The CYPCC service supports children and young people up to age 18 whose health needs are greater than what standard NHS services like GPs, hospitals, and community care can provide.
These health needs may be due to:
- disability
- long term or life limiting conditions
- serious illness or injury
If a child’s needs cannot be met by regular services, they may get extra support through continuing care. The CYPCC team at Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (LSC ICB) will assess if a child needs this support.
How to access continuing care
The service is free for those who meet the eligibility criteria. Any health or social care professional can refer a child or young person if they believe extra support may be needed.
The process:
- a referral (continuing care checklist) is completed
- if unmet health needs are found, a full assessment is carried out
- the family and professionals are involved throughout the assessment
- the National Framework below guides how the assessment and decisions are made
The national framework: Children and young people’s continuing care national framework - GOV.UK
After the assessment
The assessment and supporting information are reviewed by the CYPCC team at LSC ICB.
A panel of health and social care experts decides if the child qualifies for continuing care.
If eligible, a care package is arranged to support the child and family at home. This could be through a care provider or a personal health budget.
The care package is reviewed regularly, at least once a year, to ensure it still meets the child’s needs. The support may increase, decrease, or stop, depending on changes in the child’s health.
Personal Health Budgets
If a child or young person is deemed to have a continuing care need and requires an assessed package of care, there is an option to use a personal health budget, also known as a PHB, to meet some or all of the assessed needs.
A personal health budget is an amount of funding provided via a direct payment, paid directly to the parent/guardian of the child or to a managed account company to support with purchasing the care required.
Choosing to have a personal health budget allows you the flexibility to plan individual and creative ways to meet your care and support needs.
A personal health budget could allow you or your child to be supported by the right person for them; this could be friends or family as a paid PA or a care agency of your choosing.
More information about Personal Health Budgets in Lancashire and South Cumbria.
Contact us
For more information or to discuss children and young people’s continuing care you can contact us in the following ways:
Email: lscicb.childrensreferrals@nhs.net
Telephone: 01772 952 610 choose Option 3
Service hours: 9.00am to 5.00pm, Monday to Friday, closed weekends and bank holidays.