Addresses
Stanley Primary Care Centre
Clifford Road
Stanley
DH9 0AB
Tel. 01207 285 882
Sedgefield Community Hospital
Sedgefield
TS21 3EE
Tel. 01740 626300
About the team
The CAMHS Durham and Darlington Neurodevelopmental Assessment provides the assessment of Autism and ADHD in children and young people between the ages of 5-18 living in the Durham and Darlington area. It is part of a much wider needs-led Neurodevelopmental Pathway for parents and carers of children and young people who may have social communication or attention difficulties.
The team has two bases in County Durham. The North team is based at Stanley Primary Care Centre and the South team at Sedgefield Community Hospital.
The team offer specialist screening and assessment in relation to social communication and attention difficulties.
Assessments
All assessments offered follow the NICE guidelines to make sure that we are providing all young people with the correct diagnosis. We will provide all young people with a meaningful formulation of their strengths and difficulties. This means that everyone involved in their assessment will meet and discuss their case to decide if they meet the criteria for a diagnosis of Autism and/or ADHD.
They will get feedback from this meeting and they may or may not get a diagnosis. They may also be asked to come for some further assessments if we are not able to assess all of their strengths and difficulties.
As part of the assessment process we will request information from your child’s school, and from other professionals who are involved in the young person’s care.
Who is in the team
The CAMHS Durham and Darlington Neurodevelopmental Assessment Service is a full multidisciplinary team that enables us to provide a holistic assessment to you and your child.
Our team members include:
- Psychiatrists
- Psychologists
- CAMHS clinicians
- Neurodevelopmental Assessment Coordinators
- Assistant Psychologists
- Speech and Language Therapists
- Community Associate Practitioners
- Community Support Workers.
Making a referral
All referrals into this service are discussed at a multi-agency panel comprising of professionals from Education, Local Authority, Health and Voluntary Sector.
Currently there is a significant wait for a neurodevelopmental assessment; therefore, it is important that parents, carers, and families access information about the local support offer both prior to a referral being made and if waiting for an assessment. The local offer will differ depending on the area where you live.
If you feel that your child or a child that you are working with would benefit from a neurodevelopmental assessment then you must complete a referral form with a professional who has met your child. Some examples of professionals who can support with a referral could be:
- Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator
- Teacher/teaching assistant
- Social Worker
- Speech and Language Therapist
- Occupational Therapist
- Mental Health professional
- Paediatrician.
The referral form can be found within the local support offer. The local support offer depends on the area you live in. Please see the North East and North Cumbria NHS Needs Led Neurodevelopmental Pathway website for further details.
L1010, v6, 24/02/2023 (Archive: 23/02/2026)