3.5.4 Health and Looked After Children |
SCOPE OF THIS CHAPTER
This procedure applies to all Looked After Children.
It summarises the arrangements that should be made for the promotion, assessment and planning of health care for Looked After children.
Also see Department for Education Guidance on the duty of local authorities to promote healthcare of looked after children
AMENDMENT
This chapter was amended in October 2011 in relation to the Care Planning and associated regulations 2010. The main changes are:
The intervals and the person who can conduct Health Care Assessments.
Consideration of the Health Plan at the child's Looked After Review
Contents
- Frequency of Health Care Assessments
- Arranging Health Care Assessments
- Health Plans
- LAC Health Care Assessments Flowchart
1. Frequency of Health Care Assessments
Each Looked After Child must have a Health Care Assessment at specified intervals as set out below.
-
The first Assessment (must be conducted before the first placement, or , if not reasonably practicable, before the child's first Looked After Review (unless one has been done within the previous 3 months);
- For children under five years, further Health Care Assessments should occur at least once every six months;
- For children aged over five years, further Health Care Assessments should occur at least annually.
If a child is transferred from one Looked After Placement to another, it is not necessary to plan an assessment within the first month. In these circumstances, the Social Worker should furnish the Residential Worker or Foster Carer with a copy of the child's Health Care Plan. If no plan exists, the Social Worker should arrange an assessment within a month of the placement so that a plan can be drawn up. |
2. Arranging Health Care Assessments
The social worker will complete a referral form to be sent to Mary Sheridan Centre for a health care assessment. An appointment will be sent by Mary Sheridan to the carer / residential placement and a copy should be sent to the social worker.
If a child is placed outside the Local Authority arrangements will be made for a health care assessment to be completed by designated doctor and the report returned to the Mary Sheridan Centre for endorsement and comments by the Looked After Children Medical advisor.
The first Health Care Assessments must be conducted by a registered medical practitioner. Subsequent assessments may be carried out by a registered nurse or registered midwife under the supervision of a registered medical practitioner, who should provide the Social Worker with a written report.
3. Health Plans
A copy of the Health Care Plan must be given to Carers or Children’s Home’s Managers. Each Looked After Child’s Care Plan must incorporate a Health Plan in time for the first Looked After Review, with arrangements as necessary incorporated into the child’s Placement Plan/Placement Information Record.
This Plan must be reviewed after each subsequent Health Care Assessment and at the Looked After Review or as circumstances change.
4. LAC Health Care Assessments Flowchart
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