HELPLINE HEROES Find out more about the team behind the 24/7 urgent mental health helpline.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought with it numerous challenges across all walks of life. At CWP, one of the main challenges was responding to an increase in demand for urgent mental health support. As a result, earlier this year CWP launched a new all-age urgent mental health helpline for all people who live in Cheshire West and Chester, Cheshire East and Wirral. It is run by local staff who are best placed to support those calling in, accessing the support they need as efficiently and safely as possible. The helpline is part of the NHS Long Term Plan to improve access to mental health support. Originally due to go live next year, it has been fast-tracked to be available to support local people during the COVID-19 pandemic. Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the phone line is available to people of all ages, including children. If you require urgent mental health support please call 0800 145 6485. As of August 2020 the helpline had supported nearly 18,000 callers in accessing the urgent help that they needed. CWP crisis line manager, Todd Jones, is full of praise for colleagues involved in the service. He says, “The service had to be pulled together at short notice as demand for this service became clear. Originally, we were scheduled to be launching a 24/7 crisis service in 2021 but the COVID-19 pandemic brought the funding
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forward with urgency. Despite the quick turnaround, we were still able to put together a really wide-reaching service, encompassing our entire footprint and providing pathways into many of our specialist mental health and children and young people services. “It is testament to the incredible dedication and hard work of those working behind the scenes at the Trust. "However, I would also like to pay tribute to the numerous members of staff who were redeployed to help take the calls for the helpline.
"It is testament to the incredible dedication and hard work of those working behind the scenes at the Trust."
"Providing support to those requiring urgent mental health help can be a challenging undertaking and I’ve been hugely impressed by the efforts of those who have joined us and experienced how rewarding providing such support is.” Over the page, meet some of the helpline heroes who have been helping out with the service in its initial phase.