Most doctors who wish to specialise in Community Child Health (CCH) apply for a subspecialty training post in CCH during their ST4 year.
If you are training less than full time (LTFT) or have gained relevant experience later in your training, you may still be eligible to apply beyond ST4. For more information see (link to how to apply for community paediatric subspecialty training)
It is important to mention that this is not the only route to working within community paediatrics. Trainees may choose work in community paediatrics after completing general paediatric training or may choose to work within community paediatrics as a SAS doctor.
Below we have provided information on:
- What does training in CCH involve?
- How to build your portfolio for CCH
- Explore further
What does training in CCH involve?
CCH training takes place over 36 months (typically ST5-7). If a trainee performs excellently during this period, training may be shortened to a minimum of 24 months WTE.
Most training posts include participation in the on-call rota (e.g. within general paediatrics or neonates). However, no less than 70% of the working time should be spent within CCH. Some placements include safeguarding on-calls. Some placements have a reduced on-call commitment as the subspecialty programme progresses (e.g. full participation in on-calls during ST5, 50% participation in ST7 and no on-call commitment during the final year of training).
Trainees within community child health follow the subspecialty syllabus (link). For more information, see the CCH trainees guide to the curriculum (link). Trainees will also follow the generic specialty level curriculum.
As an overview, training opportunities will be diverse and include (but are not limited to):
- Neurodisability and child development
- Safeguarding
- Adoption and fostering
- Multiagency work with education, social care and police
- Multidisciplinary working with therapy teams
- Public health and policy-driven care planning
How to build your portfolio for CCH
During a Community Rotation:
- Attend a range of clinics such as:
- Developmental assessments
- Autism diagnostic clinics
- Feeding and growth clinics
- Child protection medicals
- Initial Health Assessment clinics
- School health or special educational needs assessments
- Spend time with allied health professionals (AHPs):
- Observe speech and language therapists, especially around communication systems (AAC)
- Shadow physiotherapists and occupational therapists to understand motor assessments and equipment use
- Observe an audiology clinic
- Observe an orthotics review
- Visit a special school and reflect on what information contributes to a high-quality Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)
- Ask about multi-agency meetings such as Team Around the Family (TAF) or safeguarding case conferences
For more ideas, see the Trainees Guide to the CCH Curriculum
During General Paediatrics & Neonatal Rotations:
- Take a holistic view of children with complex medical or social needs—ask about their wider journey and community follow-up.
- Attend discharge planning and multi-disciplinary team (MDT) meetings—consider the child’s long-term needs across health, education and social care.
- Review Emergency Health Care Plans and consider what makes them effective for children with chronic or life-limiting conditions.
- Attend developmental follow-up clinics during neonatal rotations
- Attend physiotherapy assessments
- Be involved in antenatal or postnatal discussions about neurodevelopmental outcomes in babies with prematurity, HIE or congenital anomalies
- Be proactive in seeking experience within safeguarding – ask to observe Child Protection Medical Examinations
- Join safeguarding teaching or simulation sessions
Outside of Clinical Rotations:
- Let your supervisor and Training Programme Director know you are interested in CCH—they may be able to help link you with suitable rotations, mentors or projects
- Get involved in quality improvement, audits or teaching projects relevant to community child health
- Joint the BACCH trainees network WhatsApp group
- Attend regional or national BACCH events
- Teach or present on relevant topics such as safeguarding and neurodisabiltiy
Explore Further
