Service overview
We support children, young people and young adults aged 0–25, along with their families and carers. Our work focuses on individuals who have a diagnosis of autism and/or a learning disability and who may be at risk of admission to a psychiatric hospital or specialist unit.
We work directly with young people and their family to get to know them, work out exactly what they need, and help them to get it.
We work as a point of contact for young people and their families to navigate the Health, Education, Social Care and Voluntary Sector, working with them for as long as they need us to.
We will build and maintain positive, appropriate and trusting relationships with young people and their families. We will challenge systems at all levels to unblock barriers and make sure young people's needs are met to reduce risks.
Accessing our service
To access Keyworker support, the child/young person needs to:
- Have a diagnosis of a learning disability, autism or both
- Be aged 0-25 years old
- Be at a potential risk of inpatient admission to a mental health unit/hospital
- Be eligible for the Dynamic Support Register (DSR) and rated as being at crisis point (red/amber)
- Be registered with a Berkshire West GP (Wokingham, Reading & West Berkshire) or be a child in care out of county, but remain under the responsbillity of Berkshire West ICB commission
To make a referral
We accept referrals from professionals, as well as parents and carers and young people themselves.
Please fill in our form and email it to: keyworkingDSR@berkshire.nhs.uk
Keyworking Referral Form
File size: 673KB
Preparing for an assessment
We may support you by visiting you at home, in the community or at school/college/your place of work, talk to you or your family on the telephone and help you and your family to talk to professionals and to attend meetings with you.
We will ensure all those on the Dynamic Support Register have a clear personalised plan that promotes their needs and that all Care (Education) and Treatment Review recommendations and actions are completed in a timely manner. You can learn more about the Dynamic Support Register by visiting the NHS website.
Information sheet for parents and carers
File size: 320KB
Easy Read Information Leaflet
File size: 435KB
Managing your health
Your e-Health Passport
Your e-Health Passport lets us know what's important to you - from your preferred name and pronouns to how you'd like us to support you and communicate with you.
Learn moreContact us and FAQs
Keyworking Team Berkshire West
Contact number: 0118 904 2600 Our opening hours are Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm
We can also help you with
Is there any information for friends, family and carers?
If you’re a family member/carer or you look after someone, there’s practical, financial, and emotional support available to you from a range of local communities and national organisations.
How do I request an interpreter?
We can provide language translation and interpretation support.
Tell our staff which language you prefer to use, and we will make sure the right communication support is in place for your assessment and treatment. Please let us know as early as possible so we can ensure the appropriate translation or interpreting support is available.
We offer a range of professional services to ensure everyone can understand and be understood:
- telephone interpreting
- video remote interpreting (VRI)
- face‑to‑face interpreting
- written translation
- British Sign Language (BSL) interpreting
How can I get information in an accessible format?
Anyone with a disability, impairment, or sensory loss has the right to receive information in a format that meets their needs.
Under the Accessible Information Standard (AIS) – a legal requirement for all health and adult social care providers – we must ensure that people who use our services, including carers and families, can understand the information we provide and communicate effectively with us.
We can offer information in a range of accessible formats, including:
- British Sign Language (BSL)
- large print
- braille
- audio
- easy Read
- text message
- face‑to‑face support with a carer or advocate present
If you need information in any of these formats, please tell a member of our team and we will make sure your communication needs are met.
Are service dogs allowed to my appointment?
Yes. You are welcome to bring your registered service animal, such as a guide dog, hearing dog, medical alert dog, or other trained assistance dog to your appointment.
These animals are recognised as essential support and are permitted in most areas of our services.
To help us prepare, please let the team know before your appointment if you will be attending with a service animal. This allows us to make sure the environment is safe and comfortable for you, your animal, and other patients.
Please note that service animals may not be able to enter certain restricted clinical areas for safety or infection‑control reasons, but we will always work with you to find an appropriate alternative.
What does it mean to treat our team with respect?
Respect is important.
We will be polite and kind and we expect that you treat our staff in the same way.
Abuse, hate and discrimination against our staff is unacceptable.
We will take strong action against anyone who is verbally, racially, physically, or sexually abusive to them.
This includes contacting the police to prosecute, and stopping future access to our healthcare services.
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