A HEALTHCARE company has launched new headquarters in Harrogate after growing its team and expanding its range of services.
Evolve Psychology has moved into its new town centre base at Victoria Avenue on the back of increased demand nationwide for its expertise.
In particular, families are turning to Evolve in ever-rising numbers for help in assessing children for autism and ADHD.
Founded in 2014 by Harrogate resident Dr Laura Powling, a Consultant Clinical Psychologist with over 14 years’ experience, the independent practice specialises in a range of mental health and neurodevelopmental services.
A noticeable increase for us has been in the provision of multidisciplinary Autism Spectrum Disorder and ADHD assessments, she said.
We offer these as an expert and – for some families – a timelier alternative to the NHS, here in our new purpose-designed Harrogate setting,” she said.
Seeking an official autism diagnosis is a very personal journey, but, for some families, it has felt important so that their children can benefit from better educational support as early as possible, as well as future health and care plans tailored to their needs.
Many parents feel that is particularly vital around this time of year as young people get ready for the challenges of starting school for the first time, or moving to a new one.
The importance has therefore very much been about timing to ensure that the child’s support needs are fully identified.
There are long waiting lists for NHS autism assessments both locally and nationally, with families in parts of Yorkshire not getting appointments for two, or sometimes three, years. Many families express that such delays make a significant difference to the life chances of their children – around 1 in 100 in our community are on the autistic spectrum.
Current regulations mean everyone with autism should receive support if required– from nurseries through to universities. And while having an assessment is very much a personal decision, many parents feel that a diagnosis if appropriate for that child can result in increased levels or funding or assistance.
We have worked with many autistic young people, parents and adults who have described their diagnosis as being life-changing, as it has demystified why they perhaps have felt different as well as remove barriers to vital support.
Evolve also supports families with a range of other screening services, including ones for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and learning difficulties.
Its emotional and wellbeing specialism also helps clients (children and adults) by performing assessments for depression, anxiety, anger, self-esteem, eating disorders, PTSD and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
They also provide expert witness reports for the courts and parole boards in the areas of family law, criminal law, immigration law, prison law and medico-legal cases.
Following its expansion, Evolve can now draw upon the skills of a growing team of clinical and forensic psychologists, with backgrounds in Forensic Psychology, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, Looked After Children’s Services and Adult Mental Health/ Learning Disability Services.
The team now also includes Speech and Language Therapists, Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) practitioners, and Assistant Psychologists.
