Appendix 2 : Referral Criteria
These referral criteria are designed to advise referrers and support practitioners in developing a service for children / young people and their
families.
They are not intended to be exhaustive and the clinical judgment and professional accountability of practitioners is recognised and supported by
the service.
The service does not work with CYP with a primary diagnosis of Eating Disorder; these services are provided by the countywide Eating Disorder
Service.
Children and Young People with a learning disability may receive a service within any of the teams, those requiring a specialist service will be
supported by specialist staff within the Level 3 team.
Universal (Level 1) services
2gether’s Children & Young People Service works in partnership with all statutory services working with children and young people within
Gloucestershire. These universal services form part of a pathway providing C/YP with emotional support as the need arises in response to life
changes and events. These services are generally able to support C/YP experiencing :
• Behaviour problems consistent with their stage of development
• Mild to moderate anxiety
• Mild to moderate depression
• Emotional issues arising from life events
The service will offer advice, consultation, support and supervision via Primary Mental Health Workers and the practitioner advice line with the
aim of enabling the support to continue to be led by universal services.
The service also offers a range of training to practitioners working within universal services.
Service Referral Criteria
Team
Service Element
Criteria
Will be present

Core PMH

Primary Mental Health
(PMH)
Hospital Education /
Paediatric Liaison
Infant Mental Health
Parents of children with behavioural
difficulties who are willing to participate
in a group programme to increase their
skills and confidence.


As Core PMH
Must be in receipt of Hospital Education
Services or in the care of
Gloucestershire Hospitals Trust
Paediatric Services


Age 0-2 years
Infant’s long term mental health is
identified as being at serious risk of
harm

Must be in receipt of Statutory Youth
Offending Service and score 2 or above
on ASSET and have a SQIFA
completed

Child Protection procedures should be
in place
Vulnerable Children
Service
Youth Offending Service
Understanding Sexual
behaviour
Moderate mental health issues which
have either not been successfully
managed within universal services or
which are significantly affecting a
C/YP’s functioning.
An identified need for an assessment of
mental health, with a view to developing
a programme of short term interventions

Parenting Programme
May be present


Presence of serious mental
illness within parents
Infants at risk of entering care
system




Complex Engagement

Looked After Children



Family Court Assessment
‘Keep Safe’ work should have been
completed
C/YP must have an allocated social
worker
Sexually harmful behaviour which is
beyond the capability of universal
services to safely manage
History of non-engagement or needs
more intensive support than can be
provided by level 3
Must be Looked After, on the edge of
care, in kinship care or in special
guardianship arrangements.
Requires clinical advice and support of
pre-adoption / fostering arrangements
Or
Requires clinical advice and support to
improve placement stability
Referrals will only be received in writing
from GCC legal services department for
family court assessment.
 Client/siblings should not have current
contact with any service element within
2
gether CYPS

Requires routine
domiciliary/community visits

Requires support by more than
one agency

Non-intensive approach is likely
to lead to non-engagement and
poor long term mental health
outcomes.

Learning Disability



Level 3.5

Level 3 / 3.5

Core Level 3


Reduced ability to understand new /
complex information with impaired
social / adaptive functioning.
In receipt of special education in any of
the county special schools
Sleep / Behavioural/ Mental health /
concurrent epilepsy difficulties which are
significantly affecting functioning
Moderate to severe mental health need
with concurrent high level of complexity
and/or clinical risk.
Level of need exceeds the resources of
L3 care coordinator / MDT
Mental Health problems significantly
affecting functioning
Problem has not been resolved within
universal / L2 services or is moderate to
high risk / complexity
Or
Problem is complex and requires
multidisciplinary assessment /
intervention.


Mental Health hospital admission
may be being considered.
May have recent history of DSH
and have been admitted to
hospital via the Emergency
department