A new report from England’s Children’s Commissioner has put a spotlight on something that does not make the headlines nearly often enough. Right now, thousands of children across the country are spending weeks and months in hospital. Not because they are too unwell to go home, but because the right community support is not in place to help them leave.
The Commissioner’s Children Waiting to Leave Hospital report makes for sobering reading. More than 260,000 children have spent three or more weeks in hospital during their childhoods. Nearly 70,000 stayed for over two months. Around 1,300 spent more than a year. And more than 400 children have spent half of their entire childhood confined to a hospital ward, not because of the severity of their condition, but because of failures in the system around them.
The report identifies a pattern that many in children’s care will recognise. Shortages of specialist placements. Delays in securing the right care packages. Gaps in community health services, including home nursing. The result is children who are medically fit to leave but have nowhere appropriate to go, while their families wait for a solution.
Why this matters for everyone working in care
This report is not just a call to action for policymakers. It is a reminder of what is at stake every time a skilled, compassionate care worker shows up to support a family at home.
When the right care is in place, children with life-limiting conditions and complex needs can live at home, stay connected to their families, go to school, and have a childhood. The difference between that and spending months on a hospital ward is not just about medical treatment. It is about consistent, specialist community support delivered by people who know what they are doing and genuinely care about the people they work with.
That is the work ENS Care and Support teams do every day.
What we do at ENS
Our children and young people’s services provide specialist support for young people with complex and clinical needs, including those with learning disabilities, autism, and life-limiting conditions. Our staff are trained to deliver clinical care including PEG management, tracheostomy care and ventilator support, meaning children can access the level of care they need at home, not just in a hospital setting.
We work with families to put the right support in place so that children can leave hospital and live their lives. It is detailed, demanding and deeply rewarding work. And it requires people with the right values, backed by proper training and real support.
Could this be your career?
You do not need to have worked in care before. At ENS, we recruit based on who you are, your patience, your values, your genuine interest in other people. Everything else we will teach you.
From day one you will have access to fully funded qualifications with no costs and no waiting lists, on-site training facilities, and support through your Care Certificate and beyond. Our career pathway runs from Entry Support Worker all the way through to Registered Manager across seven clear levels, with meaningful pay increases and development support at every stage. You will always have someone to guide you, and our zero tolerance approach to poor leadership means the culture you work in will reflect the values we talk about.
If you have been thinking about a career that makes a real difference, this is the moment to find out more.
See our current roles at ens-care.co.uk/join-our-team
