Safeguarding Children Health Needs Assessment SOP

NON- CLINICAL STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE (SOP)
Safeguarding Children Health Needs Assessment SOP
For use in:
St Helens Borough
Target Audience:
All Trust Clinical Staff
Purpose:
To ensure staff have are able to resolve
differences when managing cases related to
safeguarding children
Document Author:
Carmel Farmer
Approved by:
Clinical Policies Guidelines Group
Ratified by:
Policy Sub-Committee (PSC)
Protocol Indexed:
HStHCL263
Version Number: 1.0
Effective From: September 2010
Review Date: September 2011
Statutory and legal requirements
Implementation Lead
Policy based on recommendations from
Working Together to Safeguard Children
2010, Serious Case Review
Recommendations.
Carmel Farmer
The Trust is committed to creating an environment that promotes equality and embraces
diversity, both within our workforce and in service delivery. This document should be
implemented with due regard to this commitment.
This document seeks to uphold the duties and principles contained within the Human Rights
Act. All Staff within the PCT should be aware of its implications.
This SOP is due for review by September 2011. After this date, this SOP and associated
process documents may become invalid. All users should ensure that they are consulting the
current version of this document.

Key individuals involved in developing the document (Internal Staff Only)
Name(s)
Designation
Carmel Farmer
Andrea Derbyshire
Hayley McCulloch
Sharon Kelly
Named Nurse Safeguarding Children
Safeguarding Children Specialist Nurse
Safeguarding Children Specialist Nurse
Safeguarding Children Specialist Nurse
Distributed to the following for approvals and comments
Committee(s)
Members of the Policy Sub Committee (PSC)
Members of the Clinical Policies Guidelines
Group (CPG)
Local Safeguarding Sub group for policy and
procedure
Individual(s)
Designation
Ann Dunne
Ros Polding
Sandra Campbell
Julie Banat
Lesley Brownlow
Linda Tunstall Jackman
Victoria Oldfield
Karen Morris
Jacqueline Parkes
Celia Dean
Christina Kennedy
Susan Kennaugh
Elaine McDowell
Designated Nurse Safeguarding Children
(St Helens)
Assistant Director Child and Family Health
Designated Nurse for Looked After Children
Lead for Health Visiting (St Helens)
Lead for School Nursing (St Helens)
Primary Care Mental Health
CAMH’s Liaison
Paediatric Continence Specialist Nurse
Nurse Clinician (St Helens)
Nurse Clinician (St Helens)
Surestart Manager (St Helens)
Surestart Manager (St Helens)
Walk in Centre Manager (St Helens)
Page 2 of 10

Revision History and Version Control
Revision
Date
Reason for Change Version No. By Who Version No.
26 th July
2010
Final draft for consultation 1.0 C Farmer
Page 3 of 10

Table of Contents
Objectives ....................................................................................................................................5
Scope...........................................................................................................................................5
Duties and Responsiblities...........................................................................................................5
Process and Records...................................................................................................................5
Appendix 1 ...................................................................................................................................8
Page 4 of 10

OBJECTIVES
This Standard Operational Procedure (SOP) has been developed in line with the guidance set
out in Working Together to Safeguard Children (2010). It is to ensure that health professionals
are able to assess the health needs of children’s in the safeguarding arena. This will facilitate
the production of a health plan to address the identified needs or provide the rational for health
staff to withdraw from the safeguarding plan. In adopting this approach the Trust will be able to
evidence their compliance with the Children Act 2004 section 10 (duty to cooperate to improve
the wellbeing of children and young people).
SCOPE
The SOP applies to all staff employed by NHS Halton and St Helens who predominantly work in
the St Helens Borough and have caseload responsibility for children.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBLITIES
There is a duty for members of staff working directly with families to participate with local
authorities to ensure children are safeguarded effectively (Children Act section 10 1989/2004).
This should focus on the childs needs and in line with local and national guideline (Healthy Child
Program 2009).
PROCESS AND RECORDS
Safeguarding health assessment is designed to be used as a tool to aid the practitioner to
identify the health needs of any child were safeguarding concerns are identified. The outcome
of this assessment will clearly identify the child’s health needs and will enable the health
practitioner to devise a health plan to address these needs or provide the rational for no health
involvement within the safeguarding plan.
The assessment can only be completed as a “face to face” contact with the child and their
family and the document should be completed in it’s entirety. The analysis of this assessment
will be the responsibility of the practitioner but the SCSN’s will be available to provide guidance.
The template is designed to be type into, as the text boxes will drop down. If the assessment is
printed off to complete, further preparation will be needed regarding the spaces within the text
boxes.
The assessment should be stored in the child’s records. At the discretion of the practitioner and
with the consent from the person with parental responsibility the assessment may be shared
with the Safeguarding group, be this Child Protection or Child in Need and used as a report to
evidence the rational for health’s involvement with the family.
Please note if there are any disclosures of a sensitive nature or the person with parental
responsibility does not consent to the information being shared in it entirety with the
Page 5 of 10

safeguarding group, then the health practitioner must ensure that information is shared
proportionally, maintaining confidentiality.
Child in Need
Attend first invited meeting
Complete Safeguarding health needs assessment prior to review meeting (within 1 month). The
assessment template is designed to be typed into.
No health needs identified
Assessment stored in child’s records and the records should clearly reflect the
practitioners plan
Copy to Safeguarding Children’s Specialist Nurse.
Report to lead professional and meeting outlining no further involvement and that the
practitioner will not be attending any further meetings unless there is a change in the plan
that warrants health involvement.
Contact details reiterated
Ensure that a copy of the minutes of this meeting are received and the outcome of the
assessment is recorded accurately
No further involvement, no need to attend meetings or supply reports unless requested
by professional or family.
Health Needs Identified
Assessment stored in child’s records and the records should clearly reflect the
practitioners plan
Copy to Safeguarding Children’s Specialist Nurse.
Provide a robust time limited plan outlining the health practitioner’s actions and review
date.
Comply with Child in Need Policy
Follow guidelines for withdrawing from CIN plan when health needs are met/identified.
Safeguarding Plan
Case conference
Attend first invited meeting
Complete Safeguarding health needs assessment prior to core group meeting (10 days)
No health needs identified (Physical or Emotional)
Assessment stored in child’s records and the records should clearly reflect the
practitioners plan
Copy to Safeguarding Children’s Specialist Nurse.
Page 6 of 10

Report to social worker and meeting outlining no further involvement and that the
practitioner will not be attending any further meetings other than review conference
unless there is a change in the plan that warrants health involvement.
Contact details reiterated
Ensure that a copy of the minutes of this meeting are received and the outcome of the
assessment is recorded accurately
No further involvement with the Safeguarding Plan.
In line with ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children 2010’ practitioners should continue
to attend review case conferences and make this known to lead professional.
Health Needs Identified
Assessment stored in child’s records and the records should clearly reflect the
practitioners plan
Copy to Safeguarding Children’s Specialist Nurse.
Provide a robust time limited plan outlining the health practitioner’s actions and review
date.
Comply with Safeguarding/Child Protection Policy.
Follow guidelines for withdrawing from safeguarding plan when identified health needs
are met.
Page 7 of 10

APPENDIX 1
Click here to download the assessment form
Child’s Name
Date of Birth
Address
Safeguarding Health Assessment
Reason for Meeting
Historical information from child health record
Targeted
Universal
Reason if targeted
Compliance with health
Attended all routine health surveillance appointments
Attended all appointments with other health professionals
Failed health appointments
Outstanding routine service/health appointments
Multi agency involvement
Name Designation Level of involvement
Page 8 of 10

Identified Risk factors for the child
Assessment
Date of assessment
Planned
Who was present?
Opportunistic
Relationship to the child
Was the child present?
If the child was not present reason given for this
Members of the household
Name DOB Relationship to child
Who is the main carer of the child?
Who was caring for the child today / establishment attended
Page 9 of 10

Significant adults in the child’s life
Name Relationship How long do they spend with
the child
Assessment findings
Child development
Parenting capacity
Environmental issues
Analysis
Identified health needs
Action plan
Health need Outcome Intervention Who will do this
Name of professional
Designation
Signature
Date
Page 10 of 10