Care, Education and Treatment Reviews (CETR) have been developed as part of the NHS England commitment to improving the care of children and young people with a learning disability, autism or both. The aim of the CETR process is to reduce admission and unnecessary lengthy stays in hospital, alongside the prevention of any educational or residential breakdown.

The role of the Doncaster’s Children and Young People’s Proactive Monitoring and Support group is to review and monitor children and young people who are at risk of concerns that may escalate through the CETR process. The aim of the group is to enable the multiagency partnership to work effectively together to ensure that children and young people receive early intervention and support that prevents their situation from deteriorating and to improve childhood experiences.

The scope of the group covers children and young people aged from 0 to 25yrs (if the young person is in full time education, and/or is a looked after child). The group works closely with those colleagues within adult services in order to smooth transition and promote continued quality care throughout early adulthood and beyond.

For children and young people in hospital, the group works to review all discharge planning as a means of reducing any potential risk within the community that ensures a prompt discharge and to prevent any further hospital admission. Communities that work hand in hand with inpatient mental health services will always promote better longer term outcomes, the group provides a clear accountability and focus that supports case managers in their risk assessments and care planning.

The Doncaster group forms part of the wider Doncaster, Sheffield, Rotherham and North Lincolnshire Transforming Care programme. The Doncaster Designated Nurse for Safeguarding Children and Looked After Children (Chair) regularly reports to the Transforming Care Partnership, Children and Young People Steering Group and the overarching board on the ongoing progress and challenges of the group. This reporting and governance allows for a clear escalation process as well as offering dynamic information that promotes continued service development based on actual and projected needs.

Along with its robust governance structure and clear criteria and processes, Doncaster’s Proactive, Monitoring and Support group has been built upon the strong relationships across key organisations. Working together relies heavily on respectful relationships and this has been fundamental to the group’s success. Key influencers and decision makers from health commissioners and providers, children social care and education come together each month to share information, assess risk and plan ongoing care. Doncaster partners have the common goal to promote the best outcomes for children and young people made vulnerable through their autism and learning needs and it is this shared agenda that has seen the group achieve positive outcomes with a maintained momentum.

An ever-evolving group, the Proactive, Monitoring and Support members always remain flexible to the altering and growing needs of those children identified through the dynamic support database and as the group matures and grows, so too does our understanding and appreciation of each other and the children and young people we work hard to support. In truth the fundamental aim of the Doncaster approach is to proactively respond to any presenting situation as a means of ensuring that all children, regardless of the challenges they face, remain happy and healthy and go on to become the best version of who they can be.