This is a service for young people who very unwell with an eating disorder or have a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa. Your local CAMHS Team may refer you to the SpeED team if they feel this is what you need.
You and your family/carers will then be invited for an assessment by the SpeED Team. SpeED assessments are undertaken in the North Wales Adolescent Service, based in the Abergele Hospital Grounds.
What to expect when I arrive
You will arrive at the service which is located at the back of the building by following the signs to help you to the right place. On arrival there is an intercom to use and the secretary will invite you into the waiting area. Shortly after, a member of the team will greet you and your family/carers and take you through to an assessment room. Once in the assessment room, you and your family/carers will be given a set of questionnaires to complete that will help us get to know you more before the assessment.
What to expect during the assessment
The assessment will involve a number of professionals however you may not meet them all at the assessment appointment. These may be:
The clinical interview will be undertaken to learn more about you and your family/carers. We will also talk about friends, schools, interests, hobbies and life events to help us to understand you more. After this, the medical practitioner will take you to a separate space to do a physical health check where we will undertake routine tests such as blood pressure and ask questions around your physical health.
We understand that assessments can be a daunting time and you are welcome to bring any distraction objects with you.
The assessment will take a number of hours usually taking place between 9:15am to 2:30pm so we advise you to bring lunch with you.
The assessment takes time, as it helps us to gather enough information as possible to understand your situation and provide you with a plan of care to help you with your next steps of treatment. This may include being directed to local support and therapy available. These will include ongoing care by the eating disorder service in community CAMHS or a local CAMHS Team.
Take a look at the video walk through of where we complete our SpeED assessment:
Tel: 03000855299 (SpeED Secretary)
North Wales Adolescent Service
Llanfair Road
Abergele Hospital
Abergele
Conwy
LL22 8DP