Who we are
Our Children in Care nurses are specialists in responding to the health and wellbeing needs of children in care.
Our team carry out health assessments for children who:
- are 'looked after' or in care
- attend local independent schools
- those ranging in age from 16-18 who are not in education or training.
- We also support children in their transition from childhood to adulthood up until the age of 19.
Our role also includes:
- Coordination of healthcare including 'new into care' medicals
- Quality assurance of medicals, adoption medicals and review health assessments
- Providing advice to social care and health colleagues
- Providing training to social care and health colleagues
- Attending meetings to improve health input
- Attending the Emotional Wellbeing Panel
- Attendance at the Children in Care Council
- Attending subject specific meetings such as leaving care passports
- Introduction of systems to improve health input (for example drug and alcohol screening tool/ improved system for foster carer health reports)
- Liaison with health colleagues in areas where St Helens children are placed.
Who is our service for?
Our service is for St Helens children (up until the age of 19) who are in care. A child who has been in the care of their local authority for more than 24 hours is known as a looked after child.
Our team works closely with providers of other services in St Helens for example education, local authority, charities as well as health professionals such as GPs, health visitors and school nurses.
Children and young people who come into care will be allocated a specialist nurse. We will then contact you or your carer by telephone or letter to make an appointment. This may be where you are living or at your school. This appointment will be face to face and will include a discussion about your health and emotional wellbeing.
Children and young people in care and carers can access our service following notification to the team from the child or young person’s social worker.