Health

You play an important role in looking after and promoting the health needs of children in your care. You should encourage and support them in achieving optimum health. This includes providing a home environment which actively encourages and supports a healthy lifestyle and gives attention to diet, personal hygiene and health promotion.  You should talk to children and provide them with information about doing the things that keep them healthy and well. Older children should be positively encouraged to access all appropriate health services.

It is important that you keep a record of the child’s health and that you take the child for their health assessment and relevant appointments, including dental and optician appointments. You will find it helpful to retain appointment dates in your records as you will be asked many times by many professionals when these appointments took place.

The information you hold about the child - including their daily routine, likes and dislikes, intolerances, allergies, health issues etc. - should be shared with other professionals.

You will be provided with a child’s basic medical history when they are placed with you. If it is an emergency placement, this should happen as soon as possible and within 72 hours at the latest (timeline).

As much information as possible needs to be understood about the child’s health especially where the child has health or behavioural needs that potentially pose a risk to themselves, you and others. Any issues should be fully shared with you, together with an understanding as to what support you will receive as a result.

Information should be given about any allergies. See also First Aid and Medication Procedure and the Foster Home and Health and Safety Procedure.

It is the foster carer’s responsibility to register a child placed with them with a General Practitioner. 

When a child becomes looked after they will have a Health Care Assessment which forms the basis of a Health Care Plan. If the child/young person does not have one, the Social Worker should arrange an assessment so that a plan can be drawn up and available for the child’s first Looked After Review which will take place within 20 working days.

If an appointment cannot be arranged outside of school hours, the child can be withdrawn from school on the request of the foster carer to facilitate attendance to the Initial Health Assessment. 

The Health Care Assessment happens at particular times:

The first Assessment (called an Initial Health Assessment (IHA)) must be done as soon as possible after the child becomes looked after and certainly before the child’s first Looked After Review (unless one has been done within the previous 3 months); this will be an appointment with a doctor for 1 – 1.5 hours. Depending on the legal status of the child, and their circumstances, their parents may attend this appointment.

For children under five years, further Health Care Assessments (Review Health Assessment (RHA)) should occur at least once every six months;

For children aged over five years, further Health Care Assessments (Review Health Assessment (RHA)) should occur at least annually.

The foster carer and the child should be given a copy of their health plan.

Children who are still looked after when they are aged 15 -16 will also be issued with a Health passport which gives details of their medical history. If you are concerned that this does not contain a complete record, please consult with the child’s social worker to make contact with the health team.

Health care plans should detail the progress the child has made and include areas of health such as physical health, health education needs, emotional, social and psychological help (including their mental health and sexual health needs as appropriate).

For children with disabilities and lifelong conditions their health needs are identified (including their mental and sexual health needs, as appropriate). You and the child should feel well supported and have access to local health services when it is needed. There is good monitoring in place to support with the child’s needs, ensuring effective relationships are being built up with the health professionals.

You should check whether you need to register a child with a GP, Dentist and Optician and whether you have delegated authority to take the child for any treatment. This will have been decided when completing the Placement Plan.

You should help children/young people to make informed decisions about their health and their views should be taken into account when making decisions.   

In the event of an accident or incident, you must record the details of what happened in the accident/incident occurrence section on the daily diary form and inform your Supervising Social Worker and the child’s social worker as soon as possible.

You will receive appropriate training including health promotion, communicable diseases, hygiene and first aid. Social Workers and health practitioners should ensure you have specific contact details and information on how to access relevant services, including CYPMHS.

A team of Looked After Children’s Nurses and designated Doctor are a Surrey-wide team coordinating Health Care for looked after children. A foster carer or child may contact them for advice.

If foster carers feel they need specific or practical support for health issues, such as Covid-19 guidance and tests, hepatitis/flu/Covid-19 vaccinations, claiming for personal protective equipment, or emotional support for themselves or their children, please contact your supervising social worker.