Child health

Transcript

Hello and welcome to the Child health page, where you will find all you need to develop your knowledge and skills to provide effective care to children and young people.

“Children are not small adults” – this is a rule any pharmacy professional should apply while caring for children and young people. Therefore you will need to understand the differences between children and adults and the challenges you are likely to face.

To help you gain this knowledge you can find resources to help you learn about the challenges encountered in terms of licensed medicines, and off-label use of medicines often prescribed for children.

You will compare the differences in pharmacology between children and adults, and how children develop, then link this to your own practice. You will also consider the different approaches needed when consulting with children and young people, especially when parents and guardians are present too.

The learning is presented in different ways to meet your individual learning styles, from bite-sized learning, to a longer e-course with the support of an online tutor. We also include links to other references to support you in your continuing professional development.

This e-course will help you develop the knowledge and skills to take a person-centred approach to supporting children and their families/carers with their health, optimising any pharmaceutical care and improving health outcomes for children and young people.

To facilitate your learning, we have structured the course into seven units. Some units are larger than others, but we estimate that you will need to commit an average of three hours of learning for each unit.

• Unit 1 - Child develpment
• Unit 2 - Medicines for children
• Unit 3 - Consultations with children
• Unit 4 - Mental health and wellbeing
• Unit 5 - Common ailments
• Unit 6 - Skin rashes and common infections
• Unit 7 - Long-term conditions

PLEASE NOTE: Unit 3 of this e-course is currently under review and is unavailable to learners. For learning on consulting with children you can access the following CPPE programmes:

• Consulting with children and young people e-learning
• Learning disabilities distance learning 
• Culturally competent communication in person-centred care e-learning
• Transgender healthcare: consulting with dignity and respect e-learning 

For information on learning available to support you to meet safeguarding competencies when working with children and young people, go to the CPPE Safeguarding page. 

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of all aspects of this learning programme you should be able to:

• explain how medicines use, medicines adherence and communication may differ between children and adults
• describe how common ailments and long-term conditions present differently in adults and children, and how they differ in their pharmacological and non-pharmacological management
• understand the role of the pharmacy team in the practical aspects of pharmaceutical care to improve medicines use and reduce the risk of errors
• be aware of your professional responsibilities in safeguarding children, understanding the appropriate action to take and support available if you have any concerns about the safety or wellbeing of a child.

Involving children in the discussion about their care can improve outcomes and promote ownership of health. This e-learning programme focuses on the key skills and behaviours you can adopt to make sure you communicate effectively with children and young people and manage the triadic consultation effectively.

Learning Outcomes:

• describe the benefits of involving children and young people in the consultation
• recognise and address the challenges of the triadic consultation
• describe the skills and techniques needed to engage children and young people successfully in the consultation
• apply the skills, knowledge and behaviours to demonstrate a patient-centred approach when consulting with children and young people
• complete a self-reflection checklist to support you in developing your practice.

This case study relates to a child. It will help you to apply your knowledge on sepsis, including how to identify and manage sepsis safely in children.

This case study forms part of the Sepsis learning gateway. Here, you will find a range of learning resources which aim to increase your knowledge, skills and confidence in recognising and managing sepsis.

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of all aspects of this learning programme, you should be able to:

• recognise the signs and symptoms of sepsis in a child
• list the questions you could ask a parent or carer to determine the risk from sepsis
• apply the NICE Criteria for stratification of risk from sepsis in under 5s to establish a child’s risk from sepsis
• determine the most appropriate course of action to take based on a child’s risk of sepsis and your own clinical judgment.

The Safeguarding Children Level 1 e-learning programme and assessment covers the statutory and mandatory training to meet the learning outcomes in the UK Core Skills Training Framework (England) v1.1.

To meet Level 1 safeguarding requirements, you should also complete the Safeguarding Adults Level 1 e-learning and assessment.

If you are required to meet Level 2 safeguarding training and competency, in addition to this Safeguarding Children Level 1 programme, you should also complete the following e-learning and assessments:

• Safeguarding Children Level 2
• Safeguarding Adults Level 1
• Safeguarding Adults Level 2

Please note: The Safeguarding children Level 1 e-learning and assessment programme provided by NHS England’s elearning for healthcare (elfh) hub is accessed by clicking on the Access button above. When you reach the elfh webpage, you will need to create an elfh account if you have not already done so. Please be aware that CPPE does not maintain control over the accuracy and currency of this programme.

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of all aspects of this learning programme you should be able to:

• describe potential indicators of child maltreatment in its different forms; physical, emotional and sexual abuse, neglect, grooming and exploitation to support and/or commit acts of terrorism (known as radicalisation)
• show an awareness of child trafficking, female genital mutilation (FGM), forced marriage*, modern slavery, gang and electronic media abuse, sexual exploitation, county lines (young people involved in organised crime who are coerced to traffic drugs or other illegal items around the country)
• describe the risks associated with the internet and online social networking
• show an awareness of the vulnerability of looked-after children, children with disabilities, unaccompanied children, care leavers, young carers and missing children 
• understand the impact a parent or carer's physical and mental health can have on the wellbeing of a child or young person, including the impact of domestic abuse and violence and substance misuse
• understand the importance of children’s rights in the safeguarding/child protection context
• indicate what you should do if you have concerns, including who to report them to and where to get advice.
• show an awareness of relevant legislation (Children Act 1989, Children Act 2004, and Children and Social Work Act 2017 and the Sexual Offences Act 2003).

*child marriage (Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022)

The Safeguarding Children Level 2 e-learning programme and assessment covers the statutory and mandatory training to meet the learning outcomes in the UK Core Skills Training Framework (England) v1.1.

To meet Level 2 safeguarding training and competency, in addition to this Safeguarding Children Level 2 programme, you should also complete the following e-learning and assessments:

• Safeguarding Children Level 1
• Safeguarding Adults Level 1
• Safeguarding Adults Level 2

Please note: The Safeguarding Children Level 2 e-learning and assessment programme provided by NHS England’s elearning for healthcare (elfh) hub is accessed by clicking on the Access button above. When you reach the elfh webpage, you will need to create an elfh account if you have not already done so. Please be aware that CPPE does not maintain control over the accuracy and currency of this programme.

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of all aspects of this learning programme you should be able to:

• describe what constitutes child maltreatment and identify signs of child abuse or neglect
• act as an effective advocate for the child or young person
• understand the potential impact of a parent or carer's physical and mental health on the wellbeing of a child or young person in order to identify a child or young person at risk
• identify your own professional role, responsibilities and professional boundaries, and understand those of colleagues in a multidisciplinary team and multi-agency setting
• describe how and when to refer to social care if a safeguarding and/or child protection concern is identified
• document safeguarding and/or child protection concerns in a format that informs the relevant staff and agencies appropriately
• maintain appropriate records including being able to differentiate between fact and opinion
• identify the appropriate and relevant information and how to share it with other teams
• show awareness of the risk of FGM in certain communities, be willing to ask about FGM in the course of taking a routine history where appropriate to role, know who to contact if a child makes a disclosure of impending or completed mutilation, show awareness of the signs and symptoms and be able to refer appropriately for further care and support, including the FGM mandatory reporting duties to the police, in accordance with current legislation
• show awareness of the risk factors for grooming and exploitation to support and/or commit acts of terrorism (known as radicalisation), and know who to contact regarding preventive action and supporting those vulnerable young persons who may be at risk of, or are being drawn into, terrorist-related activity
• identify and refer a child suspected of being a victim of trafficking and/or sexual exploitation.

The aim of this programme is to support you to apply underpinning safeguarding knowledge and develop the confidence and skills to identify and report safeguarding concerns you encounter in practice. It will enable you to consider how you can take a person-centred approach to safeguarding and understand how you can meet your safeguarding responsibilities in whichever sector(s) of practice you work.

Please note: 

A revised Intercollegiate document (2025) Safeguarding children and young people & children and young people in care: Competencies for health care staff was published in November 2025. We are currently reviewing this e-learning programme in light of this publication.

Completion of this programme is not sufficient on its own to meet the core Level 2 safeguarding training requirements. Pharmacy professionals must also complete the elearning for healthcare (elfh) Level 1 & 2 learning and assessments (or equivalent). You can access the elfh safeguarding programmes here:

Safeguarding adults Level 1

Safeguarding adults Level 2

Safeguarding children Level 1

Safeguarding children Level 2

Learning Outcomes:

• explain your role and responsibilities in safeguarding adults, children and young people
• recognise potential signs of neglect and abuse that you may encounter in pharmacy practice across integrated care systems
• use your knowledge of guidance and legislation to identify safeguarding concerns where a person lacks the mental capacity to consent and make decisions for themselves
• take appropriate action when you identify a safeguarding concern, including seeking advice, reporting, appropriately sharing information and recording your concerns
• apply your learning to take a person-centred approach to safeguarding concerns
• build a toolkit of resources to support you and your pharmacy team when dealing with safeguarding concerns.

Neonatal & Paediatric Pharmacists Group webpage.

Practical and reliable advice about giving medicine to your child.

Place2Be is a children’s mental health charity that provide free resources to take part in Children’s Mental Health Week.

Resources to help those looking after a child or young person’s mental health.

MindEd is a free educational resource on children, young people, adults and older people’s mental health.

A report published by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health which provides a snapshot of infant, children and young people’s physical and mental health, bringing together available data across the UK.