Autism assessment capacity that works with your service
Specialist Children & Young People and Adult autism assessment and diagnosis, available through an established NHS framework.
Autism Assessment Services for NHS Commissioners
Additional assessment capacity through an established NHS framework
The Autism Centre provides specialist autism assessment and diagnostic services for Children and Young People and Adults, supporting NHS organisations that need additional capacity, sustainable waiting-list support or an experienced external assessment partner.
We have been appointed to the National Framework Agreement for the Provision of Autism and ADHD Assessment Services (F/097/AAAS/24/AB) for:
- Lot 1.2.1 – Adult Autism Assessment & Diagnosis
- Lot 1.2.2 – Children & Young People Autism Assessment & Diagnosis
Our appointment to the national framework provides an established procurement route for eligible public-sector organisations, including NHS commissioners and other health and care organisations, to commission specialist autism assessment services for adults and children and young people.
What our framework appointment means for commissioners
Commissioning additional autism assessment capacity should not mean starting a lengthy provider procurement and assurance exercise from the beginning.
The national framework was established to provide NHS organisations with a quicker, compliant route to commission additional assessment and diagnostic capacity.
For commissioners, our appointment means that The Autism Centre has already been through the framework's provider selection and assurance process for the autism services for which we have been appointed.
This provides a practical route for commissioners looking to:
- increase assessment capacity and reduce waiting lists
- commission a defined cohort or programme of assessments
- establish additional capacity alongside an existing NHS service
- respond to short- or medium-term demand pressures
- develop a longer-term partnership for autism assessment and diagnosis
A complete autism assessment pathway
We provide end-to-end autism assessment and diagnosis pathways for both Children and Young People and Adults.
Our approach combines structured assessment with experienced clinical judgement and multidisciplinary input, with pathways designed around relevant NICE guidance and NHS expectations.
We recognise that outsourced capacity needs to work as an extension of local services rather than creating additional work for them. Our aim is therefore not simply to complete assessments, but to provide a robust pathway from referral through assessment, diagnostic decision and reporting to appropriate communication of the outcome.
Supporting patients throughout the assessment pathway
Alongside our specialist autism assessment services, we are developing accessible digital resources to help patients and families understand the assessment process and identify support that may be available while awaiting diagnosis.
These resources will include practical guidance on accessing education, workplace and community support, recognising that assistance should be based on identified needs rather than necessarily requiring a formal diagnosis.
We are also exploring opportunities to provide additional, clinician-led post-diagnostic support and follow-up services, which could be commissioned separately according to local requirements.
Experienced clinicians for complex assessments
Efficient back-office systems allow us to focus our resources where they make the greatest difference: clinical delivery.
Our operating model is designed to minimise unnecessary administrative demands on clinicians, enabling us to invest in experienced clinical professionals and provide the time and information required to undertake thorough, appropriately evidenced assessments.
Our clinicians have extensive experience working with individuals whose presentations may be complex, where evidence is conflicting or where co-occurring conditions, developmental history and differential diagnostic considerations require careful clinical judgement.
Our aim is to provide additional assessment capacity that complements local NHS teams, including the expertise required to manage more complex presentations and reach robust, appropriately evidenced diagnostic conclusions.
Designed to work with NHS services
We understand that successful outsourcing is about more than the number of assessments completed.
Commissioners need confidence in clinical quality, information governance, safeguarding, reporting, operational performance and the provider's ability to integrate effectively with existing pathways.
We also recognise that additional assessment capacity should not create unnecessary administrative pressure for NHS teams. Our operational NHS referral management system provides a secure and structured route for submitting and managing referrals, while our continued investment in digital workflows is intended to streamline administration and allow clinicians to focus more of their time on assessment and diagnostic work.
Our service has therefore been developed specifically with NHS delivery in mind, including:
- Clinical governance
Structured clinical governance, safeguarding and quality-improvement arrangements supporting safe and consistent assessment practice. - NICE-aligned pathways
Assessment pathways designed around the relevant NICE guidance for autism assessment and diagnosis. - Digital and information governance
Digital services developed around NHS requirements, supported by DTAC, DSP Toolkit compliance, Cyber Essentials, ICO registration and our commitment to NHS cyber-security standards. - Referral management and operational visibility
Our operational NHS referral management system supports secure referral submission and management. We are continuing to develop our wider digital assessment workflows and management information capabilities to support efficient clinical delivery, pathway monitoring and meaningful performance reporting to NHS commissioners. - Multidisciplinary working
Access to the appropriate range of professional expertise to support diagnostic formulation and more complex presentations. - Clear clinical reporting
Structured diagnostic reports designed to provide patients, families, GPs and onward services with a clear account of the assessment evidence, clinical formulation and diagnostic outcome.
Flexible additional capacity
Different systems face different pressures.
Some commissioners need help addressing an established waiting-list backlog. Others need a sustainable flow of additional assessment capacity to prevent waiting lists continuing to grow.
We can work with commissioners to establish an appropriate delivery model, whether that is a defined cohort, a regular monthly volume or a broader commissioned pathway.
Our objective is to provide capacity that integrates with the local system rather than simply transferring a waiting list from one organisation to another.
Children and Young People
Our Children and Young People's service provides specialist autism assessment and diagnosis with appropriate consideration of developmental history, presentation across settings and the wider educational, health and social context.
Our pathway is designed to support communication with families and relevant professionals and, where appropriate, to support onward local processes including education, EHCP, CAMHS and other health or social-care services.
Adults
Our Adult Autism Assessment and Diagnosis service provides a structured pathway for adults referred for assessment, combining developmental evidence, direct assessment and clinical formulation.
We recognise that adult referrals can include complex presentations and overlapping or differential considerations. Our clinicians are supported by multidisciplinary expertise where required, helping ensure that diagnostic decisions are appropriately considered and evidenced.
How to commission our services
The Autism Centre welcomes discussions with NHS commissioners and other eligible public-sector organisations seeking additional autism assessment and diagnostic capacity.
Our appointment to National Framework Agreement F/097/AAAS/24/AB, covering Adult and Children & Young People's autism assessment and diagnosis, provides an established procurement route for eligible organisations, subject to the framework's terms and call-off procedures.
We can discuss a range of commissioning arrangements, including:
- Framework call-offs and direct awards:
Commissioning through the established national framework, using the appropriate procurement procedure. - Locally commissioned assessment capacity:
Defined waiting-list initiatives, ongoing assessment volumes or longer-term arrangements that complement existing local services. - NHS Patient Choice (Right to Choose):
Contracting arrangements with eligible NHS commissioners in England, where the relevant patient choice and contractual requirements apply.
We recognise that commissioning arrangements differ between organisations and local health systems. We would be pleased to discuss your requirements, referral pathways and the most appropriate arrangements for establishing additional capacity.
Talk to us about local capacity
If your ICB, NHS Trust, health board, local authority or other eligible public-sector organisation is seeking additional autism assessment capacity, we would welcome the opportunity to discuss your requirements.
Our team can work with you to understand your existing pathways, current pressures and the practical arrangements needed to establish additional capacity that complements your local services.
Let's start the conversation. Email commissioning@autismcentre.co.uk
