Professional referrals

Referrals can be made to YOUnited by any professional working with children or young people.

Referrals are triaged by specialist staff to identify the best support service for the child or young person’s needs. Once accepted, a child or young person will be offered an initial contact by one of the YOUnited partners.

YOUnited is not a crisis service. We receive more than 200 referrals every week so it may four to five weeks before your referral is triaged.
We always screen for risk and prioritise urgent referrals where eating concerns or risk to self are indicated.
If a young person is at imminent risk, you should contact First Response on 111 or attend a local Emergency Department.
In addition, we would expect a professional supporting a referred young person to ensure adequate safety planning is in place.

YOUnited referrals 5 - 17 years

The YOUnited referral hub accepts referrals from all professionals working with children and young people aged 5-17 with emotional wellbeing and mental health needs. Please note, Child and Adolescent Mantal Health Services accept referrals up to the young person's 17th birthday.
YOUnited will also accept referrals for children and young people up to the age of 18 with a suspected eating disorder via the forms below.
  • It is recommended that GPs use the CCG e-referral system to make a referral.
  • For SystmOne practices - use the GP portal on SystmOne to make a  referral.
  • For EMIS practices, and for all other professionals, to make a referral click here.

Mental health referrals 

To aid conversations around mental health, please include information on the following:
  • Consent
  • Trigger
  • Sleeping
  • Appetite
  • Behaviour
  • Frequency and duration
  • Previous / current intervention or support
  • History
  • Impact on functioning
  • Family context
  • Risk
Please consider any services the young person is already engaged with before referring to YOUnited — is the support the young person is currently receiving not meeting their needs and why?

Eating disorder referrals

If the young person requires support for disordered eating, specific information must be provided on the referral form. This includes:
  • Current weight and height (This is VITAL)
  • Weight loss/ history
  • Eating and drinking patterns
  • Purging behaviours
  • Cognitions and self awareness.
  • Impact on psychological functioning.
  • Impact on physical health
Does the young person exercise? If so, how often?
If the young person is significantly underweight or vomiting please include:
  • ECG
  • Blood
  • Tests (FBC, Us and E, LFTs, TFTs, calcium, phosphate, magnesium, bicarbonate, random glucose and lipid profile).

YOUnited referrals for neurodevelopmental assessment

Please note this information relates to those children and young people for whom there are neurodiversity queries and an assessment is being requested.
Referrals for ADHD will only be accepted if the young person is aged 6 or above and is also functioning at this level or above developmentally. Qb tests and associated screening tools are not suitable for children not meeting this threshold and we cannot therefore progress the referral.

Cambridgeshire, Huntingdon and Fenland

YOUnited accepts referrals for young people of secondary school age up to 18 years.

Peterborough

YOUnited accepts referrals for assessment for primary school age up to 18 years.
Please be aware that some of the information contained within this form may be difficult or cause some distress to those completing it. If this is the case, we would encourage you to contact your GP or Mind for additional support. 

Essential supporting documentation

  • Evidence of school's Assess, Plan, Do, Review (APDR) strategy.

  • Parents/carers to return childhood developmental questionnaire that can be accessed via link above.

Please note, referrals for all primary age children outside of Peterborough should be made to Cambridgeshire Community Service's community paediatricians.

Supporting young people in crisis

If a young person is in mental health crisis, contact CPFT’s First Response Service by calling NHS 111 (and then selecting the mental health option).

For more details about what to do in a crisis please click here.

Supporting young people 17-25 years

Young people aged 17 to 25 can self-refer to Centre 33 or NHS Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Talking Therapies.

GPs can make referrals for mental health assessments to Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust's Primary Care Mental Health Service. 

Emotional Health and Wellbeing Practitioners 

If you are a professional with concerns about a child or young person’s emotional wellbeing and would like advice prior to, or instead of, making a referral, you can contact the Emotional Health and Wellbeing Practitioners at ccs.ehw@nhs.net

You will be offered a 30-minute appointment to discuss your concerns and you will receive signposting and advice about resources available or next steps to support the child or young person.

Please note this is for professionals only. The Emotional Health and Wellbeing Practitioners do not offer this service to parents.