Respite care and support services

Any service user known to the provider who has a serious and enduring mental illness which has become a crisis which necessitates the service user being supported in a 24-hour environment.

Any service user who has been discharged from hospital that warrants a short stay in a step-down 24-hour facility before their discharge home.

This includes service users with a dual diagnosis.

The service is located in a number of small units with the intention that the service should be local to the service user’s home.

The service is provided by third sector organisations.

The service provides support and supervision and works in conjunction with home treatment teams and assertive outreach teams, each house being allocated for the use of the specific teams.

Home treatment/assertive outreach staff visit on most days to support the service users and to observe and receive reports from the staff.

The service operates 24 hours per day 7 days a week.

Referrals should be facilitated by the home treatment teams and assertive outreach teams (AOT). The AOT will liaise with home treatment teams before a placement has been made. The teams will provide a care plan for each service user and the providers can refuse admission to any service user who is considered too unsafe for the service given the level of staffing available.

The service does not offer an assessment service which is the responsibility of the home treatment and assertive outreach teams but will contribute to the teams’ assessment both verbally and in writing as necessary.

Staff from the unit will attend assessment, planning and review meetings as appropriate.