North Staffordshire CCG, East Staffordshire CCG, South East Staffordshire and Seisdon Peninsula CCG, Stafford and Surrounds CCG, Cannock Chase CCG.
The above CCGs wish to commission a service to deliver the following services to children and young people in Staffordshire:
- Defined clinical management and support for Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities educated in i Special School settings;
- Annual Review Health Assessments (RHAs) for school-age (5+) Looked After Children;
- Clinical management and support for school-age Children and Young People with Enuresis;
- Continence Assessments for Children and Young People (aged over 5).
The CCGs are seeking that these services will be integrated with other community children service provision and will be high quality, evidence-based and accessible. Services will contribute to the achievement of the best health outcomes for children and young people who are supported by the commissioned services.
Staffordshire has a number of Special Schools located across a wide geographical area. The majority of these schools, provide generic support to children with a range of Special Educational Needs (SEND), (although there are some schools targeted at particular cohorts e.g. for physical disabilities or emotional and behavioural issues). Many of the children and young people attending these schools will also have additional needs relating to their physical and mental health. Between them, they schools provide education and support for approximately 2500 children and young people.
This aim of the Special School Nursing Service is to:
- Support children and young people attending Special Schools in their school environment in order that they can play a full and active role in school life, remain healthy and achieve their academic potential.
The objective is to provide:
- Direct clinical management and support for Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (0-25 years) educated in Staffordshire Special Schools including nursing interventions.
- Where necessary providing the training and competencies to education or other staff to support the health needs of any child or young person educated in a Staffordshire Special School Services to all children and young people attending special schools in Staffordshire and will include but is not limited to dietary advice: referral to a dietitian as required. Support dietary needs and work closely with dietitian, child, family and school.
- Enteral Feeding: liaison with dietician regarding feeding regime. Support implementation of enteral feeding packages in school, ensuring safe and effective care takes place. Ensure support staff maintain competencies to deliver enteral feeds.
- Continence assessments.
- Enuresis assessment, support and implementation of bed-wetting alarms as required for children in Special Schools.
- Respiratory Support: Support implementation for respiratory packages in school to ensure safe and effective care takes place.
- Support school in monitoring health impact, refer to the specialist as required.
- Education Health Care Plan: Contribute to and submit a report to support the EHC plan and reporting of health needs and outcomes.
- Continuing Healthcare - Support for CHC including the collection of evidence and complete DST applications.
- Support for long-term conditions.
- Annual Review Health Assessments (RHAs) for specified age groups of Looked After Children. RHAs are a statutory requirement that Clinical Commissioning Groups are required to provide for Looked After Children (LAC) and should be completed to statutory timescales.
- Complete RHAs to the required quality standard.
- Share appropriate information with other relevant agencies regarding the needs of the Looked after Children identified within the RHA.
- Contribute towards the reduction in health inequalities experienced by Looked After Children.
- Ensure a holistic approach is taken to address the health, social care and emotional wellbeing needs of Looked After Children.
- Support Looked After Children to increase self-caring abilities and signpost to a range of resources that can address any health or social care needs exhibited.
- Clinical management and support for school-age Children and Young People with night-time Enuresis.
- Enuresis assessment, support and implementation of bedwetting alarms as required for children in mainstream schools.
- Continence Assessments (school age).
- Provision of Continence Assessments and ordering of appropriate products for school-aged children.
These services are being Commissioned by the 5 CCGs declared in the II.1.4 Short description. In addition, Stoke on Trent CCG is commissioning for the for Looked After Children Review Health Assessments element only. The Contract is for 3 years with the option to extend by up to a further 12 months.