Who can make a referral to the Hope Service?
Only the young person's allocated Children's Services Social Worker or Children's Community Consultant in Surrey can make a referral to the Hope Service. A community health professional may make a referral, however it must be endorsed by the Community Consultant. We would expect there to be a nominated professional to liaise with and work alongside while the young person who is at Hope and who will continue to support the young person once they have been discharged.
What is the criteria for a referral?
Referrals will only be considered if the young person:
- Has significant mental health, emotional, behavioural, social and educational difficulties which are leading to imminent family or placement breakdown.
- Is currently in mental health in-patient care or out of county provision with a plan to return to their community in Surrey.
- Has presented as a psychiatric emergency requiring assessment for in-patient care and admission.
In addition to these, all referrals must also fulfil the following criteria:
- Has had access to other appropriate services and interventions, such as New Leaf, Family Support Service, before being referred to Hope.
- Is aged 11 to 18 years.
- Is open to Children's Mental Health Services or Children's Services in Surrey with a designated Community Consultant or case holding Social Worker.
Referrals from Social care
Social Workers from Assessment, Child in Need, Child Protection and Care Proceedings and Children Looked After Teams can refer to the Hope Service.
Any of the following Services currently working with a young person can ask a young person's social worker to refer them to Hope:
- Independent Reviewing Officers (IROs) are pivotal to effective planning for young people and can request a referral to Hope as part of a young person's care plan.
- New Leaf can request that the young person's social worker make a referral to Hope where the young person's needs require input from the 3 Hope agencies (Education, Health, Social Care).
- Fostering Service - Supervising social workers and managers can suggest a referral is made to Hope by the young person's social worker where it is evident that the young person's placement is at risk and specialist intervention would assist in stabilising it.
- Residential Homes - Residential staff and managers can suggest a referral is made to Hope through young person's social worker.
- The Placement Panel can Identify young people referred to them for Hope input to prevent Surrey or out of county fostering or residential placement.
- Placements Team - Any young people referred to Placements Team, where a referral to Hope has not been made, should be referred to Hope as a matter of course, preferably prior to their referral to the Placements team so that efforts can be made by Hope to support the current placement and prevent the young person from moving out of county.
Referrals from Health services
Referrals are made by the Children's Mental Health services in Surrey and are required to be endorsed by the designated Community Consultant. An initial discussion takes place with the Hope Service Health Lead and if the criteria for a referral are met then a formal referral is completed.
The aim of the referral is to prevent a psychiatric hospital admission by offering either intensive community outreach or our Therapeutic Day Programme, or both. In the event that an admission to hospital is unavoidable, the nursing team will maintain close links with the hospital to ensure a timely length of stay.
How to make a referral?
Please provide as much information as you can:
- Be specific about the services that are currently working, or have had previous involvement, with the young person.
- Be clear about why you are referring the young person to Hope and what you wish Hope to achieve.
- Call to let us know to expect a referral from you.
A Service referral meeting is held every Thursday morning. Following this meeting, you will be contacted by a member of the team who will let you know if you referral has been accepted, declined, or if further information is required.
Accepted referrals
The professional who made the referral will be contacted by the young person's allocated Hope Co-ordinator to be invited to be part of a planning meeting for the young person's time at Hope. The young person's parents or carers will be invited to this meeting. You will be involved in regular Hope reviews regarding the young person's progress and you will receive a Hope report which is written by the team at the end of our involvement. This will include a summary of all Hope assessments and therapeutic involvement, education progress and attainment, and recommendations for the future.
Further information
If you have any queries about making a referral, please contact us and we will be very happy to talk with you.