Go Back

Children's service descriptions

Children’s community services and providers


Audiology - the diagnosis and management of children experiencing hearing difficulties, tinnitus and balance problems.


Bowel and bladder service - assessment, education and suggesting appropriate interventions and advice for children and young people with bladder and/or bowel difficulties.


Children's communication and assistive technology (CCAT) – This service supports children with complex needs. Its work includes all forms of communications (other than speech) that are used to express thoughts, needs, wants and ideas and equipment that helps people with tasks they would otherwise be unable to do.


Children's community nursing – Epilepsy - specialist epilepsy nurses works exclusively with children and young people with epilepsy and their families. Working closely with consultant paediatricians to make sure we meet the needs of the young people who have a diagnosis of epilepsy and are dealing with seizures.


Children's community nursing - Providing hands-on care and support to children and young people with nursing needs, from short-term illnesses to long-term disabilities or chronic health conditions and end of life care. Supporting children so that they only have to be in hospital when they really need to be.


Community paediatrics - This service can assess, diagnose and support children with a variety of developmental problems and neuro-disability such as cerebral palsy, developmental delay, autism spectrum conditions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and muscular dystrophy.


Continence product review and assessment service - Qualified nurses and experienced support workers who provide care for children and young people who are assessed as needing support with continence products.


Looked After Children - A team of health professionals who promote the health and wellbeing and deliver health assessments of children in care.


Podiatry -specialise in all aspects of foot health, from common foot problems to more complicated conditions needing surgical correction. The team assess, diagnose and treat disorders of the foot and problems with gait.


Universal speech and language therapy (SLT) - Speech and language therapy provides treatment, support and care for children and young people who have difficulties with communication, or with eating, drinking and swallowing.


Residential units (short breaks) – Bluebells, Sunrise, Treetops, Windchimes and Fairlawn

These units provide overnight short breaks to children from five to 18 who have learning disabilities, social communication disorders, complex health needs and challenging behaviour.

Children receive specialised educational provision and each unit has a practice educator nurse who ensures staff are adequately trained and competent to deliver clinical care to the children using the service.


Special school nursing


Five Acre Wood, Nexus, Oakley, Milestones, Ifield, Aspen, Aspen and Whitfield, Beacon, Forelands Fields, St Nicholas and Wyvern – Nursing teams are based at special schools to support children and young people with complex health needs by providing training, support and guidance to school staff to enable them to meet the health needs of the children.


Children's therapy services – provide a range of therapies to under 18 including:

  • Nutrition and dietetics
  • Feeding clinic
  • Occupational therapy
  • MSK Physiotherapy
  • Neurophysiotherapy
  • Children's podiatry
  • Speech and language therapy


Dietetics

Dietitians are the only qualified health professionals that assess, diagnose and treat diet and nutrition problems. They assess your child’s current diet and give advice and support on ways to improve their nutritional intake based on their needs.


Children’s physiotherapy - a team of qualified physiotherapists and technical instructors with specialist interests and knowledge in movement patterns and difficulties with a range of neurological conditions. They work with children who have difficulties with movement, posture and gait, helping them to develop their gross motor skills (such as walking, jumping etc.), aiming to promote independence and to help children and young people to participate and enjoy life.


Children's occupational therapy (OT) -Children’s OT teams work with children who have difficulties with; fine motor skills, visual perceptual skills and sensory processing, as well as children who have a neurological diagnosis. They may have difficulties with:

  • self care: getting dressed, using the toilet, preparing and eating meals
  • productivity: going to or participating at school or college, accessing community facilities and clubs
  • leisure: playing sports, shopping with friends, or doing hobbies.


Special nurse advisors / key workers - Specialist Nurse Advisor Service provides a specialist resource for disabled pre-school children residents in East Kent. Specialist Nurse Advisors and Key Workers work in partnership with families supporting them work through services available to them from pre- post diagnosis.


Joint feeding clinic – Supporting infants and children and young people who can have difficulties with feeding and/or swallowing and/or who have difficulties with gaining adequate nutrition and hydration in order to grow and develop in a safe and healthy way.


Musculoskeletal (MSK) physiotherapy

Paediatric musculoskeletal physiotherapy focuses on the assessment of paediatric orthopaedic conditions for children aged 0-16 years, including:

  • Fractures
  • Pre and post-surgery rehabilitation
  • Growth-related conditions - e.g. Osgood-Schlatters Disease, Severs Disease
  • Sports injuries
  • General muscle and joint aches and pains
  • Torticollis
  • Gait abnormalities
  • Symptomatic hypermobility
  • Rheumatology conditions
  • Neuromuscular disorders


Special needs nursery

The team provide developmental assessments, health assessments and interventions for children aged 18 months to five years who have delayed development, learning disabilities, physical disabilities and complex health needs in a nursery environment.


Child community health psychology - The community child health service assesses and manages children with a variety of developmental problems and neurodisability. Our team include clinical psychologists, clinical nurse specialists and therapists.

Children’s community services and providers


Audiology - the diagnosis and management of children experiencing hearing difficulties, tinnitus and balance problems.


Bowel and bladder service - assessment, education and suggesting appropriate interventions and advice for children and young people with bladder and/or bowel difficulties.


Children's communication and assistive technology (CCAT) – This service supports children with complex needs. Its work includes all forms of communications (other than speech) that are used to express thoughts, needs, wants and ideas and equipment that helps people with tasks they would otherwise be unable to do.


Children's community nursing – Epilepsy - specialist epilepsy nurses works exclusively with children and young people with epilepsy and their families. Working closely with consultant paediatricians to make sure we meet the needs of the young people who have a diagnosis of epilepsy and are dealing with seizures.


Children's community nursing - Providing hands-on care and support to children and young people with nursing needs, from short-term illnesses to long-term disabilities or chronic health conditions and end of life care. Supporting children so that they only have to be in hospital when they really need to be.


Community paediatrics - This service can assess, diagnose and support children with a variety of developmental problems and neuro-disability such as cerebral palsy, developmental delay, autism spectrum conditions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and muscular dystrophy.


Continence product review and assessment service - Qualified nurses and experienced support workers who provide care for children and young people who are assessed as needing support with continence products.


Looked After Children - A team of health professionals who promote the health and wellbeing and deliver health assessments of children in care.


Podiatry -specialise in all aspects of foot health, from common foot problems to more complicated conditions needing surgical correction. The team assess, diagnose and treat disorders of the foot and problems with gait.


Universal speech and language therapy (SLT) - Speech and language therapy provides treatment, support and care for children and young people who have difficulties with communication, or with eating, drinking and swallowing.


Residential units (short breaks) – Bluebells, Sunrise, Treetops, Windchimes and Fairlawn

These units provide overnight short breaks to children from five to 18 who have learning disabilities, social communication disorders, complex health needs and challenging behaviour.

Children receive specialised educational provision and each unit has a practice educator nurse who ensures staff are adequately trained and competent to deliver clinical care to the children using the service.


Special school nursing


Five Acre Wood, Nexus, Oakley, Milestones, Ifield, Aspen, Aspen and Whitfield, Beacon, Forelands Fields, St Nicholas and Wyvern – Nursing teams are based at special schools to support children and young people with complex health needs by providing training, support and guidance to school staff to enable them to meet the health needs of the children.


Children's therapy services – provide a range of therapies to under 18 including:

  • Nutrition and dietetics
  • Feeding clinic
  • Occupational therapy
  • MSK Physiotherapy
  • Neurophysiotherapy
  • Children's podiatry
  • Speech and language therapy


Dietetics

Dietitians are the only qualified health professionals that assess, diagnose and treat diet and nutrition problems. They assess your child’s current diet and give advice and support on ways to improve their nutritional intake based on their needs.


Children’s physiotherapy - a team of qualified physiotherapists and technical instructors with specialist interests and knowledge in movement patterns and difficulties with a range of neurological conditions. They work with children who have difficulties with movement, posture and gait, helping them to develop their gross motor skills (such as walking, jumping etc.), aiming to promote independence and to help children and young people to participate and enjoy life.


Children's occupational therapy (OT) -Children’s OT teams work with children who have difficulties with; fine motor skills, visual perceptual skills and sensory processing, as well as children who have a neurological diagnosis. They may have difficulties with:

  • self care: getting dressed, using the toilet, preparing and eating meals
  • productivity: going to or participating at school or college, accessing community facilities and clubs
  • leisure: playing sports, shopping with friends, or doing hobbies.


Special nurse advisors / key workers - Specialist Nurse Advisor Service provides a specialist resource for disabled pre-school children residents in East Kent. Specialist Nurse Advisors and Key Workers work in partnership with families supporting them work through services available to them from pre- post diagnosis.


Joint feeding clinic – Supporting infants and children and young people who can have difficulties with feeding and/or swallowing and/or who have difficulties with gaining adequate nutrition and hydration in order to grow and develop in a safe and healthy way.


Musculoskeletal (MSK) physiotherapy

Paediatric musculoskeletal physiotherapy focuses on the assessment of paediatric orthopaedic conditions for children aged 0-16 years, including:

  • Fractures
  • Pre and post-surgery rehabilitation
  • Growth-related conditions - e.g. Osgood-Schlatters Disease, Severs Disease
  • Sports injuries
  • General muscle and joint aches and pains
  • Torticollis
  • Gait abnormalities
  • Symptomatic hypermobility
  • Rheumatology conditions
  • Neuromuscular disorders


Special needs nursery

The team provide developmental assessments, health assessments and interventions for children aged 18 months to five years who have delayed development, learning disabilities, physical disabilities and complex health needs in a nursery environment.


Child community health psychology - The community child health service assesses and manages children with a variety of developmental problems and neurodisability. Our team include clinical psychologists, clinical nurse specialists and therapists.