Under the NHS in England, the Right to Choose process allows patients to choose who provides their treatment — including assessments for ADHD or autism.

This can help reduce long waiting times by allowing access to NHS-funded assessments through private or alternative providers.

CYPS do not have any role in this process. If you are interested in considering this option you should speak with your GP for more advice.

Click on the link in the image above for more information.

A private neurodevelopmental assessment is an evaluation carried out by professionals such as psychologists or psychiatrists to help understand whether a child or young person may have conditions like autism, ADHD, dyspraxia, or learning difficulties.

Unlike assessments provided by the NHS, a private assessment is arranged and paid for independently by the family.

If you choose to access a private assessment, you should be aware that your child would not automatically be able to move into the CYPS ADHD medication clinic if a diagnosis of ADHD is given, however the request to be added to this waiting list can be considered by the team if a full, detailed assessment report is shared with CYPS.

CYPS are not able to recommend any specific private providers.

There are a range of resources, contacts and support plans for your family to use, alongside 5 family hubs across the city

Provide information, advice and support to parents and carers of children with special educational needs and disabilities, children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities up to the age of 25 years.

We specialise in education matters but can support with social care and health issues that impact on the child or young person’s ability to access education.

Gateshead Children and Young People's Mental Health Services are a team of Mental Health professionals who work with children and young people aged 4-18 and their parent/carers to provide inclusive, accessible interventions to promote mental health, emotional wellbeing and resilience.

Common issues that we work with at our ‘Getting Help’ service include: worries and anxieties, phobias, low mood, bereavement and loss, gender identity, anger, eating difficulties and relationship problems.

The Autism Hubs offer parents and carers of autistic children and young people (0-25 years) information, advice and support on a range of challenges that can impact autistic young people and their families.

The Hubs provide drop-in sessions, peer support groups, and training for parents, carers, and professionals.

The new service is a partnership approach funded between Gateshead Council and the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB).

If you’re caring for someone in Newcastle who cannot manage without your help and support due to an illness, disability, mental health problem or addiction – and you’re not employed to do this – you are a carer.

Anyone can become a carer. Sometimes it’s overnight, through sudden illness or injury, or it can be a gradual process as someone’s health deteriorates. It can be a lifetime commitment.

Newcastle Carers is here to provide free, confidential, and non-judgemental information, advice and support helping you find ways to make your caring situation easier to manage. 

Our family development service provides support for autistic people and their families across the North-east pre, during and post diagnosis.

Our mission is to provide the right support, at the right time, and in the right way to ensure the best outcomes.

There are a range of services to help families including ADHD specific courses, access to family support workers, and 9 Family Hubs across the borough

Our team of Educational Psychologists have selected a range of resources that will be useful for children, families, education providers and other professionals.

SENDIASS (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information, Advice and Support Service) provides free, impartial, and confidential support to parents, carers, children, and young people (0-25) with SEND in Gateshead.

We help you understand your rights, navigate the education, health, and social care systems, and make informed decisions about support for your child or young person.

A mixed professional team that includes nursing, counselling, children’s wellbeing practitioners, educational mental health practitioners and community support assistants.

It aims to have a positive effect on the mental health and emotional wellbeing of those children and young people who are experiencing, or who are at risk of developing emotional, behavioural, and psychological difficulties.

Welcome to the SEND Thresholds, Gateshead’s fantastic new document to help children and young people with SEND thrive in education, prepare for adulthood and have the best experience possible.

We are pleased to be joining with our colleagues across a range of different services to offer a ‘Welcome Event’ for parents and carers in order to introduce families to the wide range of organisations and support groups available in your specific area which may support your child’s needs while they are waiting for an assessment.

These events are open to families of young people already on the CYPS waiting list, and also to families who have not joined the waiting list but may have questions about possible Autism or ADHD.

We hope that attending this will allow you to:

• understand the assessment process, when a diagnosis may be helpful, and when this is not needed to access support

• receive advice about approaches that may help support with your child’s needs whilst they are waiting for their assessment

• be more familiar with all of the services available in your area and how to access them

These are group events, and families will have the opportunity to drop-in at any time.

This is an in-person event for parent / carers only. Sessions are held monthly at Benton House and Bensham Hospital.

This is an online series of interactive courses offered by the Sensory Integration Network where you can learn more about the sensory systems, how it impacts on behaviour and strategies to help your young person.

This provides a list of services offering specialist advice and support around sleep difficulties.

The assessment will be carried out by a multi-disciplinary team, and one member of the team will be your point of contact during the assessment to offer advice and support, and coordinate the journey through the assessment.

The assessment will involve gathering information from different people and different settings e.g. home, clinic or school. We may also speak with healthcare professionals and education staff, and use standardised assessment tools when needed.

We have an ongoing programme of targeted  FREE webinars, support groups  and fundraising events.   Webinar subjects covered can include  Toileting, Understanding Autism and Managing Meltdowns,

Benton House

136 Sandyford Road

Newcastle upon Tyne

NE2 1QE

Bensham Hospital

Fontwell Drive

Bensham

Gateshead

NE8 4YL

Telephone: 0800 6522864

Email: NGCYPS@cntw.nhs.uk

The team will meet with you to discuss the outcome of your assessment.

If a diagnosis of autism or ADHD is given, you will be directed to specific support sessions, groups and resources.

If a diagnosis is not given, you will be directed to support to meet the needs that have been identified for your young person.

You will receive a detailed report with the outcome of the assessment, recommendations and advice for further support.

A follow up appointment will be arranged where you can discuss anything else you may be concerned about before your young person's assessment journey is complete.

Helping young people to look after their own mental health.

We are providing young people with reassurance and advice to help them make positive choices for their mental health and know what to do next if they are struggling.

Kooth is the UK’s largest and longest established digital mental health service. We partner with NHS and local authority organisations to deliver game-changing mental health support to young people from age 10 and up.

Shout is a free, confidential and 24/7 text messaging service for anyone in the UK who needs support. If you are struggling to cope and need to talk, our trained Shout Volunteers are here for you.

To start a conversation, text the word ‘Shout’ to 85258.

MindEd is suitable for all adults working with, or caring for, infants, children or teenagers, adults and older people, including people with a learning disability and autistic people; all the information provided is quality assured by experts, useful, and easy to understand.

We offer a range of free services that enrich the lives of children with brain conditions and support their families and carers.

• Education and transport

• DLA

• Getting some sleep

• Stress and emotional wellbeing

• Managing behaviour

• Understanding my child's condition

We're the UK's leading children’s charity. We’ve been looking out for children for over 140 years.

Across the UK, children and young people continue to face a range of complicated challenges – with many having to cope with lots of issues at once.

At BBC Children in Need, we fund vital support for children struggling with challenges caused by mental health, poverty, social inequality and family-related issues.

Daisy Chain runs a variety of social clubs and youth groups for young people aged 5-17.

The sessions are structured and provide opportunities for interactions and friendships between young people. As well as our traditional sessions, we offer outdoor and themed sessions including sports, crafts and much more!

Our courses, resources and other support help people aged 11 to 30 to develop essential life skills, get ready for work and access job opportunities. We support young people to find work because having a job or running a business can lead to a more stable, fulfilling life.

Text 24 hours a day for support on: 116 123

Email: jo@samaritans.org (email response may take several days)

Helpline open 24/7 for people to talk about any concerns, worries and troubles they're going through.

Offers some in-person Samaritans branches.

A confidential text-line and email support for people aged 13 to 18, or up to 25 for people with special educational needs.

Self-help books to help people understand and manage health and wellbeing.

Information and advice on mental health and wellbeing. Includes videos about dealing with change, social media and sleep.

Support and advice for people under 25, including:

• Crisis messenger textline

• Discussion boards

• Webchat

• Short-term counselling online and by phone

Click the link to access further support for Mental health. This will be for both parents/carers and young people.

Place2Be is a children’s mental health charity with over 30 years’ experience working with pupils, families and staff in UK schools.

We provide mental health support in schools through one-to-one and group counselling using tried and tested methods backed by research. In addition, we also offer expert training and professional qualifications.

Please keep us updated with any changes of school, telephone number, address, or GP surgery by calling or emailing the service:

Telephone: 0800 6522864

Email: NGCYPS@cntw.nhs.uk

We are currently offering appointments to young people who were referred in January 2022.

Please click on the link above to see the dates available for families in Newcastle, and an overview of services who will be attending.

• Friday 21st August 10am - 12pm

  The Haven, Halewood Avenue

We will continue to add new dates so please check back again if the date, time or venues currently on offer are not convenient for you.

Please click on the link above to see the dates available for families in Gateshead, and an overview of services who will be attending.

• Wednesday 23 September12:30 to 2:30pm Chowdene Family Hub

• Monday 19 October12:30 to 2:30pm Blaydon Winlaton Family Hub
  

We will continue to add new dates so please check back again if the date, time or venues currently on offer are not convenient for you.

Newcastle Education Services for Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND)

Including:

• SEND outreach service

• Educational psychology service

• SEND sensory service

• SEND support, assessment and review team

• SEN travel support

Our Parent Carer Guide to SEND is designed to help you navigate the SEND support system with confidence.

Looking for things to do? Visit our Activities Page to find groups, events, and activities for children and families.

Our website also has lots of tools like translation and read aloud to help you access the information more easily. Check out our translation and accessibility guide to find out more.

 If you can’t find what you’re looking for, we’re here to help—just email us at LocalOffer@newcastle.gov.uk.

About your CYPS referral  

The assessment process

What happens after the assessment?

Other ways to access an assessment

Support whilst you wait- accessible to families in both Newcastle and Gateshead

Support from other services- Newcastle

Support from other services- Gateshead

National and local mental health support  

We welcome your feedback  

EveryTurn Mental Health formally know as Streetwise works to help young people 11 to 25 years to access free information, advice, counselling, support, community activities and youth voice. Their services are welcoming and respectful to young people. . They provide:

• Weekly information, advice and guidance drop-ins

• Face to face and online counselling and mental health services

• Relationship and sexual health clinics

• National C-card scheme (free condoms)

• Groupwork – Calm Minds, DV, Anger, Personal Wellbeing, Misogyny, Exam Stress, Healthy Relationships etc.

• Youth Work: including Social Action Projects and Volunteering Opportunities.

• Young Volunteers

  
  

Everyturn operates several Early Help Youth Hubs, in various School and Community Settings across Newcastle.

• feeling persistently low in mood and/or hurting themselves

• displaying behaviour that puts others at risk of harm such as physical aggression

• at risk in the community due to anti-social behaviour or vulnerability to exploitation

If someone is in immediate danger the police should be called on 999.

If you are concerned about an increase or a change in risk, you can call 111 (option 2 for mental health) or call our Duty Team on 0800 6522864 and speak with a clinician. Duty calls are triaged, and the highest priority calls are responded to first so depending on the situation you may not be called back immediately or the same day, but you will be called back.

Schools, school nursing, and GPs are also useful sources of advice and can link you in with appropriate supports.

We have also included a comprehensive selection of local and national mental health services here Mental health support

Masquer-aid is an innovative programme combining therapeutic education, socialisation and peer support. Young

people will learn more about neurodiversity, meet others like them and engage in activities tailored to their interests.

Groups are located in Gateshead and Newcastle and members must be resident in Gateshead or Newcastle.

CYPS will be happy to help you to make a referral for your young person, please contact the CYPS Duty Team to discuss this further (0800 6522864 or NGCYPS@cntw.nhs.uk) or you can choose to self-refer via the weblink above.

This group is for young people over the age of 11.

This resource provides information about help and support for children, young people and families while they are waiting for their neurodevelopmental assessment.

We will update this Padlet with new information, resources and projects as we become aware of them, so please check back on a regular basis for more information!

Do you have, care for someone who has or is suspected of having a neurodivergent condition? If so, we can offer you or them advice and support.

Please see information on their web page for more details.

Please take the time to explore this and access the vast range of supports available to families.

• https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/identity/autism-and-neurodiversity

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5hg5XwcPcI

• https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/what-is-autism

• https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/autism/what-is-autism/

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ezv85LMFx2E

• https://autisticgirlsnetwork.org/keeping-it-all-inside.pdf

• https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/adhd-children-teenagers/

• https://adhduk.co.uk/about-adhd/

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1t9UHQgtDfU

• https://www.dldandme.org/

• https://radld.org/

https://thedldproject.com/developmental-language-disorder-dld/

https://www.mencap.org.uk/learning-disability-explained/what-learning-disability

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/learning-disabilities/

The activities within this site can be accessed for children and young people in Newcastle and Gateshead who are on awaiting assessment or allocation with CYPS.

To find out more or to take part in an activity please contact via the email address provided on each activity offered.

Activities include:

• Connected Voice

• Film Academy

• Digital Creativity

• Young Women's Outreach Project

• Young Men's Support Sessions

• US Active

• Sailing

• Boccia

• Tai Chi

• And many more...!

Topics include:

• Anxiety and school

• Emotional Based School Avoidance

• After school meltdowns

• Transitions and anxiety

• Understanding big feelings

Their website and social media posts offer advice about:

• Anxiety

• Low mood

• Emotional literacy and regulation

• Low confidence/self-esteem

• Sleep

• Exam stress

The ADHD Exchange is a drop-in information pod offering help, support and advice to anyone wishing to know more about ADHD.

We give free, confidential walk-in support (along with telephone and online appointments if you prefer). You don’t need a referral, you can just turn up.

• We make it our goal to inspire and encourage young people across Newcastle to be the best version of themselves and exceed expectations.

• Activities are free, everyone is welcome and we are very inclusive. We offer snacks at all activities and offer crafts, life skills, cooking and baking.

The team can be contacted on 0191 264 1959 or enquiries@inspireyouthtw.org