Role of the dental hospital-based paediatric liaison nurse in safeguarding children

Abstract

Aim Service evaluation of our dental hospital paediatric liaison nursing (DH-PLN) service which provides an additional route for information sharing about safeguarding concerns via an agreed pathway for two-way communication with public health nurses. Method Retrospective analysis of clinical records of all children referred by DH teams to PLN in the three months October-December 2016. Results One hundred and four children were referred; mean age was 6.2 years, 89.4% from Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) quintiles 4 and 5, and 70.2% were attending for dental general anaesthesia. The most common referral reason was dental neglect in 66.3%, followed by missed appointments in 50.0%. The PLN checked child health databases and shared information with health visitors and school nurses (46.2% and 53.8% respectively). Feedback retrieved included known child maltreatment risk factors in 7.7%. This prompted additional child protection referrals to children s social services for seven children (6.7%). Dental outcomes six months later were: treatment complete in 50.0%, treatment ongoing 28.8%, discharged to original referrer with treatment incomplete in 21.1%. Conclusion This DH-PLN service promotes integrated multidisciplinary working, helping overcome barriers to dentistry s involvement in safeguarding. It facilitates more accurate assessments of risk of harm to children receiving dental care and prompts additional child protection referrals to social services.