Advantage Healthcare Children and Young People Brochure

1. Children and Young People
Advantage Healthcare is a specialist provider of complex care services
to children and young people
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2. Every child matters
To us, to you, to them.
Advantage Healthcare recognises that every child matters to us, to you and to them. Our aim is to achieve positive
outcomes for every child in our care. We have a proven wealth of experience and knowledge in planning and
delivering the supply of services to children and young people on a national level.
The Department of Health states that there are approximately 23,500 children and young people in the UK
diagnosed with life limiting and complex health conditions. In addition to this, medical advances in paediatric care
have resulted in an increase in the number of children needing long term medical and nursing care. These children
are dependent on complex technological devices such as mechanical ventilation, tracheostomies and artificial
feeding. Most technologically dependent children live at home with parents as their main carers.
Advantage Healthcare is currently working with over 150 children throughout the UK
who have needs ranging from social care to complex clinical requirements. Current
packages of care we provide include the following conditions*;
• Chronic Lung Disease
• Undiagnosed Neurological Conditions
• Multi Limb Motor Disorder
• Severe Microcephaly
• Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia
• Adrenoleukodystrophy
• Congenital Central Hypoventilation Syndrome
• Neonatal Encephalopathy
• Sleep Apnoea
• Brain Injury
• Cerebral Palsy
• Epilepsy
*This list is not exhaustive

3. These packages of care are delivered by Children’s Nurses or highly skilled Healthcare Assistants under a carefully
supervised training and task delegation process. Our specialist team implement and manage the complex care
needs of each child providing bespoke, specialised training and ongoing supervision to all of our workers.
We acknowledge the rights of children and young people and the fundamental role that parents, carers and families
play in helping children and young people achieve their full potential.
Be Healthy
Our duty to children and young people is to support them to make healthy lifestyle choices. We recognise that
children need to be emotionally and mentally healthy and to have a stable and safe home environment that
supports their healthy lifestyles.
Stay Safe
We recognise the importance of stability and a safe environment and understand that we have a responsibility to
safeguard and promote the welfare of every child that we support.
We provide our staff with annual adult and child safeguarding training along with annual health and safety updates.
Enjoy and Achieve
We encourage the children whom we support to achieve personal goals and social development. Advantage
Healthcare employees are actively involved in encouraging social recreation and participation in cultural activities
as well as promoting learning outcomes from social and educational environments.
Make a Positive Contribution
We encourage all of the children and young people we support to understand that they have the ability to enrich
the lives of others. We promote positive behaviour and help children and their families successfully deal with
significant changes and challenges.
Achieve Economic Well Being
Through specialised training and regular peer group meetings where colleagues share information and inspirational
ideas, our workers help service users envisage a positive future for themselves and their families. Our aim is to
ensure the provision of a continuity of care for all children we support.
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4. Our Model
Layers of Support
Our model, outlined below, supports the ‘Every Child Matters’ child reforms. We partner with healthcare
professionals and Local Authority staff to ensure a safe and sustainable service is delivered to all children within
our care.

5. Quality assurance and
Outcomes
By being part of the wider Multidisciplinary team, each stage of the process is assessed, planned, risk managed and
supported by our team of experts, which include;
Complex Care Specialists
Our Complex Care Specialists support our branch network in the implementation of complex care packages ensuring
that the needs of the individual service users and their families are met. They provide advice and support to ensure
the provision of bespoke specialised training and ongoing supervision of delegated tasks, where relevant.
Clinical Nurse Specialists
Our Clinical Nurse Specialists are a dedicated team of qualified professionals who offer clinical support and
guidance to the Care Team. The Clinical Nurse Specialists’ experience and qualifications cover a wide range of
clinical specialities. Our team includes a number of Specialist Children’s Nurses.
Quality and Development Managers
Our Quality and Development Managers ensure we only supply the highest quality staff through rigorous internal
quality assurance systems that are continually reviewed and monitored. All of our workers are compliant with the
Care Quality Commission (CQC), Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales (CSSIW) and Social Care and Social
Work Inspectorate Scotland (SCSWIS).
Our service is flexible to allow personalisation and greater control by the child or young person and their family,
with a strong focus on delivering a consistent and continuous provision of care.
Through peer group meetings, supervision and specialised training, we will continually develop worker’s knowledge
in order to give staff the skills necessary to maximise personal development whilst minimising risks for all children.
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6. Our
Implementation Plan
Requirements
Assessment Individual, holistic assessment to be completed by a Specialist Children’s Nurse.
Clinical needs, staff and training requirements to be identified.
Relevant care plans and risk assessments to be completed and agreed with family.
Initial Staffing Requirements Identify a Team Leader and/or Specialist Children’s Nurse.
5 x Registered Nurses and 5 x skilled Healthcare Assistants with suitable qualifications, skills and experience.
Ongoing Staffing Ongoing recruitment plans to be in place with the local team, identifying and introducing new team members to the ch
Requirements potential staff absence and annual leave.
Mandatory Training All staff must have undertaken and successfully completed the following training which is a mandatory requirement: Pa
Handling and Paediatric BLS), First Aid, Medication Awareness, Infection Control (inc.COSHH and RIDDOR), Health and S
Fire Safety, Lone Working, Risk Incident Reporting and Safeguarding (inc. SOVA/POCA).
Specialist Training An Advantage Healthcare Registered Nurse will carry out an in-depth clinical assessment of needs, and from this, identi
are competent to undertake the clinical procedures and have a comprehensive understanding of the service user’s cond
Tracheostomy Care (inc. Tracheostomy change, planned and emergency), Ventilation, Suctioning, Epilepsy (including se
Endoscopic Gastrostomy (PEG).
Task Delegation & Specialist Prior to carrying out any clinical procedures, Carers will be assessed as competent by a Registered Children’s Nurse and
Practical Training
Supervision Ongoing supervision to be provided to HCAs to monitor competency levels, thus ensuring that safe parameters are uphe
Integration of Staff Following the training and supervision sessions, Nurses will confirm the competency of the highly skilled Healthcare Ass
trained and confident to care.
24 hour contact details Inform healthcare professionals, service users and their families of our out-of-hours service, including details of our clin

7. Responsible Parties Timeframes
Advantage Healthcare. ASAP after referral.
Advantage Healthcare. Expected timeframe of 6-8
weeks to accommodate
recruitment requirements
e.g. enhanced CRB checks and
references.
he child and family as required to cover Advantage Healthcare. Ongoing.
nt: Paediatric Mandatory (inc. Paediatric Manual To be provided by Advantage Healthcare through in-house training. Prior to commencing work and
and Safety (inc. MRSA and Clostridium Difficile), annually thereafter.
dentify training requirements to ensure Carers To be agreed/confirmed with key clinicians and family. Advantage TBC – expected timeframes of
condition. Some of the areas covered include: Healthcare to resource specialist training via our existing specialist 4-6 weeks following referral.
ng seizure management) and Percutaneous clinical resource.
e and will receive ongoing supervision. To be agreed/confirmed with key clinicians involved. Advantage TBC – expected timeframes of
Healthcare to resource specialist training via our existing specialist 4-6 weeks following referral.
clinical resource.
upheld. Lead Nurse to provide ongoing supervision and support to team, Ongoing.
service users and family. Any concerns to be reported immediately to
Advantage Healthcare.
e Assistants and ensure that they are fully Advantage Healthcare will ensure appropriate protocols and 4-6 weeks following referral.
procedures are in place and that theoretical and practical training has
been provided.
ur clinical escalation procedure. Advantage Healthcare. Prior to service provision.
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8. “ Facilitating a
smooth transition
from hospital to
home.

9. Case Study
Ventilated Child
The Client
James* was born prematurely at 23 weeks and has chronic lung disease and subglottic stenosis. He has a
tracheostomy to help him breathe and requires continual ventilation. James receives all of his dietary requirements
via a gastrostomy. He also suffers with epilepsy for which he receives ongoing medical treatment.
James spent the first 12 months of his life in hospital leaving his family desperate for the day when he was able to
come home.
The Requirement
James’ acute care requirements posed a challenge for the PCT as this was to be their first continually ventilated
child in the community. As a result of this, they approached Advantage Healthcare to assess
the feasibility of setting up a 24 hour care package.
An initial meeting was organised with the Advantage Healthcare Children’s Clinical
Nurse Specialists and Quality and Development teams to establish safe parameters of
working and identify potential risks. These included;
• Delegation of nursing tasks to Healthcare Assistants (following NMC guidelines).
• Identifying a Lead Nurse to carry out ongoing supervision and support for our workers.
• Identifying experienced workers with relevant skills to provide care.
• Identifying necessary competence levels.
• Coordinating specialist training requirements.
• Obtaining relevant protocols based on James’ specific clinical routine and emergency procedures such
as food regimes and emergency epilepsy management.
• Establishing suitable equipment levels.
Advantage Healthcare liaised with the Community Nursing team and the Specialist Hospital team in order to
facilitate a smooth transition from hospital to home. A detailed care assessment of James’ requirements was
carried out with James, his family and relevant healthcare professionals.
Advantage Healthcare organised for care staff to attend a service user specific training programme. It was also
agreed that Advantage Healthcare would meet with James and his family on a weekly basis to ensure that they
were happy with the service. A Lead Nurse was recruited to provide clinical support and supervision to the care
staff and family, which has been extremely successful in offering support to all key individuals.
The Outcome
Advantage Healthcare has now been managing James’ care package for over 12 months. It has been a huge triumph
with our staff learning new skills and taking on additional responsibilities. More importantly, we have enabled
James to go home and live a fulfilling and positive life.
*Service user’s name has been changed for confidentiality.
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10. Supporting your
Requirements
Advantage Healthcare has a large resource of highly skilled Nursing and Healthcare Personnel that are available to
work throughout the UK and we will recruit specifically for your needs, to ensure you have the best possible team.
We offer a professional and dedicated service to children and young people with complex needs.
Our specialist teams are available to implement packages in a timely manner, ensuring the highest quality of care is
delivered and our person centred approach enables the child and their family members to feel comfortable and in
control of their own care from the outset.
What do you
Need to do next?
Should you have a specific package of care you wish to discuss or require further information on the types of service
we can offer, please contact us by telephone, email or by visiting our website.
Email:
continuingcare@advantagehealthcare.com
Website:
www.advantagehealthcare.com/continuingcare
Telephone:
0800 526 031