Looked After Children

The Looked After Children’s team manages the physical and mental healthcare needs of Looked After Children (LAC), working closely with partners to ensure we provide everything the children using our service need. We offer assessments, consultations and treatments for health issues of any kind.

Type

Looked After Children

Our service works in Northamptonshire to support the emotional and physical wellbeing of looked after children.

We are specialist part of the Children and Young People's Mental Health Service. Many of our young people will have had different and sometimes difficult experiences through their lives. We work with them, and with their carers, to create plans to help look at their emotional health needs. We also give physical health checks to those under our care.

Who is this service for? This service is for any child / young person considered a looked after child who needs support with emotional wellbeing. And for the statutory health checks that are required for all looked after children.

 

How do I register for this service?

Referrals to our service must come through a health care professional.

All referrals need to come through the Referral Management Centre. All sections of the referral form will need to be completed and it needs to be made clear the child being referred is a looked after child.

In an emergency, our team has a duty worker who can be contacted Monday to Friday, 9:30am to 4pm. For advice and support:

Call: 01604 658977

Email: lac.duty@nhft.nhs.uk

 

Contact us

In an emergency, our team has a duty worker who can be contacted Monday to Friday, 9:30am to 4pm. For advice and support:

Call: 01604 658977

Email: lac.duty@nhft.nhs.uk

 

Professionals*

PHYSICAL HEALTH TEAM

To request an Initial Health Assessment (IHA) and a Review Health Assessment (RHA) a referral is made from Northamptonshire County Council (NCC) to Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust (NHFT).

Health Assessments are a legal requirement, and are directed by The Department of Education and The Department for Health, for all Looked after Children. There are strict time frames that have to be adhered to:

  • An IHA must be done within 25 days of referral from NCC.
  • A RHA must be done on the anniversary of the child entering care, every six months when the child is under five years old or annually between the ages of five and seventeen.

As much information as possible should be provided by NCC to ensure all health assessments are done efficiently and meet the health needs of the child of young person who is involved.

What is an IHA?

An Initial Health Assessment (IHA) is done by an Advanced Nurse Practitioner and other colleagues in the Community Paediatric team.

When a child becomes a Looked After Child the NCC will need to refer the child. As part of this referral we need the following information:

  1. Placement details
  2. Background information
  3. Signed valid consent – this will depend on the legal status of the child and can be signed by a person with parental responsibility or the local authority.

Once we have this information we will book an appointment with the child via their carer. These appointments must be attended by the child’s social work or duty social worker where possible.

Appointments are held in Northampton General Hospital (NGH), Isebrook Hospital in Wellingborough and St.Mary’s Hospital in Kettering.

Once the child or young person has been seen, the clinician will write a report which will include Parts A and B which remain within the health record, Part C which is a summary report and health recommendations for the child’s care plan.

This will be sent to the LAC Health Admin Team at NCC and placed on Care First as the social worker will have responsibility to create the health care plan. It will also go to the Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) / reviewing offer who has a duty to review the care plan.

The social worker will give a copy of the health recommendation to the child or young person and their carer. This should be reviewed at each LAC review to ensure all health needs are met.

What is an RHA?

A Review Health Assessment (RHA) is done by one of our Specialist Nurses.

When a child or young person has been seen, the specialist nurse will write a report which will include Parts A and B which remain within the health record, Part C which is a summary report and health recommendations for the child’s care plan.

This will be sent to the LAC Health Admin Team at NCC and placed on Care First as the social worker will have responsibility to create the health care plan. It will also go to the Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) / reviewing offer who has a duty to review the care plan.

The social worker will give a copy of the health recommendation to the child or young person and their carer. This should be reviewed at each LAC review to ensure all health needs are met.

The final RHA will be held after the young person’s 17th birthday and will include a Health Passport which has details of significant medical history that will important for the young person to have independently as they reach adulthood.

 

MENTAL HEALTH TEAM

The mental health team support families where children are emotionally dysregulated / chaotic and placement is becoming unstable.

This support is offered in various ways:

  • Initial assessments
  • Consultations with carers and other professionals
  • Cognitive assessments
  • 1:1 (one to one) support with the child focussing on:
    • Anxiety
    • Self esteem
    • Trauma
    • Emotional regulation
  • Family work
    • Intensive work within the home
    • Managing Behaviour with Attachment in Mind (MBAM)
    • Group work – self soothing, stories
    • Theraplay
    • Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP)
    • Focus groups

Model of working:

  • Stage 1 - multi-agency screening, consultations, training
  • Stage 2 - Indirect interventions with parents and carers. Initial assessment with child if appropriate
  • Stage 3 - Specialist Assessment and direct work with child or young person

The team will usually offer to meet via a consultation or initial assessment before meeting a young person The team do this to gather information whilst avoiding the introduction of another person to the child or young person’s life unnecessarily.

Depending on the outcome we would then offer MBAM.

Professionals: If you know someone who may benefit from support be that child, parent or carer, the way to refer is via submitting a referral via the Referral Management Centre. There is no option for self-referral.

If you would like some advice prior to making a referral we have a ‘LAC duty line’ this line is staffed by a senior clinician who will be available to take calls to respond to questions, request advice or if you have any concerns. Please see our contact details tab.

 

Community healthcare services - children and young people

  1. Children's resources, tips and advice hub
  2. Children and young people mental health services
  3. CAMHS in the Community
  4. CAMHS Inpatients
  5. Children’s 0-19 Services
  6. Children and Young People ADHD & ASD Service
  7. Children and Young People Community Eating Disorder Service
  8. Children’s CTPLD (Learning disabilities)
  9. Children’s Therapy Services - Speech & Language Therapy Team
  10. Children’s Therapy Services - Occupational Therapy
  11. Children’s Therapy Services - Physiotherapy
  12. Community Children’s Nursing
  13. Community Paediatrics
  14. Looked After Children
  15. The Complex Feeding Difficulties Service
  16. Referral Management Centre
  17. Short Breaks for Disabled Children and Young People
  18. Childrens: Specialist Dental Services
  19. Special School Nursing Team