Community Paediatrics

Our department will assess and review children for possible global developmental delay if they meet the following criteria:

• registered with a Barnsley GP,
• under the age of 16, and
• present with delays in two or more areas of their development.

Our department will consider referrals for children and young people from Speech and Language Therapists* with isolated speech, language and communication difficulties if the following criteria are met:

• registered with a Barnsley GP,
• under the age of 16,
• has had a SALT (Speech and Language Therapy) assessment, and
• had a hearing assessment.

*Please note, only referrals from Speech Therapists will be considered.

Our department will consider referrals for children with isolated motor delays where a medical cause is suspected and if the following criteria are met:

• registered with a Barnsley GP,
• under the age of 16, and
• a referral has been made to Paediatric Occupational or Physiotherapy services.

Initial health assessments are statutory assessments that have to be undertaken within 20 working days of a child becoming Looked After. They are booked by the child’s social worker. For more information please discuss this with your social worker.

The Medical Advisors support the Adoption and Fostering service by:

• completing adult health reports (using GP medicals) for all prospective adopters and foster carers
• completing adoption health reports for all children with a plan for adoption. This may include attendance of child/young person at an adoption clinic

• attendance at Adoption Panel to provide medical advice to the rest of the adoption panel and to support the panel in approval of adopters and matching
• following referral by adoption team social worker, discussion with prospective adopters regarding health of a child being placed with adopter

Important Service Update: With immediate effect referrals for Enuresis will no longer be accepted by Community Paediatrics. All new referrals should be directed to the Continence Service at South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

Important Service Update: We regret to announce that with immediate effect we will no longer be offering a sleep service therefore referrals for paediatric sleep difficulties in children with neurodisablities will no longer be accepted. We understand that this is going to be difficult and sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this necessary change may cause.

We are working with local partners and PLACE to develop a dedicated sleep pathway for children with sleep difficulties in Barnsley.

For information on what other sleep support is available, please take a look at The Support  Hub section of our website.

Alternatively, you can contact your GP or Public Health Nurse for further advice.

• ADHD assessment, support or medication – please contact CAMHS
• paediatric epilepsy – please refer to the epilepsy service in acute paediatrics
• behaviour difficulties – if a young person presents with behavioural difficulties as part of social communication difficulties then please see our autism assessment section

• sensory processing difficulties – please contact the paediatric therapy team
• review health assessments for looked after children 

This online referral can be used for:

1: Global Development Delay

2: Isolated speech and language 

3: Gross and fine motor delays

This form is not to be used for:

1: Autism: for social communication concerns or if you suspect autism, then please complete the ASDAT referral form.

2: Behaviour difficulties: we do not assess isolated behaviour difficulties.

3: Complex Enuresis: all new referrals should be directed to the Continence Service at South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

4. Sleep difficulties

STATUS: ONLINE - [resolved 08-07-24 15:00]

Detailed referrals
Please provide detailed examples of your reasons for referral in order for it to be triaged – lack of information is likely to result in the referral being rejected.

Community Paediatrics e-Referral Hub*

*Please note, this may not work using Internet Explorer.