Health services for children and young people with special educational needs and disability (SEND)
All children in Camden have access to services provided by the Integrated Early Years Service.
This includes:
- health visitors and family support workers for families with children aged 0 to 5
- the school nursing service for those with children aged 5 years and over in a mainstream school or electively home-educated
To provide the healthy child programme, we work with families and other partners like:
- Children's Centres & Family Hubs staff
- schools
- voluntary agencies
This programme promotes health and healthy outcomes, through early identification and early interventions.
We work in a variety of settings including Children's Centres & Family Hubs, clinics, schools and the family home.
Specialist services
We have specialist services that support Children's Centres & Family Hubs, nurseries and schools to meet the health needs of children with SEND.
Some children may need to see one health professional such as a speech and language therapist, occupational therapist or physiotherapist. This can be done through hospitals, Children's Centres & Family Hubs, and schools. These services are under the umbrella of the Camden Integrated Children’s Service (CICS).
Children with more complex needs and disability may have their needs met in a better way through MOSAIC, which is also a part of CICS.
Our health professionals work with you to make sure that joint assessments are carried out when your child needs to see more than one health professional.
Find out more about our specialist services:
Camden Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) helps children and young people who have problems with things such as behaviour, self-esteem or depression.
When moving from children's services to adult services, the Minding the Gap transition service can help.
The Speech and Language Therapy service support children from birth to 19 years old who have speech, language, and communication needs.
The Children’s Audiology (Hearing) Service assesses and treats children and young people's hearing.
The Continence, Bladder, and Bowel Care service helps provide support and advice to help with managing children's continence. ERIC, the children's continence charity may also be a good place to get support and advice.
Whittington Health Community Dental Service arranges dental services for priority needs groups.
The Life Force team supports children and young people with life-threatening or life-limiting conditions.
Camden has a wheelchair service for children and adults. For details on the service see Camden and Islington Wheelchair Service.
Whizz-KIDZ can help your disabled child with mobility equipment. They sometimes work jointly with the local authority.
Home visiting and community services
The Health Visiting Service is a home-visiting and community-based service to support children and families in promoting health and well-being.
The Community Paediatricians team are specialist children's doctors.
Visit NHS website to search for a local dentist, GP, or pharmacy.
Support based in schools
The Community Children’s Nursing Service supports children in schools and at home with complex medical needs.
The Camden School Nursing Service is a service where there are nurses based in schools who support children in schools.
Transition to adult care
Within each of our health teams, there are transition teams and processes. This is to make sure that there is a smooth transition from children's health services to adult services. For example, if you are seeing a paediatrician, there will be a transition and handover to adult doctors.
Please ask a member of the relevant team who will be able to advise you. There is also health, wellbeing, and leisure information for young people on preparing for adult life.
The Camden Learning Disability Service, is an integrated service with social workers and health workers. If you are eligible for a service, during transition you will likely receive health and social care services from this team.