Help us shape the NHS support offer for neurodivergent children and young people in south east London

Background:

NHS South East London Integrated Care Board (SEL ICB) commissions health services for Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark. SEL ICB is looking to make improvements in access to and offers of support for children and young people who are neurodivergent and their parents/carers.

The aims of this work programme have been shaped by feedback and insights from children and young people with lived experience, as well as their parents, carers, including Parent Carer Forums collected in previous engagement.

The key insights recommendations:

• reduce long waits for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) assessments for children and young people, including exploring how to eliminate separate diagnostic pathways for ADHD and ASD
• enable access to relevant support to parents/carers and children and young people based on early identification of needs while waiting for an assessment.

We want to hear from local parents/carers who have experience of their child waiting for an ADHD or ASD assessment in NHS services in south east London to help decide what the offer of support should look like (while waiting and post assessment).

How to get involved?

If you are a parent/carer of a child or young person who is currently on a waiting list in the NHS for an ADHD or ASD assessment or who has recently waited and had an assessment/diagnosis in the past 5 years in south east London we are keen to hear from you. There are different ways you can participate and share your experience and tell us what you think.

1. Complete a short survey: We would like to hear from as many parents/carers as possible who have experience of their child waiting for an ADHD or ASD assessment over the past 5 years in NHS services. The survey contains less than 15 questions and should take no more than 10 minutes to complete.
   
   Complete the survey - closing date 3 March 2025
   
   
2. Participate in a online co-design workshop:
   
   - We are holding a online co-design workshop via Microsoft Teams on Monday 10 March 2025, 12:00-13:30, to develop ideas for what support should be made available or accessible via an 'assessment and support hub' for neurodivergent children and young people. The session aims to bring together parents/carers and health care professionals alongside other partners organisations to collectively design the offer.
   
   - In advance of the co-design session, there will be a dedicated briefing session for parent/carers to introduce the aims of the project and explain what more about how online co-design session will look like/how it will be run/what the ask will be of parents/carers and how we will ensure their voice is heard.
   This is to be held online via Microsoft Teams on Tuesday 4 March, 12:00-12:45.
   
   Sign up to participate by completing this short registration form by Tuesday 25 February.