Health Services in Cambridgeshire

Do you ever feel lost at the volume of acronyms in the NHS? The NHS confederation has a useful acronym buster for NHS terms here.

People with a learning disability often have poorer physical and mental health than other people. This does not need to be the case. Annual health checks are for adults and young people aged 14 or over with a learning disability. You can ask your GP for your young person to be added to their Learning Disability Register. They will then be invited for an annual Learning Disability Health Check. Watch a short film about the health checks, find out what to expect and how to make sure your young person gets one.

The Community Paediatric Audiology Service provides a hearing assessment and advice for children where there is concern about their hearing. They can assess children aged nine months to 16 years old and require a referral from your child’s GP, Health Visitor, School, Paediatrician or Speech Therapist. For those 16 years or older, the GP can assess and refer to services as needed.

Autism is a lifelong developmental disability which affects how people communicate and interact with the world.  Cambridgeshire and Peterborough are developing an All-Age Autism Strategy.  An Autism diagnosis can only be made by a suitably qualified medical professional. Children who do not have a diagnosis of autism may be diagnosed as having Social Communication Difficulties. Cambridgeshire NHS have produced a Guide.

In Cambridgeshire, this service is provided through the NHS by the Community Paediatrician or Clinical Psychologist for preschool and primary school-aged children 0 -11 years and the Child psychiatrist/psychologist (CAMH) for secondary school age, 11- 18 years.  Young people over the age of 18 will be referred by their GP to adults’ mental health services and Cambridge Lifespan Autism Spectrum Service (CLASS)

There is help available for families whose children have experienced brain injuries.

The Child Brain Injury Trust offers practical advice covering all aspects of life after injury including parent and child support.

The Children’s Trust also offer advice and support and have some useful videos too.

Headway offers advice and information about brain injuries including information sheets. They also offer the Brain Injury Identity Card, that those with brain injuries can carry with them to let others know they may need extra support.

The Acquired Brain Injury Forum gives those who have had this experience and their carers a voice.

Your consultant or GP can also offer ongoing help and support to both the person with the brain injury and their family.

Brain injuries are sometimes not obvious to others and the hidden disabilities sunflower lanyards, cards and other personal items can be helpful.

Some children may seek extra sensory input using their mouths – biting and chewing items can be part of this.  Some may have weak muscles and struggle to bite and chew.  Some children have a desire to try to eat things we would not think of as food e.g. soil, chalk – we call this Pica.  If your child has issues like these talk to your GP who can decide on the right type of help. Those over 18 should also talk with their GP if there is an issue.

For those under 16 years of age, the Children’s Community Nursing team offer specialist nursing support to families who have children or young people with nursing or medical needs in the home or other community settings e.g. a school.

The team has specialist nurses and nursery nurses who have experience and knowledge in the following areas:

• Acute care
• Asthma
• Cystic Fibrosis
• Complex needs
• Enteral feeding
• HIV
• Oncology
• Palliative care
• Tuberculosis.

The team endeavour to care for children at home to reduce hospital admissions and minimise the length of stay whenever it is safe to do so.

The service operates seven days a week, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm and at weekends and bank holidays, 9am to 5pm.

Tel: 01223 218061  

For those who are 16 years or older can be referred by the GP to the District Nursing Team if needed.

The Community Paediatric Service assesses and manages the health conditions of children (0-18 years) who live in Cambridgeshire and who have significant problems with their development and/or disability. The service provides a wide range of medical advice, assessment, diagnosis, treatment and support services in the following areas:

• Children with developmental concerns, including potential Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) diagnoses
• Children in special schools requiring medication or other treatments during the day
• Medical advice for Education Health Care Plans
• Safeguarding children, child protection and children in need

Benefits from this service include:

• Maximising the health of children
• Medical problems are identified and addressed at the earliest opportunity
• Children are supported to remain in education
• Children’s safety and well-being are protected
• Children, young people and their families are enabled to lead independent lives

Referrals to the service are made by the GP

The NHS have added information for families about how to make a complaint. You can view this here.

Some children struggle to become dry and clean – toilet training can be a struggle, or a new pattern of wetting and soiling happens.  You can talk to your GP, health visitor or paediatrician and ask for help and advice.

Cambridgeshire has a paediatric continence service for children aged 4-19 with a webpage giving information on continence and how to contact the team. For those over 18 years, the adults service can assist.  Those needing help with nappies, pads and other products can contact the Continence Service or click to see more information.

Read about autism and continence

As well as accessing continence products through the Continence Service, we know that there are specialist providers who have useful offers – Fledglings offers a wide range of products, including swimsuits and swimming trunks for children and young adults, for example.

The Bladder and Bowel Community offer useful advice, support and practical help, including the free ‘Just Can’t Wait’ cards for those who need the toilet with little warning.

Radar keys can be purchased from a number of sources to use for public toilets that need a key to unlock them.  You could try this website, but there are others.

For those who are doing extra washing to deal with bladder and bowel issues, don’t forget that Disability Living Allowance is there to help cover these types of additional costs from bringing up a SEND child or young person.  Family Fund can also help low-income families with grants to allow for things like washing machines, as well as other support.

Continence Action Group

Some children struggle to become dry and clean – toilet training can be a struggle, or a new pattern of wetting and soiling happens.  You can talk to your GP, health visitor or paediatrician and ask for help and advice.  Cambridgeshire has a paediatric continence service for children aged 4-19 and how to make a referral can be found here. For those who are older there is an adult service.

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Foundation Trust has a webpage with contacts and information.

The NHS trust offers specialist services at The Phoenix Centre.

Peterborough Eating Disorders

The NHS will provide any clinically necessary treatment needed to keep your mouth, teeth and gums healthy and free of pain. You can find your local dentist here.

You’re entitled to free dental care if you are:

• aged under 18, or under 19 and in qualifying full-time education
• pregnant or have had a baby in the previous 12 months
• staying in an NHS hospital and your treatment is carried out by the hospital dentist
• an NHS hospital dental service outpatient – but you may have to pay for your dentures or bridges

You’re also entitled if you or your partner – including civil partner – receive, or you’re under the age of 20 and the dependant of someone receiving:

• Income Support
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
• Universal Credit and meet the criteria

If you’re entitled to or named on:

• a valid NHS tax credit exemption certificate – if you do not have a certificate, you can show your award notice; you qualify if you get Child Tax Credits, Working Tax Credits with a disability element (or both), and have an income for tax credit purposes of £15,276 or less
• a valid HC2 certificate

People named on an NHS certificate for partial help with health costs (HC3) may also get help.

Some children and young people’s health needs mean that they struggle to access ordinary dental services.  The special care dental service. provides a comprehensive range of activities to improve the oral health of children and adults who have a physical, sensory, intellectual mental, medical, emotional or social impairment or disability, which makes routine care in general dental practice unsuitable or impractical for their needs.

Patients are only accepted by our special care dental service on referral from General Dental Practitioners.  Referrals are subject to eligibility criteria, which can be found here. If you have any queries, please call us on 0300 555 6667 and press option 2.

Support is still available for anyone with a drink or drug problem. If you need help your GP is a good place to start. They can discuss your problems with you and get you into treatment. You can call your GP practice as usual for an appointment. The NHS website has lots of information that can help. There is also help available through the organisations below

Telephone helplines:

• Drinkline provides free advice and support, on 0300 123 1110
• FRANK provides free information and advice on drugs, and information on where to get help, on 0300 123 6600
• the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) helpline, if there are worries about a child or young person, on 0808 800 5000
• The National Association for Children of Alcoholics (Nacoa), on 0800 358 3456
• Childline provides advice for anyone under 19, on 0800 1111

Websites:

• One You Drink Less, which offers advice on cutting back on alcohol
• FRANK, which offers information and advice on drugs and where to get help
• Down Your Drink, which provides interactive web-based support to help people to drink more safely
• Nacoa, which provides information, advice and support for anyone affected by a parent’s drinking
• Childlineonline access to mutual support including:
• SMART Recovery
• Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)
• Narcotics Anonymous (NA)

Cocaine Anonymous (CA)

Developmental co-ordination disorder (DCD), also known as dyspraxia, is a condition affecting physical co-ordination. It causes a child to perform less well than expected in daily activities for their age and appear to move clumsily.

DCD is thought to be around 3 or 4 times more common in boys than girls, and the condition sometimes runs in families.

If you’re concerned about your child’s health or development, talk to a GP or health visitor, or speak to a nurse, doctor or special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) at your child’s school.  If necessary, they can refer your child to a community paediatrician, who will assess them and try to identify any developmental problems.  If you are older than 16 years talk to your GP.

Some children may have difficulties with feeding from birth – difficulties taking milk, allergies or reflux, for example. These may be a result of physical needs and most can be addressed with changes to milk, advice and minor medical procedures. Some issues may be longer term, and some may be life-long: some may require medical procedures or ongoing medical support. Some children do not develop eating issues until they are older. For some, moving onto solid foods is when it shows and again it often a physical need that is seen. As children grow, they take more control of their eating and some disorders are seen during this stage – this could include what children choose to eat, how they choose to eat and when they choose not to eat. Sometimes the eating is part of a wider need that you can see through food and sometimes its only food related. It can be a physical need or an emotional mental health need.

If you have concerns then talk with your child’s GP, health visitor or paediatrician.  Young people can seek their own referrals over the age of 17 or 18 through their GP. Those who need specialist services may be referred to Dietetics, Nutrition, and to services for specialist equipment and other related support.

If your child’s eating and drinking suddenly stops or become very restricted or becomes unwell, please seek immediately medical advice from the GP or NHS 111 to ensure they are safe and well.

If your child is experiencing discomfort or uncertainty about their gender identity, and it’s causing distress, it’s important they talk to an adult you can trust.

Options include parents, who may be much more supportive than you expect. Schools and colleges are now much more aware of trans and gender identity issues, are keen to support young people and have a duty to do so.

If your child doesn’t feel able to talk to someone they already know, there are several charities and local gender support groups they can talk to. Many have trained counsellors they can speak to in confidence. You can find more help at the Kite Trust.

There is NHS help available for teenagers who need support around gender.

If you have strong and continuing feelings of identifying as a gender that is not the one you were assigned at birth, and are distressed about this, there are various options available. These include talking therapy and hormone treatment and, after 18 years of age, surgery if appropriate.

Your GP, other health professional, school, or a gender support group may refer you to the Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust.

This NHS service specialises in helping young people up to the age of 18 with gender identity issues. It takes referrals from anywhere in England. Its principal clinics are in London and Leeds.

Genetic testing – sometimes called genomic testing – finds changes in genes that can cause health problems. It’s mainly used to diagnose rare and inherited health conditions and some cancers.

You may be offered a genetic test because:

• your doctor thinks you might have a health condition caused by a change to 1 or more of your genes
• someone in your family has a health condition that’s caused by changes to genes
• some of your close relatives have had a particular type of cancer that could be inherited
• you or your partner have a health condition that could be passed on to your children

If you have any questions, talk to your doctor about having a genetic test.

The Cambridge Rare Disease Network  supports families, children and young people.

There are three support groups for those with Downs Syndrome and their families:

Cambridge Babies and Children with Downs Syndrome Group

Cambridgeshire Down’s Syndrome Community Network – CambsDSCN

Cambridgeshire parent support group for teenagers/young people with Down Syndrome.

Global Developmental delay is a name (‘diagnosis’) given by doctors when a child has not reached two or more of their developmental milestones at an expected age. The term ‘delay’ is misleading as it is uncommon for children to simply ‘catch up’. Most children with GDD continue to have difficulties as they get older. Children are often diagnosed with learning difficulties/disabilities when they start school. Please make sure you speak to the SENCO at your child’s school if you have concerns about your child’s support/ progress.  If you continue to have concerns you may ask your GP for more advice and they may refer you to a Community Paediatrician.

Everyone Health has partnered with Cambridgeshire County Council to provide healthy lifestyle support to people living in Cambridgeshire. It is a free service for Cambridgeshire residents who are looking to make changes to their lifestyle. Whether you want help to quit smoking, lead a more active lifestyle, lose some weight, or simply take advantage of the NHS Health Checks on offer, Everyone Health – alongside Cambridgeshire County Council – can help you.

There are a number of hospitals across our region and beyond. Some offer universal services whilst others have specialist services and are known as being leaders in certain medical fields, such as heart surgery or children’s plastic surgery.  When you are referred to services that are in a hospital you will be sent to right clinic in the right hospital for your child’s needs.  This may be your nearest hospital, but it can sometimes mean you need to travel further to the hospital offering what is needed.

We have four hospitals in Cambridgeshire:

Addenbrookes in Cambridge

Hinchingbrooke in Huntingdon

The Rosie (Maternity) in Cambridge

Royal Papworth (Heart) in Cambridge

You may live nearer to hospitals outside of Cambridgeshire and be referred there:

Peterborough City in Peterborough

The Queen Elizabeth in Kings Lynn

Or be referred to a hospital with a specialist hospital or unit such as

Great Ormond Street, which is one of 30+ children’s hospitals in the UK.

Hospital Health Passports

Hospital passports can also help with visits and hospital stays but making it easy for the adults who will meet your child during their visit understand their special educational needs and disabilities at a glance

Pinpoint, Cambridgeshire’s Parent Carer Forum, worked with parents and Addenbrooke’s Hospital to create an Additional Needs passport for children and young people attending the hospital. There are child and adult versions.  Download the Addenbroooke’s Hospital passport

There is also a general healthcare passport template.  Use it at hospitals, clinic visits or GP appointments. Or keep a spare for holidays or one in the car glovebox in case of emergency. Download a general Healthcare Passport

Mencap and NHS England created a short emergency version for the COVID-19 outbreak to enable healthcare professionals to know immediately about your child’s needs. Download the 2020 COVID-19 ‘Grab and Go’ Healthcare Passport.

Hospital Learning Disability Nursers / Advisors

Most of our children will be treated locally and the local hospital’s Learning Disability Nurse / Advisor will be able to offer help and answer questions.  Learning Disability Nurses understand the needs of people who have a learning disability and/or autism, and also understands how hospitals work. Nurses/Advisors can work with the hospital to help you get the care, treatment and tests you need. See the Learning Disability Nurse Easy read document with further information and contact details.

Hospitals – getting more help

If you need help and advice about your treatment in hospital, contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS).

Most hospitals have their own PALS contact you can approach.

Cambridgeshire’s PALS have their own website

If your child’s heath needs mean that your home needs to be adapted, then there is help available.

Your local council offers a service that assesses your home and recommends changes to help. Having a home assessment is free.

Your Local District Council has grants to help pay for adaptions for disabled people.

Cambridge City Council

East Cambridgeshire District Council

South Cambridgeshire District Council

Huntingdonshire District Council

Fenland District Council

These changes can be small or big and include:

• fitting a stairlift or a banister on the stairs
• adding a bath lift, walk-in shower or a rail you hold to pull yourself out of the bath (grab rail)
• widening doorways
• lowering kitchen worktops
• putting in an outdoor ramp or step rail
• security, such as outside lights and intercom systems

The assessment might also recommend household equipment and gadgets to make life easier.

If you, or someone you know, needs help to do everyday tasks or you’re worried about falling, ask social services for a home assessment.

You can call your local council or do it online.

Home assessment – how to apply

If you are in social housing and changing health needs mean you need extra space for equipment don’t forget to tell your local district council housing team as they may help with finding a home with more space for the adaptions your family needs or which better suits your child’s health needs.  If your housing association home conditions make a health condition worse, you should also alert your housing association and local district council team and ask for help to address the issue.

You may be entitled to welfare benefits to help towards the additional housing costs associated with your child’s needs.

 The NHS provides services that everyone in the population can access.  Some children and young people’s health needs mean that their needs can be met from the services available to everyone – we call these ‘primary’ or ‘universal’ services, which might include GPs and Accident and Emergency departments.  Some children and young people will have more complex needs and may need more specialist services – ‘secondary services.  A small number of children will need highly specialised ‘tertiary’ services.  Whatever your child’s needs, there will be a service that can meet them.

Some children will be born with complex health needs, and those services will have been part of the support offered from birth – some examples might be sight loss, physical disabilities, genetic conditions or heart problems, for example.  Some children will have a sudden change of health, and then specialist services will kick in to meet those needs – a life-changing accident or a life-limiting illness, for example.  Most children may have conditions that come and go or emerge with time.  These children will often start with primary services like the GP and, if necessary, will be referred to specialists.  Sometimes the care becomes part of a lifelong health need, and somethings, with treatment, it is no longer a need.  Whatever your child’s needs, there is help and support.

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough are organised as a joint Integrated Care System responsible for planning, organising and buying NHS-funded healthcare for people living in the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough area registered with a GP practice.

Decision-making in health in Cambridgeshire

The Designated Clinical Officer supports Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group to meet its statutory responsibilities for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities and agrees on the health services within an Education, Health and Care plan.

The Designated Clinical Officer in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough is a qualified and experienced nurse with extensive experience and expertise working with children and young people with various disabilities and health needs.

The Designated Clinical Officer:

• is a point of contact for local partners when notifying parents and the local authority about children and young people they believe have or may have SEN or a disability
• offers advice on SEN or disabilities
• provides health advice to local authorities, schools and colleges regarding children and young people with SEN or Disabilities
• provides a contact for CCGs or health providers so that appropriate notification can be given to the local authority of children under five years who they think may have SEN or a disability.
• agrees on the health services within an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan

If you have any questions, please get in touch with the Designated Clinical Officer for SEND, Siobhan Weaver, on 01733 847 326 or email capccg.send@nhs.net 

You can also look at our Decision Making webpage for more information.

Continuing Care Funding

The Integrated Care System funds children and young people’s health care through Continuing Care.  These exceptional and individual funding requests are usually for medications or treatments not routinely provided through other health services that they or NHS England provide.

Continuing care requests need to be supported by clinical reports and recommendations from professionals involved with your child, however, your GP should be able to help you with this.

If you have been told that you or your child may not get better, you might also have heard about palliative care. Palliative care is for people living with a terminal illness where a cure is no longer possible. It’s not just for people diagnosed with terminal cancer, but any terminal condition. It’s also for people who have a complex illness and need their symptoms controlled. Although people usually have an advanced, progressive condition, this isn’t always the case.

Palliative care aims to treat or manage pain and other physical symptoms. It will also help with any psychological, social or spiritual needs. Treatment will involve medicines, therapies, and any other support that specialist teams believe will help their patients. It includes caring for people who are nearing the end of life. This is called end of life care.

The goal is to help you, and everyone affected by your diagnosis to achieve the best quality of life. You might receive palliative care alongside particular treatments, therapies and medicines, such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

Marie Curie has a suite of Easy Read booklets about palliative care.

East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) supports families and cares for children and young people, 0-18 years, with life-threatening conditions across Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, and North, Mid and West Essex. Their family-centred approach includes specialist nursing care, symptom management support, short breaks, wellbeing activities, therapies and counselling; all meeting the individual needs of the child, young person and whole family.

Their hospices aren’t just about end-of-life care; they’re often very happy and fun places, where young people can live life to their full potential. They are places where families feel safe, at home and where they can spend quality time together, enabling parents to be parents not caregivers. When time is short, they help families make the most of their precious time together.

EACH offers care to families with children and young people who:

• live in North, Mid and West Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk, Peterborough and Cambridgeshire
• have a condition with no reasonable hope of cure and from which they may/will die in childhood or early adulthood
• have a condition (or are diagnosed with a condition in the antenatal period) for which curative treatment may be feasible but can fail, such as children and young people with cancer, for babies born where intensive care has been deemed inappropriate and those with post-natal conditions which would result in the baby experiencing unbearable suffering in the course of their illness or treatment.

Families can self-refer, or be referred by a health professional, by contacting the hospices by telephone (01223 815100), email (ipswichadmin@each.org.uk), or via the website.

If your child has medium or long term mobility issues then you may need extra with the costs getting to and from appointments, If you are using mobility related services you may get help towards additional costs and be eligible for welfare benefits such as Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payments, schemes including the Motability Scheme and Blue Badge scheme and from charity grants such as Family Fund.

Sometimes our children need help to develop / improve their movement (motor skills) or to keep them fit and well.

Occupational Therapy can help with improving children’s motor skills and give advice to help with daily tasks.  They can help with ideas to support your child’s fine motor control – pencil control, using scissors, doing up buttons etc.  They can also advise on gross motor skills, including running and balancing.  They can help you to better understand your child’s sensory needs and how to support your child with these needs. They have some new online learning videos that parent carers may find helpful including some on sensory differences.  We also have a handy guide available too.  The service offers advice but cannot give a diagnosis.  You can find out more about their service on their website, including how the referral process works.

Cambridgeshire Occupational Health Services are free and you can request them for your child yourself.

They can help with all kinds of things:

• Sensory differences
• Co-ordination and motor skills
• Drawing, writing, scissor and hand skills
• Posture and seating
• adapting your home
• adapting school

You can contact them directly through their website for more support and advice or call them on: 0300 029 50 50

Cambridgeshire’s Service is offered from Addenbrooke’s Hospital. Referrals will be through GP and specialists, but should you need follow up advice and care you can contact the service for support.

Physiotherapy can help by restoring movement and function to parts of the body – strengthening weak or damaged muscles or improving flexibility, for example. Physiotherapy is often a short-term service where you may be given exercises to do at home or advice that can be used in school.  Some children will need longer-term support to meet their needs and may work with the service over a much longer time.

Paediatric physiotherapy is the assessment and support of children and young people from birth to 18 years (19 years for some young people in specialist education). They work with the child/young person (CYP), their family and others supporting the child or young person to encourage each individual to get the most out of their lives, and fully develop their potential.

They provide a community-based physiotherapy service; working out of clinics and where appropriate, in other settings such as school and home.  A multidisciplinary approach is taken, working closely with Paediatricians, Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists and others supporting the CYP.

Referrals for children are considered from health professionals, including GPs, School Nurses, Community Paediatricians, Health Visitors and Hospital based services.  They will also consider referrals from social care and education professionals.  All referrals are triaged by Senior Physiotherapists to determine whether physiotherapy is likely to be beneficial.  The referrer and the young person or family will be informed of the outcome of this triaging process.

If you are over 18 you can ask your GP for a referral to this service.

Prescriptions will be free until a young person becomes 16 (or 18 if they are in full time education). If you receive Universal Credit, this is extended to 20. They will continue to receive free prescriptions as an adult if they have the following medical conditions:

• A permanent fistula (for example, a caecostomy, colostomy, laryngostomy or ileostomy) requiring continuous surgical dressing or requiring an appliance
• a form of hypoadrenalism (for example, Addison’s disease) for which specific substitution therapy is essential
• diabetes insipidus or other forms of hypopituitarism ▹ diabetes mellitus, except where treatment is by diet alone
• Hypoparathyroidism
• myasthenia gravis
• myxoedema (hypothyroidism requiring thyroid hormone replacement)
• epilepsy requiring continuous anticonvulsive therapy
• a continuing physical disability that means the person can’t go out without the help of another person
• undergoing treatment for cancer, including the effects of cancer/treatments.

Although many young people with special needs experience delays in achieving developmental milestones, puberty usually occurs at the same age and involves the same changes as typically developing children.

It is normal for all parents to feel anxious about this stage of their child’s development.

Parents may worry about hygiene, period management, emotional meltdowns, emerging sexuality, masturbation and inappropriate touching of others. They may also have fears about the increased risk of sexual abuse and the possibility of casual sexual relationships, pregnancy and STIs.

Parents may also be concerned about how their child will cope emotionally with puberty changes and their emerging sexuality, now and in the future.

Parents and young people can investigate support from their local GP or Cambridgeshire’s NHS icash service. Our section on Sexual health may also be useful – scroll down to the drop down entitled “Sexual Health”.

The term sensory impairment encompasses visual loss (including blindness and partial sight), hearing loss (including the whole range) and multi-sensory impairment (which means having a diagnosed visual and hearing impairment with at least a mild loss in each sense, or deaf blindness).

The Health Services for children with sensory impairment is provided at the Child Development Centre by a Multi – Disciplinary team of Community Paediatricians, Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists. This health service works closely with the Sensory Impairment Service provided by the Local Authority as part of the SENI team.

More detailed information about the Sensory Service Team can be found here.

When a child doesn’t respond in the way they are expected to, it could be because they are finding something too intense or overwhelming and they just can’t cope. Alternatively, it could be that they need even stronger sensory activity to get the message from their senses. There are 5 senses that you will probably know: Sight, Sound, Smell, Taste and Touch, but there are also 3 more – Vestibular (movement and balance) Proprioception (body awareness) and Interoception (how our body feels inside).

Cambridgeshire’s Children’s Occupational Therapists have the skills to identify an individual’s sensory strengths and differences and their impact on daily activities as part of their assessment of a person’s occupational performance.

Ayres Sensory Integration Therapy (SIT) is a tool used by some occupational therapists to address a person’s sensory needs. SIT aims to change a person’s sensory processing through direct, intensive therapeutic input and is delivered by occupational therapists who have undertaken certified postgraduate training. The research evidence is inconclusive regarding the impact of SIT on daily life activities.

There continues to be much debate and controversy regarding Ayres sensory integration Therapy. Evidence for SIT remains largely anecdotal in nature and there remains little conclusive scientific evidence to support the use of SIT in the general population.

Therefore, in line with the strongest evidence base, Cambridgeshire Children’s Occupational Services do not provide Ayres sensory integration.

Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) is not included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (Fifth Edition); sensory differences are considered a symptom rather than a diagnosis. The Royal College of Occupational Therapy (RCOT) do not therefore support the use of SPD as a diagnostic label.

The Cambridgeshire Children’s Occupational Team do provide help to support Sensory Integration and some useful resources to support sensory differences.

0 -16 years

Children aged 0-16 will access children’s services, usually through their GP, health visitor or paediatrician, and usually led by their parent carer or guardian.  You will find details about Cambridgeshire’s Children and Young Peoples’ Health Services here.

14 years plus

If you are aged 14 years or over, you and have a learning disability you are entitled to a free annual health check from your GP

16 years plus

If you are aged 16+ years old and up, then you will start to access some adults’ services and take the lead in making decisions about your health.

If you are under 18 with a learning disability, then you will still be able to access children’s services but will also have more of a say about your care.  You are also entitled to an annual health check (see below).

18 years plus

If you are 18 + you will access adult health services.

If you’re looking for contraception, treatment for sexually transmitted infections, HIV care and treatment or related advice in Cambridgeshire, icash NHS can help.

Icash have created three bespoke hubs across the county, bringing all aspects of sexual health under one roof. They also have three smaller clinics.

Icash also work with Terrence Higgins Trust, who provide community outreach services including free condoms, Chlamydia screening and sexual health advice and signposting. They offer routine sexual health screening;  you can order a kit by clicking here and it will be delivered to your door in plain packaging. Then complete the test and pop it back to us freepost. if you can’t order a kit online, please call us on 0300 300 3030.

They have clinics across Cambridgeshire – you can find details here.

Pinpoint’s Preparing for Adulthood parent group has worked with charity DHIVERSE in Cambridge, which runs  a sexual health and relationships programme specifically for people living with a learning disability or difficulty and their parents and carers.

runs a six-week ABC programme for young people with LDs to help them develop skills around Awareness, Balance and making Choices concerning relationships and sexual health. The programme covers:

• Understanding relationships
• Being assertive and communication skills
• Keeping safe and taking risks
• Staying safe online and in the community
• Sexual Health

All children will get their eyesight checked as part of the free NHS checks at different ages including when they start school. – these are intended to ensure children don’t slip through with unnoticed sight issues. But you don’t need to wait for those – if you are worried you can get a free check done. Getting a professional (optician/ optometrist/ophthalmologist) to look at your child’s sight and check what they can and can’t see is easy and free. And the professionals can do sight tests even on children who can’t yet read or don’t know their alphabet – they get a different test which works for their age. And it even works if they have difficulties talking, following instructions or concentrating.

Book an appointment with your high street optician. Children with exceptional needs: Local opticians will usually have specially trained staff who can advise whether they can do a test given your child’s needs – they should be able to meet the needs of most children and babies. If they cannot meet your child’s needs, request a referral from your GP or the optician to a specialist service at the hospital.

Children often experience short spells when sleep patterns change but prolonged sleeplessness, broken sleep or falling asleep at inappropriate times should be talked through with your child’s GP to check what’s going on.  Cambridgeshire also has specially trained sleep practitioners in who can work with families to help overcome sleep issues such as night waking, trouble settling to sleep, night-time routines and challenging behaviour at bedtime. You can call them 01480 379 800 Email: Community.SupportServices@cambridgeshire.gov.uk.  The service can advise on young people too but over 18-year-olds should ask their GP for advice. They have produce a sleep management guide.

Mental Health Crisis

CPFT have a First Response Service (FRS) for people of any age who are distressed, worried about their mental health or experiencing something that makes them feel unsafe. It provides 24-hour access, seven days a week, 365 days a year, to mental health care, advice and support.   Find out more about the First Response Service.

Whatever the mental or physical health diagnosis, if the person you care for has talked about suicide it’s important you take them seriously. In a crisis, help is available 24/7 from the Samaritans on 116 123. In an emergency, call 999. The Zero Suicide Alliance offers free online suicide prevention training which takes just 20 minutes to complete. Offering the right type of support to someone who is feeling suicidal is crucial. LivingWorks, a leading provider of suicide-alertness training, advises following the acronym TALK:

T – TELL

Someone who is feeling suicidal will be telling you how they feel but perhaps not very directly so be aware of the signs and learn to read them. Do not dismiss them or trivialise them

A – ASK

If you think someone is considering suicide always ask them. You can’t give them the idea of suicide simply by asking, and it is important that you do ask. If they say ‘no’ you haven’t lost anything, and if they say ‘yes’ you have a chance to help.

L – LISTEN

Don’t rush them or judge. Tell them ‘this is important’. Don’t try to offer solutions, just listen. Listening stops people feeling alone, gives hope and provides emotional release.

K – KEEP SAFE

Don’t promise secrecy, but don’t leave someone feeling suicidal on their own. Keep yourself and them safe.

Most people who feel suicidal simply want to end their pain, not their life. Many people who have had suicidal thoughts and/or made a suicide attempt look back later and say they are glad to have survived and that the right intervention at the right moment made all the difference. There is nothing inevitable about suicide. It is often a question of knowing how to help and supporting someone through a crisis. More help is also available from these organisations:

CALM Helpline is dedicated to preventing male suicide and offers confidential emotional support for men through their helpline. Telephone: 0800 58 58 58. Calls are free from landlines and most mobiles. Webchat (5pm-midnight)

Grassroots is a suicide prevention charity.

Maytree Sanctuary is open to anyone in a suicidal crisis for a one-off short stay in a safe place. The service is free, and it is open to anyone in the UK. It offers a quiet place to reflect and time to talk in confidence. Telephone: 0207 263 7070

Papyrus Hope line UK is a national confidential helpline for young people at risk of suicide. Telephone: 0800 068 41 41

Samaritans  Call 116 123. This is a free 24-hour helpline and offers a safe place to talk.

STOP Suicide is an award-winning suicide prevention campaign which reaches across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. It is led by the charities Mind and Lifecraft in Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and Fenland.

The MindEd Trust is a Registered Charity which is focused on the prevention of mental illness in young people and early intervention strategies for those experiencing trauma.

CHUMS is a Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing Service for children and Young People.

The wheelchair service is for residents currently registered with a GP in the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS CCG areas, and who meet the NHS Eligibility criteria for the provision of wheelchairs. AJM Healthcare is the appointed NHS Wheelchair Service Provider. The service will provide you with all NHS wheelchair services, including:

• clinical assessments
• specialist seating
• delivery
• repairs and maintenance
• collection when the wheelchair is no longer required

A wheelchair assessment establishes your clinical needs, and a prescription is made for the right wheelchair for you. Your assessment will take place at our wheelchair clinic in Huntingdon, or at home or another appropriate location, i.e., school or health care setting.

If you are  using this service you may get help towards additional costs and be eligible for welfare benefits including Disability Living Allowance , grants such a Family Fund, the Motability Scheme and the Blue Badge scheme.