Barnardo's West Yorkshire Neurodevelopmental Early Support Service

West Yorkshire Neurodevelopmental Early Support Service (WYNESS) offers early, non-clinical support to families of children and young people (up to age 18) awaiting ADHD and/or autism neurodevelopmental assessment or recent diagnosis of autism and/or ADHD. Operating across Bradford, Calderdale, Leeds, Kirklees and Wakefield, the service responds to prolonged diagnostic waiting times and child/young person post-diagnostic adjustment needs that increase the risk of family distress, escalation of need for families.

The Service focuses on strengthening parental confidence, reducing stress and anxiety, and supporting children and young people to remain engaged in education, community life and universal services while awaiting assessment or adjusting to a new neurodevelopmental diagnosis.

The service delivers a consistent single point of access, offering structured triage and a graduated model of support aligned with needs-led neurodevelopmental early support principles.

We deliver short term support to meet the needs of parents and carers as well as direct support to children and young people who have received their neurodevelopmental diagnosis in the last 6 months.

WYNESS is available to parents/carers and children and young people where:

  • the child or young person is aged up to 18 years (Referral accepted up to 17.5 years)
  • a child or young person is on a neurodevelopmental diagnostic waiting pathway for ADHD and/or autism, or
  • has received an ADHD and/or autism diagnosis with in last 6 months; and the family is resident within Bradford, Calderdale, Leeds, Kirklees or Wakefield. 

Referral Details
To access the West Yorkshire Neurodevelopmental Service, professional referrals are needed.

Professionals/Services/Teams who can refer to us:

  • Designated School Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator (SENDCos)
  • Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services
  • Neurodevelopmental Assessment Teams
  • General Practitioners (GPs)

We are open Monday to Friday 9am-5pm.

Contact details