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The Single Point of Access (SPOA) is the entry point for referrals to specialist Neurodevelopmental services.
Our clinical team also offer consultations to professionals working with children, young people and families.
We recommend that you read the following resources before contacting us:
- About Us
- What to consider before making a referral
- What to include in a referral
- Who can refer
- How do I make a referral
About Us
We provide specialist Neurodevelopmental services to children and young people under the age of 18 in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan.
We are part of Children, Young People and Family Health Services at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board.
Our approach to Children and Young People referred for Neurodevelopmental assessment is:
- To develop a shared understanding with children, young people and their families about their strengths and difficulties
- We acknowledge that social circumstances contribute to children’s health problems e.g. poverty/poor housing/racism
- We acknowledge that for most children their distress is understandable given their context
Referrals for Neurodevelopmental assessments are assessed and triaged by clinicians in the Single Point of Access (SPOA).
There are two main elements to the function of the SPOA:
- Referral processing, triage and making recommendations or signposting
- Consultation for professionals, including contacting schools. and parents/carers for more information
Please be aware that some referrals into the Single Point of Access may not require an assessment.
In such cases, the referrer will be advised to recommend other options to the young person as a starting point.
What to consider before making a referral
Referral to the Neurodevelopmental Service is not always necessary to support a child or young person. Referrals to another service, such as the local early help service, or the support available through schools may be more suited to meeting a child or young person’s needs.
We recommend that as a first step, referrers:
- Encourage families to access local services through their local early help service
- Encourage young people to engage with any support available in their school
If these have not been done, there is a chance that the referral will be redirected and the family recommended to act on one or more of these as a first step
If you are uncertain about the need for an assessment for a particular child or young person, you can call the Single Point of Access for a consultation. This will help us to fully understand the situation and work with you to formulate a plan for the child or young person. In some cases, we will be able to accept this as a referral to our services.
Please note, you can contact the SPOA team to discuss a child or young person without identifying them. However, in this case we would only be able to offer general advice due to not being able to look at the individual’s record.
What to include in a referral for a Neurodevelopmental assessment
Providing a detailed referral will help the clinical SPOA team to decide the most appropriate pathway to meet the child or young person’s needs.
If insufficient information is provided, the referral will not be accepted until the SPOA team have sufficient information with which to make a decision. The SPOA team will contact you and possibly the family for more information.
It is essential that all referrers confirm the patient’s address and contact details when they meet with them, regardless of how long you have known them. We rely on these details to contact the family and a significant amount of administrative time is wasted contacting referrers to find up to date information.
- Not confirming the correct contact details may delay referral processing, triage and the booking of the young person’s appointment (if relevant).
We recommend that referrers include the following information in their referrals to the Neurodevelopmental Service:
- Name and date of birth of referred child / young person
- Their address, telephone number and email address – this must be confirmed to be correct at the most recent appointment / meeting
- Who has parental responsibility?
- Surname of parent (if different to child)
- Name of school and attendance record
- Who is living in the family home – with details of separated parents if appropriate
- What are the specific difficulties are you observing?
- How long has this been a problem?
- Why is the family seeking help now?
- Is the problem situation specific or more generalised?
- Your understanding of the problem / issues involved
- What has been tried already?
- How is the concern affecting the young person? What is their opinion about the referral?
- Your assessment of any risks
- Description of the functional impact
- Are other professionals involved and in what capacity?
- Has there been any previous contact with our department?
- Has there been any previous contact with Social Care? If you have any safeguarding / child protection concerns, please ensure appropriate referral has been made to Social Services
- Have you spoken to the child / young person directly?
- Details of any known protective factors
- Any relevant history (i.e. family, life events and/or health development factors)
Who can refer to the Neurodevelopmental Service
The following professionals can make referrals to the Neurodevelopmental Service:
- GPs,
- Schools, Nurseries, other educational settings
- Health Visitors
- Parents, if a child is electively home schooled
How do I make a referral to the Neurodevelopmental Service
From September 2023, the service only accept referrals electronically (e-referral). Please do not send letters or referral forms to us in the post.
For a e-referral to the ND service, please follow this link: Referral to Neurodevelopmental Service
If you are uncertain about the need for a neurodevelopmental assessment for a particular child or young person, you can call the Single Point of Access for a consultation. This will help us to fully understand the situation and work with you to formulate a plan for the child or young person.