Caring for Children with Complex Needs in the Community

Caring for the Child with Complex Needs in Community Settings provides a valuable overview of the key factors relating to caring for children with complex and continuing care needs. Despite its frequent and increasing use, complex care needs is a term without an agreed definition. This shortfall of knowledge is addressed in this book through critical discussion of evidence-based research and current health, social and education policy. It brings together the latest knowledge into one text providing practitioners with the crucial information needed when working with this diverse and broad group of children.

Caring for the Child with Complex Needs in Community Settings explores caring for technology-dependent children who require respiratory assistance; caring for children who require home enteral tube feeds; and caring for children with complex disabilities. It looks at multi-agency care, respite care for families, social service support and educational support of children with complex needs. Practitioners from health, social services and education backgrounds have contributed to the chapters using case studies, while a parent of a child with complex needs has provided a personal view of caring. This accessible and practical text provides core knowledge and vital insight required for successful delivery of community care for children with complex and continuing care needs.

Jean Teare is a Lecturer in Children’s Nursing at the University of Bradford. Her professional background is paediatric nursing, district nursing and children’s community nursing, working in Manchester and Oldham.