Integrated Care Northamptonshire: Children and Young People with Complex Needs

Children and Young People Transformation Programme: Children and Young People with Complex Needs

Young people, parents/carers, and a multi-agency group of professionals have collaborated to agree a shared understanding of the term, 'complex needs.' They have agreed the following statements to help to explain what is meant by 'complex needs.'

"Children and young people whose special educational needs, disabilities, or adverse experiences have a significant and ongoing impact on their life. They are likely to need specialist support from education, health, and/or social care at times or throughout their childhood and adolescence. This may be because of illness, disability, neurodiversity, broader life circumstances, or a combination of these."

"Complex needs may be present from birth or may develop and fluctuate over the course of a child or young person's life. Early planning will be required to support transition from children to adult services."

"Complex needs also includes families with identified or escalating welfare and/or safeguarding needs due to health and social care factors. The complexity of needs of the children and young people will require a system-wide approach to meeting health, social care and educational needs."

"In service delivery terms, it is likely that one or more of the following will apply to these children and young people:

• known to NHS Specialist Teams
• known to Disabled Children Team
• open to Children’s Trust services and have an Early Help Assessment, Child in Need Plan, Child Protection Plan or an Adolescent Risk Management Plan
• considered by themselves or services to be at risk of criminal and/or sexual exploitation, be the victim or perpetrator of offending behaviours
• at an SEN level of support or have an Education Health and Care Plan
• are Looked After 
• known to the Youth Offending Service
• on the Dynamic Support Register (for learning disabled or autistic people at risk of hospital admission)."