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The Looked After Children Team - Dorset Healthcare

The Looked After Children Team - Dorset Healthcare logo

The Children in Care Team (also known as the Looked after Children's Health Team) is a small dedicated team of nurses, doctors and psychologists who work together with other services to help children and young people in care and those about to leave care.

All children and young people are seen by a doctor when they enter care for an Initial Health Assessment. There is a statutory duty for this assessment to be completed within four weeks of the child or young person entering care. Children aged 5 to 18 years already in care across the whole of Dorset are offered a Review Health Assessment by the children in care nurses annually. Children under 5 are offered a Review Health Assessment by the child's health visitor 6 monthly.

The children in care nurses work holistically to improve the overall health and wellbeing of children in care and ensure they have access to the best possible health advice and services tailored to meet their individual needs.

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Venue/Contact Details
01202 277000
https://www.dorsethealthcare.nhs.uk/#c4e4188a
Sentinel House
4-6 Nuffield Road
Nuffield Industrial Estate
Poole
Dorset
Postcode
BH17 0RB
Area coverage
Pan Dorset
Directions
See Journey Planner on right-hand side of this page, where you can view bus, car and train routes from your location.
Times and Costs
Opening times:
Monday: 8:30 am - 5:00 pm, Tuesday: 8:30 am - 5:00 pm;Wednesday: 8:30 am - 5:00 pm;Thursday: 8:30 am - 5:00 pm;Friday: 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
Further opening details:
  • Daily
Availability
  • All Year Round
Costs:
This is a free service.
Ages, Booking Details and Referral Information
Ages:
From 5 years to 18 years
Eligibility criteria:
Our service covers all of Dorset, including Bournemouth and Poole. The clinical psychologists and children in care nurses deliver and participate in the training of foster carers, health professionals and social care professionals. This is to ensure that other adults who work with these children and young people are aware of their diverse health needs and can provide support to ensure that these needs are met. The teams in Dorset consist of qualified nurses who have completed additional training, for example, health visiting and mental health nursing and clinical psychologists who have specialised training or experience in this field. As a child or young person in care, you or your carer will be contacted and given our details when you come into care we will also contact you annually to arrange the Review Health Assessment. After school appointments available but children and young people can be met at their home, supported lodgings or a place that is best for them. For young people transitioning into adulthood, we provide a ?health passport? which contains key information such as doctor and dentist?s name, what jabs they have received. The passport also contains advice if young people have a question about their health.
Referral process:
  • Professional and self referral to the specialist nurses at anytime by telephone - ask for the Children in Care Nurses in the first instance. Contact details: Bournemouth: 01202 458745, Poole: 01202 714725, Dorset East: 01202 857336, Dorset West: 01305 224508. As well as the nurses on the team there are also clinical psychologists who are able to work with foster carers, children and young people, especially around emotional health and wellbeing. If you would like to access the psychology part of the service please speak to your social worker or fostering social worker.
SEND Local Offer SEND
Description:

Teams consisting of qualified nurses, doctors and psychologists have completed additional training and some nurses are also health visitors and mental health nurses. For more information on how we support children and young people with SEN and disabilities, please contact us on the telephone numbers listed under the referral information section.

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