Access to Secondary Healthcare (e.g. CYPMHS) Services - for Children in Care Living Out of Area

Before the child/young person moves into their new home, the social worker should ensure that the Integrated Care Board (ICB) and Local Authority/Trust have been notified of the arrangement. If the placement is made in an emergency these notifications must be sent within 5 working days of the child/ young person moving. The relevant ICB and Local Authority/Trust can be identified using the NHS website. The Placements Team can help identify who should be notified in the ICB, and the address.

The social worker must ensure that the child/young person has been registered with a local GP. In some cases the GP may obtain services from a different ICB than that covered by the home address of the child. A telephone call to the GP surgery will clarify which ICB they obtain services from, including their local CYPMHS provider.

The social worker will ensure that the appropriate consent has been obtained to access mental and other health services for the child/young person:

• A parent or other person who holds parental responsibility may give consent;
• If the child/young person is the subject of a care order, and it is inappropriate or not practicable to obtain the consent of a parent, the Team Manager may give consent on behalf of the Children's Trust;
• If the young person is aged 16+ they may give consent.

The social worker will identify a local CYPMHS or other secondary service provider, using the NHS Find your local Integrated Care Board facility. The worker should contact the provider to establish their referral process (for example whether they have a standard referral form) and check what additional information they may need.

If the provider intends to re-charge the Birmingham ICB for services, the worker should notify them of the Birmingham ICB requirements - this is normally a two-stage process in which the Birmingham ICB first agrees funding for an assessment, and then agrees funding for the recommended intervention. The provider should send details of their costs to the worker who will forward them to the complex care commissioning team.

The request for funding approval form to access secondary healthcare (e.g. CYPMHS) support for a child placed out of area is in the Practice Guidance.

Completed funding request forms should be sent to bham.ccp@nhs.net. Please note the guidance on the form regarding the requirement to use a secure email route.

If the local provider is unable or unwilling to provide a timely service, or there is any other difficulty in accessing a service the social worker should contact the in-house Therapeutic Emotional Support Service (TESS) at TESS@birminghamchildrenstrust.co.uk.