30 Day rapid improvement workshop review
Big Improvements, Small Steps: How We’re Making ADHD and Autism Support Better for Families in Cheshire
At the ADHD and Autism Team (AAT) in Cheshire, we’ve been working hard to make things simpler, faster, and more supportive for you and your young people. Over the last 30 days since my last blog, we’ve been focusing on how we can improve our service with lots of small, meaningful improvements that do really add up.
As a Team here’s what we’ve been working on:
We are making our admin tasks smoother, so you get what you need, faster. The feedback we have is you want us to communicate with you better, and to do this we have:
• Set up a new admin group with a dedicated leader to support you in contacting us.
• Started using better digital tools (like SystmOne electronic patient record system) to help keep track of our waiting lists more effectively, so we can keep you better up to date.
• Helping to look at better ways to reach us, including clearer online and email support.
What this means for you: Faster answers, better tracking of your young person’s referral, and fewer delays.
Next, we are going to be helping you before assessment
We know the waiting time for assessment can feel uncertain. So, we’ve:
• Started offering advice and support before formal diagnosis.
• Created new referral guidance to help professionals get your young people to the right support earlier.
• Working with schools and community partners to use things like webinars and podcasts on My Mind.
• Support tools, signposting, and a new commitment to regular updates about waiting times and options.
What this means for you: More predictable updates and access to helpful resources even while you’re waiting.
Smarter, Fairer Assessment, focused on the Young Persons needs
We’re making assessments more consistent, quicker, and easier to understand:
• Our team is now trained in new tools to make diagnosis clearer.
• We’re using joint appointments when helpful, so you don’t have to attend multiple clinics for ADHD and autism.
• Were creating new visual summaries and templates to save time and improve the quality of reports.
• We’re piloting integrated ADHD and autism appointments, so you don’t have to bounce between services.
What this means for you: A smoother experience, less duplication, and a better understanding of your child’s profile.
We want to listen to you, and involve you more
We know that parents, carers, and young people are experts in their own experiences. That’s why we’re:
• Asking parents and carers for feedback after assessments to shape our service.
• Creating different ways to get involved, with our participation and engagement team around focus groups. Dates of this will be published here soon.
Most importantly, what this means for you and your young person:
Your voice helps shape the service, and we’re listening.
We know this journey can be difficult, and we want to thank you for your patience, your honesty, and your commitment to your young person.
If you’re a parent or carer or young person, we want your voice to be heard. Please reach out to our Participation & Engagement Team to get involved and help shape what comes next. You can contact Claire or Catherine by email:
Claire Evans – Claire.
Catherine Rudd – Catherine.
P&E email - cwp.
You can also find more about their work by visiting their page on the MyMind website
Get involved :: Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Kind Regards,
Robbie Wade-Owen
Deputy Head of Clinical Services
Cheshire CYPF (Cheshire, Young People, and Families) Care Group
