Effective nurse-led referral pathways for children and young people with learning disabilities and mental health difficulties

Bridging the Gap: Co-Producing Effective Nurse-Led Referral Pathways for Children and Young People with Learning Disabilities and Mental Health Difficulties

Sheffield Hallam University have been awarded funding to undertake the research, which will be a collaborative partnership with Edinburgh Napier University. The project combines complementary expertise in learning disability nursing, mental health and co-produced research to compare referral pathways across all four nations of the UK.

An easy read guide is available here.

Context

All four nations frequently redirect or struggle with children who have moderate to severe learning disabilities in generic CAMHS, often due to diagnostic overshadowing and it is clear there is significant national and regional variation in access and quality of support across the UK.

These differences and similarities across the four nations create valuable opportunities for comparison. England and Scotland will be the core focus of the study due to their contrasting policy frameworks (EHC plans versus GIRFEC) and scale. Wales and Northern Ireland will provide meaningful additional perspectives through advisory input, practitioner involvement, children and young people’s participation and relevant CAMHS policies and data where available. These differences and similarities create natural 'success' vs 'problem' contrasts for the study, allowing the study to explore what makes nurse-led pathways work (or fail) in practice. 

Aim

The study aims to identify and co-produce an evidence-based, nurse-led referral pathway that enables children and young people with a learning disability and mental health difficulties to access timely and appropriate mental health support across the UK. The study will have a Lived-Experience Advisory Group which will consist of up to 6 people with learning disabilities and experience of mental health services as well as two creative workshops specific for children and young people with learning disabilities and mental health experience.

Objectives

• Develop a clear understanding of the lived experience of children and young people with both a learning disability and mental health challenges, when accessing appropriate support and care for their mental health and emotional wellbeing
• Identify areas and referral pathways which provide effective, timely and appropriate care for children and young people with a learning disability and mental health challenges
• Analyse why other settings and referral pathways between the two specialities are less effective
• Identify the most effective, evidence-based, nurse-led referral pathway and the resources required for children and young people who experience both a learning disability and a mental health challenge to receive appropriate care for their mental health and emotional wellbeing
• Recommend how this model can be embedded with practice across the UK, what resources are required and how these can be managed, and explain how the impact metrics for use at a later date

Outcomes

The project is designed to achieve impact by developing a co-produced nurse-led referral model and measurable improvements in service delivery for children and young people with learning disabilities and mental health needs. The study has no commenced and hopes to complete May 2027.