You may have heard that Greater Manchester is introducing a new way of deciding which children and young people receive an NHS autism or ADHD assessment, and how quickly they are seen. We know this may raise questions or concerns for families.
In this article, we’re sharing clear and simple information about what these changes mean in Stockport, and where you can get advice and support. Some local details are still being finalised, and we’ll add updates as soon as they are confirmed. For more information, you can also visit the Greater Manchester (GM) Integrated Care Partnership website, which includes information specifically for Stockport.
We understand how hard it can be waiting for an assessment, and how difficult it can be to know where to turn for help in the meantime. That’s why we’ve introduced a new way of getting early support from the moment you first notice signs that your child or young person may be autistic or have ADHD. This is called the ND Early Help Model. It focuses on offering help and advice early, without needing a diagnosis, so families can access support sooner.
We know this is a lot to take in. If you’d like to find out more, ask questions, or talk things through, you’re very welcome to come along to one of our information drop-in sessions.
Information drop-in sessions:
The Strategic Lead for Neurodivergence in Stockport will be attending the following drop-in sessions supported by the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS), Parents and Carers Together Stockport (PACTStockport), and Stockport Parents of ADHD Children in Education (SPACE). These sessions will be an opportunity to ask questions and find out what support is available locally. Please come along to whichever session feels most helpful.
Daytime drop-in with CAMHS and PACTStockport
In-person session with CAMHS and PACTStockport on Monday 11th May 10.30am-12pm, at Alma Lodge, 149 Buxton Road, Stockport, SK2 6EL. Refreshments will be provided. Please reserve a spot for this session.
Evening drop-in with SPACE and PACTStockport
SPACE parent support group on Tuesday 12th May 7pm-9pm, at the Dog and Partridge pub, 272 Buxton Road (A6), Great Moor, Stockport, SK2 7AN. This session does not require booking, simply turn up on the day.
Evening drop-in with CAMHS and PACTStockport
Online session with CAMHS and PACTStockport on Monday 18th May 6pm-7.30pm, held via Microsoft TEAMS. Please reserve a spot for this session.
Our Early Help Offer
What you can access now
- We have created an online information board (Padlet) which outlines our ND Early Help Offer. It brings together both in person support, such as advice drop ins, group sessions and courses, as well as online support, including webinar recordings, live training sessions and regularly updated information and resources.
- Monthly in-person Information and Advice Drop-In sessions held at our One Stockport Family Hubs where you can chat to staff from the Neurodevelopmental Team and other services.
- Monthly in-person meet ups by SPACE for parents and carers of children and young people with ADHD.
- The Exploring Neurodiversity workshop run by the Neurodevelopmental Team which introduces the term neurodiversity and identifies some general strategies of support that can be used at home, is available to all parents/carers living in Stockport. Email ndteam@stockport.gov.uk to request a place.
- Free support for families, delivered by Anna Freud: you can access one-to-one peer support, group learning and coaching, and practical resources. Find out more about Autism Central’s offer.
- Pre-recorded training webinars on a variety of topics including Sleep, Distressed Behaviour and Anxiety. You can find these on the Stockport Early Help Offer Padlet.
- ND Parent Support Group run by our neurodevelopmental Team. You can find out about our upcoming sessions by emailing ndteam@stockport.gov.uk. You can also ask to be added to the ND mailing list so that they can email you updates re upcoming sessions.
- Upcoming live training on a variety of topics that parents/carers have requested - check out our Padlet for upcoming sessions. If you would like to request a training topic, please email ndteam@stockport.gov.uk.
- Young People's online neuroprofiling tool helps young people aged 10 and over to gain a greater understanding of their strengths, needs and will signpost you to support. Find out more about the tool.
- Autism and Suicide Awareness Training that aims to share information about the risk, spotting the signs, and resources for support.
- Kooth: free safe and anonymous professional online mental health support for young people aged 10-25.
- SilverCloud: a free confidential and secure series of programmes to help ease stress, sleep better or build resilience for people aged 16+.
- Qwell: free safe and anonymous professional online mental health support available 24/7 for people aged 16+.
- Visit our SEND Local Offer which brings together information about local services, support and advice for parents, carers, and young people aged up to 25 with, or who may have, SEND.
Families and colleagues often tell us they need help finding the right SEND information, which is why we are introducing regular online sessions to guide you through the SEND Local Offer:
- Understand what the SEND Local Offer is (and how it can help families and professionals)
- Learn the quickest way to find the website and key sections
- See how the information is organised, so you can navigate with confidence
- Pick up practical tips for using the Local Offer to identify local support and next steps
How to access more support
If you require more help, you can drop in to one of our information and advice sessions to speak to a member of our team, or email ndteam@stockport.gov.uk.
We are working to expand our current local support offer and ensure it is available to all. Once our local offer has been agreed, we will add updates.
Getting a referral for an Autism or ADHD assessment
If you have already accessed our early help offer and feel your child needs further support, you should speak to your school SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator).
Before they can refer a child or young person for an assessment, schools are required to introduce appropriate SEN support and review how well this support is working as part of the school’s review process.
If, after accessing early help and SEN support, you feel that an autism or ADHD assessment is still needed, the next step is a meeting with the SENCO at school.
At this meeting you can talk about your child’s needs and what you have noticed at home. School staff will explain what they have observed in school, and together, you will complete the referral form. This includes questions about your child’s behaviour, day-to-day functioning, and any other factors that may be affecting them, such as mental health. Please note that under the new process, if your child is 10 years old or over, they must give their own consent before a referral can be made.
If your child or young person is not in school, you can make a referral yourself. However, it usually works best if a professional helps with the referral, for example your GP, Inclusion link, or a tutor. Please include any information that might be helpful, such as speech and language therapy or educational psychology reports (if you have them), or old school reports if your child previously attended school.
Changes to the Autism and ADHD assessment process
Greater Manchester is introducing a new, fairer way of deciding which children and young people should be seen.
Requests for autism and ADHD assessments have grown much faster than services can respond to. This has led to very long waiting times, families feeling unsure about what support is available and children with the highest needs waiting too long for help.
The new process is designed to be fairer, clearer and more consistent, so that:
- Children with the most urgent or significant needs are seen sooner
- All families receive support straight away, even without a diagnosis
- Every area across Greater Manchester follows the same approach
These changes mean that not every child or young person will have the level of need or complexity for an NHS funded assessment. However, every child can still access support via our new needs-led early help offer.
What is the new approach?
We are working towards bringing a team of professionals from different services who will review new referrals together. They will consider whether the child meets the criteria for an NHS autism or ADHD assessment and how much support the child needs right now. Based on this, they will decide one of the two outcomes below:
- Added to the assessment waiting list – for children who meet the criteria for assessment and have significant needs.
- Signposted to support without a diagnosis – for children who may or may not meet the criteria for an assessment and/or whose current level of need is not high enough for an NHS assessment at this time.
Both outcomes will result in your child being signposted to our needs-led early help offer.
What about children already on the pathway for an Autism or ADHD assessment
If your child or young person has been referred for an Autism and/or ADHD assessment and is awaiting their initial/choice appointment, they will be reviewed using the new process. The longest waiters will be reviewed first, and the aim is to complete the review of all children and young people awaiting their initial/choice assessment by April 2027. Those who have been waiting for a year or more for their initial/choice appointment will be contacted to discuss the referral as part of the review.
If your child or young person has already had their initial/choice appointment and/or Developmental History appointment, please be reassured that they will continue to progress on the assessment pathway. This will also be the same for children or young people who have already had their initial appointment with an alternative provider, as part of the ‘Right to Choose’ pathway.
We understand that these changes may feel worrying, especially for families who have been on the waiting list for a long time. The aim of this new approach is to ensure that everyone has equal access to support regardless of whether or not they have a diagnosis.
Staying informed and getting support
If you have any questions, you are welcome to attend one of the drop-in sessions listed above. As more information becomes available, including the implications for Right to Choose, we will add updates.
You can also keep up to date by signing up for the SEND and inclusion newsletter and following the SEND Local Offer and PACTStockport Facebook pages.