Policy and Guidance

Statutory guidance on promoting the health and well-being of looked after children
This guidance was published jointly by the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Department of Health on 16 November 2009. It replaces the guidance, Promoting the Health of Looked After Children, published by the Department of Health in 2002, which was statutory on local authorities. The revised guidance is statutory on local authorities and also on Primary Care Trusts and Strategic Health Authorities. It states:

“This guidance concerns the delivery of services from health agencies and local authorities to promote the health of looked after children and young people. It is written in the context of a holistic model of health which takes account of wider determinants of health and wellbeing. It is therefore relevant to all Children’s Trust partners.”

Promoting the Health of Looked After Children: A study to inform revision of the 2002 Guidance [PDF 432KB]
(By A Mooney and others. DCSF Research Report RR125 June 2009)

This study provides the evidence base for the revised statutory guidance on improving the health and wellbeing of looked after children (see item above). It is an up to date overview of the health of looked after children in England.  The good practice examples are a useful summary of how services are responding to the health and well-being needs of looked after children. It was researched and written by the Thomas Coram Research Unit, Institute of Education, University of London and NCB.

Ofsted. Inspections of safeguarding and looked after children services
The new inspection framework starting in  2009 puts in place three yearly joint inspections of safeguarding and looked after children’s services by Ofsted which sit within the wider Comprehensive Area Assessment process.

The detailed evaluation schedule of the looked after children’s inspections includes a 10 point list describing how inspectors are evaluating the ‘Being healthy’ outcome for looked after children and young people. As the first two points demonstrate there is a strong focus on effective multi-agency planning and delivery and improved outcomes for children and young people:

• innovative and accessible multi-agency targeting, planning, reviewing and monitoring of health services for all looked after children and care leavers have led to a sustained upward trend or high performance in outcomes for physical, emotional and sexual health
• joint agency commissioning has been effective in improving health outcomes for looked after children and care leavers with complex needs

NICE Guidance

The National Institute for Clinical Excellent and Public Health (NICE) and Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE)  are developing guidance on the physical and emotional health and wellbeing of Looked After Children. The guidance is expected to be issued in September 2010.

More Information about the National Institute for Clinical Excellence and Public Health Looked After Children guidance programme

Healthy Care Programme Response to Care Matters [PDF 103KB]
Transforming the Lives of Children and Young People in Care

The Care Matters consultation finishes on the 15th January 2007. The Healthy Care Programme has drawn on the experiences of Healthy Care Partnerships across the country to inform this response paper and encourages all those involved and interested in improving the health and well being of looked after children and young people to use this paper to inform their response to Care Matters.