Looked after children and young people have particular physical, emotional and behavioural needs related to their earlier experiences before they were looked after. These earlier experiences have an influence on:
- Brain development
- Attachment behaviour.
The rates of emotional, behavioural and mental health difficulties are 4 to 5 times higher amongst looked after children and young people than the wider population.
Holistic and accurate assessment is needed to address the specific needs of each child, with multidisciplinary support provided where it is needed.
It is important that services are provided in a timely manner to:
- Prevent the escalation of challenging behaviour
- Reduce the risk of placement breakdown.
These should be based on the child or young person’s needs and not on service availability.
(NICE quality statement 5)
Statutory Guidance on promoting the Health and Wellbeing of Looked After Children aims to ensure looked-after children have access to any physical or mental health care they may need. This is why Care Afloat Ltd provides, all of the young people placed with us, a bespoke therapeutic package inclusive to the cost of their placement.