What are the main issues?
The draft guidance sets out an equitable, transparent and timely process for assessing, deciding and agreeing bespoke packages of continuing care for those children and young people under the age of 18 who have continuing care needs that cannot be met by existing universal and specialist services alone. It describes how local organisations, including LHBs and local authority Social Services and Education departments and their partners, should work together to assess need and put in place packages of continuing care. It should be read by all those with responsibility for planning and providing continuing care to children and young people.
The document does not provide guidance on the content or funding of the actual packages of continuing care. It is not a prescriptive tool, and cannot replace the need for strong local decision making regarding the continuing care needs of individual children and young people which must be based on assessed needs. Rather, use of the Guidance will help agencies ensure that:
- Children, young people, their families and carers are actively engaged in the continuing care process.
- The continuing care process is co-ordinated and consistent between organisations.
- Health, education and social care practitioners, (including those working in the independent and third sectors), and service users, understand the continuing care process and use it effectively.
The need for change:
Assessing and providing the continuing care that disabled children need to live independent and fulfilled lives is a complex issue and there are inconsistencies of approach when assessing an individual’s needs and a lack of clarity around the responsibilities of agencies involved in planning and providing children’s continuing care services.
The Welsh Government sought views and comments on the draft guidance which will make the needs assessment process more effective and prompt.
Comments on
Welsh Government Children and Young People’s Continuing Care Guidance
The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh is pleased to respond to the Welsh Government on its consultation on Children and Young People’s Continuing Care Guidance.
The College welcomes this draft guidance, which acts to raise awareness of the process of planning and providing care to disabled young people moving through transition into adult services.
The health professional's assessment of the young person's care needs and planned package of care will be expected to be delivered by a team that includes adult physicians, and in many cases several specialties will be involved and both medical and nurse specialists may have little experience of the complexity of these needs.
There are a whole new generation of survivors of previously fatal childhood diseases and adult medics may not feel confident in taking responsibility for them without preparing ahead.
There has been a focus on care of the elderly as the specialty for long term conditions and multi-disciplinary team working, but these young people may have very similar needs but no existing resource or service provision in place.
Please find attached the executive summary of the College publication Think transition: Developing the essential link between paediatric and adult care which provides guidance in this area.