Whatu Ora and the Ministry of Health, our School Nurses will offer a HEADSS assessment to all Year 9 ākonga.

A HEADSS assessment is a health and wellbeing tool that gathers information about key areas of their life, such as Home, Education, Diet, Activities, Sexuality, Mood and Safety. The ākonga themselves will be given the chance to either consent or decline and can choose what they wish to discuss or not during the assessment.

Our nurses provide this assessment to see if there are any areas of concern that we could offer support in or connect the ākonga to other supports in the kura or community. Anything discussed remains confidential and is not shared outside of the nursing team unless consent is obtained or there are any safety concerns that arise during the process.

This assessment is purely an engagement tool, to offer rangatahi the chance to be heard and be supported should they need it. If you would like to opt your ākonga out, please contact the administration team.

You may see further information on HEADSS assessments and the School Based Health Services of Aotearoa at: https://www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/keeping-well/for-families-andchildren/school-based-health-services/

If you have any questions or concerns about this process, please contact Amanda Savage, the Team Leader for School Based Health Services in Ōtautahi.

Ngā mihi nui,

Amanda Savage (She/Her)                

Registered Nurse | Team Leader | School Based Nursing

Phone: 0211949960   Email: Amanda.Savage@nursemaude.org.nz