An external provider is being sought to deliver online autism assessments for young islanders amid an “unprecedented level of demand” for neurodevelopmental screening.
The Children, Young People, Education and Skills (CYPES) Department is seeking an external provider to deliver fully online autism spectrum disorder diagnostic assessments for individuals aged from five to 18 years old.
The service must meet recognised clinical standards – including NICE guidelines, DSM-5 and ICD-11 – and operate within Jersey’s safeguarding, data protection and clinical governance frameworks.
Under the proposed contract, the provider will be responsible for delivering assessments, producing diagnostic reports and recommendations, and supplying regular performance and activity data.
Accessibility for families, ease of use, and a reliable, auditable dataset for service monitoring and planning are central requirements, according to the tender – which is open until the end of this month.
It comes after the most recent Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) Annual Report highlighted “an unprecedented level of demand” for neurodevelopmental assessments.
The average waiting time for autism and ADHD assessments last year was 55 weeks – over four times the target of 13 weeks.
This is despite £400,000 of Government funding being provided to CAMHS in 2024 to commission private contractors to undertake additional autism assessments online.
This investment will continue into 2025, the report confirmed.