Table of Contents

Health and Wellbeing

ASD and ADHD assessments in Rotherham

Can children and young people get support if they don’t have a diagnosis?

The answer to this is YES. In Rotherham, we believe that support should be provided based on a child or young person’s needs, rather than a diagnosis. We think that this is the best way to make sure that children and young people get the right help as soon as they need it, without any unnecessary delays. This is part of Rotherham’s graduated response to supporting children and young people with SEND.

For more information on the graduated response, see the Local Offer section on Support in school

Support in education

How do children and young people get referred for an assessment?

Although it’s possible to get support without a diagnosis, sometimes parents and carers may want their child or young person to be assessed for Autism (ASD), Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or both – and, of course, the child or young person themselves may feel that this would be helpful.

In Rotherham, the following services offer diagnostic assessments:

Children under 5 yrs of age

The Child development centre (CDC) in Rotherham offers a service for pre-schoolers in Rotherham. If Autism is suspected, they are able to carry out a full multi-disciplinary neurodevelopmental assessment. Health professionals, nurseries, schools and Portage workers can all refer children into the CDC.

For more information about the CDC click below

Child Development Centre (therotherhamft.nhs.uk)

Children and young people between 5 yrs and 17 years

Rotherham’s child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) assess for Autism and ADHD as part of their neurodevelopmental pathway.

Referrals are received via the child or young person’s educational setting (unless the child/young person is electively home educated) and include detailed information from families. The child or young person’s educational setting must provide evidence of at least two terms of intervention to support the child or young person. The information submitted is considered by a multi-agency panel and if it is felt that there is sufficient evidence of a neurodevelopmental difference the referral will be accepted.

Regardless of the outcome of this screening the panel will always aim to make recommendations to support the young person and their family.

For more information, click below 

Rotherham – CAMHS (rdash.nhs.uk)

Young people – 18 yrs and over

Diagnostic assessments for adults are offered by Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust (RDaSH).

For more information, click below 

Adult autism spectrum disorder (ASD) – (rdash.nhs.uk)

If you want to request an assessment for a young person with a moderate to severe learning disability, please contact the Learning disability team

Intellectual Disabilities – CAMHS (rdash.nhs.uk)

What’s being done to bring down waiting times?

Once children, young people and their families have decided that a neurodevelopmental assessment might be helpful, we know that it can be frustrating when there is a long wait to be seen. This is an issue across the country and has been recognised by the Government as a national challenge. Tackling this is one of the priorities in the Government’s NHS Long term plan.

In Rotherham, health commissioners have provided a significant amount of extra funding to recruit additional staff to join the neurodevelopmental team in CAMHS. Over time this will mean that waiting times come down.

Commissioners have also asked ‘Healios’ to continue to work with Rotherham CAMHS so that more children can be offered an assessment. Healios offer an online service which can be a good option for some children and young people. Healios work across the country and their clinicians are highly trained and experienced.

For more information about Healios digital assessments, click below

How do online autism assessments work? (Healios.org.uk)

Does everyone get offered a Helios assessment?

There are a limited numbers of Helios appointments available so there are criteria regarding who will be offered this as a choice. These are based on the length of time a child or young person has been waiting and who may benefit most from an online assessment.  Families who meet the criteria will be sent a letter offering the option of an online assessment and they can then decide whether they would like to go ahead or whether they would prefer to wait for a face to face assessment with CAMHS.

Is the online assessment as good and reliable as the face-to-face one?

Yes. The Healios autism assessment is fully compliant with national guidance from NICE (National institute for health and care excellence). All of their assessments are carried out by two clinicians working together and the outcome is discussed in a multi-disciplinary team meeting which includes a senior clinician. All of the observation sessions are recorded which means Healios are able to play them back and review the content.

As a parent or carer, am I allowed to be present during the assessment?

Parents and carers are key contributors to the assessment process. However, during the observational assessment it is better for clinicians to interact directly with the child or young person. The clinician will explain this and answer any questions you have.

What happens if we start the online assessment process and realise it’s not for us? Do we go back to the bottom of the waiting list?

Parents and carers are encouraged to think carefully, along with their child or young person, before making their choice about whether to accept the offer of an assessment with Healios. However, there may be occasions when it becomes apparent only after the process has started that an online assessment isn’t the best approach for that particular child or young person. This might be identified by the family or by Healios and in either case CAMHS will be able to provide the assessment. The child or young person won’t go back to the bottom of the list and in most cases will return to their original position.

Will the result of the online assessment be accepted by my child’s GP and school?

Healios works in partnership with CAMHS, and therefore any outcomes and reports are approved by CAMHS and bear their NHS logo. The diagnosis will be shared in the same way as a CAMHS assessment.

Does the online assessment have to take place in our home?

The assessment can take place in any place where you and your child/young person feels safe and comfortable. It is important that you consider confidentiality when choosing a location.

Care packages

Individually funded health care packages are available for children and young people with the most complex health needs:

  • For children and young people under 18 years old, this is funded through ‘Continuing Care’. For more information about Continuing Care in Rotherham, please see the dropdown “What is Continuing Care?
  • For everyone aged 18 years and over, it is funded through ‘Continuing healthcare’. For information about Continuing Healthcare, please click below:
    NHS continuing healthcare (www.nhs.uk)
    You can also contact the Continuing Healthcare team in Rotherham on 01709 302027 (9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday)

There are significant differences between children and young people’s Continuing Care and Continuing Healthcare for adults, including eligibility criteria.

As a young person with complex health needs prepares to move into adulthood, their eligibility for Continuing Healthcare funding will need to be considered.

What is Continuing Care?

If a child or young person (under 18 yrs) has particularly complex needs (as a result of an accident, disability or illness), they may be eligible for an NHS Continuing Care package. This is funded support over and above what would normally be available

Any practitioner who knows the child or young person can complete a checklist to see if they may be eligible. If it looks like they might be, this is then sent to the Continuing Care team who will advise on whether the child or young person should go on to have a full assessment of their needs.

What is involved in Continuing Care assessment?

If a full assessment is needed, this will be coordinated by a specialist nurse assessor who will visit the child or young person at home and talk with them and/or their family. The nurse will also ask for information from the other practitioners involved. The aim is to get a clear picture of all of the child or young person’s needs in relation to medical conditions, eating and drinking, mobility, communication; emotional wellbeing, behaviour and toileting.

An assessment normally takes between 4 and 6 weeks to complete.

After the assessment, all the information about the child or young person is looked at very carefully to work out if they are eligible, based on national guidance. A letter is then sent to the family letting them know the outcome. If the family doesn’t agree with the decision, they can request an independent review of their child or young person’s case.

What’s included in a Continuing Care package?

If a child or young person is eligible, the next stage is to identify exactly what health support is needed. This is worked out together with the child/young person and their family based on the assessment. It might include nursing support at home, respite care in the child or young person’s own home and/or support with complex medical needs in school.

The health care package is designed to complement support and services offered by Social Care and Education.

What happens if care is needed quickly?

If a child or young person needs a package of care urgently because of a rapidly deteriorating condition then their application can be fast tracked.

An appropriate clinician will complete the assessment. If this indicates that you/your child are eligible for NHS Continuing Care arrangements will be made to provide care as quickly as possible.

For further information please call 01709 302027 (9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday)

You can download documents including a pre-assessment check list and a guide to continuing care for young people and parents by following the link below:

Children and young people’s continuing care national framework (gov.uk)

What is a personal health budget?

A personal health budget is an amount of money to support the identified healthcare and wellbeing needs of an individual. It is planned and agreed by the child or young person and their family and the local health commissioners (South Yorkshire ICB). It isn’t new money, but a different way of spending health funding to meet the needs of an individual.

Personal health budgets can improve people’s quality of life and their experience of care, by helping people to have more choices and flexibility about how their healthcare needs are met.

Children or young people who meet the Continuing Care criteria in Rotherham will always be offered the option of a personal health budget.

There are three ways you can have a personal budget:

  • direct payments made into your account – you buy and manage services yourself
  • no actual money as the local NHS service has commissioned support on your behalf
  • third-party arrangements – you choose someone else to manage the money for you

For more information about personal health budgets, contact the Continuing Care team on 01709 302027 (9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday)

Comments, complaints, and sharing your views

Your views and feedback on services are important. Hearing about your experiences helps health commissioners and service providers to understand what is working well – and where there may be shortcomings or problems. Individual health teams always appreciate direct feedback, but there are also the following ways to get in contact:

Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust

You can feed back by clicking below:

Contact us (rdash.nhs.uk)

Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust

You can get in contact with the ‘your experience’ team to give feedback and raise any issues or concerns that you have.

Contact us (therotherhamft.nhs.uk)

Rotherham Integrated Care Board

This is the organisation that commissions health services for Rotherham and oversees GP services.

Contact us (southyorkshire.icb.nhs.uk)

Healthwatch

This is a local organisation that acts as an independent champion for people who use health and social care services.

Healthwatch Rotherham (healthwatchrotherham.org.uk)

Continence

Learning to control their bladder and bowels (continence) and use the toilet can be challenging for some children and young people – especially if they have additional needs or an underlying health condition.

Click below for ideas and resources that can help with issues around incontinence:

Toilet training and Bedwetting (sybhealthiertogether.nhs.uk)

ERIC (eric.org.uk)

Bladder & Bowel UK (bbuk.org.uk)

If you need more support than this, the services below can assist:

For children under 5 years

The health visiting and school nursing teams (part of the 0-19 Integrated public health nursing service) are able to provide advice, ideas and support.

For more information and to contact the team, click below:

Rotherham’s Children’s Public Health Nursing Service (0-19) – (therotherhamft.nhs.uk)

Staff at the Child Development Centre can also offer advice on toileting which will take into account any additional needs that a child being seen by the team might have.

For children and young people aged 5 to 18 years

The 0-19 Integrated public health nursing service

For general advice you can contact the health visitors and school nurses who work for the 0-19 Public health nursing team. They offer advice and support on a wide range of health issues and also provide drop in sessions for young people attending mainstream secondary schools in Rotherham.

For more information and to contact the team, click below:

Rotherham’s Children’s Public Health Nursing Service (0-19) – (therotherhamft.nhs.uk)

Children’s community nursing team

This team supports children and young people with significant medical needs. They will be able to provide advice and support for the children and young people they work with who have issues with continence.

For more information about the team, click below:

The Children’s Community Nursing Team (therotherhamft.nhs.uk)

GPs

Family doctors are able to support with concerns about wetting and soiling. This may include investigating whether there are any underlying medical causes e.g. constipation, bladder infection.

Family doctors can also refer on to other services when needed e.g. the enuresis clinics (for wetting) or a paediatrician (for soiling)

Enuresis clinics

These are to help children and young people with daytime and/or night-time wetting. They run regularly in Rotherham and are delivered by a specialist doctor and 2 Enuresis nurses. At these clinics you can get specialist help and advice on the best way forward.

A child or young person might be referred to the Enuresis clinic if the problem is persistent and hasn’t improved with the advice or treatment already given.

For young people 18 and over

GPs are able to provide advice and support. They will refer on to specialists as necessary and put young people in contact with the Continence advisory service when needed.

For more information on this service, click below:

Continence Advisory Service (therotherhamft.nhs.uk)

Access to continence products

All families expect to buy nappies for their little ones but as they get older they may be eligible for continence products, like nappies and pads, funded by the NHS. Currently, this can be offered to children from the age of 3 upwards in Rotherham.  

If you know a child or young person who may be eligible, they can be referred to the Continence service by a range of health practitioners including school nurses, health visitors and staff at the Child development centre.

The Continence service provides a range of continence products for eligible children, young people and adults across Rotherham. They also run an advisory service for adults.

For more information on this service, click below:

Continence Advisory Service (therotherhamft.nhs.uk)

Advice for schools

Some advice is provided for Rotherham schools and settings on how best to approach these issues as part of the SEND online resource. To view this, click below:

Health needs (sendcorotherham.co.uk)

Dynamic Support Register (DSR) for Children and Young People

The Dynamic Support Register (DSR) is for children and young people with a diagnosis of autism or learning disability and with behaviours that are highly challenging.  Children on the DSR present a high risk for their safety and well-being. They need specialist support to reduce the possibility of being admitted to a mental health hospital. Access to the DSR is via mental health care services and requires parent consent, or consent of the young person once they are aged 16.

Or you can download the information provided by the NHS:

Policy and guidance (100 pages)

Plain English version (17 pages)

Easy Read version (48 pages)

Infographic (1 page)

What is the Dynamic Support Register?

The Dynamic support register is sometimes called a DSR.

The DSR is a list of people with a learning disability and autistic people. People on the DSR are at risk of going into a mental health hospital if they do not get the right care and treatment in the community. Most children and young people with a diagnosis of autism or a learning disability will not need to go on the DSR.

The DSR tells health and care staff about the type of support a person with a learning disability or an autistic person needs to stay well in the community.

In Rotherham, the Dynamic support register (DSR) uses a colour system to show different levels of risk. This helps health and care workers to decide how much risk there is of someone going into hospital.

Blue is for people who are already in hospital

Children and young people who are in mental health inpatient setting.

  • Requires commissioner oversight visits and regular Care, Education, and Treatment Reviews C(E)TR.

Red is for people who are at high risk of going into hospital straight away

Imminent risk of being admitted to hospital:

  • displaying behaviours that are significantly challenging for family and existing services to support safely.
  • placing themselves or others at serious and/or significant risk of harm.
  • has had a recent unplanned hospital admission (excluding admission for physical health).
  • has experienced active involvement from a crisis team or similar, to avoid a hospital admission in the last year without sustainable improvement.

Amber is for people who are at high risk of going into hospital if they do not get the right care and treatment soon

Imminent risk of being admitted to hospital without urgent intervention:

  • The child or young person is living in the community displaying behaviours that are challenging for family and existing support services to manage safely.
  • The community placement or residential special school is at risk of breakdown.
  • A residential placement is being looked for, and there are concerns that there may not be a suitable residential placement available.

Green is for people who are having their risks managed within the community

There are some risks identified that could lead to the child or young person being admitted or readmitted to a mental health hospital, but currently these risks are being managed.

The DSR is a ‘live’ document which is reviewed and updated by a multi-disciplinary team.

How can the DSR help?

The DSR is used to make sure that the right checks are carried out by health and care teams.

Using the colour system means:

  • a Care and Treatment Review or Care (Education) and Treatment Review might take place
  • health and care teams can make sure they provide the right care and treatment.

By reviewing outcomes on the register, services can plan to meet the needs of people in Rotherham with a learning disability or autism. Key professionals can use the information on the register to prepare support plans. This may include transition to adult services. They can make sure people get the right help so that they don’t go into hospital due to a mental health crisis.

What is a Care (Education) and Treatment Review (C(E)TR)?

A Care (Education) and Treatment Review is sometimes called a C(E)TR. A C(E)TR is for children and young people and includes their education needs. A C(E)TR is for people who are at risk of going into hospital or who are already in hospital because of a mental health condition.

A C(E)TR is a person-centred review meeting to ensure that services meet the needs of the individual and their family. It will look at the support they need in their care, education and treatment. It will also look to challenge and overcome any barriers to progress or discharge. The plans should give the individual the chance to live as independently as possible.

A C(E)TR’s main aim is to unblock barriers to discharging people from hospital back into the community. A C(E)TR can also look at alternatives when children and young people are at risk of going into hospital.

This should make sure local health and care services support people with a learning disability and autistic people, so they only go into hospital if they really need to.

Someone does not have to be on the DSR to be able to have a C(E)TR, but the C(E)TR panel should explore the reasons why they are not. Anyone can ask for a C(E)TR, but they will only get a C(E)TR if their support needs show it is right for them.

Following a C(E)TR

  • the DSR is updated to show if the person’s risk of going to hospital has changed
  • a record of what the panel agreed at the C(E)TR is kept on the DSR records.

What triggers a Care (Education) and Treatment Review (C(E)TR)?

Usually, a practitioner involved in the care of a child or young person with a diagnosis of autism or a learning disability asks for a C(E)TR. They will make a referral because they have concerns about a serious escalation in the mental health needs of the child or young person.

The new policy says that a C(E)TR should also be set up for a child or young person

  • six weeks after they go into hospital if they have already had a C(E)TR in the community
  • if they go to another hospital or move to a ward in the same hospital with higher or lower security
  • if they get a diagnosis of autism or learning disability when they are in hospital or after they leave hospital
  • if a clinical review shows that a previous diagnosis of autism or learning disability should be removed

What happens in a Care (Education) and Treatment Review (C(E)TR)?

Care (Education) and Treatment Reviews (C(E)TRs) are run by a group of people called a C(E)TR panel.

C(E)TR panels include people who are not involved in the everyday care of the individual.

This helps the panel to be independent when they discuss your care and treatment at the C(E)TR meeting.

They panel will include the following people:

  • The child or young person (if they choose to attend)
  • Family members (if the young person wants them to be there)
  • The responsible commissioner (Chair)
  • Independent Clinical Expert
  • Responsible Clinician or Senior Nurse
  • An Expert by Experience
  • Other relevant professionals or people who are invited

A Care (Education) and Treatment Review (C(E)TR) is about the individual.

The child, young person or their carer should get the chance to talk about:

  • their safety
  • how they feel about the care and treatment they are getting
  • what their daily life is like
  • if their physical health needs are being met
  • putting a plan in place for their future
  • if they need to stay in hospital to carry on getting care and treatment.

The C(E)TR will also:

  • look at any care plans they already have
  • make sure the care plans are right for them and they are keeping them safe.

Consent

A young person or adult will be asked if they agree to:

  • go on the DSR
  • have a C(E)TR.

This is called consent.

They will be asked for their consent each time they are offered a C(E)TR.

If someone is under 16 years old their parents or guardian would need to give consent for them to:

  • go on the DSR
  • have a C(E)TR.

The child or young person should be asked if they give their consent too.

If someone does not have the capacity to make their own decisions:

  • a best interest decision will be taken on their behalf
  • a record will be made about the decision.

Local health and care services must make sure that if they do not agree to a C(E)TR:

  • it will not affect the care and treatment they receive
  • they can change their mind at any time
  • they have the right to get support from an advocate to support their decision
  • other types of reviews of their care can be looked into.

If they give their consent they are agreeing to share their information with people involved in their care and treatment.

In Rotherham, the DSR is held securely by the Integrated Care Board (ICB) at Rotherham Place.

This consent must be updated annually.

Emotional wellbeing and mental health

Helping children and young people to have good emotional wellbeing and mental health is just as important as helping them to be well physically.

In Rotherham, services in Education, Health and Social Care are working together to offer a graduated response to emotional wellbeing and mental health. The graduated response is all about children and young people getting the right help, in the right way, from the right person at the right time. It aims to stop small problems turning into big ones.

For more information about the graduated response, see the Support in school section on the Local Offer

Support in education

If a child or young person needs some support with their emotional wellbeing or mental health, there are a number of different ways to access this:

General information and advice

You can find useful advice and resources about emotional wellbeing and mental health by clicking on the links below.

YoungMinds: Mental Health Charity For Children And Young People (youngminds.org.uk)

Resources (withmeinmind.co.uk)

Advice (rotherhive.co.uk)

KOOTH online support service

Rotherham has commissioned KOOTH to deliver this. KOOTH is aimed at all young people aged 11 to 25 and provides online information and support, including the option of 1:1 online chat with a trained counsellor. No referral is needed.

Click here for more information 

KOOTH (kooth.com)

Qwell

Free, safe and anonymous mental health and wellbeing support for all adults (aged 18+) who are registered with a GP in Rotherham. You can find:

  • Helpful articles
  • Information on community support
  • Opportunities to connect with others and share experiences
  • Self-care tips through themed collections
  • Online chat with a mental health practitioner.

Sign up today at  

Qwell (qwell.io)

Early Help

Early Help offer support to children, young people and families on dealing with the challenges of life, including those that affect their mental health and wellbeing.

The Children’s disability team are part of this service and provide an Early Help offer and work specifically for children and young people who have a significant level of disability.

For more information on the children’s disability team, see the Local Offer section on Early Help and Social Care:

Children’s Disability Team

Schools and settings

Staff in schools and settings see children and young people on a daily basis so they are well placed to offer some support.

For more information about the graduated response to social, emotional and mental health in schools, click below

Understanding SEMH needs (SENDCOrotherham.co.uk)

This will take you to the online resource that schools can use to support any children or young people with needs in this area.

Some schools in Rotherham are also involved with the ‘With me in mind’ project which means that they have access to a team of support workers based in schools.

For more information, click below

With me in Mind: CAMHS (RDaSH.nhs.uk)

With me in Mind (withmeinmind.co.uk)

The 0-19 Integrated Public Health Nursing Service

This service includes health visitors, school nurses and early years practitioners. They are able to offer advice and support on a range of issues linked to health and wellbeing. The school nurses offer drop in sessions at mainstream secondary schools in Rotherham where young people can discuss any health issues (mental or physical) which are bothering them. For more information about the 0-19 service and how to make contact, click below

Rotherham’s Children’s Public Health Nursing Service (0-19) – (therotherhamft.nhs.uk)

Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust (RDASH)

RDASH is the main provider of mental health support services in Rotherham.

Please click below to see a flowchart describing CAMHS services:

CAHMS Referral Pathways

Child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS)

CAMHS provide a range of different services for children and young people aged 5 to 18 years old.  Young people themselves (or any practitioner working with them) are able to access some initial advice through the ‘getting advice’ pathway. Staff on the ‘getting advice’ pathway will identify whether children and young people would benefit from seeing one of the other teams in CAMHS and will pass them on as needed.

For children and young people with significant intellectual disabilities who need support with emotional or mental health problems there is a dedicated team. This team has particular expertise in working with the challenging behaviours that might arise as a result of these needs.

For more information on CAMHS services, click below

CAMHS – Rotherham (RDaSH.nhs.uk)

Learning disability service for adults

RDASH has a service for adults with learning disabilities which aims to ensure a holistic package of support is in place for those people who need it. There is also an intensive support service for when an individual is showing signs of obvious distress or mental health problems.

For more information on learning disability services, click below

Community learning disability (RDaSH.nhs.uk)

Adult mental health services

RDASH are commissioned to deliver mental health services for adults in Rotherham.

For more information about the range of services available and how to access these, click below

 Your services (RDaSH.nhs.uk)

Hospital visits and stays

Visiting the hospital – either as an outpatient or for a stay on the ward – can be a stressful experience for children and young people with additional needs. Staff at Rotherham hospital will try to make sure they do everything they can to make the experience as positive as possible.

Regional hospitals

Click below for a list of hospitals in the wider local area. The list includes addresses and links to the hospitals sites.

Regional Hospitals

This is some of the support available in Rotherham:

Hospital passports

If a child or young person has health needs which mean they have to attend hospital quite frequently, then a hospital passport can prove really useful. This sets out information about their health conditions and treatments to avoid them or their family members having to give the same information over and over again. It also has an ‘all about me’ section which summarises the child or young person’s preferences and interests, what makes them anxious, how they communicate and so on to help staff care for them in the best possible way.

If you would like to know more about hospital passports, then contact the Learning Disability and Autism team at the hospital on 01709 428371 (Mon to Fri, 9-5pm).

Sensory boxes

Sensory boxes are now available at the hospital so please ask a member of staff if you think that a child or young person would find one of these calming – or a helpful distraction. For more information contact the Learning disability and Autism team on 01709 428371.

Quiet spaces

We know that hospitals are often brightly lit, busy and noisy places and that this can be overwhelming for some children and young people. If this is the case, please let a member of staff know. It may be possible to find a quieter space away from the hustle and bustle.

Overnight stays

Someone to stay

A parent or carer is routinely able to stay with a child or young person if they are admitted to the children’s ward.

Although this is not routine on adult wards, it can be arranged when a young person or adult has additional needs and would like the reassurance and support of someone they know and trust staying over with them. Please let hospital staff know if this would be helpful.

Please note, this may not be available on the wards set aside for patients with Covid 19 because of the infection risk.

A bed in a quieter place

It may also be possible to provide a cubicle (single room) for overnight stays, depending on how busy the hospital is. Please ask a member of staff if this would be helpful.

Being flexible

Let staff know if your child or young person is struggling with anything for example, with eating at set times or with taking their medication, and they will do their best to find a solution.

Learning disability and Autism nurses

During standard working hours, a member of staff from the learning disability and Autism team based on site may be able to assist. They support patients with Autism or learning disabilities, and the hospital staff who care for them, with any reasonable adjustments that might be needed. The Learning disability and Autism team can be contacted on 01709 428371 or email Jenny Turedi (Matron for learning disabilities) on jennifer.turedi@nhs.net.

Communication Stations

‘Communication Stations’ (boxes) are available at various areas throughout the hospital, containing resources that aid communication. These include (amongst other things) picture cards, yes / no boards, pain body maps, and whiteboards with a pen. If you or your child or young person has communication needs, please let a member of staff know. This can be recorded on the patient’s electronic record, so that we will know in advance of your next visit.

Timing and waits

If a child or young person is likely to become really anxious or frustrated whilst they wait to be seen, it may be possible to give them an early appointment slot. This includes scheduling their operation for the start of the day. You can request this when the child or young person is being booked in.

Car parking

There are concessions available including for parents/carers whose children are staying overnight at the hospital – and also for people who have to come for regular outpatient appointments (3 or more a month).

Blue badge holders park for free – and if they attend the hospital regularly, they can get a car park pass to make things easier.

For more information about car parking at all the Trust sites and for a link to the NHS Low Income Scheme, click below:

Car parking (therotherhamft.nhs.uk)

How are health services organised in Rotherham?

Most health services in Rotherham are now commissioned by Rotherham Integrated Care Board (previously Rotherham CCG). Staff in Rotherham Integrated Care Board will be working increasingly closely with their equivalents in Doncaster, Barnsley and Sheffield as part of the new South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board. To find out more, click below:

Who we are (southyorkshire.icb.nhs.uk)

The two main providers of health services in Rotherham are:

Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust

This provides services at Rotherham Hospital as well as a wide range of community health services for both children and adults. To find out more, click below:

The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust (therotherhamft.nhs.uk)

Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust

This Trust provides child and adolescent mental health services as well as learning disability services. To find out more, click below:

Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust (rdash.nhs.uk)

Rotherham residents may also be referred to specialist services delivered by other providers, including Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, Sheffield Children’s Hospital and Mediquip (for specialist equipment).

Medical needs in school

Some children and young people attending early years settings and schools will have long-term health conditions.

Often these can easily be managed without the need for an individual healthcare plan, but for some children and young people a healthcare plan is required to make sure that their medical needs are met during their time at nursery or school.

A decision on whether a plan is needed would normally be based on advice from health practitioners and be made in consultation with parents/carers and, where possible, the child or young person themselves.

Medical tuition guidance

Individual healthcare plans

Ensuring that there is an individual healthcare plan when a child or young person needs one is the responsibility of the school or setting but it is normally written in partnership with parents/carers (and ideally the child or young person). It is based on the advice given by health practitioners (likely to be a GP, hospital doctor or nurse) and should be updated at least annually. For those children and young people with a high level of medical need, a special education nurse – or a nurse linked to the specialist team for their condition(s) – is likely to be involved and may actually write the plan.

Preparing for adulthood

As young people grow and mature they will often be able to take more responsibility for managing their own health needs. This means that school staff no longer need to follow an individual healthcare plan because the young person has become able to monitor and manage their own condition. However, some young people with multiple or more complex needs may require a plan right up until the time they leave.

For those young people attending a school, the special educational nurses remain available to support with the writing of individual healthcare plans until they finish school at the age of 18 (or 19 for special schools).

For those young people attending a post 16 college, the health practitioners working with them are available to provide advice and support at the point of transition.

More information and advice

Click below for more information about how health services and schools in Rotherham can help children and young people with long-term conditions.

Health needs (SENDCOrotherham.co.uk)

This will take you to Rotherham’s online SEND resource for schools. The resource also contains links to information about school nursing and condition specific health teams.

All schools are required to have their own policy on supporting pupils with medical conditions. This will be based on national guidance for schools, together with some suggested templates for writing individual healthcare plans.

Supporting pupils with medical conditions at school (gov.uk)

Moving to adult services

The transition to adult health services will normally take place between 16 and 19 years of age. Moving to adult health services can feel like a big step, particularly when a young person has been under the same children’s team for a long time.

Click here for more information about the process of transition:

Your Child’s Move (Transition) to Adult Care (sybhealthiertogether.nhs.uk)

How the NHS works for young people (imperial.nhs.uk)

How the NHS works for young people: parents and carers (imperial.nhs.uk)

Here is how things may change and what to expect.

Co-ordination of care

As young people approach adulthood, GPs usually become the key point of co-ordination. For under 18s, this role may have been undertaken by a paediatrician (children’s doctor) but the paediatrician will pass on information to the GP – and learning disability team if appropriate – when young people become adults.

If a young person is referred on to the adult learning disability team, then a transition nurse will be allocated to them who will support them through this period and liaise with other practitioners. The first steps towards transition to this service can start as early as a young person’s 17th birthday if they have complex needs.

For those young people who are under multiple specialist teams at Sheffield Children’s Hospital (SCH), a member of the SCH transitions team will act as a co-ordinator to smooth the transition to adult services.

Annual health checks

For young people and adults who have a diagnosed learning disability, GPs are able to offer an annual health check which is over and above any other appointments that the young person may need. This is an opportunity to review their general health and whether all of their medical needs are being met. This is a longer appointment than the normal GP slot so that there is enough time to talk things through.

Annual health checks can start from the age of 14 years. If you would like more information, you can contact the GP.

Making decisions and giving consent

As children and young people develop and mature, most become increasingly able to make informed decisions about their own health care. This is an important part of getting ready to be an adult. Watching a young person taking on more responsibility for their own health can stir up all sorts of emotions for parents and carers – pride, relief, a sense of loss, pleasure, and anxiety (and sometimes all at the same time!).

From the age of 16, the law (Mental Capacity Act) expects health practitioners to treat young people as the decision makers about their own care unless they lack the mental capacity to do this. Mental capacity is the ability to:

  • understand information given to them in relation to a decision
  • remember the information long enough to make a decision
  • use or weigh up the information available
  • communicate their decision in any way which can be recognised

Young people can have an advocate who can support them to do this.  

For those young people who lack capacity, a decision may need to be taken on their behalf. This must be in their best interests and reflect as closely as possible any views or feelings that they have expressed on the matter. The decision making will normally include the views of parents, carers and practitioners who are working with the young person.

Some young people may need care that restricts their liberty in order to keep them safe. There are legal safeguards to ensure that any restrictions on them are kept to the minimum and that their priorities, personality and preferences remain at the heart of their care. These safeguards currently apply once a young person turns 18 but the law will be changing in the near future so that they will apply to individuals from 16 years of age. For more information on the current arrangements, click below:

Mental Capacity Act (nhs.uk)

For more information on moving making decisions and giving consent, click below:

Making decisions and giving consent.

For more information on the new arrangements, click below:

Liberty Protection Safeguards factsheets (gov.uk)

Eligibility for care packages

Healthcare packages which are over and above what is normally provided are available for children and young people with complex needs. The eligibility criteria for adult care packages are slightly different to those for under 18s. For this reason, young people should be assessed before they reach 18 years old so that they can be provided with whatever they may be entitled to under the adult system.

Transition pathways

Adult health services are often organised quite differently to children’s health services. For example, if a young person has a number of medical needs, it may be that they will need to see more than one specialist team in adult services – whereas previously the children’s medical team could provide all the expertise required.

Children and young people’s health services have their own systems in place to ensure that young people get further help (if they need it) from the right adult team. Staff will be happy to explain the process within their specialism to young people and their families.

In Rotherham, children’s and adults’ health teams are being encouraged to work together to publish transition pathways so it’s easier for young people and their families to know what to expect. Links to this information will be included in the Local Offer as it becomes available.

Speech and language therapy

Will the speech and language therapist routinely get involved in transition planning?

For most young people, the answer to this is no. This is because by the time that young people reach the age of 18 years, most will already have been discharged from children’s speech and language therapy services. Therapists will have previously worked with the young person and the important people in their life (including teaching staff) to find the best ways round any communication challenges (or swallowing problems). This may have included setting up alternative forms of communication (e.g. signing, communication book, computer based aid) – or simply identifying and practising the strategies that work best for them day to day.

For these young people, considering what support they might need to use these tools and techniques in a new environment (such as at college) will be an important part of their educational transition plan. A speech and language therapist would not normally get involved.

When might the expertise of a speech and language therapist be needed?

Sometimes, young people may find themselves trying to cope with a new communication/swallowing issue. At this point they may need more input from a speech and language therapist. This typically arises when they:

  • have a progressive condition and previously successful ‘workarounds’ are no longer sufficient
  • are dealing with a long-term condition becomes higher priority for them e.g. a stammer or voice problem
  • need an up to date assessment of their communication needs so that they can get the right reasonable adjustments  in a workplace or in further/higher education
  • have a chosen means of communication but this is not working well because of a change of circumstance
  • suffer physical trauma e.g. brain injury, and need rehabilitation for communication skills and/or swallowing.

Where to go for help

If the young person doesn’t have a learning disability:

The young person (or their advocate) should approach the speech and language therapy service for adults provided by Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust. This service has an open referral system. For advice and more information about this service and how to access it, click the link below:

Adult Speech and Language Therapy Service (therotherhamft.nhs.uk)

Please note that there are no therapists specialising in Autism in this team.

If the young person does have a learning disability (moderate to severe):

The adult learning disability (LD) service in Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Trust has speech and language therapists who can help with swallowing and communication needs. Referrals can be made from 17 ½ years of age. Referrals to the LD service are all submitted via the Care co-ordination centre/urgent care centre on 01709 426600. For further information, click the link below:

Community learning disability (RDaSH.nhs.uk)

What about young people who are receiving speech and language therapy as they approach adulthood?

A small number of young people will be under the children’s speech and language therapy team as they approach adulthood. This may be due to a new or rapidly changing condition or they may have been referred in recently because of a specific concern.

In this scenario, the speech and language therapist will identify the right adult team to hand them over to if they need ongoing help – and make sure that there is joint discussion and information sharing to ensure a smooth transition.

Occupational therapy and physiotherapy

Getting ready for transition

As young people get towards the end of their final year at school, the children’s therapists will write a school leaver’s summary. This is full of useful information about the care that the young person has been getting, including therapy goals and details of any specialist equipment they use. It includes information on who they should contact for help after they leave school, including for therapy advice, orthotics reviews and equipment queries. A copy will be given to the young person and their family and it will also be stored on their medical record.

Young people who need ongoing Physiotherapist (Physio) and/or Occupational therapist (OT)

Some young people will have complex physical needs and disabilities and will need ongoing support from a Physio and/or OT. These young people will be referred to the right adult team for them straight away so that there is no break in their care.

Young people who don’t need help now – but may do in the future

We know that many young people will be doing well with the advice and/or equipment they already have in place. They may not need to be referred in to the adult teams – but will want to know that help is available in the future should any issues crop up. The school leavers’ summary will provide all the information they need about who to contact. A copy of this document is also stored on the young person’s medical record so that therapists in the adult teams will have all the background information at their fingertips should they get involved in the future.

Which adult service will be best?

The OT or Physio will work out the best team to meet the young person’s needs. This could be:

  • The Adult Learning Disability (LD) Service
    This team provides a service for young people with moderate to severe learning disabilities. OTs and Physios are part of the team. This team accepts referrals from 17 ½ yrs.
  • The Young Adults’ Transition team (YATT)
    For young people who have a physical disability but do not have a learning disability (or only mild learning needs). This team accepts referrals from 16 yrs.

The Physio or OT will discuss this with the young person and their family and talk to them about what will happen next.

A referral to the Young adults’ transition team (YATT) 

This is what you can expect:

  • The transition process will normally start in the Spring term of Y11 (although this may happen later (up to Y14) for young people who attend special school.
  • The children’s therapy team will complete a referral form and make sure it is clear whether the young person requires Physio, an OT or both. They will make sure that the YATT team have all the background information they need.
  • The YATT team will arrange to meet the young person – and this first meeting may involve one of the children’s therapists too so there can be a good handover.
  • The YATT team will talk to the young person and their family about what OT/Physio support would be helpful and make a plan with them.

A referral into the Adult learning disability (LD) service

 This is what you can expect:

  • Transition will normally start from 17 ½ years, but for young people with really complex needs the teams will start to liaise earlier than this.
  • The Physio or OT from the children’s team will complete a referral form and send it to the Adult LD service, to include all the background information.
  • The referral will be discussed at the Adult LD service referral meeting. Further assessments maybe required at this stage to establish whether the Adult LD service is the most appropriate service for the young person.
  • The therapy team will meet with the young person and their carers to discuss what support they need from Physio and OT.
  • The Adult LD service is a multidisciplinary team, so for some young people other professionals might work with them too. This helps to make sure that there is a good ‘joined up’ plan for meeting their needs.

Ear Care and Audiology Service

The Ear Care and Audiology service works with all ages so there is no need for young people to change to transfer to a different team as they approach adulthood. However, we know that the type of support that the young person needs can change at this time, depending on what they are planning to do after school. For this reason,  a multi-agency transition clinic is usually organised when young people are between 17-18 years of age to make sure that they have a good transition plan in place. This can include how to access support in college, at university or in a workplace and eligibility for benefits.

Mental Health Services

Rotherham CAMHS have an identified transitions worker

The role of the transitions worker is to identify young people approaching adulthood and support transition to adult services or other appropriate agencies.

Where a young person is already in service the transitions worker will predominantly support the allocated care co-ordinator as a young person approaches 18 years (after 17 years and 6 months) to consider their needs in readiness to transition to adult services. In addition, they will provide assessments and care coordination for young people referred to the service after 17 years and 6 months of age.

The transitions worker works collaboratively with CAMHS and adult mental health services to ensure a streamlined transition from children to adult services.

When a young person approaches 17 years and 6 months the allocated care-coordinator should consider what support and services they will need in adulthood.

Prior to completing a referral, the care-coordinator will discuss within adult allocations meeting where the appropriate adult pathway will be agreed: Adult mental health services, Universal Services, IAPT (talking therapies).

If NHS Rotherham Talking Therapies – previously known as Rotherham IAPT:  The young person should be supported to complete the self-referral online or by telephone when they are 17 years 9 months.

About NHS Rotherham Talking Therapies (rdash.nhs.uk)

If Adult mental health services, the CAMHS Lead Professional/care coordinator is to complete the adult mental health service referral form. Once completed this will be reviewed by the CAMHS Transition worker (Getting Help Pathway Lead) prior to submitting to Adult Mental Health Services.

PLEASE SEND NORTH AMH REFERRALS TO – rdash.rcg-north-locality-team@nhs.net

PLEASE SEND SOUTH AMH REFERRALS TO – rdash.rcg-south-locality-team@nhs.net

All young people identified for transition will be discussed at the weekly transitions meeting.

This meeting is held every Wednesday at 1pm.

CAMHS Learning Disability to Adult Learning Disability Service

The CAMHS Learning Disability (LD) to Adult Learning Disability (LD) Service transition process starts when a child reaches the age of 17 years. For children with more complex needs this process can start from 16 years of age.

Getting ready

These are the things that happen in the run up to transition:

  • The children’s and adults’ teams share information and start to plan ahead.
  • The lead clinician for the young person in LD CAMHS will talk to them and their family about what support they might require in the future.
  • The transition link nurse from the adult team will contact the young person and their family and liaise with the other practitioners involved. This helps the adult team to understand the young person’s needs.

Moving to adult services

These are the things that as the young person reaches the point of transition:

  • The lead clinician in LD CAMHS makes the referral to the adult team (usually at 17 ½ yrs of age). The adult team double checks that they are the right people to meet the young person’s needs. If they think a different service would be better, they will signpost accordingly.
  • The young person may be supported to fill in a health ‘passport’ or do the ‘Ready, steady, go’ transition programme.
  • A transition plan is written and there is a transition meeting for the young person and their family / carers (within 4 weeks). This is a meeting which includes a practitioner from both the children’s and adults’ LD teams to make sure there is a smooth handover.

If the young person requires access to a Psychiatrist and the Psychiatry pathway, the CAMHS LD Lead Clinician can also attend the first outpatient clinic appointment to ensure a streamline handover.

Hospital passports

For young people who visit hospital frequently, a hospital passport (sometimes called a health passport) can be a great way of getting the right support without having to repeat the same information at each visit. Passports are starting to be used more in Rotherham and can help smooth the transition from children’s to adult services by providing the new clinical team with the information that will help them give individualised care.

Top tips: how parents and carers can help

  • Encourage as much independence as possible from an early age: if your child is already used to doing some things for themselves – even if it’s just deciding when to use their blue inhaler or noticing when they are running low on medication – then they are already practising the skills they will need in adult life
  • Encourage their interest in their own health and medical needs. It’s good to give them information about any health conditions they have at the level they can cope with.
  • Explain how to get help when they need it: young people may need your help to understand how the system works. For example, why you see the GP for some things, a hospital doctor for others – and why getting advice from a pharmacist or 111 is sometimes the best option.
  • Help them prepare for health appointments: before you go, think through together what the health practitioner might ask – and what your young person may want to ask or say.  A trip to the department before the day of the appointment might be useful. This can reduce any anxieties.
  • Think about what reasonable adjustments might help: Reasonable adjustments can make it easier for young people with a disability to access healthcare services. What reasonable adjustments might help your young person? It’s worth giving this some thought. Click on the link to explore some of these:
    NHS Reasonable Adjustments
  • Let them know about the changes when they get to 16:  It’s helpful to explain that health practitioners will start to treat them more like an adult so they are not taken by surprise – but to reassure them that you will still be there to support them.
  • Take more of a back seat as their confidence grows: over time, encourage your young person to participate more in their appointments. If the health practitioner asks you something that your young person could answer, direct the question back to them e.g. ‘Sam – do you think things are any better?’

As they approach 16 years, ask if they would like you to come in with them. Just by asking, you will help them understand that it’s fine for them to do it on their own if they want. Sometimes, going in just for the second part of the appointment is a good ‘halfway house’

To see frequently asked questions around this area please click the link below:

Top tips for transition: FAQs

Sensory needs

In Rotherham we have developed a single approach to supporting children and young people with sensory differences. This covers all the key services working with children across Health, Education and Social care.

The model is based on the following principles:

  • Everyone has sensory needs of some sort or another – so we need to cater for the full range
  • Doing the right thing for children and young people with sensory differences is everybody’s responsibility
  • Having the right support early on is crucial if we are to stop small problems turning into big ones
  • Help with sensory needs is just one of the ‘tools in the box’ and should be provided as part of an overall approach
  • Across Rotherham there should be a consistent approach so families get the same advice regardless of which service their child or young person is involved with

The idea is to have knowledge and skills right through the workforce so that children and young people get the right support for their sensory needs, at the right time, from the people they are already working with. Training to deliver Rotherham’s sensory model is still in the process of being rolled out to all services, early years settings and to pilot schools.

Help for your child or young person

By completing the simple sensory questionnaire compiled by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde via the link below you will receive easy to follow instructions, some basic advice and personalised strategies to help at home and in the classroom.

Joining in with sensory differences

The information packs below offer information and tips for parents, teenagers and schools to help with sensory differences.

Download the relevant pack:

Parent information pack

Teenager information pack

School information pack

Sensory Integration Education have produced information on managing specific situations:

Back to school sensory survival kit

Summer sensory survival kit

For information about parent/carer workshops:

Email: autismadvice@rotherham.gov.uk

If you are worried that your child or young person has sensory differences, then it is worth discussing your concerns with practitioners who already know your child. This could include:

The SENCo at school or nursery, any therapists working with your child, CAMHS workers, Early help workers, Specialist teachers and Educational psychologists.

Rotherham’s sensory model

For all children and young people

All the staff working with children and young people will have an awareness of sensory needs and take account of these in their everyday practice.

They will be able to spot problems and signpost to help and advice.

For children and young people with significant additional needs

When a child or young person’s needs are assessed, practitioners will consider whether they have any sensory differences. Parents/carers can raise any concerns.

If sensory differences are affecting their wellbeing or learning, then ideas for how how to help with these will be included in the child or young person’s support plan.

Parents and carers can access workshops on how to help at home.

For children or young people with a high level of additional need including complex sensory needs

A small number of children and young people with really complex sensory needs may need specialist advice from a sensory therapist

Sleep

Getting a good night’s sleep is important for children and young people – and for their parents/carers!

If a child or young person is finding sleep difficult, then a few simple changes to bedtime routines can often make a real difference. For ideas and advice on what to try, click on the links below.

Helping your baby to sleep (www.nhs.uk)

The Good Night Guide for Children (betterhealthatworkaward.org,uk)

Sleep (sybhealthiertogether.nhs.uk)

The Sleep Charity (thesleepcharity.org.uk)

Sleep (withmeinmind.co.uk)

If these ideas don’t seem to be working – or it’s proving difficult to put them into practice – then there are a number of services in Rotherham that can offer support

The 0-19 Integrated public health nursing service

This service includes health visitors, school nurses and early years practitioners. They will be able to offer advice and support which can include home visits when needed.

For more information about this service and how to contact them, click below:

Rotherham’s Children’s Public Health Nursing Service (0-19) – (therotherhamft.nhs.uk)

Early Help Team

The local Authority’s Early Help team offers ‘Sleep tight’ workshops/programmes through their Evidence based hubs. Sessions are delivered by practitioners trained by The Children’s Sleep Charity. Workshops include:

  • Understanding sleep cycles
  • Common sleep issues and strategies to manage these
  • Establishing appropriate routines
  • Keeping sleep diaries and interpreting the data
  • Environments

For more information and to find out how to contact the team, see the Early Help and Social Care section on the Local Offer:

Early Help and Social Care: Early Help

or email: parenting@rotherham.gov.uk

Rotherham Parent Carers Forum

Rotherham Parent Carer Forum runs “drop-in” sessions where parents and carers can together to exchange experiences, swap ideas and support each other. They provide an opportunity to talk about sleep and explore useful strategies.

Rotherham Parent Carers Forum also has a peer support service. When a peer supporter is involved with a family, they can offer support around sleep.

For more information about Rotherham Parent Carers Forum, please click below:

Rotherham Parent Carers Forum (rpcf.co.uk)

Other sources of help

For children and young who are under specialist services such as the Child development centre and Portage, it is worth raising any concerns about sleep with them in the first instance. Staff may be able to offer provide support themselves – or sign post you to someone else who can help.

CAMHS are also able to offer support regarding sleep if a young person they are already working with is experiencing sleep problems linked to their mental health or ADHD.

A child or young person with persistent sleep issues may be referred by a health practitioner to a paediatrician or to the specialist sleep clinic in Sheffield. The child or young person may need some investigations to be carried out to determine whether there are any medical reasons for the problem and what might help. Sometimes medication is offered when everything else has been tried but not proved successful.

Specialist equipment and wheelchairs

Sometimes children and young people with physical needs arising from disabilities and/or health and developmental conditions may need specialist equipment. This includes:

  • Mobility aids such as wheelchairs and walkers
  • Specialist seating and standers – to help or young person maintain a good position, avoid health complications arising from poor posture and function to the best of their ability
  • Sleep systems to maintain a good body position at night
  • Communication aids
  • Gadgets to help control the environment e.g. switch on lights
  • Specialist cots and beds

Wheelchairs

Who might need one of these?

Wheelchairs are provided for children, young people and adults with significant mobility issues who require mobility equipment on a regular basis (3 times a week or more).

Following a clinical assessment, they may also be available for children under the age of 7 yrs who might need to travel in a buggy or wheelchair to keep them safe (for example, if they are likely to put themselves at risk due to a lack of understanding about the dangers around them e.g. busy roads).

What is the process for getting a wheelchair?

The organisation that provides wheelchairs and specialist buggies in Rotherham is Blatchford’s and they work with both children and adults. For more information about the services they provide click below:

Rotherham NHS Wheelchair Service (blatchfordmobility.com)

Referral for a wheelchair assessment can be made by a range of health practitioners such as a physiotherapist, occupational therapist or GP.

Assessments are carried out via video assessment or in Blatchford’s fully equipped clinic facilities. Assessments can also be carried out at work, school or home dependent on needs and equipment requirements.

Who provides training and support?

Blatchford’s will ensure that children, young people or adults (and their carers) know how to use their wheelchair before they leave the centre. They will also provide information about how to get in contact with them if the wheelchair develops a fault or if a child or young person requires a reassessment.

If NHS therapists are also seeing the child or young person, they will work with the staff at Blatchford’s (where required) to make sure that the wheelchair provided meets the individual’s wider needs.

The single point of access for all appointments, repairs and queries is 01709 916889 or cabsl.rotherhamwheelchairservices@nhs.net

Mobility aids and postural support

Who might need these?

This equipment is needed by some children and young people with physical disabilities. If the occupational therapist or physiotherapist working with a child or young person thinks this would be useful, they will assess for specialist equipment as part of the care they provide.

Discussion with families, carers and the child or young person themselves (where possible) about what’s needed is an important part of the assessment.

What is the process for getting equipment from children’s services?

Most equipment is bespoke to the individual and this means that funding needs to be specifically agreed (by a multi-agency panel) and it then needs to be ordered from a specialist manufacturer. The multi-agency equipment panel meets every 2 weeks to consider all requests and makes sure that they are dealt with in a fair, speedy and consistent way. The child or young person’s needs both at home and at school are considered.

Medequip runs the equipment centre in Rotherham and they take responsibility for ordering and delivering equipment once it has arrived in the depot. It can several weeks to receive equipment from the manufacturer.

Who provides training and support?

The therapy team will:

  • take the lead in setting up equipment so it is right for the child or young person. This team will also provide training in how to use the equipment for parents, carers and school staff. It’s really important that all the relevant people attend the training as it will be specific to that child or young person.
  • periodically review the equipment to see whether it needs to be changed or altered as the child or young person grows and develops.

Medequip have responsibility for routine annual maintenance and repairing equipment.

Moving to adult services

As young people grow into adults and their bodies change, some of the equipment they have previously used may not be necessary or helpful any more.

The equipment that is still useful will stay with them as they move into adult services. The responsibility for reviewing it will pass over to the new therapy team.

If they need new or replacement equipment, this will also be addressed by the new team.

Communication aids

Who might need these?

Some children and young people are not able to communicate through spoken language so they need an alternative form of communication. This may be signing or using a communication aid.

What sort of communication aids are available?

Often ‘low tec’ communication aids (like PECS and communication books) are exactly what is needed as these are simple, easy to use, flexible and convenient to carry around.

Sometimes these are not sufficient and a piece of technology might be required to help the child or young person communicate to their full potential.

How does a child or young person get assessed for a communication aid?

It’s important that everyone who knows the child or young person well contributes to this process. Speech and language therapists will work with the child/young person, their family and other practitioners who know them to assess whether they need a communication aid and, if so, what type would best meet their needs.

If a ‘low tec’ solution would work best, then this will be developed by the speech and language therapists working closely with the key people in the child or young person’s life.

If an electronic device that costs more than a certain amount seems to be the best way forward, then funding for this can be requested through Rotherham’s multi-agency panel.

For some children and young people who need a high tech device, a referral to the Specialist AAC Hub for our area, Barnsley Assistive Technology, will be appropriate. They provide an assessment and loan service.

Transition arrangements – moving to adult services

A communication aid is the young person’s ‘voice’ so they will keep this as they move into a new setting such as college.

Making sure that the staff in the new setting understand how the young person communicates using their AAC is an important part of transition planning.

Therapy services

Speech and language therapy, Occupational therapy and Physiotherapy are provided for children, young people and adults in Rotherham. There are a number of different teams and services available to meet the range of different needs.

How do therapy services fit into the graduated response?

Therapy services form part of Rotherham’s graduated response. The graduated response is all about children and young people getting the right help, in the right way, from the right person at the right time. It aims to stop small problems turning into big ones. For more information about the graduated response, click below

Support in education

As part of the graduated response, schools and settings are normally expected to put adaptations or support in place as soon as they spot an issue. They can use Rotherham’s online SEND resource, which was developed with input from the children’s therapy teams. To see this resource, click below 

Sendco Rotherham – Special educational needs and disabilities resources for professionals

If this support proves to be insufficient, then the school or setting may talk to the child and/or young person and their family about getting input from an outside team. This may be one of the therapy teams, depending on the nature of the child or young person’s needs.

How do therapy services work?

Once involved, therapists often work with and through others such as educational staff, parents or carers. This is to make sure that those who are in everyday contact with a child or young person understand their needs and how best to help them. As children and young people develop and mature, there is more of a focus on helping them to find ways around any difficulties they have – so they can enjoy life, learn to the best of their ability and maximise their independence.

When needed, therapists may also offer a block of face to face sessions to work towards a specific goal.

Once the right support or strategies are in place, therapists will usually discharge the child or young person with advice – and with information about what to do if they need more help in the future. This is sometimes referred to as working in ‘episodes of care’. Some individuals will only ever need a single ‘episode of care’ whilst others may need multiple episodes across the course of their life.

Access to therapy services

This section is about the following services:

  • Speech and Language Therapy (SaLT)
  • Occupational Therapy (OT)
  • Physiotherapy (PT)

Speech and language therapy services

Children’s and young people’s speech and language therapy service – Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust

This team operates an open referral system. This means that parents and carers can refer as well as any practitioner who knows the child such as a teacher. The service covers from 0 to 19 years of age but, from 16 years onwards it could be more appropriate for young people newly referred in to be seen by the speech and language therapy team for adults, depending on the nature of their needs.

For more information about children and young people’s services, including how to make a referral, please click below

Children’s Speech and Language Therapy (therotherhamft.nhs.uk)

Adults’ speech and language therapy service – Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust

This team provides a speech and language therapy service for hospital patients as well as for people needing community based care. There is an open referral system so young people can be referred in (from 16 years of age) by health or social care practitioners – or they can also self-refer.

For more information about what sort of support the service can provide, what conditions they can help with, where therapists work, and how to get in contact, click below

Speech and Language Therapy (therotherhamft.nhs.uk)

Please note that if a young person has a moderate to severe learning disability, they should normally be referred to the therapists in the learning disability service (see below). However, if they need a particular specialism that is only available from the hospital team, such as help with stammering, then therapists from the hospital and learning disability teams will work together to make sure they get the right care.

Learning disability service – Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust

The Speech and Language Therapy service within the community adult learning disability team is based at Badsley Moor Lane. These therapists support young people and adults with eating, drinking and/or communication needs. This service is for people with a diagnosed learning disability and takes a multi-disciplinary team approach. Referrals are accepted from young people themselves (or their advocates) and from the practitioners working with them.

Referrals can be made directly to the learning disability team via the Doncaster (RDaSH) Single Point of Access (SPA).

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Occupational therapy services

Children and young people’s physiotherapy and occupational therapy team – Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust

This team is part of the children’s community service provided by Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust. It covers a wide range of needs from birth to 19 years (or 16 years for young people attending mainstream schools).

For more information, including on how to get referred, click below

Children’s Occupational Therapy (therotherhamft.nhs.uk)

Young adults’ transition team – Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council/Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust

This team works with young adults aged 16 to 25 whose main needs arise from a physical disability. There is an occupational therapist as part of this small team.

See the the section on “Moving to adult services” above for more information about this team. It is included in the “Transition pathways” subsection under “Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy”

Rotherham learning disability services – Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust

This is a multi-disciplinary team which works with adults who have a learning disability. Young people can move over to this team as they approach 18 years old, although the handover process between children’s and adults’ services can start well before this.

Occupational therapists work as part of this multi-disciplinary team. 

The team provides assessment and intervention for a wide range of needs relating to development of daily living skills, accessing community-based activities, physical health needs, sensory needs and mental well-being on an episode of care basis. This includes provision of equipment where required.

Therapists will conduct visits to service users in their homes, day service, respite or other relevant community venues. The Occupational Therapy team, work within the complex physical health pathway, the learning disability Autism pathway, the learning disability dementia pathway and the positive behaviour support pathway.

Referrals can be made direct to the learning disability team via the Doncaster (RDaSH) Single Point of Access (SPA).

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Community occupational therapy team – Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council

This service is able to advise on environmental adaptations, for example, changes that might need to be made to someone’s home to make it accessible if they have mobility problems. If a child or young person needs this service, the NHS occupational therapist already working with them will refer them to this team.

For more information, click below

Get help with home adaptations – Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council

Physiotherapy services

Children and young people’s physiotherapy and occupational therapy team – Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust

This team is part of the children’s community service provided by Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust. It covers from birth to 19 years (or 16 years for young people attending mainstream schools) and specialises in neurological and developmental conditions.

For more information, including how to get referred, click below

Physiotherapy (therotherhamft.nhs.uk)

The physiotherapy teams at Rotherham Hospital – Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust

If a child or young person only needs physiotherapy for reasons linked to bones and joints, such as recovery from an orthopaedic operation or injury or for arthritic conditions, they will be seen at the hospital as an outpatient. This team provides a service to both adults and children and referrals are normally made by a GP or consultant.

The hospital physiotherapists also care for children, young people and adults staying on the wards, including clearing their chests to make breathing easier if needed.

For more information about this team, click below

Physiotherapy (therotherhamft.nhs.uk)

Young adults’ transition team – Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council/ Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust

This team works with young adults aged 16 to 25 whose main needs arise from a physical disability. There is a physiotherapist as part of this small team.

See the the section on “Moving to adult services” above for more information about this team. It is included in the “Transition pathways” subsection under “Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy”

Rotherham learning disability services – Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust

This is a multi-disciplinary team which works with adults who have a learning disability. Young people can move over to this team as they approach 18 years old, although the handover process between children’s and adults’ services can start well before this.

Physiotherapists work as part of this multi-disciplinary team. They provide assessment and intervention for a wide range of needs relating to physical function and well-being and will visit service users in their homes, day service, respite or other relevant community venues. They may provide targeted rehabilitation and/or hydrotherapy sessions, as well as work to ensure that individuals with complex physical disabilities and health needs have the right postural support in place to help with their comfort and wellbeing, health and independence (complex physical health pathway).

Referrals can be made direct to the learning disability team via the Doncaster (RDaSH) Single Point of Access (SPA).

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