Our Work with the NHS
Working alongside NHS Trusts, ICBs and Health Boards to extend online autism, ADHD and mental health support within local pathways.
Healios works in partnership with NHS services to deliver online autism, ADHD and related mental health services for children, young people and adults. Our role is to extend local capacity, not replace local teams, by providing digitally enabled assessments and support within agreed NHS pathways, backed by clear clinical governance, information governance and technical security.
How Healios fits into NHS pathways
Healios services are designed to sit within existing NHS structures, including:
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
- Neurodevelopmental diagnostic assessment services for children and adults
- Community Child Health Services
- Community and specialist mental health teams
- Mental Health Support Teams
- Adult mental health teams in primary and secondary care
- Young people’s 16–25 transition services
- System-level arrangements led by ICBs or regional partners
In practice, this means:
- Agreeing referral routes and inclusion/exclusion criteria with local teams
- Delivering online autism and ADHD assessments and related mental health support
- Sharing reports and clinical information back to NHS services in agreed formats
- Following local escalation processes for risk and safeguarding
- Aligning delivery with local and national priorities around access, equity and quality
More detail on clinical pathways is available on our Clinical services page.
Where Healios adds capacity and value
Through online clinical services and a structured partnership model, Healios:
- Creates additional assessment and support capacity for autism, ADHD and related mental health needs
- Supports services to address CAMHS and neurodevelopmental waiting lists
- Enables families and adults to access appointments from home, which can improve equity of access
- Shares activity, outcome and experience data that can be used in service reviews, business cases and board discussions
- Provides clear governance and documentation to support assurance processes
Headline examples are summarised on our Outcomes and impact page.
Partnership models: from targeted support to longer-term arrangements
NHS partners use Healios in different ways, depending on local need and maturity. Common patterns include:
- Targeted support for waiting lists – short or medium-term arrangements focused on specific backlogs, such as autism or ADHD assessments
- Pathway-aligned services – ongoing arrangements where Healios is embedded as part of a wider neurodevelopmental or mental health pathway
- System-wide models – services commissioned at ICB or regional level to support multiple localities under a shared specification
In each case, we:
- Work with service leads to agree objectives and measures of success
- Support local communications so families and adults understand who Healios is and how we work with the NHS
- Adjust capacity, reporting and governance arrangements in line with the chosen model
More detail on commissioning options is available on For healthcare organisations and Partner with Healios.
Start a conversation about working with Healios
To begin a structured conversation and request specific information or documents, please go to Partner with Healios and complete the short form with your organisation details. A member of our team will then follow up to discuss your context and possible next steps.
- Read our Case studies for examples of real partnerships
Clinical services we deliver alongside local pathways.
Healios works in partnership with NHS services to deliver online autism, ADHD and related mental health services for children, young people and adults. Our role is to extend local capacity, not replace local teams, by providing digitally enabled assessments and support within agreed NHS pathways, backed by clear clinical governance, information governance and technical security.
1) CAMHS and young people’s 16–25 transition services
Healios works in partnership with CAMHS teams to provide mental health and/or neurodevelopmental assessments as well as evidence-based therapies such as CBT, Brief Psychotherapeutic Intervention, trauma-focused CBT and EMDR.
Through our secure digital clinical platform and joint clinical meetings with local CAMHS teams, we enable clear information sharing and joint care planning. Our clinicians engage families in shared decision-making, supporting continuity and coordinated care to improve outcomes for young people.
2) Neurodevelopmental diagnostic assessment services for children and adults, and Community Child Health Services
Our clinical team partners with neurodevelopmental diagnostic assessment services to expand capacity and enhance diagnostic precision through a multidisciplinary approach. Using evidence-based, NICE-aligned tools, Healios clinicians integrate with local pathways, offering flexible assessments that can increase accessibility and reduce waiting lists.
We work collaboratively with local teams to align pre- and post-diagnostic support, with a shared focus on delivering tailored, person-centred care. Our digital platform supports timely communication of outcomes and coordinated onward referrals.
3) Community and specialist mental health teams and Mental Health Support Teams
Healios clinicians collaborate with community and specialist mental health teams to provide assessments and targeted interventions. Our integrated approach supports shared care models, enhances service reach and helps people access support sooner.
Through multidisciplinary collaboration, we align care plans, monitor progress and support people who present with both neurodevelopmental and mental health needs. Clear governance and communication channels support appropriate management of clinical risk and safeguarding.
Read more on our Clinical Services page.
Frequently asked questions about our work with the NHS
How does Healios support CAMHS and neurodevelopmental waiting lists?
Healios provides online autism, ADHD and related mental health services that can be added to local pathways under agreed referral criteria. By delivering assessments and support online, capacity can be increased without relying solely on local recruitment, which can help services address specific backlogs.
How do you decide whether Healios works best as a local or system-wide partner?
Healios works with both individual services and system-level partners. The right approach depends on local context, existing arrangements and commissioning priorities. In some areas, services begin with a local partnership and then explore wider system models; in others, services are commissioned directly at ICB level. We can discuss options and share examples of how other partners have structured arrangements.
How do families and adults know Healios is part of their NHS care?
Healios works with partners on clear communications so that families and adults understand who Healios is, why they have been referred to us and how we fit into their care. This may include information in local letters, referral documents and digital materials, as well as information on our own website.
How Healios integrates within NHS pathways
Alongside our clinical delivery, our client operations team works with you to support business cases and provide documentation for information governance (IG), IT, procurement and contracting. We agree how best to integrate the service into your local pathway, including:
- Service scope, volumes and referral criteria
- Referral routes
- How we share reports and clinical information
- Escalation processes for risk and safeguarding
- Objectives and measures of success
- Reporting and governance arrangements aligned to the chosen model
Examples can be found on our Case studies and Outcomes and impact pages.
Clinical safety, governance and assurance
Clinical safety and assurance are central to our work with NHS partners. Healios:
- Operates under a defined clinical governance framework for autism, ADHD and mental health services
- Uses agreed clinical models and tools for online assessment and support
- Applies documented inclusion and exclusion criteria for referrals
- Follows structured risk assessment and escalation processes
- Maintains safeguarding policies for children, young people and adults
- Undertakes regular audit and quality improvement activity
For full detail, visit Safety, compliance & integration or request documentation through Partner with Healios.
Information governance, data protection and security
When working with NHS partners, Healios:
- Documents data processing and information-sharing arrangements in agreements and Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs)
- Stores and processes information in line with UK data protection legislation
- Uses role-based access controls and audit trails within systems
- Applies security controls designed to protect online sessions and clinical records
- Supports incident reporting and management processes where required
Local IG and IT teams can review more detailed documents, which are usually shared as part of due diligence and onboarding. Further information is available on Safety, compliance & integration.
Working together across teams
Partnership discussions typically involve several groups within an organisation. We often:
- Work with service leads and managers on pathways, referral criteria and performance measures
- Meet with clinical leaders to discuss models, tools, escalation routes and governance
- Support commissioning teams with information for business cases and system discussions
- Provide IG, IT and procurement teams with documentation on governance, data protection, security and contracts