Frequently Asked Questions

No. Our phone lines are open Monday to Thursday, 8am–8pm, and Friday, 8am–5pm, and our reception is open Monday to Thursday, 9am–7pm, and Friday, 9am–4pm. We are closed at weekends, on bank holidays and over Christmas and New Year. Outside these hours there is an answerphone facility. Everyone at EPIC will aim to be as flexible and responsive as possible, but we do not offer a rapid-access or out-of-hours service. Please see our out of hours and emergency page if you need urgent assistance.

Yes, we have 20–30 allocated parking spaces for clients of EPIC Solutions.

If you are travelling to attend an appointment with us, we are pleased to partner with local hotels offering discounted rates and family-friendly extras. Please see the details on our accommodation page.

Yes please, we do require your young person to attend the initial assessment. Meeting them is essential to understand the difficulties more clearly and to determine the appropriate next steps. We understand that some young people may feel anxious and not want to attend; please do your best to encourage them. We have included photos on this website so that they can familiarise themselves in advance with what to expect. If their attendance proves impossible, our consultants will sometimes meet with parents and carers first, and then arrange an alternative way of completing the rest of the assessment with the young person.

Yes, we often can. However, we ask that you give us detail about the services they are receiving, any reports you may have, and who is providing the services (both the organisation, such as CAMHS, and the individual consultant, therapist or practitioner they are working with directly). We will then be able to advise on whether we can provide any additional, complementary support. It is very important that any help they are currently receiving continues, as, unlike NHS services, we are not able to offer 24/7 crisis or emergency care.

This will vary between consultants; they will all be flexible and adapt the appointment to work best for you all. They will want to talk directly to your child or young person, as well as to you, to explore all of the presenting concerns, their education and social situation, and their medical and developmental history. In some cases a physical examination may be needed. At the end, they will ask what your hopes and expectations are, and recommend any further assessments or treatments. For further information, visit our initial assessments page.

Yes, we can. Please see the details on our therapies and medication page. We will only prescribe medication where it has been recommended by EPIC.

All of the EPIC team are experienced in helping children with all sorts of worries and anxieties. We use a variety of approaches to encourage your child and help them feel at ease. If you really feel they will find attendance difficult, please discuss this at your initial enquiry, as alternative options may be possible in exceptional circumstances.

Neurodevelopment continues throughout adolescence, so EPIC provides assessments for most difficulties up to the age of 25. After that, we can offer adult assessment, but only where it is relevant to the parenting and care of a child or young person already known to us.

Yes, EPIC Solutions works with Devon County Council, Adoption Services and a number of nurseries, schools and colleges across the region. We are always open to new partnerships. Please contact us to discuss your needs.

Yes, we offer a range of different therapies. Please see our therapies and medication page. We have a team of very experienced therapists who can meet most therapeutic needs. This will be discussed at your initial assessment where relevant.

No, we do not perform medical investigations. Our consultants may recommend investigations and will communicate this with your GP. Alternatively, we partner with other private organisations that can arrange blood tests, ECG or ultrasound.

This depends on which assessment pathway is recommended, and you will be given information that is as accurate as possible. We aim to complete most standard neurodevelopmental assessments in 2–3 months. There are some circumstances where our consultants recommend that the process should be either slower (in very young children) or faster (coming up to a crucial transition); this will usually be accommodated.