Read the July newsletter
Dear Network members,It has been a busy year since the network launched in May 2023!We have forged new collaborations and made progress on several of our primary aims. This newsletter has been designed to update you on all the network activities and highlight our upcoming initiatives.
Infographic on the different local stakeholders in the local care pathway and May eventAt our last event in May 2024, we ran workshops with key stakeholders in the commissioning, design and delivery of care pathways for children, young people and adults with neurodiverse conditions. We presented the different roles of professionals within these care pathways. The presentations were beautifully captured by Inky Thinking during the event, shown below:
Click on the image to see it in full size.
Our May event was very successful in further creating local networks and bonds, we had wonderful presentations from local services and organisations, such as Children's Sensory Therapy Ltd.
This infographic shown above summarises the outcomes of the workshops which focused on the key question:
What are the key roles of the different stakeholders in the care pathway?
Crucial differences were discussed to understand better the many complex parts of the pathway. We will use these as a starting point for initiating to care pathways in Nottingham & Nottinghamshire.
Implementing change in the care pathwaysDebbie Bickley, Transformation & Commissioning Manager from the Nottingham & Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board (ICB), has made great strides with taking the ‘ideal pathway’ forward, working with providers in identifying and implementing “quick win” system changes and improvements to support in the reduction in wait times for families.
As part of our collaboration, we conducted a survey with parents on the waitlist for an autism or ADHD assessment to understand their experiences better.
The key points from this survey were:• Parents would like to be updated frequently at one- or two-months intervals on the status of their referral with their preferred methods of communication being via email or letter.• The main information that parents would like from the services are in regard to waiting times and the referral process. Especially around, what to expect during each appointment and being kept updated on the referral process.• Parents felt that they would benefit from local support on education, parenting and neurodiversity information.The full report can be found online here
Working with our network steering groupWe want to ensure the network is delivering the best outcomes and meeting our key aims. To help achieve this we have now created a local steering group comprising 30 representatives from all key services and groups in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. The steering group meet every two months for a full morning’s discussion on how best to develop solutions to the challenges of changing the current pathways.
Local pathwaysWe have summarised the different pathways and created an infographic representing the pathways. This schematic representation links to the more detailed, comprehensive pathways for each service. This will aid further understanding of how the pathways work locally.
The individual care pathways can be found here
The Nottingham & Nottinghamshire ICB are in the process of developing a neurodevelopmental website for children, young people & their families/carers A co-production group has been formed to support the development of the Children & Young Peoples Neurodevelopmental website “Minds of all Kinds”. The group includes young people and parents/carers with lived experience of neurodevelopmental conditions. The site will include clear neurodevelopmental referral pathway information and guidance along with signposting to various support resources. The development of the website will support families with pre- and post-diagnostic support and a much-needed resource as part of the pathway support mechanism.
We will be putting together an online platform to host information, presentations and link to videos on specific topics. The aim of this platform is to provide network members with reliable knowledge and information on neurodivergent conditions. The materials can also be used to support training of professionals working with people with neurodivergent conditions.
We are applying for funding to keep organising in-person events and hope to be able to host two further events within the next 12 months. Watch this space!
We continue to work with our steering group to identify how best to initiate change, overcome barriers, and implement the core features of the ideal pathway which came from the May 2023 workshop.
Research update from our network membersThe network is closely aligned to the aims of the Centre for ADHD and Neurodevelopmental Disorders Across the Lifespan (CANDAL), a research centre at the Institute of Mental Health. For updates on our research studies, visit the CANDAL website.
CANDAL hosted its annual summer seminar on July 4th 2024. The topic for this year’s seminar was ‘Neurodiversity and Creativity’ and included a range of presentations from healthcare professionals, experts by experience, and academics. It was followed by an art exhibition from a neurodivergent artist supported by our collaborators the Backlit art gallery in Nottingham, and QUAD-Derby, which both support neurodivergent artists. Find out more about the art exhibition on the Institute of Mental Health website.
The ‘Improving Tic services in England’ (INTEND) study led by Maddie Groom completed a series of regional workshops with healthcare providers from January to June 2024. At each workshop, held in the North-West, East of England, and Yorkshire-Humber-North Lincolnshire, healthcare professionals and ICB project leads met to discuss services for children and young people with tics and Tourette Syndrome. Together, the attendees identified key areas of improvement, potential barriers to implementing change, and solutions to overcoming barriers. From the workshop, and other parts of the INTEND study, we have made great progress specifying a recommended pathway for the referral, assessment and treatment of tics. Findings will be shared at a national dissemination event in November.
Network members have recently published the following articles:
Experience of CBT in Adults with ADHD: A mixed methods study. Frontiers in Psychiatry
By William, S., Horrocks, M., Richmond, J., Hall, C. L., & French, B. (2024).
Summary: This qualitative paper describes the experience of undergoing Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for ADHDRead the paper here
The impacts associated with having ADHD: an umbrella review. Frontiers in PsychiatryBy French, B., Nalbant, G., Wright, H., Sayal, K., Daley, D., Groom, M. J., ... & Hall, C. L. (2024).
Summary: This comprehensive review sheds light on the extensive ramifications of having ADHD, revealing mental health vulnerabilities, physical health risks, and societal implications, emphasizing the necessity of a holistic approach.Read the paper here
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How we will communicate with youWe will send regular newsletters. If you have any suggestions for what to include in the newsletters please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
How you can communicate with usIf you would like to highlight areas that you feel the network should focus on, including suggestions for topics at our next event, please email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
And if you’d like to get more involved in our ongoing and future research, please let us know by completing this form.
If you have any suggestions for how to secure further funding for the network, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. All suggestions gratefully received as we are dependent on funding to keep the network going.
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