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Contents

1. Health Care Assessments
2. Health Care Plans
3. How the Health Care Plan may Affect the Placement Plan

1. Health Care Assessments

The purpose of Health Care Assessments is to promote children's physical and mental health and to inform the child's Health Care Plan.

Health Care Assessments will usually be conducted at the Sheldon Clinic. 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.

The Senior Clinical Medical Officer, Designated Nurse or other suitably qualified medical practitioner who carries out the assessment, should complete a BAAF Medical Assessment form and the Health Care Plan.

• The first Assessment must be conducted before the first placement, or as soon as possible after the child's placement so that a Health Care Plan can be drawn up in time for the first Looked After Review (unless one has been done within the previous three months), and any necessary follow up assessment must be arranged by the social worker;
• For children aged up to five years, reviews of the Health Care Assessment should occur at least every six months;
• For children aged over five years, reviews of the Health Care Assessments should occur at least annually.

The social worker is responsible for ensuring that Health Care Assessments and reviews are undertaken and will accompany the child and parents to the Clinic.

In order for the 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. 

2. Health Care Plans

Each Looked After Child's Placement Plan must incorporate a Health Care Plan in time for the first Looked After Review. (The Health Care Plan is the document completed by the medical practitioner at the time of the Health Care Assessment). The Plan must be updated after each review of the Health Care Assessment and at the child's Looked After Review or as circumstances change.

3. How the Health Care Plan may Affect the Placement Plan

The Placement Plan for each Looked After Child must incorporate how the health care needs of the child will be addressed.

As necessary, the Placement Plan should address the following matters:

1. Whether there are any specific health care needs - and how they will be met;
2. Whether it is agreed that Paracetamol or other painkillers can be used to provide relief for headaches, menstrual or other pain; also whether there are any restrictions on the use of non-prescribed medicines, Household Remedies or use of first aid;
3. The involvement of the child's parents or significant others in health issues during the placement;
4. Any specific medical or other health interventions which may be required, including whether it is necessary for any Invasive Procedures and how they will be undertaken;
5. The extent to which the child is able to retain or administer medication, or requires support to do so;
6. Whether it is necessary for any immunisations to be carried out;
7. Any specific treatment or Therapeutic Interventions, strategies or remedial programmes required;
8. Any necessary preventive measures to be adopted;
9. Whether the child is allowed to smoke and any measures agreed to reduce the behaviour;
10. Whether there are concerns about substance misuse, including soft or hard drugs and alcohol;
11. Whether there are any issues in relation to the child's sexual health - see Sexual Health and Relationships Guidance;
12. Whether there are any concerns about teenage pregnancy - (see Teenage Pregnancy and Sexual Health Guidance) the placement will contribute to any health monitoring;
13. Whether there are any illegal or other activities including self-harming which it is known or suspected the child is engaged in which may be harmful to the child's health, and the interventions/strategies to be adopted in reducing or preventing the behaviour;
14. Whether the placement will contribute to any other health-related assessments;
15. Whether the placement will contribute to any health monitoring.

End