Cheyne Child Development Service
Above: Drawing of Cheyne Child development service by Sara, 5 years old
Welcome to the Cheyne Child Development Service
We provide assessment, diagnosis and support for children and young people with developmental differences, working closely with families, schools and other services. Our website is designed to help you find clear, practical information about what we do, what to expect and where to get support.
The information is grouped into sections to make it easier to navigate, whether you are a parent or carer, a young person, or a professional.
- About the service: Information about Cheyne Child Development Service, how the service works and what to expect. This includes details about waiting times, investigations, giving feedback and explanations of commonly used terms.
- Conditions and developmental differences: Information about different developmental profiles and diagnoses, including autism, ADHD, learning disability and other neurodevelopmental conditions.
- Support for children and families: Practical guidance and resources to support day-to-day life, including sleep, eating and feeding, toileting, mental health, education and preparing for adulthood.
- Autism assessment pathway: Information about the autism assessment process and support available while waiting for an assessment, for both pre-school and school-age children.
- Safeguarding and statutory information: Information about safeguarding, child protection and support for children who are looked after by local authorities.
- Information for professionals: Guidance for professionals working with children and families, including referral processes and transition planning.
- Our team: Information about the multidisciplinary team at Cheyne and the different roles involved in supporting children and families.
- Getting here: Practical information about our locations, accessibility and how to travel to appointments.
On this page
- What we do
- Who can access our service
- Consent for appointments
- How to make a referral to the Cheyne Child Development Service
- Language, interpreting services and accessibility
What we do
The Cheyne Child Development Service is a family-centred service based at Chelsea and Westminster, dedicated to supporting children with special educational and developmental needs. We maintain close links with local borough agencies, clinical commissioning groups and school nursing services to provide seamless support for children. We offer assessment and treatment services for children and young people up to the age of 19 with a wide range of developmental difficulties.
Who can access our service
Children are usually referred to our service by a healthcare professional, such as a GP, speech and language therapist or a member of the school team. Our service is available to children whose GP is located in the following boroughs/postcodes:
- Kensington and Chelsea: SW3, SW5, SW7, SW10, W8
- Fulham: SW6
- Hammersmith: W6, W12, W14, NW10
- South Westminster: SW1
Consent for appointments
We require consent to ensure that you understand and are happy with why we are seeing your child. We also seek consent for Cheyne to gain and share information with other agencies (eg school) that support you and your child, so we can understand your child’s strengths and difficulties across different contexts. In certain circumstances we might ask for consent from your child if they are over the age of 14 years. If you are unsure about giving consent, please contact us to discuss this further on: 020 3315 6577 or email: Chelwest.commpaed.coordinator@nhs.net
How to make a referral to the Cheyne Child Development Service
We provide assessment and intervention services for children and young people up to 19 years old, covering a wide range of developmental differences.
Referrals to Cheyne can only be made by a professional. If you are a parent or carer and think your child may need support, please speak to your GP or another health professional involved in your child’s care, such as a health visitor or speech and language therapist. They can discuss your concerns and, if appropriate, make a referral.
Language, interpreting services and accessibility
Telephone interpreter service
Our Translation and Interpretation Service offers a telephone-based service, which allows immediate access to an interpreter 24 hours a day.
Face-to-face interpreter and translation service
Face-to-face interpreters and translators should be booked in advance. If you are an outpatient we recommend booking two weeks in advance. Please contact the department to arrange an interpreter on 020 3315 6488.
We request that patients’ relatives do not act as interpreters for the patient. If a patient wishes to use a friend or relative to interpret, the patient will still be offered the choice of a professional interpreter. Patients are strongly discouraged from bringing children under 16 to act as interpreters.
Website accessibility and translation
This website is designed to meet WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards and works with the built-in accessibility features on your device or browser, such as screen readers, text resizing, contrast settings and translation tools.
Most users find their device’s own accessibility settings provide the most consistent and familiar experience.
If you prefer, you can also use the ReciteMe accessibility toolbar on this website. This provides additional on-screen options, including:
- Changing font size, style and colour
- Adjusting colour contrast
- Magnifying areas of the page
- Reading text aloud
- Translating content into different languages
The toolbar can be opened using the ReciteMe button at the top of the page and turned off at any time.
Please note that automated translations may not always be accurate.