Help is now available for parents and carers with concerns about youngsters aged five to 19.

Advice can be sought from ParentLine – a confidential text messaging service, run by Dorset HealthCare’s School Nursing team – about a range of issues, including toileting, sleep, development, behaviour, healthy eating, mental health, bullying, school refusal and exam stress.

Parents and carers just simply need to text 07312 263131 and a member of the team will respond.

ParentLine has already been supporting parents and carers of children up to the age of five for just over a year now and one parent, Annalies from Upton, said: “I feel texting is easier than a phone call as my eldest child normally interrupts phone calls and I find it hard to concentrate. With a text, I can write it and send it, then give attention to my child.”

Juliet Singleton, from the trust’s Children and Young People’s Service, said: “It’s fantastic news for parents and carers that we have expanded our ParentLine service to cover the five-19 age group across the county. We want to encourage anyone who needs support to text us so we can help them and provide the right advice in an easy, accessible way.”

Parents and carers can seek advice via the 5-19 ParentLine service from 9am-4pm, Monday to Friday (excluding weekends, bank holidays and school holidays), with a member of the School Nursing team responding to messages within one working day.

If you send text outside these hours, you will receive an automated message with advice on where to get help if you need it urgently. ParentLine is not an emergency service – for urgent medical help, please contact a GP, NHS 111 or 999.

Specific advice about children aged under five is available by texting 07312 277162.

For more information about the ParentLine service for all age ranges visit www.dorsethealthcare.nhs.uk/parentline