Living Well Network Alliance – changing adult mental health services

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A new service model for adult community mental health services has been put in place by the Living Well Network Alliance – the organisations in Lambeth working together to improve mental health services.

Three new Living Well Centres have been developed. The centres will be staffed by mental health nurses, occupational therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, voluntary sector staff, social workers and people with lived experience (peer supporters).  Each centre will consist of a Short Term Support Service, and an Integrated Focused Support Service (medium to long term care for people with complex needs). In order to get the right help at the right time, there is a Single Point of Access and a Crisis Outreach Service (COS).

For Lambeth residents who are not known to mental health services, there is a new way of accessing working-age adult mental health services: a Single Point of Access (SPA) service.  The service accepts introductions or referrals from people themselves, as well as carers, family, GPs and other professionals involved in the individual’s life.

To get help from Lambeth SPA you can:

  • download theSPA introduction referral form, fill it out and email to lambethspa@slam.nhs.uk
  • ask a friend or family member to contact us on your behalf
  • visit your GP and ask them to contact us on your behalf
  • call us on 0800 090 2456(Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm)

The Short Term Support Service will provide primary and secondary care short-term interventions. This new service will replace the Living Well Network Hub and SLaM Assessment and Liaison Services. The focus will be on short term support, with people expected to be seen for up to 12 weeks.

The Crisis Outreach Service is a team of mental health professionals who can assess people experiencing a mental health crisis within 4 or 24 hours. The response time will be depending on the nature of the person’s crisis and agreed with the individual or, for example, a carer or family member if appropriate.

The Evening Sanctuary service (a peer-led crisis service) has had its opening hours extended to 8pm- 2am, 7 days a week. This Sanctuary will work alongside the Crisis Outreach Service and the Home Treatment Team. The Sanctuary can be accessed via GP or SPA referral.

The Focused Support Service offer is for people who need medium to long term support. This will replace the diagnostic specific community mental health teams in October.

The changes happened in two phases:

  • Phase One: Monday 2 September 2019 – the Single Point of Access, Short Term Support Service, and Crisis Outreach Service became operational
  • Phase Two: October – the Focused Support offer became operational
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