Health

Many children who come into care have had adverse life experiences and may have missed out on routine child health surveillance. As a result, they are more likely to have unmet health needs.

Therefore, when a child comes into care, their social worker will carry out a health assessment. This will ensure an individual health action plan is created, which will help to promote the child’s physical and emotional wellbeing.

This provides an opportunity for children to talk about their health and express any concerns. This should be a positive experience that encourages children to take their health seriously and reduce any anxieties about contact with health professionals.

Any health needs will be included within the individual’s care plan and reviewed regularly to ensure their health is properly looked after. The social worker must also ensure that every child is:

• registered with a doctor, a dentist and an optician

• offered a health check every year