We are a 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday service and can offer support and advice on any health issues relating to cared for children.
Work we do includres:
- Co-ordinating and ensuring all health needs are met for cared for children living both in and out of Tameside
- Alongside our colleagues in health visiting and school nursing, we are responsible for assessing, implementing, signposting and evaluating the health needs of all cared for children and young people
- Supporting and signposting any cared for child or care leaver to ensure they can access services
- Attending discharge planning meetings, cared for children reviews, risk management meetings, strategy meetings and care planning meetings
- Ensuring we are instrumental in developing practises and procedures that improve the health of our cared for children
Our team consists of:
- Named Nurse for Cared for Children
- Specialist Nurses for Cared for Children
- Admin support staff
All cared for children have statutory health assessments from entering care until they either are no longer in care or reach 18.
Initial Health Assessment
All children and young people entering care will be offered a statutory initial health assessment which will be completed by a paediatrician in most cases and within 20 working days of becoming cared for.
Review Health Assessments
Following the initial health assessment, children under the age of 5 will have review health assessments every six months and those aged 5-18 will have annual health assessments. The review health assessments are completed either by a health visitor, school nurse, specialist nurse for cared for children, family nurse or complex needs nurse.
Appointments will be sent automatically for the health assessments.
At 18, all care leavers will be provided with a health summary which details any relevant information about their health in addition to support links for services.
The cared for children’s health team will offer advice and signposting for any care leaver from the age of 19-24 and are encouraged to contact us if they need any support.
We also offer support for unaccompanied asylum seekers, which can be found in the enclosed document.
Below are links to support services.
- Registering at a GP
- Registering at a local dentist
- Seeing an optician
- Catching up on childhood immunisations which may have been missed
- Accessing mental or emotional support
- Eating a healthy diet
- Accessing free prescriptions
- Getting active
- Sexual health services
- Help to quit smoking
- Drug and alcohol advice services
- Sleeping advice