What is a Keyworker Service?

What is a Keyworker Service?  

The new Keyworker service is being developed as a response to the NHS England long term plan commitment that by 2023/24 children and young people with a learning disability and or who are autistic, who are in hospital or at significant risk of admission (psychiatric admission) have a designated Keyworker.

The Keyworking function is an important response to ensuring children, young people and families get the right support at the right time, and that local systems are responsive to meeting their needs in a holistic and joined up way.  

The initial phase of this work 2021-2023 is focused on “children and young people who are inpatients or at risk of being admitted to hospital”.  

Why and how can a Keyworker help?  

Many children and young people with a learning disability and or who are autistic, struggle to get the help they need from the system.   

The system process supporting children, young people and families can be complex and not joined-up or adaptable. Keyworkers is an opportunity to address these issues and improve outcomes for children, young people, and families.  

Keyworkers are aimed at ensuring that children, young people, and their families can navigate the complexities of the system. A core role for Keyworkers is to facilitate the co-production of this personalised approach.  

What will a Keyworker do?  

• Act as the main point of contact for children and young people and their family.
• Build and maintain positive, trusting, and appropriate relationships with children and young people and their families / carers during the supportive period aimed at avoiding admission or facilitating discharge and strengthening links with relevant services.  
• Work on behalf of children and young people and their family/carers towards unblocking challenges and barriers.
• Ensure all children/young people have a clear personalised plan to promote their development.  
• To ensure that Care Education and Treatment Review recommendations / actions are completed in a timely manner and that there are updates to the Dynamic Support Register to reflect this.  

Who can have a Keyworker?  

 The criteria for access to a Keyworker is as follows;  

• A diagnosis of a learning disability, autism or both.
• 0-25 years of age, the primary focus is under 18.  
•  Potential risk of inpatient admission or are currently in hospital.
• The child/young person is on the Dynamic Support Register (DSR). Priority Referrals are with those at Red & Amber and at crisis point.
• Reside in the geographical area of Brighton and Hove and registered with Brighton and Hove health services. 

If you’d like to know more about the DSR, you might like to read this blog from Amaze SENDIASS.

PaCC have been working in coproduction with the local authority and the NHS around the recruitment process for the Keyworker roles. More details about these roles will be released soon.