When a young person is in crisis, every hour matters. Whether you are a social worker, a CAMHS practitioner, a GP, a teacher, or a family member, knowing how to access the right support quickly can make an enormous difference to what happens next.
This guide walks through the referral process for specialist crisis support — what information you will need, who can make a referral, what to expect after you submit one, and what questions to ask a provider before you decide whether they are right for the young person you are supporting.
Who can make a referral?
Referrals to specialist crisis services like Young Crisis Hub come from a wide range of professionals. You do not need to be a clinician to refer, but you do need to have a professional relationship with the young person and their family. Common referrers include:
- CAMHS practitioners (community teams, crisis teams, liaison nurses)
- Social workers and team managers
- Local authority commissioners
- Emergency department staff
- GPs
- Schools and specialist education providers
- Residential care providers
- Integrated Care Board (ICB) staff
In some circumstances, family members can also initiate contact, though a formal referral will usually need to come from or be supported by an involved professional. If you are a parent or carer and are unsure whether your child meets the criteria for our services, please call us — we are always happy to talk through a situation informally before a referral is submitted.
What information do you need to make a referral?
Good referral information helps a specialist service to respond quickly and appropriately. Before completing a referral form, it helps to gather the following:
Basic information
- The young person’s name, date of birth, and address
- The name and contact details of the referrer
- The names of any other key professionals already involved
Clinical and social context
- A description of the presenting crisis — what has happened, how long it has been building, and what has changed recently
- Any known diagnoses or neurodevelopmental conditions
- Previous mental health history, including any previous CAMHS involvement or inpatient admissions
- Current medication, if applicable
- Safeguarding status and any current child protection plans or looked-after status
Risk information
- Known risks to self (self-harm, suicidal ideation, suicide attempts)
- Known risks to others
- Any risk to the referrer or provider (e.g. known aggression)
- Any environmental risks in the young person’s home or community
You do not need to have all of this information to make a referral. If a situation is urgent, contact us as soon as possible and we will help you gather what is needed.
What happens after you submit a referral?
At Young Crisis Hub, we aim to acknowledge all referrals promptly and to confirm whether we can accept a case as quickly as possible. For urgent situations, we prioritise initial assessment accordingly.
Once a referral is accepted, the process typically looks like this:
- Initial assessment — one of our clinical team will contact the referrer and, where appropriate, the young person and their family to gather further information and begin building a picture of need
- Placement or service planning — we identify the most appropriate pathway for the young person, whether that is our hospital diversion, edge of care, or short breaks service
- Agreement and transition — we agree a start date and approach with the referrer and family, and begin the transition into our service
- Ongoing review — we hold regular review meetings with the referrer and other professionals to ensure the intervention is on track
What questions should you ask a crisis provider before referring?
Not all crisis services are the same. Before making a referral, it is worth asking:
- Is the service CQC regulated?
- What is the staff-to-young person ratio?
- What clinical oversight is in place?
- How does the service handle safeguarding concerns?
- What does the referral-to-placement timeline typically look like?
- How does the service involve families and other professionals?
- What outcomes data can the service share?
At Young Crisis Hub, we are happy to answer all of these questions — and to have an open conversation about whether we are the right fit for a particular young person. We would rather have that conversation early than accept a referral that is not right for us or for the young person.
What if the young person is in immediate danger?
If a young person is in immediate danger — including risk of suicide, serious self-harm, or harm from others — please contact the emergency services (999) or attend your local A&E. Specialist crisis services like Young Crisis Hub are not emergency services. We work with young people who are in high-level need and crisis, but where immediate life risk can be safely managed in the community with appropriate support.
If you are unsure whether a situation is an emergency, please err on the side of caution and contact emergency services first.
Ready to refer? Visit our referral page to submit a form online, or call us on 020 4587 6091 to talk through a case with a member of our team.
