Community Paediatrics

Our department will assess and review children for possible global developmental delay if they meet the following criteria:

• registered with a Barnsley GP,
• under the age of 16, and
• present with delays in two or more areas of their development.

Our department will consider referrals for children and young people from Speech and Language Therapists* with isolated speech, language and communication difficulties if the following criteria are met:

• registered with a Barnsley GP,
• under the age of 16,
• has had a SALT (Speech and Language Therapy) assessment, and
• had a hearing assessment.

*Please note, only referrals from Speech Therapists will be considered.

Our department will consider referrals for children with isolated motor delays where a medical cause is suspected and if the following criteria are met:

• registered with a Barnsley GP,
• under the age of 16, and
• a referral has been made to Paediatric Occupational or Physiotherapy services.

Initial health assessments are statutory assessments that have to be undertaken within 20 working days of a child becoming Looked After. They are booked by the child’s social worker. For more information please discuss this with your social worker.

The Medical Advisors support the Adoption and Fostering service by:

• completing adult health reports (using GP medicals) for all prospective adopters and foster carers
• completing adoption health reports for all children with a plan for adoption. This may include attendance of child/young person at an adoption clinic

• attendance at Adoption Panel to provide medical advice to the rest of the adoption panel and to support the panel in approval of adopters and matching
• following referral by adoption team social worker, discussion with prospective adopters regarding health of a child being placed with adopter

We do not see children for primary or secondary enuresis.

You may find the following link useful:  Continence Service at South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

We don't offer a sleep behaviour support service (Tier 1) for children and young people.

From October 2025, we will be offering a limited sleep medication service for children with autism, please see our Autism Sleep Medication page for more details.

Speak to a trained sleep practitioner for more information or advice

Barnsley Sleep Help Line : 01226 704026

Other information available on The Support  Hub section of our website.

For the following services, we would recommend contacting the relevant service provides as linked below.

• ADHD assessment, support or medication – please contact Barnsley CAMHS
• Paediatric epilepsy – please refer to the epilepsy service in acute paediatrics or the Children's Epilepsy Nursing Team
• Behaviour difficulties – For behaviours related to typical childhood development, please speak with the Public Health Nursing Team, If a young person presents with behavioural difficulties as part of social communication difficulties then please see our autism assessment section

• Sensory processing difficulties – please contact the paediatric therapy team
• Review health assessments for looked after children - please speak with your family GP

This online referral can be used for:

1: Global Development Delay

2: Isolated speech and language 

3: Gross and fine motor delays

This form is not to be used for:

1: Autism: for social communication concerns or if you suspect autism, then please complete the ASDAT referral form.

2: Behaviour difficulties: we do not assess isolated behaviour difficulties.

3: Complex Enuresis: all new referrals should be directed to the Continence Service at South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

4. Sleep difficulties

STATUS: ONLINE 

Detailed referrals
Please provide detailed examples of your reasons for referral in order for it to be triaged – lack of information is likely to result in the referral being rejected.

Access Community Paediatrics e-Referral Hub*

*Please note, this may not work using Internet Explorer.