What is divergence?
We are a service for people looking for support with issues relating to neurodevelopmental disorders. We set up our service so that we can do things differently and we are passionate about delivering good quality care that is different.
What do you offer?
We offer an initial assessment which outlines what help we think you may benefit from and also makes recommendations about how to access that help, either with us or from other providers. We give you the information you need to decide what the best way to meet your needs is given what services are available to you.
Where are you based?
We are based in the North East of England. We don't offer any face to face appointments at present but are looking to establish clinics close to most places in the North East and Cumbria.
What conditions do you diagnose?
We have a range of clinicians who have specialist interests and we may advise that you see someone in particular in the team because they have the right specialist skills for you. We are specialists in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder, but we don't just offer a diagnosis, we look to address your needs arising from your diagnosis. Whilst some people may just be seeking diagnosis we will always make recommendations about what else we think may be helpful and how to access it. We offer support with schools and workplaces.
We do not accept referrals requesting a specific diagnosis, because we believe that the difficulties are not well defined by the diagnosis. Sometimes diagnoses can be confused, seeming to be one but actually another. We don't think you should pay for an assessment that is not needed. That is why we ask everyone to have an initial assessment with us, this enables us to check that we are looking to the right diagnosis.
How much does it cost?
Our initial assessment costs £100 and this will outline our initial thoughts about what could be done to help with the challenges you face and also where you may build on your existing strengths. That may be assessing for a specific diagnosis and arranging treatment, but it may be a range of other supports that could help.
Do you prescribe medication?
Most of our clinical staff are experienced in prescribing treatments for ADHD and some have other interests which you may need help with, such as tics or mood disorders. Our main prescribing focus is ADHD but we have prescribed for a range of problems where ADHD or Autism have complicated the prescribing decisions and our specialist knowledge has been helpful in deciding how to treat other problems such as anxiety, depression and tics.
We do ask GP's to accept shared care with us and we are happy to discuss this with your GP prior to starting treatment if you are concerned that they may not accept this, leaving you paying privately for treatment that is provided by the NHS.
Do you diagnose children?
We will work with anyone of any age and most of us have worked with both adults and children. We do not usually prescribe for children under the age of 6. We also have specialists in Old Age ADHD so can diagnose and treat the whole life span.
How do I pay?
We have tried to make our pricing as transparent and fair as we can. We ask for payment in advance of any appointment. If we undertake further work outside of this billing system we will discuss this with you. We do not agree that everyone should pay the same for their assessment. We think that it is more fair to charge for the work we do and our billing is built around exactly that principle, paying only for what you use.
You can pay by card online and if this is not convenient for you we will be happy to discuss alternative methods.
If you are having difficulties with payments because your circumstances have changed we encourage you to talk with us so that we can look at ways to help with this.
If you are working to a budget then we can work with that so that the costs are kept within your budget. This may mean it takes longer but we will always be transparent about costs. We can also guide you on medication costs which can vary a lot, depending on the treatments you choose.
How do you protect my privacy?
We are regulated (application being processed currently) by the Care Quality Commission who have clear standards that any health and social care provider must meet. We use "Semble" as our records system and they are continually working to ensure that the highest standards of data security are maintained.
Click this pdf link to read our consent policy.
Click this pdf link to read our privacy statement.
How long does the assessment process take?
The duration of your assessment is set by what we need to discuss and how much information you provide to us before we start the assessment. We have designed forms to help you to tell us what we need to know to build our understanding of your difficulties. Many find these forms ask a lot, but if they are filled out before the assessment appointment it can significantly reduce the amount of time needed, and therefore the cost to you. If we have all of the information we ask for prior to the assessment we can usually complete the assessment in 2-3 hours, but sometimes we discover that the issue is more complex and this can extend the assessment process sometimes up to 5 hours, sometimes longer. We will not charge more than £1000 for any diagnostic assessment and will discuss with you the reasons why we are needing to take longer than 5 hours on your assessment should this need arise.
Can I contact you outside of appointments?
We welcome contact between appointments. Often there are questions that come up and they need to be answered long before the next planned appointment. Sometimes people need advice and guidance and we would encourage people to keep in contact with the service. We will always give advice about the most cost effective way of you getting the help that you need.
Do I need any special equipment?
You need to be able to access the internet and it is preferable to use a computer rather than a mobile phone for this. If you need other equipment, such as a blood pressure monitor, your clinician will advise you.
What is included with subscriptions?
We offer "The Exchange" subscription service which will connect you to a wealth of knowledge and experience that you can be confident is reliable. We post our own content which draws from our experiences of living with and working to support people with a neurodevelopmental difference, but we also host forums and groups for a range of issues so that you can connect with others in similar circumstances. This is offered free to anyone using our services, but once the team have completed their work we ask for a monthly subscription to maintain access to this content.
What are your Terms and Conditions of Service?
Click this pdf link to read our Terms and Conditions of Service.