CONTINUING HEALTH CARE
PACKAGES FOR CHILDREN AND
YOUNG PEOPLE
Continuing Care Team Members
• Lead Nurse Assessor: Alison Steer
• Lead Nurse Neurology
ITB Nurse Specialist:
• Nurse Assessor:
• Staff Nurses and team
• Admin Co-ordinator:
Karen O’Brien
Helen Dodd
of support workers
Elaine Hague
What is Continuing Care?
• A continuing care package will be required
when a child or young person has needs
arising from disability, accident or illness
that CAN NOT be met by existing services
available.
How can a child be referred for
Assessment?
• A referral can be made by any professional
involved in a child’s care. This can be
either via a current Common Assessment
Framework form (CAF) or receipt of a
completed referral form, referral forms can
be obtained from the Continuing Health
Care Team. All CAF forms and referral
forms to be submitted to the postal
address.
Who will carry out the Assessment?
• The assessment will be co-ordinated by a
Specialist Nurse Assessor who will visit the
child and family and will obtain supporting
reports from the multi-disciplinary team.
What does an Assessment involve
• Completion of a Decision Support Tool (DST) with assistance from parents
• The DST is divided into sub sections:–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Challenging Behaviour
Communication
Mobility
Nutrition, Food & Drink
Continence & Elimination
Skin & Tissue Viability
Breathing
Drug Therapies & Medicines
Psychological & Emotional Needs
Seizures
• Each section is scored accordingly i.e. No additional
needs/low/moderate/high or severe
How long does the Assessment
process take?
• Once a referral is made the Assessment will take
•
approximately 4 to 6 weeks to complete and will
be submitted to the appropriate commissioning
body for consideration of the recommendations
made.
If the child does not qualify for health funding, a
notification will be sent to the appropriate
commissioning body and a letter of confirmation
of the outcome is sent to the family.
What happens when a package is agreed
• Helena Team for Children with homecare
packages
i.e Long Term Ventilated, technology dependant,
specific conditions
• School Support Staff employed by Education
• 3 way funding between Health, Social
Care and Education Child specific package eg Bents
Green & Gibson House
What happens after a package of
homecare has been agreed?
• Once recommendations have been
accepted and funding is secured
employment and training of staff will
begin. The child is allocated a Key Worker
within the Helena Specialist Nursing Team
who will work with the family to ensure a
smooth transition from hospital to home
or transition into school.
School Support
• If the funding is for one to one support
due to health reasons within school then
the school will usually employ these
individuals, although training can be
provided by Helena Nursing Team.
3 way funding
• Health, Social Care and Education will
work together to provide a package
designed for each child on an individual
basis, hopefully keeping the child in
Sheffield, agreed at Childrens Trust Panel,
if it is thought that child will have a Health need early referral is
advantageous as an Assessment can be complete before Panel sits.
Who can be referred?
• Any child who has a disability or illness
which requires extra input and help than
the primary services and specialist
services can offer. They have to have
exhausted all other available services and
still need further input.
• The bar for triggering the tool is high.
How to Contact the Team
• The Continuing Health Care Team is based on
the 2nd floor of Ryegate House at Ryegate
Children’s Centre.
• Office Details:
Elaine Hague 0114 3053020
Admin Co-ordinator
Continuing Health Care
Helena Specialist Nursing Team
Ryegate Children’s Centre
Tapton Crescent Road
SHEFFIELD S10 5DD
Email:
continuinghealthcare@sch.nhs.uk or
Continuing.healthcare1@nhs.net
Any Questions?