Children’s Continuing Care - for young people, parents and carers

Who can get NHS Continuing care funding?

NHS Children’s Continuing Care is support provided for children and young people, aged 0-17 (until their 18 Birthday), who need a tailored package of care because of their complex health needs. It is different from NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC), which can be provided to adults who have very severe or complex health needs.

The main difference is that while Continuing Healthcare for adults focuses mainly on health and care needs, Continuing Care for a child or young person should also consider their physical, emotional and intellectual development as they move towards adulthood.

This means that if your child is assessed for NHS Children’s Continuing Care, it is likely that a range of organisations will be involved, such as health, education and local authority children’s services. Where appropriate, care packages are integrated with education and social care.

How to get this support

If you think your child should be assessed for NHS Children’s Continuing Care, talk to a health or social care professional who works with them. They will make a referral to the local Children’s Continuing Care Team, at Whittington Health.

What happens next?

Each child or young person’s referral to Children’s Continuing Care service will be assessed by a member of the nursing team to see if the pre-assessment checklist, which is part of the referral, meets the criteria to commence full assessment. A full assessment is completed, by a Children’s Continuing Care nurse assessor.

The recommendations following assessment, are made at a Haringey Continuing Care panel, which has representatives from health, education and social care.

The service adheres to the guidance provided in the National Framework for Children and Young People’s Continuing Care 2016 (external link).

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What happens if eligible for continuing care support?

A bespoke package of care is commissioned for any identified health needs, which cannot be routinely met by other services. We work with Multi-Disciplinary Team to facilitate high quality care packages. The child or young person’s Continuing Care needs will be reviewed three months after the package of care has commenced, and then annually thereafter, or when a child or young person’s health or function is known to have changed. We also carry out quality checks of care providers. 

Personal Health Budgets:

If you would like to manage the care package for your child there is a scheme called personal care budget. 

Personal Health Budget can be achieved in one of several ways: 

• a direct payment made to the young person or their family; 
• the agreement of a notional budget to be spent by the CCG following discussions with the child or young person, and their family (or other representative) as to how best to secure the provision they need; 
• a third party arrangement where the transfer of a budget, to a person or organisation which applies the money in a way agreed between the CCG and the child or young person, and their family. 

Can we appeal the decision?

You can appeal a pre-assessment checklist decision or a decision made at the Haringey Continuing Care panel. A communication letter regarding the decision will be sent to you which will clearly state where to submit your appeal.

• North Central London CCG Continuing Care Appeals Policy (PDF, 154KB)

Further information on children and young people’s continuing care:

The National Framework for Children and Young People’s Continuing Care 2016 (external link) sets out the process for assessing, deciding and agreeing continuing care for children with complex health needs.

• North Central London CCG Continuing Care Policy (PDF, 165KB)

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Contact and complaints

Contact details

Who a parent carer/young person can contact for further information:

If a child is already known to the service, they should contact their named nurse assessor.

Alternatively, contact the Community Matron for Children’s Continuing Care:

• Community Matron for Children’s Continuing Care
  1st floor, Northern Health Centre
  580 Holloway Road
  N7 6LB
• Tel: 020 3316 1950

Complaints

Where to make Complaints:

In the first instance a service user should contact the Community Matron for Children’s Continuing Care:

• Community Matron for Children’s Continuing Care
  1st floor, Northern Health Centre
  580 Holloway Road
  N7 6LB
• Tel: 020 3316 1950

Service users who wish to make a formal complaint, may do so directly to the Trust through the PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison) and Complaints Service at:

• Patient Advice and Liaison
  Chief Executive Offices
  Whittington Health
  Magdala Avenue
  N19 5NF
• Tel: 020 7288 5551
• Email: whh-tr.whitthealthPALS@nhs.net

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