'CONNECT' Child and Young Person Weight Management Service

CONNECT is the first Tier 3 Specialist Weight Management Service for Children and Young People (CYP) in Wales, covering the whole of Aneurin Bevan Health Board. We are a team of professionals working together with CYP and their families to help manage their weight and improve their physical and emotional health. The team is made up of a paediatrician, specialist dietitian, specialist nurses, psychologists and a therapy assistant practitioner.  
 

CONNECT work directly with the CYP and their families and also link in with other health professionals such as GPs, health visitors, school nurses and teachers to provide an individualised service that meets the CYP’s care needs.
 

Who is the service for?

Connect is available for CYP aged 0-16 years who meet the following criteria:

• Age <2years old
• Weight >98th centile  
• Age 2-16 who meet one or both of the following criteria
• BMI Centile >+3.33SD
• BMI Centile > 98th centile with a diagnosed weight related co-morbidity ( T2DM, CVD, NAFLD, abnormal glucose or insulin metabolism, hypertension, significant joint or mobility problems, dyslipidemia, benign intracranial hypertension, obstructive sleep apnoea, obesity related hypoventilation, PCOS, Acanthosis nigricans, Prada Willi, safeguarding concerns for families who are under social services due to this)
• Young people aged 16 and above can be referred into the Adult Weight Management Service. If the CYP doesn’t meet our criteria then we are still available to offer support, advice and training. Please contact us on 0300 3034906 or Connect.abb@wales.nhs.uk.
• Please note we cannot manage risk in our service. If you are currently working with CAMHS or waiting to see them, please contact us first to discuss before filling in our Self-referral form otherwise it may be declined.

How do I request support?

We accept ‘request for help’ forms from families only. We will however now accept referrals from health care professionals if there are safeguarding concerns and the family are under social services due to this.  We would ask that you watch the Expectations video below so you can understand what our service can offer and what we expect from you and your family. If you cannot complete this form online or have any questions, please call us on 0300 3034906.

If you are a professional wishing to refer a family to us please provide them with the details of this webpage so they can self-refer. Please do ensure you have confirmed they meet our criteria before asking them to contact us.