Our team of doctors, nurses and administration staff are here to support you. Whether you have worries about physical health, are unwell, preparing for transition from children to adult services, or if you are having trouble coping, have feelings of distress, or difficult thoughts when you have moved away from your home or live with a different family – we’re here to help.
Your appointments
Your first appointment
When we first meet you, you’ll be offered a health discussion called an Initial Health Assessment to see how you are doing. This happens in the first 28 days you live with a foster carer. You’ll see the Paediatrician (child Doctor) in the team who has special knowledge about the health of babies, children and young people. They will help you make a plan for your future health needs. The nurses in the team offer health checks twice a year for under 5’s or once a year for 5 year old’s up until their 18th birthday.
You can be seen on your own or with a person of your choice, such as your parent, care giver or social worker, who can support you at the appointment. The doctor will help you make a plan together for your future health needs. Your first appointment could be at the Local Hospital Child Development Centre or in a dedicated Health room or hospital outpatient clinic.
Your next appointment
The nurses in the team offer you a health check twice a year for under 5’s or once a year if you are over five up until your 18th Birthday. One of the nurses or administrative team will contact you or the person you are living with to arrange for you to be seen either at the clinic or other setting as agreed. We can also see you at home or at school if you want us to. The nurse will ask about your health, and you will have the opportunity to ask questions about your health or any worries that you might have. We will measure your height and weight and discuss your health and well-being and development. Together we will help you to make a plan for your future health needs. The plan will help you and the people caring for you know how to support you to stay as healthy as you can.
We have clinics every day of the week from Monday to Friday and we are open from 9am to 5pm so you can choose the best time to be seen for your health check when it’s convenient.
SEND
You may be being assesed for something called SEND – Special educational needs and disabilities. You may be struggling in any one of the following ways that gets in the way of your learning at school:
- Behaviour or ability to socialise such as struggle to make friends.
- Reading and writing, for example you may have dyslexia.
- Ability to understand things concentration levels, for example because they have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
- Physical ability.
If you have been assessed as needing a little more support you may be eligible for:
- SEN support – support given in school, like speech therapy.
- An education, health and care (EHC) plan – a plan of care for children and young people aged up to 25 who have more complex needs.
The nurse in the health team will contribute to your plan and share health information to make sure the right health needs are included in the plan.
Your review meeting with your Independent Reviewing Officer
When its your review meeting with your Independent Reviewing Officer, the nurses will write a report for the IRO and let them know if there is any health worries or appointments that you will need in your plan. This helps everyone plan with you for your future.
The nurse in the health team will contribute to your plan and share health information to make sure the right health needs are included in the plan.
Your information and key documents
Health and wellbeing passport
You or your carer will be given a Health and Wellbeing Passport which belongs to you. It is a summary of important information about you which can help us to improve the support or care we give you. If you need to go to the hospital or attend a clinic appointment, please take it along with you.
Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire
When you have your yearly health check we ask the person you are living with to complete the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. You may have heard it called the SDQ. If you are 11+ we also ask you to complete this too. This helps us to understand how your worries with coping, friendships or any feelings of distress that affect you every day and you feel you need help with. Once the form has been completed it can be discussed at your health review and if the score is high the people who care for you can meet and plan for any support you need to make sure you can achieve everything you hope for.
Development checks
Ages and Stages (ASQ) forms are completed for children under five years of age, they help to provide a comprehensive measure of a child’s development. If you are a carer and have been given one to complete you will be asked to bring it to your child’s health review so we can include this in the assessment and health plan.
Confidentiality
Keeping your sensitive information private and respecting your wishes is extremely important. We will listen very carefully to what you tell us. We will ask for your consent or permission to discuss your health issues with someone else if it is needed, or if we think that by not doing so it would place you at risk of harm. We will ask you who we can share your health report with to help everyone caring for you understand your health needs better.
Consent
In most cases, children and young people aged 16 or over are presumed to have sufficient capacity to decide on their own medical treatment, and so are entitled to provide consent. Children and young people under the age of 16 may also be able to provide consent to receive medical treatment, provided that they are assessed as able to do so. In cases where a child is not assessed to give consent this has to be provided by someone with “parental responsibility”. The person who can provide consent on behalf of a child or young person will often be a parent or a manager in the childcare team. Consent can never be given by the foster carer.
Need an interpreter?
If you need an interpreter or someone to help you or the child/young person hear, such as a sign language expert, you can request one before the health assessment so you or the child/young person can fully contribute to the health assessment. You can contact the health team on the number below to make any arrangements you need.
Leaving our services
Moving on at age 18 years of age
We will ask you if you would like a copy of your Health History at your final health discussion before you turn 18 years of age. This is a summary taken from your health record, and it may include brief details about your early health, growth and development, including Immunisations that you have received, and hospital appointments you have had.
Care leavers and transition from children to adult services
The legal definition of a care leaver comes from The Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000 which states that a Care Leaver is someone who has been in the care of the Local Authority for a period of 13 weeks or more spanning their 16th birthday.
We want to help you to have live a happy and healthy life. If you are worried about your health you need to get the right advice and treatment.
We understand that getting the help you need can be daunting, but you can always speak to us about these things in confidence. The health team offer support to all care leavers from their 14th birthday until they ae 25 years of age. We can work with you and your personal advisor if you give us permission.
