I need help now
Do you need to speak to someone about your emotional wellbeing?
The Single Point of Access (SPOA) is the entry point for referrals to specialist Emotional Wellbeing & Mental Health services.
Our clinical team also offer consultations to professionals working with children, young people and families.
We recommend that you read the following resources before contacting us:
- About Us
- What to consider before making a referral
- What to include in a referral
- Who can refer
- How do I make a referral
About Us
We provide specialist Emotional Wellbeing & Mental Health services to children and young people under the age of 18 in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan.
We are part of Children, Young People and Family Health Services at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board.
Our approach to Children and Young People’s Emotional Wellbeing:
- Our aim is to develop a shared understanding with children, young people and their families about their strengths and difficulties
- We acknowledge that social circumstances contribute to children’s mental health problems e.g. poverty/poor housing/racism
- We acknowledge that for most children their distress is understandable given their context
- We use a generalist approach, integrating a number of models in our work e.g. systemic, CBT, Solution focused.
We deliver the 5 functions of the Primary Mental Health (CYP) as defined by Mental Health – Part 1 Mental Health Measure 2010 including:
- Comprehensive mental health assessments for individuals
- Treatment, by way of short-term psychological interventions, delivered individually or in group settings. Such treatment may include counselling, cognitive behavioural therapy, solution-focussed therapy, stress management, anger management and education.
- Provision of information and advice to individuals and their carers about treatment and care, as well as ‘signposting’ them to other sources of support including third sector organisations.
- Support and advice to professionals and other primary care workers to enable them to safely manage and care for people with mental health problems.
- Supporting the onward referral and co-ordination of next steps with secondary mental health services, where this is felt to be appropriate for an individual.
Referrals to Emotional Wellbeing & Mental Health are assessed and triaged by clinicians in the Single Point of Access (SPOA).
There are two main elements to the function of the SPOA:
- Referral processing, triage and making recommendations or signposting
- Consultation for professionals, including contacting families for more information
Please be aware that some referrals into the Single Point of Access may not require a mental health intervention, as there is low risk and the patient’s needs can be met by existing alternative services.
In such cases, the referrer will be advised to recommend other options to the young person as a starting point.
What to consider before making a referral
Referral to Emotional Wellbeing & Mental Health is not always necessary to support a child or young person’s mental health. Referrals to another service, such as the local early help service, or the support available through schools may be more suited to meeting a child or young person’s needs.
We recommend that as a first step, referrers:
- Encourage families to access local services through their local early help service
- Encourage young people to engage with any support available in their school
- Encourage young people aged over 16 years to access Silvercloud
If these have not been done, there is a chance that the referral will be redirected and the family recommended to act on one or more of these as a first step
If you are uncertain about the need for a mental health assessment for a particular child or young person, you can call the Single Point of Access for a consultation. This will help us to fully understand the situation and work with you to formulate a plan for the child or young person. In some cases, we will be able to accept this as a referral to our services.
Please note, you can contact the SPOA team to discuss a child or young person without identifying them. However, in this case we would only be able to offer general advice due to not being able to look at the individual’s record.
What to include in a referral to Emotional Wellbeing & Mental Health
Providing a detailed referral will help the clinical SPOA team to decide the most appropriate pathway to meet the child or young person’s needs.
If insufficient information is provided, the referral will not be accepted until the SPOA team have sufficient information with which to make a decision. The SPOA team will contact you and possibly the family for more information.
It is essential that all referrers confirm the patient’s address and contact details when they meet with them, regardless of how long you have known them. We rely on these details to contact the family and a significant amount of administrative time is wasted contacting referrers to find up to date information.
- Not confirming the correct contact details may delay referral processing, triage and the booking of the young person’s appointment (if relevant).
We recommend that referrers include the following information in their referrals to Emotional Wellbeing & Mental Health:
- Name and date of birth of referred child / young person
- Their address, telephone number and email address – this must be confirmed to be correct at the most recent appointment / meeting
- Who has parental responsibility?
- Surname of parent (if different to child)
- Name of school and attendance record
- Who is living in the family home – with details of separated parents if appropriate
- What are the specific difficulties that you want us to address?
- How long has this been a problem?
- Why is the family seeking help now?
- Is the problem situation specific or more generalised?
- Your understanding of the problem / issues involved
- What has been tried already?
- How is the concern affecting the young person? What is their opinion about the referral?
- Your assessment of any risks
- Description of the functional impact
- Are other professionals involved and in what capacity?
- Has there been any previous contact with our department?
- Has there been any previous contact with Social Care? If you have any safeguarding / child protection concerns, please ensure appropriate referral has been made to Social Services
- Have you spoken to the child / young person directly?
- Details of any known protective factors
- Any relevant history (i.e. family, life events and/or health development factors)
Who can refer to Emotional Wellbeing & Mental Health
The following professionals can make referrals to Emotional Wellbeing & Mental Health:
- GPs,
- Social workers,
- Health visitors
- A&E staff
- School based ALNCOs, educational psychologists, senior staff and school nurses
- Other professionals in health services that work with children and young people – such as paediatricians, psychologists, dietitians, occupational therapists and physiotherapists, among others.
How do I make a referral to Emotional Wellbeing & Mental Health
From November 2021, we will only accept referrals electronically (via email, web form or WAP) or over the telephone. Please do not send letters or referral forms to us in the post.
GPs can complete an e-referral via WCCG.
C&V UHB colleagues working in the community (e.g. health visitors) are recommended to email childrensspoa.cav@wales.nhs.uk with a case note number as evidence for a referral.
If you are uncertain about the need for a mental health assessment for a particular child or young person, you can call the Single Point of Access for a consultation. This will help us to fully understand the situation and work with you to formulate a plan for the child or young person. In some cases, we will be able to accept this as a referral to our services.
How to make a crisis referral
For the CAMHS Crisis Liaison Team, referrals can be made by phoning through to the team during office hours on 02921 836 730.
Call the UHW Switchboard on 02920 747 747 and ask for CAMHS Crisis team.
Our referral cut off point is 8 pm.
Following this emergency advice is available from the CAMHS Psychiatry on call doctor also via switchboard. It is worth noting that the CAMHS psychiatry rota covers 3 Health Board Areas