Introduction to The Children In Care Health Team

If you have recently entered care, you will be offered an Initial Health assessment with the doctor at Alder Hey.

You will meet with the doctor or nurse and talk confidentially about your health. They will listen to any concerns you have. They may ask about your family and their health. You will be asked about how you are feeling and coping. You will have your height and weight checked and they may check your vision and look at your skin and listen to your heart and lungs.

This is your health assessment so you decide what you want to talk about and your doctor or nurse will not do anything that you have not agreed to first. Remember that it is a good thing to be healthy and to stay healthy.

Your health plan will be shared with your social worker, Children in Care specialist nurse and your GP. You will be offered a Review Health Assessment (RHA) 12 months after your IHA. This will be completed by your Children in Care specialist nurse in an environment which is comfortable to you

Scan the QR code to take you to a video all about your IHA

A Review Health Assessment is offered 12 months following your Initial Health Assessment. You will be seen in an environment that is comfortable for you. This is usually in your home, school or college. Your nurse will speak to you about any health concerns that you have. This may include your emotional wellbeing, your diet or sleep, sexual health and drugs or alcohol.

If you decide that you do not want to complete your Review Health Assessment, please speak with your nurse or social worker so that we can work together to ensure that your health needs are met.

Your Review Health Assessment will be discussed at your looked after children reviews with your social worker and IRO. If you do not wish for particular information to be shared, this can be discussed with your nurse.

Services available

Below is an image with information regarding services that are available within Liverpool. It is important to understand the different places that you can go if you are feeling unwell. You should only call 999 if you are seriously ill or injured, or your life is at risk. In none life threatening cases, you can contact 111 for health advice.

Being aware of where to get support for your sexual health is vital. Sex and relationships can be thought of as a private and personal matter and some of us may find the subject

embarrassing and difficult to talk about. However, it is a natural part of life and it’s right for all of us to be able to enjoy a positive, happy and healthy relationship when we are ready and it is lawful to do so.

In the UK, young people, like you, learn about sex and relationships from their families and also from school. They learn about the prevention of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI’s) and how unwanted pregnancies can be prevented with the use of contraception. The idea is that young people can learn about these things before they become sexually active.

To have sex with a person when they have not given consent, even if you are in a relationship with them or married, is against the law, it is a crime. Consent means that we agree to something, it is a choice. Consent can be withdrawn at any time.

The age of consent in the UK is 16 years old. Sexual activity with any person without informed consent is against the law and can result in a prison sentence for rape or sexual assault. If you

choose to have sex, or get into a relationship, please ensure that the other young person you are with is over the age of 16 and that you have their consent.

As a teenager, you may decide that you want to have a boyfriend or girlfriend. This is okay and completely natural, but also we understand that some teenagers would prefer to not be in a relationship. We want you to feel happy and safe in a relationship. A healthy relationship is when everyone feels respected, trusted and valued for who they are.

A healthy relationship includes

Good communication: You and your partner can talk openly about things without feeling scared of what might happen or being judged for what you’ve said

Mutual respect: You listen to each other and respect each other’s boundaries. And nobody does anything to make you feel uncomfortable, scared or humiliated

Trust: You can trust each other without getting jealous, including being able to spend time with other people

Honesty: Being able to say what you think and feel without censoring yourself or worrying what might happen

Equality: Nobody in a relationship should have power over the other person, and it’s never okay for someone to force you to do something

Being yourself: You’re able to keep being yourself, doing things you enjoy and spending time with friends and family outside of the relationship.

Even when it feels like you need your relationship, it can still be unhealthy or abusive. There might be one thing that makes you question your relationship, or lots of little things.

You can access more information on the NSPCC and Childline websites.

An unhealthy relationship can look like:

• Your partner going through your phone
• Being criticised for how you look, or having to change your appearance
• Getting bullied, hurt or hit, this is always abuse
• Feeling pressure to do sexual things or send naked pictures of yourself
• Being stopped from seeing people, or getting jealous if you do
• Feeling like you’re not in control of what you do or say
• Receiving gifts, but being made to feel like you need to do something in return

More information around consent can be found at www.disrespectnobody.co.uk or www.getit.org.uk

There is a translate button for many languages.

Liverpool have a place called Axess, who offer support and advice regarding sexual health for young people aged under 19.

They offer contraception and STI testing and are based at the Royal Liverpool Hospital, The Beat in Liverpool City Centre, South Liverpool Treatment Centre and Hanover Street in Liverpool.

As a child in care, you are more likely to have been subjected to adverse childhood experiences. These can affect your emotional and physical health. You are also more susceptible to post traumatic stress disorder due to your journey and things you may have experienced.

Looking after your mental health is so important. Here are some practical ways you can do this:

Connect with people, this can help you to build a sense of belonging and self worth, to give you an opportunity to share positive experiences and to provide emotional support and allow you to support others. You can do this by spending time your friends and family, volunteering, playing games with friends and family. Using technology can help too if people are not close by, but don’t rely on technology alone.

Be physically active, it can help raise your self esteem, help you to set goals or challenges and achieve them, it causes a chemical change in your brain to help positively change your mood (this is the Endorphins we spoke about earlier).

Learn new skills, this can help in boosting your self confidence and raising self esteem, help you to build a sense of purpose and help you to connect with others. You can learn loads of new things, such as learning to cook, trying a DIY project, signing up for new courses, or trying a new hobby such as a new sport or learning to paint

Give to others, this helps to create positive feelings and a sense of reward, helps in giving you a feeling of purpose and self-worth and helps you to connect with other people. You can do little things such as saying thank you to someone for something they’ve done, spending time with people who need support, offering help to others and volunteering in your community.

Pay attention to the present moment (mindfulness), paying more attention to the present moment can improve your mental wellbeing. This includes your thoughts and feelings, your body and the world around you.

If you ever feel like you’re struggling with your mental health, you need to speak to someone you trust and to seek support from your GP, Children in Care specialist nurse, social worker or support worker who will be able to talk to you about what help you can get.

Young Person’s Advisory Service: www.ypas.org.uk For urgent mental health support, please call our 24/7 freephone helpline: 0800 145 6570.

The age to legally consume alcohol in the UK is 18 years old.

Know the risks

Drinking alcohol can damage a child’s health, even if they’re 15 or older. It can affect the normal development of vital organs and functions, including the brain, liver, bones and hormones.

Drinking at an early age is also associated with risky behaviour, such as violence, having more sexual partners, pregnancy, using drugs, employment problems and drink driving.

If you are drinking alcohol, it is important you know your limits and what to do if you feel too drunk. You should make an adult aware that you’re drinking and alcohol and where you are. You should always call 999 if you feel unsafe or suspect you have alcohol poisoning or you or someone you’re with is dangerously intoxicated.

If you have alcohol poisoning it can affect your balance and speech, as well as the nerves that control breathing and heartbeat. It can stop your gag reflex from working, putting you at serious risk of choking to death, especially if you vomit.

Expansion of blood vessels near the skin caused by alcohol, lack of perception of danger and falling asleep without adequate protection in cold weather can all lower body temperature, leading to hypothermia. Knowing basic first aid is always a good idea.

The use of drugs in the UK is illegal at any age. There are several risks associated with taking drugs such as:

• Liver, kidney and heart problems
• Increased risk of mental health problems
• Financial implications
• Damages relationships with others
• Your safety and others is reduced and you’re more likely to make poor decisions

For more information you can visit www.talktofrank.com

If you feel that you need support with drug or alcohol use, please contact the below service who can support you

We Are With You: 0151 702 0655 or www.wearewithyou.org.uk

The legal age to smoke cigarettes or vapes in the UK is 18 years old. Smoking causes cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung diseases, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

Smoking also increases risk for tuberculosis, certain eye diseases, and problems of the immune system, including rheumatoid arthritis.

You can access www.smokefreeliverpool.co.uk if you need support to stop smoking.