Defining staffing levels for children and young people’s services – RCN Standards for clinical professionals and service managers

This briefing provides members with a short summary of the sections of the paper – followed by a summary of the implications for Together for Short Lives and for hospice and children’s palliative care services.

The recommendations within the document are those made by the RCN, not Together for Short Lives, but the guidance is commended as a useful starting point for discussions about staffing levels.

The document being reviewed is a revision of guidance first produced by the RCN in 2003.

The guidance applies to all areas so it includes NHS and the third and independent sectors; – everywhere that children and their families access services. Overall there is an anticipation of an increase in the number of children and young people attending acute settings that could be managed out of hospital if there were more Community Children’s Nursing (CCN) teams.

The guide is available as a free download using the link on this page.