Starfish LD CAMHS and Starfish+

Starfish Learning Disability Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (Starfish LD CAMHS) offer assessments and interventions to children/young people who have a diagnosed learning disability where there are concerns about their mental health and/or distressed behaviour.

Who we care for

Starfish offers a service to children and young people from the time they start school until the age of 18 years old. 

At the point of referral, we require evidence of a diagnosed learning disability AND information about the reason for the referral. For example:

• concerns about mental health, emotional needs and/or
• concerns about distressed behaviour and the impact of this on their everyday life

Starfish does need evidence that the child has a learning disability, and the team will look for this information in different ways. We may ask for more information to help ensure Starfish LD CAMHS is the right service for the child or young person.

What we do

The team has a range of offers that are tailored according to the child or young person's needs. These include:

• offering consultation to parents/carers and professionals
• working directly with the child or young person
• working with their family or others who support and care for them.

The aim of the intervention is to understand what is happening for the child or young person and to find ways to enable them to achieve their best health and wellbeing.

A Starfish LD CAMHS consultation line is available for parents/carers and professionals in need of assistance. Please contact us using the telephone number below for more information.

Referrals

Referral criteria

Referrals to Starfish LD CAMHS will be accepted for children/young people provided they are:

• Aged from school entry to 18 years old with a mild, moderate, or severe learning disability and experiencing mental health difficulties and/or distressed behaviour that is impacting their life
• Registered with a Norfolk GP

Starfish LD CAMHS accepts self-referrals and referrals from all agencies e.g. GP, social care, voluntary sector.

Making a referral

Referral to Starfish LD CAMHS is made via Single Point of Referral (SPOR) form. Please ensure you clearly mark Starfish as the service required.

The information that is included in this form helps Starfish make decisions. Please provide as much information as you can to help the team understand the need and what is being asked for.

It is also important for the parent or carer to consent to the referral. A parent or carer must sign the referral form.

Please ensure that alongside the SPOR form, you send evidence that the child/young person has a diagnosed learning disability, together with any educational psychology reports that may have been undertaken, and evidence of school attainment levels.

Contact us

Our consultation line for families, carers, and professionals is unmanned but we aim to respond to messages within 2-3 working days. Please outline your concerns and/or describe the areas in which you would like help.

Tel: 01603 272319

Alternatively, you can email or write to us:

Email: Starfish@nchc.nhs.uk

Post: Norwich Community Hospital, Bowthorpe Road, Norwich, NR2 3TU

Help us improve our services for children and young people

We're asking young people to talk about what it's like to use our services and share ideas.

Take a look at our leaflet for more information: Young Voices Together leaflet

Starfish Plus is an intensive mental health service for children and young people with learning disabilities in Norfolk. We support children and young people when there are serious concerns about their mental health.

We understand that distress is sometimes expressed through behaviour. Many of the referrals we receive describe concerns about behaviour, which may be linked to underlying mental health needs.

Who we support

Starfish Plus is a small team working with a small number of children and young people. We offer assessment and intervention for those who:

• Are under 18 years old
• Are registered with a Norfolk GP
• Have a learning disability
• Are at risk of being admitted to a mental health hospital or being detained under the Mental Health Act
• May be unable to continue living at home due to concerns about their mental health
• May be unable to take part in everyday activities (such as going to school or enjoying short breaks) because of their mental health
• Need mental health support that is both multi-disciplinary (involving professionals such as psychologists, speech and language therapists, and learning disability nurses) and intensive (involving regular contact each week with different team members)

Our approach

We believe that children and young people with learning disabilities who are experiencing a mental health crisis should receive the right care and support to stay at home with their loved ones and live safe, happy and fulfilled lives.

We carry out multi-disciplinary assessments to understand each young person's mental health needs and provide tailored support and intervention. We see children and families at home and in other places that are important to the young person.

Referrals

Referrals to Starfish Plus are made through a conversation with a team member. You can request this by emailing: Starfishplus@nchc.nhs.uk

We don't use a referral form, as decisions about our involvement are best made through discussion with people who know the child or young person well. We accept referrals from anyone - including children, young people and their families.

Working together

Starfish and Starfish Plus work closely to make sure each child or young person receives the right support. If a young person is already known to Starfish, we will work in partnership to consider whether intensive intervention is needed.

Many of the young people we support are on the Dynamic Support Register. Find out more about the Dynamic Support Register and Care, Education and Treatment Review (CETR).