What do we do?

Looked after children's nurses (LACs) act as health advocates for looked after children. We carry out assessments, planning and delivery of healthcare, and can offer specialist advice to you and the young person.

LAC nurses work in collaboration with a range of professionals at Kent County Council (KCC), including our colleagues in Virtual School Kent (VSK), with the outcome of improving the life chances of all looked after children.

We also work in collaboration with a range of healthcare professionals, from health visitors and school nurses to community paediatricians, to act as health advocates and make sure the health needs of children are met. This means we can support professionals and carers collectively , but also work with individual children and carers to address any specific needs, if required.

The LAC nurses want to support young people in any way possible. They can attend foster carer coffee mornings, children in care councils, as well as youth centres, with the aim of sharing important public health information to allow young people to make informed decisions about their health. They can also attend Child in Care (CiC) review meetings, to help develop more understanding of what young people need and how they can be supported.

Review health assessments

Within 28-days of entering the care system, a looked after child is legally required to have an initial health assessment* at the request of their named social worker**. This must be done by a registered medical practitioner, usually a community paediatrician or GP. Following this, the named social worker should request review health assessments, completed by the LAC nurses or community paediatrician if appropriate, for the duration of the young person’s time in care. They should be completed at the following intervals:

• birth to five-years-old: Every six months
• five to 18-years-old: Annually.

These assessments take place in a variety of clinic settings. We will try to schedule an appointment at a time suitable for you but unfortunately there is limited availability for appointments outside of school hours.

The initial health assessment and review health assessments should always be young person centred and should clearly demonstrate the voice of the young person, incorporating a health action plan that has been developed in partnership. The young person should have the opportunity throughout the assessment to be seen on their own.

As young people turn 18 and face leaving care, we ask for their permission to provide them with a health history, which informs them of any treatment during their time in care, as well as dates of their immunisations, should these be required in future.

As carers you are expected to check that the young person is registered with the appropriate health services locally and that they attend appointments as advised, including their annual health assessments. Their social worker will be kept informed of any appointments offered and also any instances of non-attendance. If for any reason the appointment can no longer be attended, please contact the team to rearrange.

Useful contacts

• Bullying: Phone 0808 800 2222 or visit www.bullying.co.uk
• Childline: Phone 0800 1111 or visit www.childline.org.uk
• Connections: www.cxk.org
• Department of Health: www.dh.gov.uk
• Eating Disorder Service: Phone 0300 300 1980
• Emergency dental line: Discuss with your registered dentist or visit the NHS website/s.
• Family Planning Association: www.fpa.org.uk
• FRANK: Phone 0300 123 6600 or visit www.talktofrank.com
• Stonewall: Phone 020 7593 1850 or visit www.stonewall.org.uk
• NHS: Phone 111, visit www.111.nhs.uk or www.nhs.uk
• School Health Service: Phone 0300 123 4496 or visit www.kentcht.nhs.uk/schoolhealth
• Sexual Health: www.kentcht.nhs.uk/sexual-health or https://getit.org.uk
• Stop smoking: www.nhs.uk/smokefree
• Talking therapy: www.kentcht.nhs.uk//talking-therapy or www.insighthealthcare.org
• Young Addaction: Phone 01795 500881 or visit www.addaction.org.uk/services/young-addaction-kent
• Young Minds: www.youngminds.org.uk