Research helps shape new national standards for children’s health assessments

Congratulations to former Rees Centre researcher Dr Áine Kelly, whose Doctoral work has helped to inform the new Initial Health Assessment Delivery Standards from CoramBAAF.

These standards aim to improve children and young people’s experience of initial health assessments (IHAs), their outcomes and their health and wellbeing.

Aine’s dissertation is given special mention in the literature review.

Aine said: “My initial health assessment was frightening and meant I didn’t trust health services when I was in care. My sister’s condition was only recognised after she died rather than when she was a child in a care.

“That is why I care so much about improving health outcomes for children and young people in care. Initial health assessments are the first chance to spot health needs and make sure children don’t go unnoticed.

“It’s really encouraging to see that these new standards by CoramBAAF take informed consent, stigma, young people’s voices, and the realities of their daily lives seriously.”