Richmond Fellowship launches new crisis services in Leicestershire

Richmond Fellowship and Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (LPT) are pleased to announce new services for people in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland who are experiencing a mental health crisis.

A telephone helpline, 0808 800 3302, offers support with urgent mental health needs. It is free from most mobile networks and is open between 2pm and 1.30am, seven days a week.

A face-to-face service has also been set up. These are delivered in three locations. No appointments are necessary for the Leicester City sessions, which are:

• Thursday and Friday: 10am – 5pm at Apex House, Charles Street
• Saturday, Sunday & Monday: 10am – 10pm at The Centre Project, Granby Street.

An appointment-based service operates in Ratby from 8am – 8pm, seven days a week.

Dr Mohammed Al-Uzri, Clinical Director for Adult Mental Health and Learning Disability Services, said “These new services are part of our commitment to providing more support in the community instead of hospital. The telephone helpline and face-to-face sessions will help us provide care to those people whose needs would otherwise intensify, and possibly end in a hospital admission.

“If you know of anyone who is struggling with their mental health and would benefit from talking to someone confidentially, please share with them the details of these new services.”

These services are part of a wider programme to improve crisis services, which includes the commissioning of Box Tree Farm in Ratby, which will open at the end of February. This will provide short-term support for people who are experiencing a mental health crisis and is an alternative to hospital admission.

Richmond Fellowship locality manager Christine Lawrence said: “We’re really excited to be working with Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust to provide these new crisis services. As we’ve been working with local people over the past few months to develop the service we’ve decided to expand the support we provide. We’ll be offering more face-to-face drop-in sessions as well as the helpline and Box Tree Farm as we want to make sure the best possible support is available for people in a mental health crisis when they’re are at their most vulnerable.”