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Contents

1. Health Assessments
2. Health Plans

1. Health Assessments

The health  assessment will place the child/young person at the centre of the process and will be holistic in its approach to the child/young persons health; promoting the current and future health of the child/young person. Health assessments will cover a range of issues beyond those of physical health which include developmental health, emotional wellbeing, sexual health and health promotion.

1.1 Frequency of Health Assessments

Initial Health Assessments must be conducted by a suitably qualified medical practitioner; who should provide the social worker with a written report.

Review Health Assessments may be carried out by an appropriately qualified medical practitioner or Registered Nurse/Midwife.

• 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 Assessments should occur at least once every six months;
• For children aged over five years, further Health Assessments should occur at least annually.

1.2 Arranging Health Assessments

The social worker is responsible for ensuring that Health Assessments are undertaken. Before a  Health Assessment takes place, social workers must complete Part A of the BAAF* 'Initial Health Assessment form' to ensure it is available at the time of the appointment. For the first Health  Assessment, notifications must be forwarded immediately after the child becomes Looked After; for Review Health Assessments, notifications should be sent 12 weeks before the assessment is due.

All initial and review Health Care Assessments should be arranged with the Kensington and Chelsea Primary Care Trust Community Child Health Centre (CCH).

The following people should be contacted for the purposes of arranging Health Assessments in relation to Looked After Children.

North -

The Community Child Health Centre
7e Woodfield Road
London. W9 3XZ

Tel: 020 7266 8774
Fax: 020 7266 8770

Health assessments can be booked by calling 020 7266 8774/8862 or email to kathryn.jones@rbkc.gov.uk

For any queries on Health Care Assessments or general health enquiries please contact the Designated Nurse for LAC, Samantha Bouamar, on 020 7266 8780/020 7598 4615/07768 357 854 or email samantha.bouamar@rbkc.gov.uk

The Designated Doctor is: Dr Anis Mustafa, Community Child Health Service, The Medical Centre, 7e Woodfield Road, London. W9 3XZ. Tel: 020 7266 8775

South -

Cheyne Child Development Service
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital
369 Fulham Road
London. SW10 9NH

Tel: 020 8846 1285
Fax: 020 7237 5296

The Designated Doctor is: Dr Morenike Adebusuyi, Cheyne Child Development Service, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, 369 Fulham Road, London. SW10 9NH. Tel: 020 8846 1285

The Child Health Centres will arrange Health  Assessments for all Looked After Children, placed within and outside the authority or having a Health Assessments undertaken by the own GP. Payments for this service will be made by the Primary Care Trust.

The Child Health Centres have a dedicated administrative person for Looked After Children, who can be contacted for payment forms and will collate relevant information, arrange appointments and liaise with health professionals as appropriate.

In order for the Health Assessment to be conducted, the social worker must ensure that the Consents section of the child's Placement Plan has been completed and signed by the Parent and that a BAAF* "Consents" form is completed.

The health professional conducting the assessment will complete a relevant BAAF form and a Health Care Plan; both of which will be furnished by the Community Child Health Centre. The completed reports/plans will be received at the  Child Health Centres, signed off by the Principal Medical Officer for Kensington and Chelsea then forwarded to the social worker within two weeks of being signed off at the Child Health Centres.

1.3 Merging Health Care/Health Checks

Some Looked After Children receive a great deal of health intervention; it may therefore be appropriate to combine Review Health  Assessments with other necessary health checks. For example, if a child has a Statement of Special Education Needs (SEN) or when children are known to have complex medical

needs and regularly attend hospital. In these situations the social worker must notify Community Child Health Centre whereby each individual case will be discussed by the paediatric team. If it is deemed relevant the Designated Nurse for Looked After Children will assist the social worker in setting up an arrangement for the completion of Review Health Care Assessments with the health professionals concerned.

Where consent is refused the Looked After Nurse will liaise with the Social Worker in order to agree an action plan.

1.4 Children Reluctant to be Assessed

It is recognised that some children may choose not to attend for a health assessment, in these situations it remains the responsibility of the social worker to notify the Designated Nurse for Looked After Children at Community Child Health (CCH) about this child whereby a joint decision between Health and Family Services will be made as to whether this child may benefit from an out reach appointment or health assessment carried out over the telephone.

It is important to remember that the Primary Care Trust is responsible for monitoring the health of all looked after children even when the child is placed out of borough. Social workers need to ensure that the Designated Nurse for Looked After Children at the Community Child Health Centre is informed and involved in all aspects of Looked After children health care.

2. Health Plans

Each Looked After Child's Care Plan must incorporate a Health Care Plan in time for the first Looked After Review, with arrangements as necessary incorporated into the child's Placement Plan.

This Plan must be reviewed after each subsequent Health Care Assessment or as circumstances change.

*Note: Health are not responsible for providing BAAF forms. They are available locally.

End