What is the Community Children’s Nursing Team?

The Community Children’s Nursing Team is made up of specialist paediatric nurses and nursing assistants. We are trained to care for children and their families. We work in partnership with parents, carers, specialist hospitals, local hospitals and other

professionals and offer highly skilled nursing care in your home or in the community. We aim to treat children at home whenever possible, so your child doesn’t have to go into hospital unnecessarily.

We will write to your GP when you start seeing the team and again when you are discharged.

What do we offer?

We offer support to children with complex health needs and their families.

These services include:

• taking part in discharge planning meetings to ensure the safe transition from hospital to home
• administration of bolus, subcutaneous and intra muscular medication
• gastrostomy and naso-gastric support
• wound care
• post-surgery care
• intravenous bolus administration – this is when we provide medication through a device which goes through a peripheral or central vein, for example a hickman line, over a short period of time, such as three to five minutes
• support, information and training
• oxygen care at home
• short-term interventions, such as venepuncture
• urine testing and catheter care and support.

Please contact us or visit our web page to view the eligibility criteria for this service and for more information.

Who is eligible and how can you access the service?

Our service is open to all children and young people up to the age of 19 who are in education, with a clinical nursing need. They will need to be registered with a GP in Dartford, Gravesham or Swanley.

Referrals to the service can be made by a healthcare professional or you can refer your child directly.

Please contact us to make a referral.