Weight Management for children (tier 1 and 2)

Overview

General advice and support

National resources and information for young people and parents/carers:

• Children’s Healthy Weight - advice for parents of healthy weight children.
• Change for Life - tips for parents and children on how to eat well and move more.
• What can I do if my child is overweight?  https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/overweight-children-advice-for-parents/
• BMI Healthy Weight Calculator (click on child calculator): https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/bmi-calculator

Healthy Start

• Get help to buy food and milk (Healthy Start) - for families who are receiving a qualifying benefit and are pregnant or have parental responsibility for at least one child under the age of 4
• NHS scheme to help families afford healthy food, milk and access to free vitamins. ​
• Online application and digital card, replaced paper vouchers/‘milk vouchers’.​

​​What do families get?​

• Pre-loaded chip and pin card to buy healthy food and milk in food shops. Funds uploaded automatically every 4 weeks.​
• ​Families with the card can ask for free child vitamin drops and women’s tablets from Children’s Centres. 

How do families apply for a card?​​

• ​Online form, phone 0300 330 7010 or email. No printer or signatures needed. ​​
• Online access and application assistance now available in NSC libraries.​​
• Need National Insurance number, all details must match those on other benefit awards (current address, children’s names)​​
• If parent is not a British citizen (no access to public funds), can only apply if has a child who is a British Citizen under 4yrs. ​If so, apply by this email  ​​

Physical activity guidelines (Useful infographics):

• • Physical activity for early years: birth to 5 years (publishing.service.gov.uk)
  • Physical activity guidelines: children and young people (5 to 18 years) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Tier 1 and 2 services

Weight management services across BNSSG are commissioned by local councils (tier 1 and 2). Funding for these services is often limited.

The sections below describe what is available in each council area but please be aware that these services may change or have restricted places.

Tier 3 and 4 services

If a child has specific needs and criteria are met, then the COCO clinic at the Bristol Children's Hospital may be an option for some children and offers tier 3/4 services. Generally children should have received tier 1 or tier 2 support prior to referral although there may be exceptions if these services are not available.

Weight management - Bristol

Tier 1

In addition to the national resources above the following services are also available:

• • Beezee Families Academy – Maximus UK offer a free healthy lifestyle online learning platform, known as Beezee Families Academy, designed to help families have fun learning about healthy living. This can be offered to all Bristol families with children aged 4 – 12 years. 
  • Health visitors - for children under 5, Health Visitors will have information to support parents.
  • School nurses - for school aged children, school nurses can be accessed via the school, or children or parents can self-refer.
  • Bristol Active City (only available via Facebook) - useful local opportunities for being active and where to get healthier food.

Tier 2

Beezee Families

Beezee Families is the name given to the child weight management programmes offered by Maximus UK. This is a fun, family-friendly approach to learning about how to lead happier and healthier lives.

There are two options:

 1) BeeZee Families – online

 Support includes:

• Online group sessions for one hour every week for 10 weeks.
• Two 1-1 check-in calls with a nutritionist.
• Includes fun online games and activities to keep children engaged.
• The whole family get involved.

 Eligibility:

Families with children aged 4-12 with a BMI centile >95^th. Children must be accompanied by a parent or carer.

Exclusion criteria:

• Having a significant health condition or illness (co-morbidity) in the same individual which has a substantial impact on the patient's health and their ability to take part in the programme. This would mean the Tier 2 intervention is unsuitable.
• Having a complex need which requires an elevated level of support or may rely on other services due to a significant health condition, disability or broader life circumstances. This may involve challenges around mental health, communication, behaviour, sensory input or cognitive ability. As the programme is designed for Tier 2, the individuals need to be able to have autonomy over their participation. 
• Having a diagnosed eating disorder
• Having had bariatric surgery in the last two years

How to join Beezee Families:

GP’s and other health professionals can recommend Beezee Families to families who then self-refer using the following methods: 

• Website – the patient follows the simple steps here: Beezee Families - Free Healthy Lifestyle Services | Bristol

If preferred, the health professional can instigate the referral using the following methods:

• Website, follow the simple steps here: Referrers - Free Healthy Lifestyle Services | Bristol 

Email can also be used for self-referrals or referrals made by a health professional:

• Email beezee.bodies@nhs.net , providing as much detail as possible including patient’s name, date of birth, gender, home address (including post code), and BMI. A contact phone number for the patient/parent/carer is required when self-referring or being referred by a professional as this is the key contact method. Consent is needed for us to contact them with this.

2) Beezee Families Academy - People can also learn at their own pace by signing up to our online learning platform, the Academy which is available for young people 4-15 years old.

Patient information and self referral

FREE Beezee Families healthy lifestyle programmes are available to help families to build healthy habits around food and physical activity. Patients can sign-up online. Please find the link here for more information:  https://bri.maximusuk.co.uk/beezeefamilies/

Weight management - South Glos

Tier 1 - Healthy Me

In addition to the national resources, the following services are also available:

• Health visitors- for children under 5, Health Visitors will have information to support parents.
• School nurses- for school aged children, school nurses can be accessed via the school, or children or parents can self-refer.
• One You South Gloucestershire – health and wellbeing information for pregnancy and families is available on the One You South Glos website. 

 Tier 2 - Healthy Weight Programme (families) 

Eligible South Gloucestershire families can access a free 12-week programme delivered by the Active Lifestyle Centres. The includes 12 weekly family sessions which provides support around physical activity, healthier eating and emotional wellbeing, as well as access to 12 family physical activities such as swimming, badminton, table tennis. 

Eligibility

• Aged 5 to 17 years
• Has a BMI ≥91st centile with no co-morbidity
• Lives in South Gloucestershire. or registered at a GP surgery in South Gloucestershire
• Parents/carers must consent to the referral and attend/engage in all provision alongside the child or young person
• Does not have a history of or an ongoing eating disorder 

Referral 

To refer a family to the South Gloucestershire Tier 2 Healthy Weight Programme please complete the ‘South Glos Weight Management on Referral Form’ via EMIS and email to healthyweight@circadiantrust.org. A family can also self-refer by completing the One You family referral form.

If you have any questions relating to the Healthy Weight Programme (families) please call 01454 865337 or email oneyou@southglos.gov.uk.  

Weight management - North Somerset

Tier 1

In addition to the national resources above, in North Somerset we have the following:

Better Health North Somerset

Lots of health and wellbeing information is available on our Better Health North Somerset website: Here for your Health and Wellbeing | Better Health North Somerset (betterhealthns.co.uk)

Healthy families – healthy pregnancy, healthy baby, healthy child, healthy parenting

Healthy child – healthy start, early years nutrition, budget recipes, healthy packed lunch ideas, toothbrushing, children’s centres

Getting active in North Somerset

Active under 18’s​

• Park Play​
• Free activity equipment packs​
• Cycling​
• Junior Park Run​
• Play Your Way​

Active Under 18s | Better Health North Somerset (betterhealthns.co.uk)

Healthy Start

In addition to the information above, instructions on the option to request free home delivery of child vitamin drops and women’s tablets are available on the Better Health webpage.

Any questions, or for leaflets and posters for Healthy Start please contact healthystart@n-somerset.gov.uk

Tier 2

A children/young people/families service is under development for North Somerset. It will be possible for stakeholders to input views as part of the consultation which will be shared in 2024.

Care of Childhood Obesity (COCO) Clinic

Please see the COCO Clinic page for details of the Tier 3 and 4 service at the Children's Hospital.

Efforts are made to ensure the accuracy and agreement of these guidelines, including any content uploaded, referred to or linked to from the system. However, BNSSG ICB cannot guarantee this. This guidance does not override the individual responsibility of healthcare professionals to make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of the individual patient, in consultation with the patient and/or guardian or carer, in accordance with the mental capacity act, and informed by the summary of product characteristics of any drugs they are considering. Practitioners are required to perform their duties in accordance with the law and their regulators and nothing in this guidance should be interpreted in a way that would be inconsistent with compliance with those duties.

Information provided through Remedy is continually updated so please be aware any printed copies may quickly become out of date.