Chathealth ParentLine is a confidential, safe and secure messaging service that enables service users a simple, and convenient way to access help and support from a team of health visiting staff, anonymously and quickly. The communication is initially started by an anonymous text coming into Chathealth and health visitors staffing the line will respond to the call within 24 hrs Monday to Friday.
Depending on the clients request for support, this could continue as an anonymous text messaging conversation or it may proceed to a telephone or digital contact. In some cases, the request may require further intervention and in that case will be handed over to the clients local Health Visiting team to follow up on. This could be in relation to a vulnerable family or to offer additional packages of care, eg. help with Breast Feeding, support with behaviour, managing sleep issues or toilet training etc. Some parents may seek advice on childhood illnesses or ailments and where there are significant concerns the health visitor will advise the parent appropriately and may recommend the parent takes their child to see the GP, contacts 111,attends a minor injuries unit or even in some more serious cases go directly to A&E.
Chathealth is currently used by over 67 trusts across the UK by both health visiting and school health nursing teams. It has increased reach and choice to service users as well as improving service access. In addition to this Chathealth is helping to create capacity in the health visiting teams to see more children and to manage an increasing safeguarding caseload. In Oxfordshire we are running a ParentLine for parents of children aged 0-4 years, another ParentLine for parents of children ages 5-11 and a young people’s line for clients aged 11-19 years, numbers as follows:
Oxford Parentline 0 – 4: 07312 263081
Oxford Parentline 5 – 11: 07312 263227
Oxford ChatHealth 11 – 19: 07312 263084