The Antser Group was founded on the belief that innovation, applied with empathy and purpose, can drive real change. Our mission has always been to support professionals, children and families through practical, accessible and human-led solutions.

That vision is delivered through three core organisations:

• Carter Brown Experts, providing multi-disciplinary assessments that support decision-making across local authorities, family, criminal, immigration law and more
• Autism Assessment Hub, delivering independent person-centred autism and ADHD assessments with full pre and post diagnostic support, ensuring individuals and families have access to the right support and guidance from diagnosis and beyond
• Cornerstone VR, our-award-winning, trauma-informed virtual reality programme designed to support professionals working with vulnerable children and their families.

Our work is guided by empathy, urgency, accuracy and a deep sense of responsibility. We believe that timely support should never come at the cost of quality. The services we offer are designed to be effective, evidence-based and shaped around the needs of the people they serve.

This recognition from EY is a reflection of the people behind Antser, and the collective effort it takes to create something that lasts.

We’re proud of what we’ve built, and even more committed to what comes next.

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Earlier this year, Antser identified a growing need for quality consumer autism and ADHD assessment services, leading to the launch of the Autism Assessment Hub. Initially starting in Birmingham, we have since expanded to other locations such as London, Newcastle, and Cheshire, with an ambitious plan to establish a clinic in every major UK city within the next 12 months. This new initiative reflects our unwavering commitment to tackling the national shortage of autism assessments, providing much-needed support for individuals and families who face long delays in accessing essential diagnostic services.

To further solidify our position as a leader in this field, we are delighted to announce the acquisition of Solihull Autism Assessment Service. Widely recognised as one of the leading clinics in the West Midlands, Solihull has long been at the forefront of clinically led, high-quality autism assessments. From the outset, it became clear that both organisations shared a natural synergy, with aligned values and a shared commitment to excellence. Bringing these two teams together made perfect sense as we continue our mission to provide accessible, compassionate, and accurate assessments for all.

Why This Matters:

Autism Assessment Hub is rapidly growing, with live hubs already in Birmingham, London, and Alderley Edge. The acquisition of Solihull Autism Assessment Service—located just a short distance from Birmingham—marks a strategic move to enhance our service offering in the West Midlands, ensuring that more individuals across the region have access to timely, accurate, and high-quality autism assessments.

The proximity of the two hubs allows us to optimise resources, share knowledge, and expand the breadth of services available to our clients. By bringing Solihull Autism Assessment Service into the fold, we are not just expanding geographically—we are expanding our commitment to quality and the speed with which we deliver results, with the average diagnosis time at the Autism Assessment Hub already being just 6-8 weeks, a significant improvement over national waiting times.

Both Autism Assessment Hub and Solihull Autism Assessment Service are driven by a shared belief that every individual deserves the best possible care and support. With Solihull’s established team, including Dr Jessica and Dr Zoe—who have been instrumental in delivering high-quality assessments and compassionate care—the partnership is set to create even greater opportunities for neurodivergent individuals to receive the diagnoses and support they need.

Richard Dooner, CEO of The Antser Group, commented: “I am absolutely delighted that we have acquired Solihull Autism Assessment Service. Both Dr Zoe and Dr Jessica are true ambassadors for the sector, making sure quality is at the heart of what they do. With their ethos and dedication, they were a natural fit for Antser as we continue to grow in the neurodivergent space.”

Dr Jessica, Co-Director and Clinical Lead (Chartered Clinical Psychologist), commented: “Zoe and I have worked hard for a number of years to create a reputation and service with high quality and best practice at its heart and we were privileged to be approached by the Antser Group to share our model, working together to deliver reliable, gold standard Autism and ADHD assessments nationally as part of the Autism Assessment Hub. Together, we share the same vision and priorities and we are excited to see how things progress as a team.”

Dr Zoe, Co-Director and Clinical Lead (Clinical Psychologist), added: “At Solihull Autism Assessment Service our priority has always been to work in a collaborative way with families and individuals drawing on our expertise, experience and team work to offer a neuro-affirming, high quality Autism and ADHD assessment pathway.  It is really exciting to now join with Antser who have proven they are completely aligned with our service values.  Together I hope we can help more families and individuals to find understanding and a positive way forward.”

This acquisition is just the beginning of our continued growth in the neurodivergent assessment space. With plans to launch additional hubs across the UK, our goal is to make autism and ADHD assessments as easy and stress-free as possible. By cutting waiting times and expanding access to high-quality services, we are committed to providing individuals and families with the answers and support they need—faster.

As Antser continues to grow and evolve, we remain committed to delivering the gold standard of service across all our sectors, ensuring positive outcomes for all.

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With over 23 years’ experience of completing assessments of children, families and individuals and led by HCPC registered sector experts, Antser’s new Autism Assessment Hub provides high-quality autism assessments and tailored recommendations for both children and adults, within six to eight weeks.

More than 1 in 100 people in the UK are autistic. As of December 2023, the average NHS waiting time for an autism assessment in England was nine months for children and young people and over 10 months for adults from the time of referral – a 47 per cent increase from the previous year. A total of 86% of people awaiting assessment are waiting longer than NICE’s recommended 13 weeks, with some reporting delays of five or six years.

The launch of the hub reflects Antser’s dedication to supporting neurodivergent individuals and their families across the UK especially young people and females – who often mask or downplay behaviours during initial screenings – to ensure accurate and timely diagnoses.

It also reinforces Antser’s commitment to supporting the wider health sector to cope with demand. In the same way it has continuously driven quality and professionalism into family law assessments, it now plans to do the same in the neurodivergent space to ensure positive outcomes for all.

Debbie Roberts, Autism Assessment Hub’s Head of Neurodivergent Service, said: “The current delays on autism diagnoses can have profound impacts on individuals and their families, affecting access to necessary support and interventions. Our new Autism Assessment Hub will help make autism diagnosis easy, accessible and stress-free for people in and around Birmingham.

“We understand the importance of a supportive and thorough autism assessment journey and the critical importance of early diagnosis for neurodivergent conditions. Working with individuals and families, our expert approach will ensure they can start to take advantage of the multiple benefits of getting a diagnosis, from the personal to the professional.”

In its manifesto, Labour promised to make neurodivergent assessments available to all and without delay, which also recognises neurodivergent conditions in girls and women as well as in boys and men. Full assessments would also identify whether an individual has other, related conditions and to supply adequate support following a diagnosis.

Earlier this year, the former Secretary of State for Health and Social Care also announced the ‘Neurodivergent Conditions Screening, Teaching and Training Bill’, which gives primary school children the opportunity to be screened for neurodivergent conditions, highlighting the significance of early screening and support in a young person’s life.

Debbie added: “Early screening and support can significantly enhance the life chances of neurodivergent children. Identifying these conditions at an early stage ensures that appropriate support systems are put in place, helping children to thrive as they grow.”

The Autism Assessment Hub has a dedicated team of HCPC-certified clinicians who are committed to providing comprehensive and compassionate autism assessments to children and adults.

With a multidisciplinary team, it ensures the gold standard NICE guidelines are adhered to at every stage of the process. Offering a comprehensive approach to assessments, examining both present and historical symptoms and behaviours to gain a complete picture before concluding a final diagnosis.

Having launched in Birmingham, there are future plans to launch hubs across the UK to reach as many people as possible.

To find out how Antser’s Autism Assessment Hub works, please visit: https://www.autismassessmenthub.co.uk/how-it-works/

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