Who can access mental health services?

Anyone who lives in East Lancashire who feels that they need urgent mental health care or has an enquiry about their routine care.

Areas include the following, but this is not an exhaustive list:

• Burnley
• Pendle
• Rossendale
• Accrington
• Ribble Valley
• Blackburn with Darwen

You can contact us direct. You do not need to have used any mental health services before or previously been diagnosed with a mental health problem.

Not only can you call us direct, but a friend, carer or family member can also call the team if they are concerned for your wellbeing.

You can also be referred by your GP, social care professional or a voluntary organisation.

If you urgently need specialist advice, even if you have not been diagnosed with a mental health problem, you can still talk to a member of the team who can advise you.

What kind of help can I expect?

We will work with you, your family and other agencies to allow quick access to services that will support you.

Our team is made up of qualified mental health clinicians and experienced support staff skilled in talking to people in distress and providing guidance to help you manage the situation and your feelings.

They have information on all the health, social and voluntary services available to support you. They will be able to refer you or make you an appointment if it is needed.

From our conversation with you, a member of the team may arrange for you to receive support over the phone or for a mental health practitioner to see you at home, at a GP practice or another mutually agreed place to allow us to gather further information about your current mental health needs. We can also offer you information about other services that could assist you at this time.

The team is supported by clinicians from specialist areas of care such as:

Children’s and young people’s mental health services

• Learning disabilities services
• Eating disorder services
• Older people’s services

The team recognise that some people need to be seen quickly and in these cases we will aim to provide a telephone response within an hour and, if needed, a face-to-face appointment that same day. The mental health practitioner who attends will help you to work out what support you need and be able to give you advice and information. If they think that you need extra support and help from mental health services they will be able to organise this for you.

What about confidentiality?

Everyone in the Initial Response Service works to very strict rules about confidentiality; however, there may be instances where it may be necessary to share information with other professionals. If you have any concerns about confidentiality, please talk to a member of staff.

We will keep a record of your contact with our service and also provide your GP with a summary of your contact with us. For further details on how your information is stored, please visit our access to health records page.

Interpreters

If you need an interpreter, please let us know and we will arrange this for you.

Travel information

For details of local transport, including timetables, please visit Lancashire County Council’s website.

What if I have a comment, suggestion, compliment or complaint about the service?

If you want to make a comment, suggestion, compliment, or complaint you can:

• talk to the people directly involved in your care
• ask a member of staff for a feedback form or visit our contact us page
• telephone PALS: 0800 234 6088

We are always looking at ways to improve our services. Your feedback allows us to monitor the quality of our services and act upon issues that you bring to our attention.

How do I contact the Service?

You can contact the team by calling 0800 0130 707. The team are available 24 hours a day, including weekends and bank holidays.

If you are part of the deaf community and need to access Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust’s mental health services whether for urgent or routine care, the support of a BSL interpreter is available and they will help you to communicate with our call handlers or mental health practitioners. 

Connect to a BSL Interpreter here. 

Useful local contacts for residents across East Lancashire

Blackburn with Darwen Social Care

Telephone: 01254 587 547

Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm

Lancashire Council Social Care

Telephone: 0300 123 6720

Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm

Rethink Carers Lancashire

Telephone: 07968 990614

Email Rethink Carers Lancashire

Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Council for Voluntary Services

Address: 62-64 Yorkshire Street, Burnley

Telephone: 01282 433 740

Lancashire Mind

Provides information for individuals, carers and families experiencing emotional or mental health problems.

Address: 80-82 Devonshire Road, Chorley, PR7 2DR

Telephone: 01257 231 660

Email the team at Lancashire Mind

Website the Lancashire Mind website

National support services

NHS 111

Telephone: 111 (24 hours a day, seven days a week)
Website: 111.nhs.uk

NHS Helpline

Telephone: 0800 915 4640 (9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday)

Can provide details of help and support in your own area.

MIND Ed

Telephone: 0300 123 3393 (9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday)

Can provide details of help and support in your own area.

No Panic

Telephone: 0844 967 4848 (10am to 10pm everyday)

A helpline that helps people who suffer from panic.

Papyrus Hopeline

Telephone: 0800 068 41 41 (9am to midnight every day of the year. Weekends and bank holidays included)

A helpline that helps people having thoughts of suicide or are concerned for a young person who might be you can contact HOPELINEUK for confidential support and practical advice.

The Samaritans

Telephone: 116 123 (24 hours, 365 days a year)

Provide confidential emotional support for people who are experiencing feelings of distress.

Rethink’s National Advice Service

Telephone: 0300 5000 927 (10am to 2pm, Monday to Friday)

Provides advice and information to people with severe mental illness, their families and carers.

Useful websites

Support Line website - confidential emotional advice and support to assist people during a crisis.

NHS Choices website - Your health, your choices - information about conditions, treatments, local services and healthy lives.

_{This information was added in April 2022 and is due for review in April 2024.}