How we are improving... Health of looked-after children

Council Medway
Performance Percentage of children who had their annual health assessment

From being below the national average of 76 per cent in 2007 to surpassing it by 2009 (88 per cent), Medway has succeeded in greatly increasing the number of looked-after children who receive regular health assessments.

Nancy Sayer, one of Medway's registered nurses for looked-after children, was tasked with improving the situation at the authority in 2006.

She says that extra investment from the local primary care trust allowed the team dealing with health assessments to be increased from just herself, a full-time administrator and a part-time clerk to three full-time nurses and full-time clerical support.

"Without the funding we couldn't have got to where we are now," Sayer explains.

In addition to having a stronger workforce, Sayer says better support from social services in promoting the importance of health assessments has really helped bolster the take up of checks.

"It's important to try to improve understanding of why children have to have it done as it is not something many of them like," she says.

Medway also provides training to foster carers about the importance of health assessments for children in their care in the hope that they can influence their behaviour.

"This is starting to be included on the induction programme for foster carers so they have got a full understanding of health assessments and can promote them as a positive thing," adds Sayer.

2006

England 83.2%
Medway 76%

2007

England 84.4%
Medway 68%

2008

England 86.5%
Medway 82%

2009

England 85.4%
Medway 88%