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We provide assessment, diagnosis and support to children and young people with developmental delays, neurodevelopmental conditions (such as Autism and ADHD) and complex disabilities.

Service hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00am - 4:00pm

About the service

We work closely with children young people and families, also teams and professionals from education settings and social care to ensure that a child is looked after in a joined-up way in every environment they experience. This means that we are very aware of the problems or difficulties children may have in school and/or at home and we can work together to ensure the child’s needs are met.

We offer clinical assessments for children and young people who experience:

Development delay or disorder in more than one domain
ADHD
Social and communication difficulties in pre-school children
Motor difficulties with neurological anomalies
Regression of development with loss of skills
Assessment of complex behaviours which have a severe impact on functioning
Sensory impairment, including aetiology of sensori-neural hearing loss
Management and overview of complex long-term health conditions requiring ongoing medical management by a Community Paediatrician

We also have:

Statutory responsibilities for Special Educational Needs assessments (EHCP)
Statutory responsibilities for Child Protection, Looked after Children and adoption —  Children in Care Team (Previously known as Looked After Children Team)
Responsibility to participate in specialist pathways including e.g. WMSAS/Umbrella/SUDIC

We have a statutory (legal) duty to tell the local education authority about any preschool children who are likely to need extra help in school. To do this we send a referral form to the Local Education Authority which is then discussed in a meeting called the Preschool Forum. In this meeting children with extra needs are discussed and appropriate help is allocated.

More information about this can be found in the Worcestershire Local Offer. We always ask for parents’ or guardians’ permission before this referral is completed and for this discussion to take place.

Our team

Our doctors and advanced practitioners have a lot of experience in a wide range of conditions and are highly skilled in doing assessments to understand why children and young people experience difficulties or have delays in their development. They also have the expertise to manage complex diagnosis and disabilities.

Our doctors and advanced practitioners have close links with doctors in general practice and in hospitals. They refer to and liaise with a wide variety of health professionals with specialist expertise , including Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services and where needed Community Children’s Nursing and Palliative Care Teams.

We work with other agencies to support vulnerable children such as those in care or going through the adoption process. We also provide medical advice to education for children with special educational needs.

Waiting times

The service is currently experiencing unprecedented demand and as a result, there is a significant waiting list for assessment and support.

At triage, cases will be risk assessed and clinically prioritised due to the urgency of their need. Please be assured that the team are doing all they can to reduce waiting times.

Service updates

Pre-school Autism - Service updates | Children, Young People and Families

How to access the service

We do not accept referrals directly from patients or their families. Professionals, like doctors and therapists can refer you to our service. Other professionals who can refer you to our team may include:

GPs
School nurses
Health visitors
Social workers
School staff
Children’s doctors (paediatricians)
Therapists

Referrals must be made using the service referral form.

Please email all referrals to the Community Paediatrics Team.

Contact details

Due to the increased demand into the service, we are making changes to the way you can contact us. The best way to contact us is via the new online form, which you can complete using the link below:

Community Paedatrics contact form

The below contacts numbers can still be used by parents, carers and professionals.

Our telephone lines are open Monday – Friday 9:00am – 11:00am, and 2:00pm – 4:00pm. 

Medical Admin Team - For queries relating to changes in a child’s condition, or if you seek test results.

Phone: 01905 520666
Email:  whcnhs.commpaeds@nhs.net

Appointments Team – For queries about new referrals and appointments

Phone: 01905 681071

For queries about new referrals please contact:  whcnhs.access.commpaeds@nhs.net
For queries about appointments please contact:  whcnhs.commpaedsappts@nhs.net

We are here to help. We recognise how emotive the care of a loved one can be and politely ask you to refrain from abuse or aggression of any kind.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

FAQs

If you have any questions or queries, please consult our frequently asked questions (FAQs) which include guidance on matters relating to referrals, appointments, the service, how to contact us and how to provide feedback. View FAQs.

Useful resources

On our useful resources page, you will find links and contact information for organisations we work with who provide a range of different services to young people and their families, including support with wellbeing, disability, behaviour, sleep, speech and language and mental health. View our useful resources page.

Support and advice

If you or someone you know needs support or information, you can look at the advice section on this website. You can also talk to the team who is supporting you.

Children's occupational therapy webinars

Our Children’s Occupational Therapy team offers free online webinars for parents and carers, providing practical advice and strategies to support children and young people at home.

Choose the webinar that best matches your child’s needs:

Making sense – for children with sensory sensitivities or difficulties affecting daily life. Book now.
Skills for independence – practical ways to help children with additional needs develop everyday skills. Book here: Book now.
Moving and doing – for children who experience difficulties with coordination or everyday tasks such as dressing and using cutlery. Book now.

What to expect:

Parent/carer-only sessions (children and young people should not attend)
Approximately 1 hour long delivered via Microsoft Teams
Opportunity to ask questions with an occupational therapist
Presentation slides shared after the session

If you feel your child may need additional support after attending a webinar, contact our OT Advice Line on 0300 247 0017 Wednesday, 9am–12pm and Thursday, 1pm–4pm. For help with booking or joining a webinar, call 01562 514520.