‘The service has excellent health support to children and carers through a health adviser who is a qualified nurse.’
Ofsted

Our Health Advisors have a key role in ensuring that any health issues are identified early in placement, and appropriate intervention sought. They attend planning meetings and LAC reviews when specialist advice on health issues may be helpful.

Support from the Health Advisor enables carers to effectively manage children with complex health problems, and to secure specialist assessments for youngsters with more complex presentations. Age appropriate health education including smoking cessation, healthy eating, substance misuse and sexual health is available for young people in placement.

Examples:
Early in placement a very young child was diagnosed with diabetes, which required carers to administer injections, and manage life threatening crises.
The Health Advisor’s role was pivotal in teaching the carers the necessary skills, and building their confidence in managing the child’s condition safely.

 The Health Advisor’s knowledge and contacts have been critical in accessing specialist multi-disciplinary assessments of a number of young people exhibiting complex presentations, combining elements of Autistic Spectrum and Attachment Disorder, Learning Difficulties, and speech and language problems.