Health

You should be provided with a young person’s basic medical history when they are placed with you. If it is an emergency placement, this should happen as soon as possible. As much information as possible needs to be understood about the young person’s health especially where the young person 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 and Health and Safety.

A young person will have a Health Care Assessment which forms the Health Care Plan. If the 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 young person’s s first Looked After Review which will take place within 20 working days.

The Health Care Assessment happens at particular times:

• The first Assessment must be done before the first placement or, if not possible, before the young person’s first Looked After Review (unless one has been done within the previous 3 months);
• Further Health Care Assessments should occur at least annually.

The young person should have a copy of their health plan.

Young people placed should be responsible for meeting their own day-to-day health needs with support and guidance from you as required and in line with their Care/Pathway Plan.

Young people and hosts should understand and adhere to agreed arrangements regarding the young person’s health such as taking non-prescription medication, managing prescription medications, booking and attending GP appointments and so on. 

This means talking to them and providing them with information about doing the things that keep them healthy and well.

You should encourage young people to follow their interest and leisure activities.

You should help the young person to identify where they can access activities they are interested in and support them to attend.

It is important that you keep a record of the young person’s health and, if necessary and agreed as part of the Placement Plan, that you support the young person to attend their health assessment and relevant appointments.

Health care plan should detail the progress the young person has made and include areas of health such as physical health, health education needs, emotional, social and psychological help.

For young people with lifelong conditions then their health needs should be identified (including their mental and sexual health needs, as appropriate). You and the young person 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 young person’s needs and effective relationships have been built up with the health professionals.

The young person should have access to a GP, Dentist and Optician and if not you as the supported lodgings host should help them register with these. If needed and where the young person has requested this, the supported lodgings host should support young people to book and attend health appointments, with the aim of enabling the young person to manage their own health needs increasingly independently.  When appointments are made, account should be taken of the young person’s wishes, for example, to see a practitioner of a preferred gender identity. If you are supporting a young person to take medication, you must record when, how often and how much was given. All medicines should be stored securely and accessible for those who need it. Safe management is in place with controlled drugs - see First Aid and Medication.

You should help young people to make informed decisions about their health and they have a right to refuse treatment or support if they have mental capacity.

If this is the case, you should consult the young person’s social worker/health professionals to decide what is the best course of action.  

See also What Decisions Can I Make? 

In the event of an accident or incident, you must record the details of what happened and inform your Supervising Worker and the young person’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 Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services (CYPMHS).