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: 03000 270550

Email: lac.duty@nhft.nhs.uk

Useful resources and links

For urgent help

Call 999 or attend to the closest Accident and Emergency Department in a medical emergency – For example someone is seriously unwell or injured and their life is at risk.

If you require health advice, but it is not urgent, you can contact your GP, pharmacy or dial 111 for advice.

Drug and Alcohol Support

Drink Aware
For support around concerns relating to alcohol phone 0300 123 1110 or visit the website by clicking here.

For support around concerns relating to drugs phone 0300 123 6600 or visit:

Talk to frank

Aquarius

Emotional Wellbeing

The Lowdown
The Lowdown is a local service for CYP and supports CYP with counselling, sexual health and LGBTQ support.

Service6
Service6 is a local charity offering therapy and counselling to CYP

Youth Works
Youth Works offer a range of counselling, therapeutic and support services to meet the needs of children, young people and adul?ts.

Time2Talk
Time2Talk offer a range free services for young people aged 13-25 that can be accessed by drop in. The counselling service is strictly by appointment only, and is available for people aged 13-19 and up to 25 for people with special needs in Daventry and Towcester.

Samaritans
The Samaritans offer a safe place for you to talk any time you like, in your own way – about whatever’s getting to you. You don’t have to be suicidal, offer 24/7 support.

Headspace website and app
This website teaches young people all about meditation and mindfulness. Which can be a valuable coping skill when feeling over whelmed or unable to control strong thoughts and feelings. Users can sign up for free and take part in guided meditation and mindfulness session.

Young Minds
Young Minds is the UK’s leading charity committed to improving the wellbeing and mental health of children and young people.

Young minds- parents helpline
This is a confidential service (unless the advisors think the young person is at risk) advisors are available from 9.30-4 pm Monday to Friday. The advisor will listen and give some practical guidance on how to help, if you need further help If you need further help, they’ll refer you to one of our specialists whether it's a psychotherapist, psychiatrist, psychologist or mental health nurse. They’ll arrange a phone consultation within 7 days.

Calm Harm app and website
This resource is designed to help young people resist the urge to self harm, it is free and password protected.

HeadMeds
HeadMeds is a website powered by young minds for young people about mental health medication. It has list of medications, what they are used for and side effects explained without medical terms or jargon.

AskNormen
Website for anyone that is interested in the mental health and emotional wellbeing of young people in Northamptonshire. It contains a search tool and links to a directory of services.

BEAT
BEAT is the UK leading charity for supporting those with Eating Disorders, the website contains lots of useful information about types of eating difficulties as well as support helplines.

Rethink
Rethink is a mental health charity which provides advice and information and a list of available support in your area.

General Health

NHS Choices

NHS Choice - vaccinations

Change4life

Sexual Health

NHFT's sexual health service
Young people can access this service for any aspect of sexual health or contraceptive care, including ordering a free postal testing kit for chlamydia visit and emergency contraception:

Serenity service
For young people who have been sexually assaulted or raped in the East Midlands.

Stop Smoking support

Smoke free
For extra help to quite smoking including a quit kit, smoke free app and emails

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:

Placement details
Background information
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.

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 17^th 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.

Looked After Children

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Community healthcare services - children's