Children’s Community Nursing

The Children’s Community Nursing (CCN) Service provides nursing care and support to children and young people aged 0-18 years registered with a GP in West Essex (Harlow, Epping & Uttlesford District) who have a short or long term nursing need as well as those with life limiting and life threatening conditions.

We’re a skilled team of specialist community children’s nurses that provide a wide range of nursing and extended nursing roles.

We provide a flexible and accessible service that gives support and advice to children and young people who have a short or long term nursing need as well as those with life limiting and life threatening conditions.

How can we help?

We work in partnership with a range of other professionals to achieve the right outcomes for the children and young people who require our service.

We will work with you and your child at home, in nursery or school – whichever is most appropriate. By doing this, we hope to reduce the need for your child to attend hospital. We offer support and nursing care to children and young people with a range of health needs including:

• Common conditions like Asthma, Eczema, Fever, Gastroenteritis, Bronchiolitis
• Post-operative support & wound care
• Co-ordination and monitoring of complex care and medical needs
• Oxygen therapy and/or oxygen monitoring
• Feeding management and support where needs include care of nasogastric and gastrostomy tubes
• Support with heart conditions
• Palliative & end of life care

Who might my child see?

The Children’s Community Nursing Team is made up of registered children’s nurses who are well-qualified and very experienced.

Your child may first meet a community nurse prior to discharge from hospital, at home after referral to the service or in their school where nursing support and training has been requested.

What happens next?

To access the Children’s Community Nursing Service your child will need to be registered with a GP in West Essex and live in West Essex; your child must also have a nursing need.

A medical or other healthcare professional can make a referral.

After a referral has been accepted, a children’s community nurse will make contact and a first visit will be arranged at an appropriate location to decide the nursing care and support needed.

The nurse will then discuss the assessment process with you to build and agree a plan of care.

Information for referrers

We will accept referrals on an individual basis for children who have complex nursing or medical issues.