Community Children’s Nursing

The Community Children’s Nursing (CCN) Team is made up of:

• Children’s Nurses – Community / Special Schools
• Children’s Support Workers
• Paediatric Epilepsy Nurse

The team provides nursing care and support to children who require specialised children’s nursing input at home.

The CCN works closely with other professionals to ensure the best possible care in the community setting. The CCN will act as an advocate for the child and family and will provide a link between acute and community care.

The CCN team can advise, support and teach families to care for their child aged 0-18 years at home.

Philosophy of the Service

We believe that children with complex healthcare needs should be given the opportunity, where appropriate, to be cared for in their home environment by their families, with the support of the Community Children’s Nursing Team.

The CCN Service is part of the Children’s Complex Health Service. This is a multi professional service and includes disciplines such as:

• Physiotherapists
• Occupational Therapists
• Speech and Language Therapists
• Dietetics
• Community Paediatricians

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• Aims of the service
  • To work in partnership with children and their family to enable the child to be cared for in the home setting
  • To reduce the length of stay in hospital for children with complex healthcare needs
  • To give continuity of care by supporting families at home
  • To minimise family disruption caused by hospitalisation
  • To provide health education for the family at home
  • To provide end of life care/support
  • Promote social inclusion
• Who would receive care at home?
  • Children who have received a diagnosis of debilitating or life threatening/life limiting illness
  • Children with special needs who also have a health condition, requiring nursing care
  • Children who are terminally ill or have palliative care needs
  • Children with chronic disease such as asthma, diabetes or epilepsy who require specific children’s nursing input – this may only be during an acute phase of their disease
  • Children requiring home intravenous therapy
  • Children who are technology dependent