Who do we see?
- Children and young people 0-18 with complex neuro-disability
- Children 0-8 with possible neurodevelopmental differences, such as Autistic Spectrum Condition and ADHD
Children over 8 years who are not known to the Community Paediatric Service and require neurodevelopmental assessment should be referred to CAMHS.
What do we provide?
- Assessment and management of children and young people with Cerebral Palsy, Down’s Syndrome, neurogenetic, neurometabolic and neuro-regressive conditions
- Assessment and management of epilepsy in children and young people with neuro-disability
- Assessment and diagnosis of Autism and ADHD in children under 8 years of age
- Assessment and diagnosis of Dyspraxia
- Advice and management of sleep for children with neuro- disability who are under the care of our service
- Management of children and young people on ADHD medication who are under the care of our service
- Assessment and management of children with significant developmental delay
- Medical assessment of children identified with hearing loss
- Medical information for children and young people undergoing Education Health and Care Plan assessments
- Statutory health assessments for children who are looked after
- Statutory health assessments for children who are about to be adopted or fostered
- Review of health needs for children and young people with complex neuro-disability, under the care of our service and attending specialist provision in Oldham
- Partnership working with the Children’s Community Nursing Team and therapy services that support children and young people, including those who require palliative care
- Signposting or referrals to support provided by other agencies such as:
○ POINT
○ Early Help
○ Children’s Learning Disability Team
What don’t we provide?
- Ongoing post-diagnosis support for children and young people who do not have any additional health needs
- Sleep support for children who are not undergoing neurodevelopmental assessment
- Diet and healthy eating advice
- Behavioural support and management
- Assessment of growth concerns
- Constipation or enuresis advice
Meet the Team
The team comprises of:
- Consultant Paediatricians and Speciality Doctors
- Service Coordinator
- Neurodevelopmental Nurse Practitioners
- SEND Nurse
- Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist
- Specialist Outreach Nursery Nurses
- Administration staff
The clinicians involved in your child’s care will vary depending on the aspect of their development being assessed.
How can I make a referral?
Referrals can be made together with a professional who knows your child well. We welcome referrals from a range of professionals including GPs. However, Health Visitors and nursery/school SENCos are often best placed to make referrals, given the level of detailed information we require to make the right triage decision.
To support a referral, we ask for the following information:
- The child or young person’s needs and the impact of these on their development/learning, participation and/or wellbeing
- Two cycles of Assess, Plan, Do, Review (i.e., the graduated response). This includes interventions in place and the impact of these on the child or young person’s progress
- Intervention may look different depending on your child’s age and if they attend a setting:
- For pre-school children, consider Person Centred Reviews, involvement from the Additional Educational Needs Service, WellComm, Stay and Plays, Home Start, Early Help
- For school aged children and young people, consider SEN Support Plans, as well as input from additional services such as QEST or Educational Psychology
Waiting Times
Waiting times are not static but we endeavour to keep them as short as possible. By attending your appointments or providing notice of cancellations, you will support us in managing our waiting times.
Children with complex health needs (such as those who are ventilated) and palliative care needs are prioritised.
Once your referral has been accepted, you will receive further information about the current waiting time.
Support while you are waiting
Support for your child should be based on need, rather than the outcome of any assessment or diagnosis. While waiting for your appointment, it may be helpful to explore support in your area. Oldham’s local offer includes information and advice regarding children and young people with Special Educational Needs (SEN).
Consent
We will ensure we have your consent before we assess or provide treatment for your child. We will request and share any relevant information with the Local Authority and Education partners as needed. Please contact us if you would like to discuss this further.
Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)/Compliments, Concerns and Complaints
We welcome your suggestions as to how we can improve services and provide care which better reflects your needs.
We would like to hear from you if you think we have done something well, or if you have suggestions on how we could do something differently. Equally, we want to know if you are unhappy with the service provided or have a complaint.
The Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) is a free and confidential service for patients, their families, carers, and friends.
They are there to respond to concerns about any aspect of your care or Trust services in the aim to resolve any problems as quickly and easily as possible.
Tel: 0161 778 5665
Email: pals@nca.nhs.uk
If you do not think PALS is right for your situation, or you are not satisfied with the outcome of discussions with the PALS Officer, you can contact the complaints service to make a formal complaint.
Tel: 0161 656 1141
Email@ office.complaints@nca.nhs.uk
Contact us
Community Paediatric Service, Werneth Primary Care Centre, Floor 3, Featherstall Road South, Oldham, OL9 7AY.
Tel: 0161 357 5228 (option 2)
Email: oldhamcommunitypaeds@nca.nhs.uk
Date of Review: December 2023
Date of Next Review: December 2025
Ref No: PI_C_1883 (Oldham)