CAMHS or SPA

There are some situations where a referral direct to CAMHS will be appropriate. The Single Point of Access is not an emergency or urgent response service and the mailboxes are not checked on a daily basis. Please DO NOT send requests for assistance to the Single Point of Access where there are concerns that a child or young person may be at immediate risk.

A referral should be submitted directly to CAMHS for concerns involving:

• Children and young people who have already been well known to CAMHS, or who you think may still be an open case.

• Eating disorder.

• Concern about risk of suicide or serious self-harm.

• Any very unusual or worrying behaviours.

• Sexual abuse and other serious trauma

Only requests for neurodevelopmental assessment should be made through the SPA.  All other requests to Community Child Health, CAMHS, Speech and Language Therapy or Occupational Therapy should be made through the usual routes.

CAMHS referrals should be made using the same Request for Assistance form as the Single Point of Access. This is helpful because, should the decision from CAMHS be that support through the SPA is more appropriate, it can be passed directly over, without having to come back to you to do this. It may also be the case that in addition to CAMHS support, a service through SPA is also appropriate.

Young People and Families can access information about CAMHS via their website:

Child and Adolescent Mental Heath Service (CAMHS)