| |  | | | | Enquiries | | | | | | | | | The Referral Process
Following receipt of either written or telephone referral information, the referred adolescent will usually be discussed in a multi-disciplinary admissions meeting. Copies of all relevant documentation are a great help. If Mental Health Act criteria seem to be met and admission is considered to be appropriate, team members will be assigned to make a pre-admission assessment visit. Some self-report psychometric assessment instruments will be sent in advance while arrangements for an assessment visit are in process. Contact with the relevant Social Services Department will generally be made by one of our Social Workers.
Our assessment team will usually ask to meet representatives of local agencies, as well as those professionals involved in the young person's current care. The assessing team will be keen to have access to care plans. After a professionals meeting the team will meet the young person and their carers, if this is possible, and then spend time with the young person on their own.
Assessment findings will be discussed in our admissions meeting and suitable referrals are placed on a waiting list for admission, subject to written funding agreement being obtained usually from the patient's local NHS purchasing agency. Referrers will be informed of the outcome of the assessment by telephone and letter within 10 days of the assessment visit.
Pre-admission visits to the Lowther Adolescent Service by significant professionals and the young person concerned are welcome. These can be arranged through the assessment team. Sometimes we ask if our nursing staff can make a further visit before the admission in order to help the young person cope with transition issues and to discuss their care plans.
Placement Review
The suitability of the placement is reviewed at the first of the regular 4 monthly Clinical Review Meetings to which referring professionals are invited.
Further Information
For further information on the Lowther Adolescent Service, please contact one of the following people on 01604 616000:
 Dr Louise Quinn
Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist
Dr Malcolm Wheatley
Consultant Psychologist
Mr Martyn Smythe Hudson
Registered Manager
or email lowther@standrew.co.uk
Open Days
For information on Lowther's forthcoming Open Days aimed at referrers and commissioners, please click here
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