A self-management digital platform for children and young people with ADHD

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common disorders in childhood and leads to difficulties in social, emotional and academic functioning. ADHD often persists into adulthood and so it is important that children, young people and their families find ways to self-manage the condition.

There is a large population of children with ADHD in Greenwich and local health services need to explore alternative models of service delivery to meet the demand. 

This project by Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust aimed to reduce unmet need in these children and their families, improve access to self-management resources, and improve communication and collaboration between families, schools and the ADHD care team.

The project involved the development of a web-based platform, ‘Headspace Focus’, which brings together children and young people with ADHD, and their families, the ADHD care team, schools and other professionals into a secure online environment. It provides self-management resources and allows the sharing of information with care teams and communication via instant messaging.

The platform was launched in December 2017 and, as of April 2018, there were 20 families and five schools signed up. There have been 300 messages exchanged, including advice around sleep and managing difficult behaviour. The platform has helped improve the timeliness of communication between the care team and families.

A flexible approach to stakeholder engagement helped to move the conversation on within the organisation, and the team learned how important it is to have a clearly defined goal and shared vision.

The team will now work on embedding the platform into routine clinical practice within the team, and beyond to other teams.

Contact information

For more information about this project, please contact Dr Nicola Reynolds, Principal Clinical Psychologist / Clinical Lead for Integrated Neurodevelopmental Team - ASD and ADHD, Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust.