North Tyneside Clinical Commissioning Group’s Designated Nurse for Looked After Children is leading on a project with MSc Computer Science students at University College London to develop an interactive, web based self-assessment tool for looked after children aged 10-17.
After consultations with a number of children in care and care leavers in North Tyneside, the Designated Nurse identified a gap in the support and preparation of some young people to be able to identify and manage health needs when moving to independence.
This gap could have a long term impact on the physical and mental health of this group of vulnerable young people. The self–assessment tool should enable the young people to take some responsibility for their own health priorities and focus the adults in their care teams to support them to achieve their health goals.
The tool should be ready to pilot in April 2019 and is being developed in conjunction with North Tyneside Children in Care Council and nursing staff from Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust who work with them.