From today, children, young people and families in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough will have access to free, award-winning healthy lifestyle support.
Delivered by Maximus, the new service will be a new addition to the Healthy You lifestyle services. It will offer support services designed by our expert team of nutritionists and behaviour change specialists, to help children and young people manage their weight and build healthy, lasting habits through small, simple changes.
The service has been commissioned jointly by Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council and will be available for residents who need support in making positive and sustainable lifestyle changes – whether that be losing weight, maintaining a healthy lifestyle or offering flexible support to improve their wellbeing.
For four- to twelve-year-olds and their families, 12 weeks of family-focused sessions will be delivered in person and online, depending on the needs of the family. Teen programmes are ideal for those aged between 12 and 17 and have been expertly created with their input, ensuring we help them achieve their health goals through personalised action plans. For children and young people with medical, emotional, or behavioural issues, specialist one-to-one support is also available, tailored to the individual’s unique needs.
Margaret McNab, Managing Director of Health at Maximus, said: “Delivering tailored approaches which work with children, young people and families across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough is essential for universal prevention – supporting people to focus on themselves as a family unit and prevent health problems in the future.
“These new services provide the specialist advice, support and techniques that will help families, including those with complex needs, to live a healthier life. We’re excited to be working in partnership with Healthy You to make a real difference to the health of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.”
Val Thomas, Deputy Director of Public Health Cambridgeshire County Council, said: “We are looking forward to working with Maximus on our new Children’s Weight Management Service. This service will help local children and their families to lead healthier lives and support our Joint Health and Wellbeing/ Integrated Care Partnership Strategy goals of tackling obesity and achieving better outcomes for our children.”
To be eligible, you must live in Cambridgeshire or Peterborough, be aged between four and 17, and be above your ideal weight based on the BMI centile chart. Online healthy lifestyle courses for children and young people are also available to access here.
For further information on eligibility or to make a self-referral, visit the Maximus website or email HealthyYou@maximusuk.co.uk.
