Promoting The Health & Wellbeing of Looked After Children BwD CCG Board Report

The Responsibilities of Local Authorities and Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) The local authority, through its Corporate Parenting responsibilities, has a duty to promote the welfare of Looked After Children. This includes promoting the child’s physical, emotional and mental health; every Looked After Child needs to have a health assessment so that a health plan can be developed to reflect the child’s health needs and be included as part of the child’s overall care plan. The relevant CCG and NHS England have a duty to cooperate with requests from the local authority to undertake health assessments and provide any necessary support services to Looked After Children without any undue delay and irrespective of whether the placement of the child is an emergency, short term or in another CCG.

This report sets out in detail: The importance of multiagency partnerships and joint working in addressing health issues and risk taking behaviours for looked after children. The positive improvement in the uptake of health assessments The emotional and mental health needs for looked after children and young people. Developments being made to ensure that care leavers are having their health needs addressed. The importance of knowing the numbers of children in care. This is essential for planning health services-Sufficient staff/resources to undertake health assessments And concludes with some recommendations to inform the direction of future commissioning decisions

Principles Looked After Children should be able to participate in decisions about their healthcare and all relevant agencies should seek to promote a culture that promotes children being listened to and which takes account of their age. Looked after Children & Care Leavers are encouraged to take some responsibility for their own health & wellbeing. That others involved with the child, parents, other carers, schools, etc, are enabled to understand the importance of taking into account the child’s wishes and feelings about how to be healthy.

Health Assessments The initial health assessments for looked after children within BwD are carried out by the paediatricians within ELHT for children up to the age of 16 and by the GP for those young people between the ages of Review health assessments for looked after children are undertaken by the school nursing and health visiting services. The frequency of review health assessments for children aged 5 years and under is 6 monthly and for children aged 5 years and over it is annually

Emotional Health & Wellbeing The office for National Statistics (*ONS) confirmed research findings about the high level of mental health need amongst Looked After Children, particularly those in residential care. Multi-agency Strengths & Difficulties (SDQ) panel meetings held fortnightly to discuss the emotional health & wellbeing of LAC & Care Leavers. Joint SDQ workshops facilitated by ELCAS Advanced CIOC Practitioner & Designated LAC Nurse. Referrals to ELCAS Referrals to SCAYT-support for both carers & Looked after Children *ONS is the UK’s largest independent producer of official statistics and the recognised national statistical institute of the UK

Training/ Support Services SDQ Training (Emotional Health & Wellbeing) LAC Training /Workshops for Health Visitors & School Nurses RCN Intercollegiate Competency Framework for staff working with LAC SCAYT-Support for carers Engage Team-support for Looked after Children Brook Sexual Health services Inspire –Substance & Alcohol misuse service Smoking Cessation services Changing Lives-Domestic abuse support services. Young People’s Resource Centre for health services Leaving Care Team-Personal Advisors YOT Nurse. Dental services.

Summary of Achievements. The Designated LAC Nurse is co-located between the CIOC Team, Fostering Team & LCFT’s Safeguarding Team. In-house statutory review health assessments (RHA) completed on time stands at 97% Quality Assurance checks are undertaken for all LAC RHA. Recruitment of full-time Specialist Nurse for Care Leavers-(Fixed term 18month contract). Weekly drop in at Barbara Castle Way for Care Leavers (Wednesday PM) Health/history passports available for all care leavers. Health Questionnaire for Care Leavers-(iPad provided by LA) Initial & Adoption medicals combined (Within BwD)

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