Who we are
We are a small, multidisciplinary forensic child and adolescent mental health team, with a range of clinical experience and specialist knowledge to help support professionals care for young people, under the age of 18 years, where there is concern about risk.
The aim of our service is to support professionals working with young people at risk of being placed in a secure setting. We will work to help maintain community and educational placements, aiming for positive outcomes for young people and their families.
What we do
We offer a consultation based service and assessments where needed.
- Assessment and Intervention
- Formal consultation and/or attendance at multi-agency meetings
- Informal Advice
Overview of adolescent forensic services in England
- Support community teams working with a high risk group of young people, especially considering:
- Concerns amongst professionals about lack of knowledge of the youth justice system, statutory frameworks and existing provision
- Apprehension and anxiety working with:
We provide a service in North West
London, covering eight London boroughs:
- Brent
- Ealing
- Hammersmith & Fulham
- Harrow
- Hillingdon
- Hounslow
- Kensington and Chelsea
- Westminster
Children and adolescents aged up to 18 years
Where there are concerns regarding emotional and/or mental health difficulties including disorder of conduct and emotions, neurodevelopmental disorder and/or serious mental health difficulties
And
- Concerns regarding risk of harm to others
And/or
- They have become, or are likely to become, involved with the Youth Justice System
Please ask for consent from the young person and/or their carer.
Who can refer?
We accept referrals from all professionals working with children and young people who originate
from our covering Boroughs. However, we require that cases are held by a case-holder or care co-ordinator at the point of referral and throughout involvement with F:CAMHS.
Children and young people who originate from our region, but currently reside out of area may also be referred to the service.
Make a referral or enquiry
- If you think a child is suitable for a referral into our service and/or just want advice from F:CAMHS, you can call us on 0208 354 8002 or email wlm-tr.nwlfcamhs@nhs.net
- We have a professional on duty each day who will respond to phone calls by the end of the working day or within 24 hours’
- Emails are checked at least every morning and lunchtime.
- A referral form can be emailed to you, which will need to be completed before this can proceed to the Consultation stage.
You should receive a call back in 5 working days
- We will contact you as soon as possible – and within 24hours (if urgent) and at least within 5 working days (if not urgent)
- The F:CAMHS clinician will explore your concerns and your reason for referral.
- It may be that the F:CAMHS clinician can give you advice/ recommendations at this point. This may include helping you to identify other appropriate agencies within your locality that are best placed to support the young person in question.
This might be followed by a formal consultation
- You might decide together that a formal consultation is needed, to reflect on the history available from the referrer
- For this, you will need to complete an F:CAMHS referral form
- The F:CAMHS clinician will coordinate a time around your schedule to complete a consultation either on the phone or face-to-face.
- You will receive a written summary of the consultation and recommendations. A copy of this will be sent to the child’s GP.
We’ll support you to find the right agencies to help
- If there are a number of agencies working with a young person, it may be appropriate to arrange a multi-agency consultation.
In some cases, we’ll become directly involved with the young person
- In some cases, it may be appropriate for us to become directly involved with a young person. This usually means undertaking a specialist assessment and/or agreeing an approach to intervention. This will be determined by the consultation process.
Unfortunately we cannot:
- Be a care coordinator for CPA
- Be a case-holder
- Complete court reports for young people in our geographical footprint
If you need urgent help
Although we have a Duty service, we are not an emergency service.
In the case of an emergency
- If there someone’s life is at risk – please call
emergency services on 999 - If the risk is contained but you need urgent healthcare – please call the young person’s CAMHS team, GP or advise them to attend A&E
- If there are safeguarding concerns please contact the duty Social Worker.
Our locations
North West London Forensic CAMHS
St Bernard’s Hospital
UB1 3EU
Tel: 0208 354 8002
Email: Wlm-tr.nwlfcamhs@nhs.net
