Support for young people and families in Suffolk

Delivered in partnership with Suffolk Mind, Home-Start Suffolk and 4YP.

The Neurodiversity (ND) Pathway is a service supporting parents and carers of children and young people who either have a diagnosis on the ND pathway or have been accepted for a neurodevelopmental assessment.

Please note: this is not a crisis service.

For urgent help for you or someone you know, please contact your GP, visit A&E, call 999 or 111, or visit our Help Directory for more options.

Who can access this service?

This service is available to children and young people aged between 5 and 18 and their parents/carers.

The child/young person must also:

  • Live in Suffolk (excluding Waveney)
  • Be registered with the GP
  • Be post-triage and accepted on the ND pathway or have received a diagnosis on the ND pathway

If you are unsure if a child qualifies for this support, please contact 01473 621104 or email headoffice@homestartinsuffolk.org.

What support do we offer?

Things we can support with include:

1:1 parent/carer support (delivered by Home-Start)

For parents/carers of children aged between 5 and 12. This offers a personalised support plan based on individual needs.

Virtual parent/carer peer support group (delivered by Home-Start)

For parents/carers of children aged between 5 and 12. This is a weekly evening group with topics based on parent need, including sleep, sensory needs, nutrition, emotional regulation, behaviour, education processes and routine.

Parent/carer and child face-to-face groups (delivered by Home-Start)

For children aged between 5 and 12 years (plus siblings up to 12) and their parents/carers. This group provides the opportunity for parents/carers to meet for support and advice from SEND navigators while children can play in a relaxed environment.

1:1 counselling (delivered by 4YP)

For children and young people aged between 5 and 18 years. These sessions are delivered either virtually or face-to-face in Ipswich or Bury St Edmunds and are tailored to the child/young person’s needs and interests.

Social group support (delivered by 4YP)

For children and young people aged between 7 and 18 years. There are two monthly social groups in Ipswich, one for children aged 7 to 13 and one for young people aged 14 to 18. The aim is to build relationships, understand emotional needs and reduce isolation.

Virtual parent/carer and child workshops (delivered by Suffolk Mind)

For children and young people aged between 5 and 18 years. This is a 2.5 hour interactive workshop for parent/carer and child pairs to attend to foster stronger relationships and shared understanding. There will be one aimed at children aged 5 to 11 and one for young people aged 11 to 18.

Referrals can be made via Home-Start Suffolk. If you are unsure if a child qualifies for this support, please contact 01473 621104 or email headoffice@homestartinsuffolk.org.

Refer via Home-Start Suffolk

Suffolk Mind services


We value your feedback

If you’d like to let us know your experience of using a Suffolk Mind service, including ways we can improve, please complete this form.

Our team regularly reviews feedback to help us improve the support services that we offer.

Envelope Icon Letter Icon

Get in touch

Looking for more info about something?
Why not reach out.

Stuck in a rut?

Feeling terrible can be, well, terrible. If you need urgent help or are experiencing a crisis, click here to find some useful links and helplines we can vouch for.

Squiggle Icon
Phone Icon Need help now? Click here for crisis support
1 of 2
Who do you want to support?
Self Referral Form
What do you need support with?

How are you feeling?