The Isle of Wight’s Children In Care and Care Leavers Nurse Team has had additional funding cut, it has been confirmed.
The service was designed to deliver direct clinical contact, advice and support to Children in Care/Care Leavers, their Carers and Social Workers to address health issues unique to this group of Children and Young People.
The additional funding was allocated to clear the backlog of review health assessments for children in care, which were to take place every 6 months for children under 5 and annually for children over 5.
However, the closure of the service was announced internally towards the end of May when staff and those involved were told there would be around 5 weeks until the complete shutdown when the contract ended on Friday 30th June.
Island Echo understands that the Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board made the decision without giving reasoning to staff or those who use the service, with there currently being no similar facility in operation here on the Island.
Natasha Taplin, Acting Director of Place for Isle of Wight at the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board, has said:
“Over the last 18 months we have provided additional funding to the Children in Care & Care Leavers Nurse Team run by the Isle of Wight NHS Trust to help address a backlog of reviews. We would like to thank the team involved for clearing the backlog and making improvements to the service.”
“The additional funding was always intended to be temporary, and it is not sustainable to continue in its current form. We have been working closely with all partners involved and the Trust has supported all of its colleagues who have been affected by the change.”
Article continues below this advertisement “The children and young people who use this service will continue to have an annual health assessment from the team. If the young person is a care leaver they will be supported with advice and guidance on how to continue to access what they need for their health and care. They will also be advised on how to access other health and care services.”
“We remain committed to providing a dedicated service for this vulnerable group of young people, in line with our statutory responsibilities. We will now be working in partnership with all agencies involved to review all health services for children in care and care leavers in light of this change, to ensure we deliver the best possible outcomes.”
“We remain committed to providing a dedicated service […] in line with our statutory responsibilities”.
So if it is not in line with your statutory responsibilities, then you’re not going to do it.
The Hampshire & Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board [ICB] has already made redundant 40% of its own staff, and close to 60% of Island staff.
Just very sad for the vulnerable children and teenagers that so need extra support after what they have been through
It is heartbreaking. Can’t even imagine that kind of existence.
What rubbish and lies from someone who is employed to care . These kid’s, several hundred as reported in IE few weeks back, are already in foster care or Children’s homes,this Nurse service helped keep them healthy physically and mentally – now we will get placement breakdown – meaning higher costs, suicidal, STIs,non school attendance and more teenager pregnancy. Well done NHS it will cost you hundreds of thousands more,ruin or even end lives of some of our most vunerable and abused children . NHS needs to cut amount of manager’s and spin consultants and fund front line -will save in long run.
No – they need to get rid of the spongers, hypochondriacs, non essential cosmetic surgeries, time wasters, illegal immigrants and those that turn up at A and E, every week with yet another alleged ailment to get time off work.
if the NHS started charging for appointments, charging for cosmetic surgeries, such as gender re-assignment, liposuction etc and made all tourists/immigrants have health insurance to access the service, then there would be less demand, more cash available and more resources for where it is really needed.
Yer right, what’s you’re statement got to do with a 5yr old sexualy abused by their rich uncle,or 6mth old starved to death by parents or teenager watched parents die in car crash or child that seen mother raped ! Children in care system come from all classes rich and poor not just drugies and imagrants, you clearly are uneducated .
Agree with you on not spending on non cosmetic surgery, spongers, druggies and wasters though .
And diversity chiefs on more than £80,000 a year.
Unfortunately this article and statement from the ICB does not reflect the true extent of these vulnerable children and young people’s needs and it cannot show the loss this is causing to them and the carers who are doing their best to support them with such limited services and lack of professional support.
Such short sighted views and actions from those who manage the budget , no understanding and experience of knowing how much effort and time it takes to build trust and positive relationships with these children who suffer so much change, rejection and separation, these nurses could be a constant source of support and really get to know them, they need that- not to feel like they don’t matter and everything is too much!
Totally agree with you
Looked after Children need support and money invested into them to achieve positive long term outcomes! Money is never made available for the most vulnerable and our care leavers are being overlooked. When they have the right support- they achieve phenomenal outcomes, but need care to help them get there. This is very disappointing and short sighted!
Good fed up wasting my hard earn money for my taxes to waste money on selfish parents mistakes
Kevin, every single comment you make on IE is negative, obnoxious or just plain nasty. What an absolute horror of a human being you are. Let’s hope that old Karma comes round very soon to bite you on your ar**
Of course they’re cutting the budget for these poor kids who probably would benefit from MORE support not bloody less!
Wouldn’t expect anything less.