How does it work?

The Dynamic Support Approach is for autistic people or people with a learning disability or both.

It involves health and social care services working closely together.  This may be able to support you if your mental health is causing concern to you, your family or support services. 

The Dynamic Support Database (DSD)

This provides information about you and your support. It allows health and social care professionals to discuss your situation and offer advice to the services who support you.  

The Dynamic Support Services (DSS)

For children and adults up to age 26 who are on the Dynamic Support Database. Their team will consult and advise you, your family and services that work with you to improve your support.

Dynamic Support Forums (DSF) 

A network of professionals from health, social services and education services. There are forums for children and adults that meet every month. 

It reviews peoples' cases and their safety and provides advice to the professionals who support them.

Care and Treatment Review (CTR)  

This is a meeting:

  • if you are having trouble staying safe and your services are either breaking down or are not able to support you.
  • or if the police or the courts are involved.

The review works to bring everyone together. 

You are involved and the review should happen at a time and place that works for you, your family and your services.

Information is to be presented in a way that you can understand.

All should feel listened to and able to make suggestions to improve your safety and support.

A Care and Education Treatment Review (CETR)  is for children 17 years old and under.  It is just like a Care and Treatment Review, but also focuses on a person's education needs. 

The Care And Treatment Review Oversight Panel  is a review panel of people with lived experience and professionals in health and social care. 

They meet every 6 weeks to review cases where concerns for safety and well being are not getting resolved. 

The panel works to check people are safe and identify solutions to improve support, taking things to a higher level if necessary.

Who is the dynamic support approach for?

The dynamic support approach may be for you if: 

You are autistic or you have a learning disability or both.

 A diagnosis is needed to confirm this.

The Dynamic Support Database and Dynamic Support Services may be for you if you are on a current NHS waiting list for an autism or learning disability diagnosis.

You already have services involved in your support. 

Such as-

  • Social care or Early Help
  • Children and Young Peoples Mental Health Services (CYPMHS)
  • Mental Health Together or Mental Health Together PLUS

Your mental health is causing concern for either yourself or others

  • If you are having trouble staying safe because your services are either breaking down or services are not able to support you.
  • If you are at risk of harm to either yourself or to others.
  • If you are at risk of getting in trouble with the police or the courts.

How can the dynamic support approach help me?

It brings everyone supporting you together quickly to agree a positive way forward.

It involves you and those important to you in learning how you want to be supported.

It works creatively to meet support needs in your community. 

There is a good understanding of what different services can and cannot do so that the best possible support can be put into place.

Services work together to understand what is needed to help you stay safe.

Mental health hospital is only seen as an option when:

  • There is a clear reason for a hospital stay- for assessment or treatment of a mental illness

and

  • It is the last option after all support in the community has been tried.

If an admission is needed, both community and hospital services work together to ensure that the time spent in hospital is no longer than necessary.