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Children in Care Health Assessments

A number of children in care (CIC) (or looked after children - LAC) will also have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities.

Children and young people in care should have an initial health assessment (IHA) within 28 days of entering care. In most of Hampshire this is requested from the GP.

In the areas around Basingstoke it is requested from a doctor in the Child Health department.

Children under 5 should then have a review health assessment (RHA) 6 monthly, with older children and young people having an annual RHA.

The RHA may be done by a specialist nurse. The review health assessments include sections on developmental progress and so cover some of the same topics as an Education Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment. If a child or young person needs both, then health departments are encouraged to either do the two assessments in the same appointment, or use the information from one to inform the other, rather than bringing the child for a second appointment.

Parents, foster carers and social workers are encouraged to ask for this joint assessment if it is not offered. Similarly, if a child is attending a review with a paediatrician for a complex difficulty, it may be possible to combine initial or review health assessments with their standard medical check up.

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Page last reviewed: 06/07/2018

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