Our Service
There exists in the children’s residential care world a subset of children with mental health difficulties, and/or other complex needs, who consistently fall between the cracks. Their needs are too complex for a ‘standard’ therapeutic residential care placement, yet they do not meet the threshold required to access CAMHS or other specialist input in a regular or timely manner. They may be stepping down from, or a concerted effort is being made to avoid admission to, a tier IV mental health facility, a secure facility or similar. They may or may not have a formal diagnosis and may require 3:1 line-of-sight staffing or more. For these children life too often consists of one inappropriate (i.e., failed) care home placement after another. It is with these children in mind that we offer bespoke (i.e. individually tailored) care packages in our Ofsted registered homes in Northampton.
Our general approach is to assemble a multi-disciplinary team (MDT) for each young person. Some of the individuals involved collaborate with us regularly. Others, such as child and adolescent psychiatrists (not every child needs input from a psychiatrist), we would source as needed. The types of specialists could include (but aren’t limited to) the following:
- Consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist: If required, a psychiatrist can meet regularly with the young person and consult with the rest of the team about their visits. The psychiatrist can perform a full psychiatric assessment, including specialist assessments, such as ASD and/or ADHD assessments. The result will be a psychiatric report and, if needed, prescription(s) for medication. An RMN might, if needed, also be included in the team to help the team better implement the psychiatrist’s instructions.
- Consultant psychologist: a psychologist can perform a psychological assessment (in conjunction with the psychiatrist, so that they do not overlap). Again, they will use a combination of tools/techniques to help arrive at some hypothesis(es) about the young person and their behaviour, personality, and capabilities. The result is a psychological report. The psychologist may also be involved in ongoing, regular, direct sessions with the young person.
- Consultant Occupational therapist: In conjunction with the above, and hopefully with a good understanding about diagnoses and any medication requirements, our occupational therapy (OT) team will perform a functional assessment, resulting in a report that outlines the following:
- What the assessment involved.
- The young person’s general level of functioning, highlighting areas where they are least/most dependent or independent.
- Recommendations about suitable residential care accommodation (including level and type of support/supervision they need).
- Current and future goals for therapy (for OT as well as for other disciplines).
- Any equipment or assistive technology they may need.
After that, the real work begins. The types of daily activities, education, stimulation, etc. will all be tailored to support the needs of the young person, as informed by the report(s) above, and supported by a specialised, well-trained team of staff conversant in a PACE approach and a good understanding of trauma and attachment, ADHD, autism, PDA/ODD, anxiety, self-harm, and other similar issues that when clumped together make a child’s needs complex.
Once we have the measure of a young person, they get what they need, whether that be equine therapy, play therapy or some other kind of therapeutic input. This support will be agreed among the team, including the young person and their social worker.
For further information, please contact us on referrals@discovered.org.uk.
Wellingborough Road