Our Integrated Childrens Nursing and Therapy Team have been hard at work throughout the coronavirus pandemic, and have made some changes to their services in order to keep our colleagues and patients safe.
We will be taking a closer look at each part of the team to highlight their great work.
At the start of the pandemic, our Speech and Language therapists contacted all families on their current caseloads to let parents know that the team were still operating and providing a telephone consultation service. Some parents needed sign posting to other services for support and advice, so the SLT team helped navigate these services.
SLT adapted quickly to new ways of working and now offer “Attend Anywhere” or “Microsoft Teams” virtual consultations with children and families.
So far, the team have had nearly 200 successful virtual consultations. This enables them to do assessments, share the screen to play therapy games, and most importantly it enables them to see the child! There has been only one critical home visit with full PPE during this time.
Virtual drop-in clinics are now being tested which will allow around 12 children and families to access support while they are on the SLT waiting list.
Parent coaching and support programmes (usually followed in school) are being delivered by parents at home while schools are closed. Our Therapists have been having phone appointments with parents to review progress. Assistant Therapists have been posting bespoke resources to parents who don’t have access to printing or technology, and sharing details of helpful websites for ideas to support their child. There has been positive feedback from parents who now feel more involved in the programmes.
The team are also delivering a NICE recommended Speech and Language Hanen parenting group for 8 parents on Microsoft Teams. For parents whose child is experiencing a communication difficulty, Hanen’s specialized programs can provide them with the tools they need for helping their child to reach their fullest communication potential. The team are pleased to have the technology to be able to deliver this course, and say it has helped to break down previous barriers like finding suitable venues.
Great stuff!
Sarah Chadwick loaned to work two days in adult services strengthening our links with adult services
What’s next?
- Reviewing the waiting list and triaging what can continue to be virtual and who we must see face to face in the future.
- Working to support schools virtually, supporting teachers and teaching assistants as schools start to reopen.
At the start of the coronavirus pandemic, our Childrens Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy team contacted all families on the current caseload and waiting list to offer telephone consultations and appointments. New referrals were triaged and either received relevant advice and information, or were accepted on to a caseload and offered a telephone consultation.
Programmes that are usually delivered in schools are now being delivered at home by parents, with follow up calls by our Therapists or Assistant Therapist to check on progress. Therapists modelled programs in order to engage with children and advise parents how to make or find resources at home (pastry, bubbles).
Both Therapists and Assistants have continued to provide advice and support, signposted and referred patients who are struggling during the pandemic.
Over 60 Virtual consultations and video links have taken place with positive feedback including: “Less Stressful for the child who has anxiety”, “managed to engage with a family who often DNA”, “no issues with parking or booking rooms”. Only 4 face to face home visits have been delivered to one family over last 6 weeks.
Multidisciplinary assessments are being carried out via the Attend Anywhere programme. Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy have also developed the use of virtual consultations and have more than one professional at the same consultation – saving time and reducing the number of appointments needed. This provides a coordinated approach and is helpful when producing joint Education and Health Care Planning during weekly Teams meetings with the wider team.
Great stuff!
Sarah Lyngh, Steve Cheslett Davey, and Yoko Fox have all helped in the adult services supporting colleagues.
What’s next?
- There is a need to increase the number of face to face visits as 36 children will require Face to Face visits in the next 6 weeks to prevent their condition deteriorating
- Linking up with Tone Management clinic Preston via Attend Anywhere.
- All Parenting and Transition groups to continue as planned during July virtually
- Working to support schools virtually, supporting teachers and teaching assistants as school start to reopen.
Community Childrens Nurses have continued to see children a week for critical face to face home visits wearing full PPE during the coronavirus pandemic. They have been delivering consumables to households where children are shielding – using the opportunity to provide socially distanced door step support visits.
CCN’s have been training parents on carrying out new procedures at home in order to avoid their child needing to visit hospital. They have also been working with other specialist services to provide care at home, including renal dialysis and blood tests.
CCN’s have continued to support children in Bleasdale and The Loyne Specialist Schools by providing parents with a contact mobile number for their key nurse. Key nurses have been contacting parents regularly throughout the pandemic to give advice and provide signposting or referrals to other services where needed. They have also been delivering training and support for school staff regarding medicine management.
In The Loyne School, Nurses have remained on site to support 3 children with medical needs.
The team have been working with Child Development Specialist Nurses and the Specialist Continence Nurses by contacting parents with plans on how to care for their child at home - giving advice on things like toilet training, managing constipation and sleep. Continence Clinics have continued via telephone, with only one face to face appointment needed.
Virtual meetings have also taken place with RMCH Macmillan Nurses, Palliative Care teams and Lancashire Special Needs and Continuing Care Nurses.
On 23 March 2020, children’s hearing tests were suspended until further notice. All children on the waiting list were contacted, and parents received information on tips and strategies on what to do to help with hearing loss and where to get further advice.
Great stuff!
- Paula Lancashire was redeployed into the new-born hearing team and continued to do new-born hearing tests across Morecambe Bay. The audiology rooms were used for new-born hearing tests to avoid parents and children needing to travel to attend hospital appointments - enabling them to access services closer to home in Morecambe, Carnforth and Lancaster.
- Loyne school appreciated the Nurses so much they had Scrubs specially made for them to wear.
- Alison Matthews CCN had been looking forward to retiring in May, but has held off so she can help during the pandemic.
- Lisa Macnamara has been helping in Neonates, Jo Morrison and Alison Matthews helped on the ward and outpatients
- One of our widowed parents had a big birthday recently and the CCNs dropped them a birthday card and cake when delivering the child’s consumables.
What’s next?
The team are busy planning how to return to delivering the service using PPE and social distancing.
