Children Referral Forms: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can I start the form now and save for a future submission?

No, unfortunately there is not an option to save a referral in draft form. Please check our service pages to ensure you have everything you may require, before you begin here.

How do I know what supporting information may be needed for my referral?

Please access the service pages on our website before you start a referral to ensure you have all the information you need, you can find the link here.

I’m not sure which ‘need’ to select, what if I select the wrong one?

Please do not worry. Our SPA team will check your referral and ensure it is reviewed by the most appropriate clinical team. If you require further support, please contact us,and if we need to clarify any detail, we will be in touch.

I can’t see the ‘need’ listed that I wish to refer for support with?

Please visit our website for information on available needs or please contact us.

What do I do if I don’t have a piece of mandatory information required?

Please try and obtain all the information required before you start your referral. You may need to link with your child’s setting for support, if they attend a setting. If your child is not in a setting and you need support with the Needs Led Approach, please contact Wiltshire Parent Carer Council or B&NES Parent Carer Forum. Any supporting documents required for a referral can be understood by reviewing the service pages on our website.

What do the Asterix* signs mean throughout the digital form?

These indicate questions that must be completed to allow the form to be submitted. These pieces of information will be required by our clinical team to triage the referral. Please give as much information as possible to support your request.

How do I go back a page to review or add additional detail?

Please do not use the internet back arrow key, use the section header tabs on the left side menu to navigate back to the section you wish to review.

I am a young person and do not have my own email address which is required on the self-referral form?

You can use the email of a parent or trusted adult. If you do not wish to do this, please contact us.

Why do all the sections not show yellow progress ticks on the left side menu, when I am ready to submit?

This may be as a non-mandatory question has been left blank; this is fine. When you submit your referral, you will see a red cross by any subject headers on the left side menu, that you need to recheck as a mandatory question may have been missed. You may have left a space in a phone number field.

How do I know if I have submitted the referral correctly?

You will receive a confirmation screen when the referral has been successfully submitted. You will also receive an email confirmation, with your unique reference number and a copy of your referral, within 30 minutes. Our SPA team will be in touch if any information is missing or incomplete.

Do I need to keep my unique reference number?

A unique reference number will be sent to you by email when you have submitted a referral. It is useful to keep this should you need to add additional information to your referral at a later stage. Please do not worry if you mislay your reference number, please contact us.

What if I need to add a further supporting document after I have submitted my referral?

Please use the link on the portal page to add additional information. It is helpful to have your unique reference number to hand when you do this. If you require further support, please contact us.

How do I track the progress of my referral?

You will receive a confirmation screen when the referral has been successfully submitted. You will also receive an email confirmation, with your unique reference number and a copy of your referral, within 30 minutes. Our SPA team will be in touch if any information is missing or incomplete. If you have questions about the status of your referral, please contact us.

How do I drag and drop a document into the digital form?

1. Open the file location folder and the destination box side by side.
2. Click a file to select it.
3. Left click and hold the file selection.
4. Drag the cursor to the new location.
5. Release the left click to drop the files into the new location.
6. You can also double click in the destination box to select files directly from your folders.

Why do we ask if you are a military family on the referral form?

This is to support the military covenant and to ensure children who may move due to a military posting are not disadvantaged. Please see link below for further detail: NHS England » Armed forces and families health care

How do I access a copy of my completed referral form?

If using our digital online form, a copy of your referral in PDF format will be emailed with your confirmation of submission within approximately 30 minutes.

What does Patient Identifiable Data (PID) not matched mean when I submit?

Our digital platform will attempt to confirm the child or young person details on the PDS (Personal Demographic Service).  The Personal Demographic Service is the national master database of all NHS patients in England, Wales, and the Isle of Man. It holds essential patient details such as name, address, date of birth, contact information, registered GP and NHS number.

If the PDS match is not successful, the form will ask you to close and recheck the child or young person’s details. When you have completed this check, submit again and this will accept your submission.

How should I make a referral for a young person who is close to 18 years of age?

You can refer young people up to the age of 18, or 19 if they have a special educational need and / or disability and are attending an education setting. If the young person turns 18/19 during the referral and assessment process, we will be in touch by telephone or letter to explain next steps which may involve an appointment with our colleagues in our adult services if appropriate.

If the young person is over the age of 18, or 19 and has a special educational need and / or disability and is attending an education setting, when making the referral please refer to the adult service pages on our website. This is because we will need to ask the young person different questions.

What happens if I am a young person moving to an Adult Service?

Adult health services will be different to the health services you received when you were under 18 years old.  Children’s health services will support your transition to adult health services based on your needs, this may mean that you won’t receive the same health services that you did when you were younger and that you will see new doctors, nurses, therapists or other people in different places.

If I am unable to access the digital form, who do I contact?

If you require further support, please contact us.

What if I experience technical issues with website?

If you require further support, please contact us.

A field in the referral form is not working

If you complete a referral form and see an error message next to one of the fields such as the telephone number, email address or postcode, please ensure that there are no spaces or symbols included in the field. You may also wish to reload the page by selecting CTRL+R. If issues persist, please contact us.