Changes to how children and young people are reviewed and assessed for autism and ADHD in Greater Manchester
NHS Greater Manchester (NHS GM) is making changes to the way children and young people aged 0 to 18 are reviewed and assessed for suspected autism and ADHD. This is to make sure support is offered earlier based on a child or young person’s individual need. It also means that those with highest need can be seen sooner. These changes are an important step to help manage unsustainable demand for autism and ADHD assessments.
Who has been involved in developing the new process for reviewing requests for assessment?
NHS GM designed the new process through a series of in-person and on-line workshops, meetings, and surveys. These involved clinicians, service providers, commissioners, parents, carers, people with lived experience and young people.
What are the benefits of this new process?
The new process makes sure requests for assessments are reviewed in the same way across Greater Manchester. It will benefit children and young people and their families, by prioritising those with the highest levels of need for earlier assessment. It will also mean all children and young people with autism and ADHD related differences can access the support they need, when they need it. Support can be accessed with or without a diagnosis.
When will the new process start?
Plans for introducing the new process for reviewing requests for assessment are being put in place across services that support child and young people with autism and ADHD. Changes will be introduced step by step from April 2026. Introducing changes gradually is important to make sure children and young people are supported safely during the transition.
The providers who carry out the triage and assessments will contact families who are currently on the waiting list to explain what will happen next. There are many people waiting, so this process may take some time. Until you are contacted by your provider your child will remain on the waiting list.
How will the process work?
The new process will bring together experienced professionals from different services. To start, this will include Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and paediatric clinicians. The longer-term plan is for social care and education to be included, so that care is more joined up for families. They will work together to decide the right type and level of support for each child or young person based on their needs. Their decisions will be guided by newly developed clinically agreed criteria, so that decisions are fair and equal across GM.
Not every child or young person will meet the clinical criteria for an assessment after the initial review. Not every child or young person will have the level of need or complexity for an NHS funded assessment.
However, all children and young people will receive a personalised offer of support based on their individual needs from local neurodevelopmental services as and when they become available, as well as a range of existing appropriate services across health, social care and education. This will mean children and young people receive the right level of support to meet their individual needs.
Children and young people who meet the clinical criteria for an NHS assessment, but do not need help urgently, will wait longer for their assessment.
The new neurodevelopmental early support offer is being developed in local areas and will be available It is designed to help children and young people and their families who are experiencing autism and ADHD related differences. It will provide them with access to specialists advice and guidance and proven, research-based support. This support will be based on an individual’s need with or without a diagnosis.
As well as the new support offer, families will be signposted to a range of existing appropriate services and support across health, social care and education.
- Neurodevelopmental roles –Professionals trained in how autism and ADHD affect thinking, attention, behaviour, and social skills. They assess your child’s strengths and challenges and give advice tailored to your child or young person’s needs.
- Professionals trained to deliver evidence-based interventions. This means the methods and strategies they use are proven by research to help children and young people.
- Neuro-profiling tool –Helps identify a child or young person’s learning style, strengths, and needs. It provides strategies which support them at home and school.
- Workshops –Parent workshops on topics such as behaviour, communication, and coping strategies available on-line and in-person.
- A new website– A new GM neurodevelopmental website is launching soon. It will include easy to read information and dedicated sections for parents and carers, young people and professionals. There will be self-help resources and toolkits, recorded webinars on important topics, online mental health support, and a new chat messaging service
Senior CAMHS and paediatric clinicians will look at information from parents, schools, and other professionals to decide what support is needed and how quickly.
They will use clinically agreed criteria to guide their decisions, which takes in to account a range of risks as well as mental health presentation, such as social, communication, behaviour and education needs. This means children and young people are directed to the right service at the right time based on their levels of need.
Assessments will continue to take place locally in either CAMHS or community paediatric services, depending on where you live. CAMHS will focus on assessments for children and young people who have moderate to severe mental health needs in the longer term.
CAMHS services will continue to support children and young people without mental health needs who need an assessment while arrangements for assessment services are reviewed. This is to ensure that there is no gap in provision for children and young people meeting the criteria to receive an assessment
We know many families have been waiting a long time for assessment and support. Experienced CAMHS and paediatric clinicians will review all children and young people currently waiting for an assessment using the new process and criteria.
Where children and young people have been waiting a long-time, services will contact the family to ensure they are reviewing the most up to date information.
Not every child or young person on the waiting list will meet the clinical criteria for an assessment. Not every child or young person will have the level of need or complexity for an NHS funded assessment.
This will mean that some children and young people will not remain on the neurodevelopmental waiting list.
However, all children and young people will receive a personalised offer of support based on their individual needs from local neurodevelopmental services as and when they become available, as well as a range of existing appropriate services across health, social care and education. This will mean children and young people receive the right level of support to meet their individual needs
If your child or young person’s needs change over time, they can be re-referred to local services. This can be done by their GP, school or other professional, dependant on the borough, to request an assessment.
