The Lighthouse Child Development Centre team

Our clinical Psychologists are involved in the assessment for Autistic Spectrum disorder. The Clinical Psychologist offer individual/family support or consultations with school/nursery staff and other professionals for a range of difficulties. They will look at your child’s emotional, behavioural and cognitive strengths and needs.

Consultant Community Paediatricians & Associate Specialist Doctors who have specialised in Children’s Medicine. Community Paediatricians include Consultant Neurodevelopmental Paediatricians who have specialised in the assessment, diagnosis and management of Children with developmental difficulties and children with disability.

Our Consultant Community Paediatricians assesses all children referred to the Lighthouse Child Development Centre to determine their medical needs and diagnosis. The run clinics the Child Development Centre on a weekly basis. Children with general medical; behavioural (including ADHD) or developmental problems are seen in these clinics. Children with hearing impairment can be seen in a purpose built Audiology Suite.

Our Consultant Community Paediatricians and therapists are adhering to face to face (F2F) appointments for the majority of clinics.  Please ensure you check your letter where it will state whether the appointment taking place will be virtual or face to face.

If you/your child are unwell or you or anyone else living in your household have symptoms of coronavirus e.g. a cough, temperature, sore throat or have lost your sense of taste or smell please do not attend as this puts our staff and other patients at risk.  Please telephone the Lighthouse Child Development Centre on 01702 508180 as soon as possible to either cancel or to discuss if there is an opportunity for a video or telephone call from the Doctor instead of the face-to-face clinic appointment.

If your child has COVID symptoms or is COVID Positive or needs to Self-Isolate and you can contact the Central Booking Team more than 24 – 48 hours prior to the appointment, we will endeavour to arrange a telephone consultation in place of the face-to-face appointment. 

Please can you ensure unless mitigating circumstances that the child/young person attends their appointment with one adult only.  

Any adults and any children over the age of 11 must wear a face covering (unless medically exempt). Doctors will also be wearing protective equipment i.e. face masks etc.  

Please note that the NHS is still following COVID Secure guidance.

Please do not arrive more than 5 minutes before your appointment time and you may be asked to wait outside if the waiting area becomes too busy. Please allow time for parking where applicable.

Please note that clinic times for new appointments are 60 minutes and follow up appointments are 45 minutes. Due to the high demands on the service please can we ask for your understanding that appointments cannot be extended. If you are late to the appointment the Doctor will aim to see you if possible, however will only be able to see you for the remainder of the appointment time that is still available. We appreciate your co-operation and understanding.

Nursery Nurse Developmental Assessment Assistant and Behaviour Advisor will support you through carrying out your child’s baseline vital signs measurement of observation – such as height, weight and blood pressure – will be taken before you go to see the doctor.

The Developmental Assessment Assistant and Behaviour Advisor (Nursery Nurse) will ask you to bring your child to a room to undertake a screening test called QB Test for ADHD.

Your child will be the test room without you to avoid him/her from being distracted by anyone or anything.

A QB test is a device used for assessing the core symptoms of ADHD, such as hyperactivity, inattention and impulsivity. Your child will sit at a computer which will determine their ability to concentrate and to keep still over a 15- 20 minute period. This information is gathered as a baseline test is perform to provide clinicians with a comparison of symptoms to age and gender match controls to approve the diagnostic assessment. 

The team will fit your child with a small monitor on their head that reports movement and reaction time to a computer. Your child will be asked to respond to geometric shapes which will appear on a computer screen by pressing a responder button. A small camera attached to the computer screen records movement from the reflector worn on your child’s forehead.

After the test you will be asked to expect an appointment for feedback.

Early Support is a national programme aimed at improving the efficiency of how services for young children with disabilities in England work together and with families. It implements Government guidance, "Together from the Start", published in 2003. In relation to this, the centre holds Team Around the Child meetings for all patients with complex needs. These "TAC" meetings bring together those in most regular contact with the child and the family to discuss how things are progressing and to make a plan (Family Service Plan). These plans are usually written at the TAC meeting.

Our physiotherapy team can help your child to develop his or her motor skills and physical independence. Paediatric physiotherapist has detailed knowledge and experience of typical and atypical physical development in children.

If your child looks like they might need physiotherapy, the physiotherapist will be present at the assessment and will want to look at your child to assess his or her physical skills and talk to you about your concerns. The physiotherapist always works in partnership with families and other professionals.

It is vital for all children that their parents, carers and physiotherapist work together as a team. The physiotherapist will show you activities that you can do at home, and train you so you can help your child’s physical development.

Our Occupational Therapy Team works collaboratively with children, their families and school communities to enable children to achieve their potential within their occupations at school, home, and the wider community.

Our Occupational Therapists (OTs) may see a child or young person who requires help with: developing the skills needed to participate in self-care tasks (e.g. tooth brushing, toileting, washing, dressing, eating); participating in learning tasks (e.g. writing, using scissors, selecting and organising tools/belongings); positioning and posture to support participation in everyday activities; accessing play/leisure resources and physical access - this may include supporting a child with motor coordination difficulties.

In order to reduce footfall and support social distancing, the Community Paediatrics Service have developed a process whereby prescription requests are received by telephone and administered by a Paediatrician and then made available to families with prescription being posted via 1^st class post. 

Prescription requests

You have to request prescriptions 2 weeks in advance of when the medication is needed.

Sending prescription requests in late may result in no medication being sent. Our prescription requests are completed by date of receipt and as a result, we cannot fulfil urgent prescription requests due to there not always being a clinician available to provide these.

Do not send in your prescription requests earlier than 2 weeks in advance as they will not be processed.

Repeat Prescription Form email epunft.lighthouse.prescriptions@nhs.net

Prescription deadline

Prescriptions must be collected within 28 days of the date of issue. After 28 days, the pharmacy will not issue the medications. If the pharmacy only gives you a portion of your prescribed medication (i.e if they don’t have the full amount in stock) you must return back within 28 days of date of the issue of the original prescription to collect the remainder. 

When you arrive at the Lighthouse Child Development Centre, you will be greeted by a receptionist. They will tell you where to go, and help you with any special requirements your child may have.

The specialist school nursing service provide ongoing support for children, young people and their families with additional and complex needs throughout their school lives from 3 to 19 years, both within special and mainstream schools.

Our Specialist Health Visitor works alongside paediatricians at Lighthouse Child Development Centre and the Behavioural Play Advisory Service (Jigsaws) offering support to families with complex and life limiting conditions.

The Specialist Health Visitor will make assessments and plan care to ensure the children and their families have additional services and support in place. Sleep counselling is offered to families if needed. Help to obtain specialist equipment needed and referral to CWD if appropriate. The Specialist Health Visitor will liaison with other agencies involved in the care of the child/ren to ensure that holistic care is in place.

The Speech and Language Therapy Service provides assessment, advice, direct and indirect interventions for patients with speech, language and communication disorders.

The Speech and Language Therapy Service considers the role of parents, carers and other significant people to be vital in maximising effective communication. Much work is therefore concerned with working to improve communicative ability by training and supporting those in the person’s communicative environment.

This involves a range of health professionals, who work together to deliver a comprehensive package of care for children within the Lighthouse Child Development Centres. Children with multiple or complex problems are seen jointly by a team of professionals with a view to identifying the child's needs in all aspects of development. A medical examination will be carried out if necessary. Parents are invited to take part in the case discussion and the formulation of a care plan appropriate to their child's needs.

The team that provide this service can consist of a consultant paediatrician, a registrar, a speech and language therapist, a physiotherapist, an occupational therapist and a clinical psychologist. Other relevant professionals, such as nursery staff or education professionals may also be invited for the case discussion. Members of the team present at the assessment will depend on the needs of each child.