Personal Health Record of Children in Residential Children’s Homes
Scope of this chapter
This procedure details what should happen with the Personal Child Health Record given to the parents of all children when the child moves to live in a residential children’s home. This includes short breaks.
Relevant Regulations
Children Act 1989
Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations
Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015
Related guidance
The Personal Health Record (Form CH/LA/12) must be completed and maintained for all children and young people who move to live in a residential children’s home This includes children and young people who receive short breaks.
A copy of the form will be retained in the residential children’s home and updated as necessary.
The purpose of the form is to provide a comprehensive record both of the child’s health history and of any on-going health treatment.
Between 1989 and 1991 the Health Authorities introduced a Personal Child Health Record which is given to the parents of all new born babies for safekeeping, and which is updated to provide a comprehensive record. This Personal Child Health Record will be used by the children’s residential home where they are available.
The Record is a confidential document and will be stored in a secure cabinet.
The Personal Health Record (Form CH/LA/12) is the property of Nottinghamshire Social Care Services until the young person reaches the age of 16. It will then become the property of the young person although she/he may prefer, for practical or security reasons, that it continues to be stored by staff while they remain resident in the residential children's home. This will be the decision of the young person.
When a young person leaves the Home before the age of 16, the Record is transferred as below.
Access to the individual Record by the young person or others will be governed by the same principles and procedures as the other recordings on the case file.
It will be the responsibility of the young person's residential key worker to ensure that the individual Record is properly maintained. The Homes Manager will monitor the maintenance of all the Personal Health Records in the Home.
Residential staff may well find difficulty in obtaining the young person's previous health history; they will be able to seek the help of the Looked After the GP and any Health Authority staff linked to the residential children’s home.
The Records will be kept in a secure, locked area where they can remain confidential; it will be for the Homes Manager to decide where to secure them while the young people are resident in the Home.
Once a young person reaches the age of 16, the Record becomes her/his own property and should be offered to her/him. It may be that she/he would prefer, for security or convenience, that the Record continues to be stored by the staff, and this option should be made clear to her/him.
If the original is given to the young person for safe keeping, a copy of the Record at that point will be held on the case file as a precaution in case the original is lost.
lf the young person returns to their family:
- The original is given to an/the adult who she/he will be living with; and
- A copy of the Record at that point is retained on the case file.
If the young person moves to a Foster Carer:
- The original is given to the Foster Carer; and
- A copy of the Record at that point is retained on the case file.
If the young person moves to another Residential Children's Home:
- The original is given to the Registered Manager of the receiving Residential Children’s Home.
If the young person moves out to live independently:
- The original is given to the young person if they have not been given it previously; and
- A copy of the Record at that point is retained on the case file.
Last Updated: July 28, 2022
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