Your care journey

You can access our care and support in one of two ways:

• NHS referral

Your local NHS service (such as CAMHS or Talking Therapies team), Health Board or Integrated Care Board (ICB) refers you or your child to Healios as part of your care pathway. We receive information from the NHS about why you have been referred and which type of support you need.

• Private or employer-funded care (Melios)

You can access private or employer-funded assessments and support through Melios, Healios’ private service. You can read more on our employer-funded page.

Once a referral or booking has been received and accepted, Healios:

• sends you welcome information (usually by email, text)
• explains what type of assessment, treatment or support you or your child has been referred for
• tells you how to set up your Healios account and log in to our secure online platform.

You may be asked to:

• create a username and password
• check that your contact details are correct
• confirm who we can contact about appointments (for example, a parent or carer for younger children).

If anything in your welcome information is unclear, our contact details will be included so you can get in touch.

Once your referral or booking is accepted, we’ll get in touch with everything you need to get started. We’ll explain what support you or your child has been referred for, what happens next and how to access your secure Healios account.

Getting set up is straightforward, and we’ll guide you through each step. If anything isn’t clear, our contact details are included so you can easily get in touch for support.

Before your first online appointment, you may be asked to complete forms or questionnaires. This helps your clinician understand the child or young person and family better and prepare, so your time together feels focused, supportive and useful.

You might be asked about:

• current difficulties or concerns including your child’s safety
• medical, educational or developmental history
• family or support network
• any adjustments you or your child may need to feel comfortable online.

You will also be asked to complete some short questionnaires ahead of your appointment to understand the child or young person’s strengths and difficulties. Some questionnaires are completed by parents or carers, some by young people themselves, and sometimes both. This gives your clinician a clear starting point and leaves plenty of time in your appointment to talk about what matters most to you.

We recommend logging into your dashboard a couple of days before your appointment to allow you time to read and complete these.

If you need help completing forms, or you’re not sure how to answer something, you can contact us using the details in your welcome information.

Joining your session

On the day of your appointment, you log in to the Healios platform and click on your scheduled session.

Our What to expect page explains in more detail on:

• how to join from a laptop, tablet or phone
• what the screen will look like
• how we keep your online appointment private and secure.

If your internet connection drops or something goes wrong, your clinician will try to reconnect or will telephone you to let you know what will happen next.

What happens after your appointments depends on the type of support you are accessing from Healios. For example:

• Your clinician may complete a report summarising their assessment and clinical opinion. With your agreement and in line with NHS arrangements, this report may be shared with your local NHS team, GP, or other professionals involved in your care. The outcome of this assessment and any recommended next steps, including further support, signposting, or referrals will be communicated to you by Healios where appropriate

If you are unsure what happens next after your appointment, please ask your clinician at the end of the session or contact us using the details provided.

For some people, Healios is involved only for a specific assessment. For others, there may be:

• follow-up appointments
• mental health support including CBT and brief psychosocial intervention
• post neurodevelopmental assessment support
• psychoeducation or structured programmes to help you understand and manage autism, ADHD or mental health difficulties.

Some of this support is delivered through our Integrated Treatment Services (ITS) team who offer a range of needs-led interventions designed around children, young people, adults and families.

Whether ongoing support is offered by Healios, by your local NHS team or by another service will depend on your local pathway.