Community Paediatrics

The community paediatric service is provided within four district localities and provides neuro-disability services to children up to school leaving age in accessible venues including clinics, schools, community hospital sites and health centres.

Services include specialist multi disciplinary clinics including pre-school child development, feeding, cerebral palsy and autism services. We liaise closely with all mainstream schools, including attendance at school based meetings where appropriate. We are responsible for the delivery of statutory duties in keeping with the Education Act and Code of Practice including duties of designated doctor for local education authority (LEA) liaison.

Our core services depend on multi disciplinary and multi agency liaison including participation in appropriate meetings and multi disciplinary clinics.  We deliver coordinated and family centred services to children with a disability and complex needs (NSF standard 4).  Services are child, young person and family centred (NSF 3) and provide information and support to parents and carers (NSF 2) whilst promoting health and well being; identifying needs and intervening early (NSF 1).

We are responsible for providing medical reports for children who are within the looked after system and those being considered for adoption.

We provide medical advice to adoption and fostering agency in respect of prospective foster carers and adopters and medical advice to the adoption panels across County Durham and Darlington. 

We also provide:

  • Neonatal neuro-developmental follow up.
  • Enuresis services at a secondary care level.
  • Locality based epilepsy services for children with complex disability.
  • Supports the provision of the tertiary neurology outreach clinics.

Other details

Referral required?
Yes
Referral and availability notes

Referral from GP, Health-visitor, School nurse or other Health professionals is required

Local Offer

What does your service do?

What does your service do?

We provide medical assessment and management of children and young people with neurodevelopmental disorders including preschool ASD, complex neuro-disability/epilepsy and for children within the looked after system. The service liaises with other services as needed.

The service is provided by district based, consultant led teams across County Durham and Darlington.

Typical activities that we provide include specialist clinical assessment, management and intervention for children with neurodevelopmental disorders.

There are no limitations on the amount of time we will support a child or young person. The service will continue for as long as there is a defined clinical need.

Where is it located and what areas does it cover?

Where is it located and what areas does it cover?

The service is provided across County Durham and Darlington from the venues mentioned below, with the exception of Easington.

Stanley Primary Care Centre

Chester le St Hospital

Bishop Auckland Hospital

Darlington Memorial Hospital

Who does your organisation provide a service for?

Who does your organisation provide a service for?

The service covers:

  • 0-16 year olds attending main stream schooling
  • 0-19 year olds attending Specialist Educational Provision 

How can I start using the service?

How can I start using the service?

A referral must be received from a GP, health-visitor, school nurse or other health professionals.

The service aims to see all children within 6-8 weeks following receipt of a referral.

How are decisions made about who can use your service?

How are decisions made about who can use your service?

The service has referral criteria (as above); referrals are reviewed to ensure eligibility and appropriateness of service.

The referrer and the family are informed if the referral criteria are not met.

The family will be offered an appointment following acceptance and allocation to the service.

If the referral is declined, the reasons will be detailed within the response to referrer which will be copied to the family.

How do I know what is going on and can I be involved in making plans for the future?

How do you communicate with service users and how are they involved in decision making / planning?

Patient satisfaction survey cards are available to provide feedback about services.

Targeted information is provided based on individual assessment and consultation.

If required a translator can be booked. Please advise if this service is required at point of referral.

Families have the opportunity to discuss progress with clinicians at each clinic attendance. This is followed-up by a copy of correspondence providing a summary of the clinical consultation.

Individualised training to meet specific clinical need will be offered where required; families may be signposted on to other services to support a child’s particular needs.  

Is your service fully accessible?

Is your service fully accessible?

All our buildings are fully wheelchair accessible.

Children are seen in a child friendly environment within a dedicated children’s outpatient department which meets a health service standard.

We have dedicated child health staff within child orientated waiting rooms. Sensory rooms are available on some sites, with age appropriate toys/activities.

Please contact us before an appointment if you or your child has a particular requirement.

What training have your staff had regarding SEND?

What training are the staff supporting children and young people with SEND had or are having?

The team consists of paediatricians who have undertaken specialist training in neurodevelopment to support children with SEND. Continuous professional development is mandatory and individual training needs are assessed annually.

Each district is composed of a team of community paediatricians which are able to offer a range of specialist knowledge and skills spanning the broad range of developmental  disorders. 

The districts work closely with the wider members of the paediatric team (e.g specialist nurses, hospital consultants) as well as therapy professionals (e.g physiotherapy, speech and language, occupational therapy). In addition, the service collaborates closely with other partner agencies (e.g education and social care).

Who can I contact for further information?

Who can I contact for further information?

If you are worried about your child’s development and progress, then you can raise your concerns with a number of different health professionals  e.g. your child’s G.P, health visitor or school nurse.

They will be able to help support and advise you whether you child would benefit from a specialist assessment from our service and make a referral to the team if appropriate.

Disclaimer

Durham County Council's Families Information Service does not promote nor endorse the services advertised on this website. Anyone seeking to use/access such services does so at their own risk and may make all appropriate enquiries about fitness for purpose and suitability to meet their needs.
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