What is Children and Young People’s Continuing Care?
Some children and young people may have complex health needs, which cannot be met by the services that are routinely available from primary care, secondary care and other community services. NHS Continuing Care funding may therefore be required to ensure the child or young person’s holistic health and wellbeing outcomes are met, through bespoke packages of care from health; and where appropriate integrated with social care and education.
Children and young people’s Continuing Care is therefore a support package funded to specifically meet the identified health needs of a child or young person; arising from disability, accident or illness, that cannot be met by existing universal or specialist services alone.
When a young person eligible for Continuing Care funding reaches 18 years, they may be eligible for adult Continuing Healthcare funding. The transition into adult services and adult Continuing Healthcare will begin when the young person reaches 14 years of age and will be supported by the children’s Continuing Care teams.
Personal Health Budgets:
Families of a child or young person eligible for Continuing Care have a ‘right to have’ a Personal Health Budget.
Personal Health Budgets can be managed in 3 ways or a combination of these.
- A direct payment made to the young person or their family, who then arrange the care and support directly as agreed between them and the NHS team.
- A national budget where the young person or their family are aware of the budget available for their assessed needs and the agreed care and support is arranged for them, following discussions with the child or young person, and their family (or other representative)
- A third party arrangement where the budget is transferred to a person or organisation to arrange the agreed care and support for the child or young person, and their family.
Who is eligible for NHS Continuing Care in North Central London?
Inclusions
Children and young people who:
- are 0–17 years old
- have a complex health need that can’t be met by existing universal or specialist services alone
- are registered with a GP in one of the five North Central London boroughs; (Camden, Islington, Haringey, Barnet and Enfield)
- were registered with a North Central London GP at the point of becoming a looked after child
- meet the nationally set eligibility criteria for NHS Continuing Care funding in line with the National Framework for Children and Young People’s Continuing Care (2016)
Exclusions
- Child or young person does not meet the nationally set criteria for NHS Continuing Care funding in line with the National Framework for Children and Young People’s Continuing Care (2016)
- Health needs that are met through existing universal or specialist health services
- Child or young person who is not registered with a GP in one of the North Central London boroughs; Camden, Islington, Haringey, Barnet and Enfield (excluding looked after children)
How is Continuing Care Assessed?
North Central London Integrated Care Board (ICB) uses the North Central London Continuing Care Policy (2018), National Children and Young People’s Continuing Care framework (2016), Decision Support Tool and Continuing Care Health Assessment tool for assessment and to guide decision making. The Continuing Care assessment is then presented at one of the North Central London’s decision making panels. The decision making panels have representation from Health, Education and Social services. The decision is based on the child and young person’s assessed needs and clinical evidence. The support packages can be increased or decreased depending on changing clinical needs and support packages are reviewed annually.
How to Refer:
Referral for a Continuing Care assessment is made by a professional from primary, secondary, tertiary or community services, Child and Adolescent Mental Health services, Education or Social care. The referring professional must submit the referral form and pre-assessment checklist along with supporting evidence, to the appropriate North Central London Continuing Care Team.
North Central London Continuing Care Teams contact details:
Haringey, Islington, Camden Continuing Care Team:
Address: Whittington Health NHS Trust, 1st Floor, Northern Health Centre, 580, Holloway Road, London, N7 6LB
Tel: 02033161950
Email: whh-tr.childrenscontinuingcare@nhs.net
Barnet Children’s Continuing Care Team:
Children’s Integrated Complex Care Clinical Business Unit, Inner North West Division, Central London Community Healthcare, Oak Lane Children’s Health Centre, Oak Lane, East Finchley, N2 8LT
Tel: 02083497066
Email: clcht.complexcareteam@nhs.net
Enfield Children’s Continuing Care Team:
Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
St. Michael’s Primary Care site, Cedar house, EN2 0JB
Tel: 02087026833
Email: northmid.snbpteam@nhs.net
Links to Policies:
NHS England » Personal health budgets for children, young people and families
Continuing Healthcare (CHC) – North Central London Integrated Care System (nclhealthandcare.org.uk)
Local Offer
Children’s Continuing Care | Haringey Council
Find Your Islington | Children’s Complex and Continuing Care Team
Children’s Complex and Continuing Care Team | Cindex (camden.gov.uk)
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