Healthy futures: supporting and promoting the health needs of looked after children

This document contains seven case studies of positive initiatives in local authorities around the country.

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All children have health needs, and local authorities now have a major role in meeting these.

But looked after children and young people have higher levels of health needs than their peers, and these are often met less successfully – leading to poorer outcomes. In particular, they have significantly more prevalent and more serious emotional and mental health needs (mainly because of the frequency with which these children enter care with problems arising from poverty, abuse, neglect, or trauma from other family circumstances).

If we can get it right for the most vulnerable, such as looked after children and care leavers, then it is more likely we will get it right for all those in need.

Future in mind, DH/NHS England, 2015