What happens at appointments?

When you come to meet one of us you will be seen in one of these rooms:

Panda room (Room 5)

Giraffe room (Room 6)

If you come to see us at Level 12 Derriford Hospital, we may meet in the Quiet Room:

Coming To See Us For The First Time (Assessment)

Your child’s first appointment will be an assessment with a member of our team. You do not need to prepare for this appointment. It is important to bring your child to the first appointment, however if you feel there are sensitive issues to discuss or they really don’t want to come then please come on your own. During the Coronavirus Pandemic, we have been completing our assessment appointments via the telephone with parents only.

In this appointment we will explain more about what we do and then ask lots of questions about:

•Things your child is struggling with at the moment or would like some support with

•Your family and your child’s early years

•Any illnesses or diagnoses your child may have and your child’s general health

•Your child’s relationships with friends and family

•School life

What happens after my assessment?

At the end of your first appointment we will decide what the best option for your child is.  We may offer your child some support with a psychologist, ask our Children and Young People’s Wellbeing Practitioner to meet with you, or we may signpost you elsewhere if we feel that another service could provide your child with more appropriate support. We will summarise the assessment in a letter and send it to you and any other professionals involved.

Its really helpful to watch our video which covers what happens at and after the first appointment:

Future Appointments

What will the appointments be like if I am offered support with a Clinical Psychologist or CWP?

The majority of the work we offer is short term (8-10 sessions) but we may decide a longer term piece of work may be helpful. Appointments are usually between 45-60 minutes every week or every fortnight depending on the individual.  Some of these sessions may be with the child only,  some with only parent(s) and some may be with both child and parent(s). We might also meet with school or other health professionals. We might want you to complete some questionnaires before and after the therapy. These are used to track change over time.

Please be aware that there can be a long wait to see us for future appointments. If you are not able to make any planned appointments please do let us know as soon as possible so we can offer it to someone else.

Please see our video which tells you more about what a psychology intervention might involve: