Tees Safeguarding Children Partnerships' Procedures Download Referral Form Consult 'The Framework of Need'

1. Details of the Pilot

Tees Valley Safeguarding Dental Access Referral Pathway (presentation - opens in another link) 

• Starting 3^rd January 2023 for 3 months.
• Referrals can be made by Paediatricians and public health nurses.
• Referrals can be made for any children living in the Tees Valley area having child protection medicals or attending initial/review health assessments by Tees Valley clinicians.

 

2. Referral Process

• Referrals can be made to the following:
  • Child’s own identified dental practice
  • Family preferred dental practice
  • “Named Referral “ dental practice
• Referrals to identified or “own” or “preferred” dental practice are subject to capacity.
• The only guaranteed appointment will be to named referral practices.
• Referrals to the Community Dental Services (for specialist care if criteria met) can be to Tees CDS or CDDFT CDS (Darlington referrals).
• CDDFT CDS may not be able to offer a dental assessment appointment within 20 days as part of the Initial Health Assessment process.
• List of named referral practices/CDS and all practices in Tees Valley are included in this spreadsheet. However, only the named referral practice’s email addresses have been confirmed as regularly monitored on a daily basis.

 

3. Which children to refer (referral pathway to be embedded here)

The following referral pathway provides details of which children to refer and to whom:

Tees Valley Safeguarding Dental Access Care Pathway for Children

 

4. Roles and responsibilities: key stakeholders

4.1 Referring Clinician /Trust clinical team

• Only use the agreed Dental Referral Form (Referral letters will not be accepted).
• Seek consent for the referral, and stress the importance of regular dental attendance.
• Provide details of person able to give legal consent for the child’s dental treatment. It is ESSENTIAL to advise legal guardians that they will need to be present for the initial dental appointment to GIVE CONSENT. If the legal guardian is not present at the dental appointment to give consent the child will not be seen (unless deemed clinically necessary for the best interest of the child).
• Copy your referral to the child’s social worker (if there is one).
• Provide an email address of the child’s social worker as all dental reports will be copied to the social worker.
• If your referral is URGENT please state this on the form and provide clinical details of pain and any obvious signs of infection. Please state URGENT dental referral in the title of your referral email.
• Please specifically ask if the family can envisage any difficulties with dental attendance or whether their child/foster child has any additional needs. Document the response on the referral form.
• The referring clinician will receive an acknowledgement of the receipt of the referral by the named referral dental practice and a date of the initial appointment. If you have not received an acknowledgement of receipt please can you contact the dental practice to ensure the referral has been received.
• Ensure the dental report forms part of the child’s clinical record.
• Ensure there is a Trust system in place to record monthly referral activity on the agreed excel spreadsheet:

Monthly Safeguarding Dental Access Referral Pathway Activity Monitoring Sheet

 

4.2 Named Referral Dental Practice

• Email acknowledgement of receipt of referral and date of 1^st appointment will be sent to the referring clinician.
• A dental appointment will be sent to the legal guardian of the child.
• A dental report will be sent to the referring clinician and social worker
  • On completion of treatment or
  • WNB for 1^st Appointment or
  • Discharged – Two consecutive WNB appointments.
• The report will provide information on:
  • Dates of check-up/treatment/WNBs
  • What treatment has been provided: advice/prevention and treatment
  • Summary of impact of non-attendance (if WNB).

 

4.3 Social Care Team

• Expect copies of dental referrals and dental reports to be sent to you, on receipt please incorporate into the child’s record.
• SWs are responsible for informing dental practices of any change of address if a referral has been made.
• The identified named Social Worker (SW) will be contacted to support dental attendance if the child is WNB.
• If the child is discharged from the dental practice due to two consecutive non-attendance appointments, it is requested the SW follows-up with the family as required.
• SWs and Independent Review Officer (IRO) to maintain oversight of dental referral/report/ and any follow-up required. Impact of non-attendance will be provided in the dental report if the child has been seen.
• The dental report should form part of the child’s record to maintain continuity of care.