Yorkshire charity, supported by Aire Innovate and local NHS commissioners, introduces new digital tools to help children and young people reach mental health and neurodevelopmental support faster, with the service set to expand from Calderdale to Leeds this autumn.
Northpoint, a Yorkshire charity supporting the mental health and wellbeing of children, young people and families, is rolling out the next phase of its digital referral service in partnership with health technology company Aire Innovate, and with the support of local NHS commissioners. The charity will share their learning and experience in this as charity partner at AireFest 2026 in Leeds on 9 July.
The work builds on the Northpoint Navigator, a redesigned digital referral pathway already in use in Calderdale’s Open Minds service. The tool simplifies and streamlines the way children, young people and families are referred for neurodevelopmental and mental health support, using clinical triage to direct each referral to the right partner or service as early as possible.
At the heart of this next phase is a new service user portal, giving families a single, secure place to submit information, upload documents and track the progress of their referral. It builds on earlier improvements to digital referrals that have already made the process quicker and more consistent.
Digital referral pathway improves access to children’s mental health support
The enhanced system uses smart forms and workflows to direct each young person to the most appropriate support as early as possible, reducing delays, avoiding unnecessary assessments and helping to make sure people receive needs-led support. Behind the scenes, improved data capture and system integration reduce manual administration and duplication, freeing up clinicians to focus more on care while strengthening the data teams rely on to plan services and respond to demand.
The approach is already showing results. The Navigator has supported 9,465 referrals to date. It has also significantly reduced the time children and young people spend waiting for connection to appropriate support and next steps.
These developments come at a time when demand for neurodevelopmental assessment significantly exceeds service capacity. The Children’s Commissioner for England estimated in 2024 that around 400,000 children were waiting for a first appointment, while NHS England data cited by the Health and Social Care Committee indicated up to 316,000 children waiting for an ADHD assessment and nearly 138,000 for an autism assessment in 2025. Waiting times vary widely between areas, with many children waiting more than a year and some facing waits of several years. Against that backdrop, timely access to the right support matters more than ever. The work also reflects a wider shift in which voluntary sector organisations are taking a leading role in the digital transformation of health and care, showing how charities and technology partners can co-design tools that improve the experience for families and the professionals who refer them. The initial rollout is taking place in Calderdale and will be followed in the autumn in Leeds.
The work also reflects a wider shift in which voluntary sector organisations are taking a leading role in the digital transformation of health and care, showing how charities and technology partners can co-design tools that improve the experience for families and the professionals who refer them. The initial rollout is taking place in Calderdale and will be followed in the autumn in Leeds.
Amanda Coates, Director of Digital and Innovation at Northpoint, said: “This next phase of development is about helping more people experience good mental health support. Demand for services continues to grow, so it’s vital that we move faster to connect children and young people with the right support at the right time. Childhood is short, and delays can have a lasting impact, so timely access really matters. By improving how we capture information and connect families to support, we’re strengthening early intervention and prevention, in line with THRIVE principles. Ultimately, this is about recognising that we need to think differently about how we support mental health in the future.”
A parent whose child was referred through the Navigator said: “Extremely knowledgeable Choice Navigator, who spent the time to go through everything I was unsure of and made me feel extremely comfortable and confident in my decision for my child. I also felt like the Choice Navigator cared about the best options for my child and myself and showed complete empathy throughout our discussion. They also went the extra mile to give me additional advice for myself and my child.”
Neal Jackson, Partnership & Alliance Director at Aire Innovate said: “Northpoint understands the needs of children and families in Calderdale through years of local service delivery, data analytics and service user voice. Our role was to build the technology around that knowledge rather than the other way around. The Navigator is a great example of what happens when a charity and a technology partner co-design a tool together, with the people who use it firmly at the centre. We’re delighted to have Northpoint as our charity partner at AireFest, and to give their work the platform it deserves.”
AireFest 2026 takes place on 9 July in Leeds, with Northpoint appearing as charity partner. The event brings together people working across health, technology and the voluntary sector to share ideas on improving health and care, and Northpoint will use the day to showcase the Navigator alongside its wider work supporting people. Attendees will be able to support the charity through donation points and QR codes around the venue.