Single Point of Access (SPA) - Mental Health*

*If you contact the Single Point of Access after 8pm each weekday or at the weekend or on a bank holiday - please search for Intensive Home Based Treatment Team and leave a review there. Thank you. The Calderdale and Kirklees Single Point of Access team receives all referrals for mental health services in Calderdale and Kirklees. The team directs all the referrals to the most appropriate Trust services or advises the referrer of the best organisation to contact. The team screens all referrals for urgency i.e. whether they need a response within 4 hours, 24 hours or 14 days. They meet with people who have been screened to need a 4 or 24 hour response (urgent referral) face to face to assess their needs and also sees some people who need an assessment within 14 days. The single point of access team also provides a 24 hour, 7 day a week helpline for service users and can offer advice to referrers at any time. It also manages all inpatient ward beds in Kirklees and provides a gatekeeping service to assess whether people need to be admitted to hospital or can be nursed in their home environment. It does this along with its sister team, Kirklees intensive home based treatment.

Contact

01924 316830

Beckside Court
2nd Floor
286 Bradford Road
Batley
WF17 5PW

Location

Leave your Feedback


Reviews (41)

Approaching crisis but too scared to call.

November 30, 2019
I've had new symptoms of seeing people/animals that aren't there, thinking weird things and occasionally hearing a voice. I know I should speak to someone, but I've had such bad experiences with the SPA team.

Once after speaking to police about a case against my childhood abuser, I felt so desperately suicidal that I called SPA and the guy said "thousands of people have these thoughts every day and we can't do anything about it"

Some lady said "look, you're always going to have problems with anxiety"

I've very rarely encountered a decent human on these phone lines, although there are some nice employees in the trust in general.

I don't like being unwell and I'm scared of getting worse over time, however if I call and encounter a dehumanising and unsympathetic person (more often than not) then it will make me worse acutely and it's not worth the risk.
Anonymous

Reply from Single Point of Access (SPA) - Mental Health*

I am sorry to hear about your experiences with SPA. if you would like to discuss your concerns further please give SPA a ring on 01924 316830 and ask for Cate.


Provider responded

Unhelpful and made assumptions

November 20, 2019
Basically made me feel like I was just being dramatic
Anonymous

Reply from Single Point of Access (SPA) - Mental Health*

Dear Service user, may I apologise that your experience of the Single Point of Access was unhelpful and made assumptions.
If you would like to discuss this further I would be very happy to speak with you as it is so important that you are not left feeling like that. I do access calls to try to both monitor and improve the service. I am the manager of the Single Point of Access - John Price and I would be very happy to speak to you my number is: 01924 316830. If I am not available please leave a message and I will contact you. Once again apologies.


Provider responded

Rude and unhelpful

August 2, 2019
Received a call regarding my mentally ill Son. After finishing the call I remembered I had not given them his new phone number. Rang back to ask to speak to her again, to be told 'she won't be speaking to you, why would she!!!' Absolutely disgusting service.
Nichola

Reply from Single Point of Access (SPA) - Mental Health*

I am sorry to hear about your contact with the service. if you would like to discuss your concerns with me, please ring SPA on 01924 316830 and ask for Cate


Provider responded

Surprised I’m not dead

April 26, 2019
I’ve called so many times for help, I’ve lost count. My GP referred me twice, both times they refused to help. It took an angry worded letter from my GP for them to finally book an information appointment with me.
That appointment was on 15th March and lasted about an hour, the lady was so rude and condescending towards me, she criticised my parenting, made out that there’s nothing wrong with my special needs son, and kept referring to my weight (yeah I know I’m fat, but my mental health is of more importance than weight management right now).
I left the place in tears after she finally said she’ll refer me for psychology and see if the psychiatrist wants to look at my medication. Seriously!? I’ve had 5 failed antidepressants, the latest is helping only with sleep.

So now here we are 6 weeks later and I’ve heard absolutely nothing. If it weren’t for my children I know for a fact I would not be here now.
Laura

Reply from Single Point of Access (SPA) - Mental Health*

I am sorry to hear about your dissatisfaction with the service. if you would like to discuss your concerns in more detail, please ring SPA on 01924 316830 and ask for Cate .


Provider responded

Not helpful at all and waste of time

March 23, 2019
I have rang these guys up many time due me feeling unwell and I have to say they not good with support. Am well annoyed the fact they are a crisis team n they can't help n I was refused by the psycatrist three time and still I am not well at all I shouldn't have be going through this it so unfair on me
Anonymous

Reply from Single Point of Access (SPA) - Mental Health*

I am sorry to hear that you continue to struggle with your mental health. if you would like to discuss you concerns please ring SPA on 01924 316830 and ask for Cate.


Provider responded

Disgusted

February 22, 2019
Ring up for help, which it took best part of 3hrs just to dial the number to be told to see my gp...and they wonder why mental health system in trouble. If they helped people at the first point of contact and put support in place or even a friendly voice on the phone it would reduce admissions, save money. This is the last place I would ring when in crisis, they make u feel like a time waster that’s over exaggerating. Disgusting
Anonymous

Reply from Single Point of Access (SPA) - Mental Health*

I am sorry to hear of your dissatisfaction with the Single Point of Access. I would be happy to meet with you and if you would find it helpful staff from Healthwatch. You could either contact me on 01924 316830 or through asking Healthwatch to make contact with me.
There can be various appropriate reasons why we might appropriately ask a person to contact their GP in the first instance, but to understand whether this was appropriate in your situation I would need to have more details. John Price Single Point of Access Manager


Provider responded

"This isn't the Samaritans"

December 30, 2018
Really dissapointed again by the Crisis Team. There really needs to be more training. To say to someone in crisis who finds it hard to speak out that this isn't the Samaritans is actually horrific. I agree it's not the Samaritans and I was told that during the gap till my psychologist returns if I was in crisis out of hours I SHOULD contact the service. I have said this before and I will say it again because something seriously needs to be done... apparently according to the crisis team there is a 'correct' and an 'incorrect' way of dealing with your own crisis!
Emma

Reply from Single Point of Access (SPA) - Mental Health*

Hello Emma
Thank you for agreeing to meet with Clare and myself to get more understanding of your disappointment with SPA. Whilst I will not got into details of our conversation here I hope that you found it helpful. As I said when we met, it really helps to speak to Service Users when they have constructive thoughts about how services can be improved. I agreed that I would acknowledge this on this site.
May I also wish you well with your on going recovery. If you feel the need to speak further please do not hesitate to contact me. Kind Regards John


Provider responded

Terrible experience

October 19, 2018
I rang after they where rude to a relative who was in a crisis with their mental health, I rang and expressed I was extremely concerned. I was greeted by a rude lady (I know her name and would like to take this further!) The way she spoke to us I am still in shock. No help, no advice, no support and no compassion!! This is the only number to ring out of hours in a crisis all I can say is wow! I hope no body else in a crisis has to experience this attitude and service I really hope they don't.
Anonymous

Reply from Single Point of Access (SPA) - Mental Health*

I am John Price the manager of the Calderdale and Kirklees Single Point of Access. Firstly let me apologise for your experience. No one who calls the Single Point of Access should be left feeling as you have felt.
You are right we are the Out of Hours services when someone is in Crisis and I would want to ensure that your experience is not repeated. To help me with this please could I ask you to contact me. In your review you write that you have the name of the person who you spoke to and if we have the time and date I can access a recording of the call and investigate this.
You could either contact me directly to speak about this. My telephone number is 01924 316830 or you could ask Healthwatch to either be involved with this on your behalf or have them involved in a meeting or you could contact our Customer Services and to ask them to deal with your complaint
By Phone: 01924 316060
By email: customer.servicesSWYT@nhs.net
by post: Customer Services
South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Block 10, Fieldhead
Ouchthorpe Lane
Wakefield
WF1 3SP

I do hope that you get back to us in the way that you feel is best for you so that we can hopefully resolve this to your satisfaction. John Price


Provider responded

Good advice given,

October 8, 2018
listened and were very supportive, helped me with advice and information and will follow on with further support
Anonymous

Reply from Single Point of Access (SPA) - Mental Health*

Thank you for taking the time to acknowledge the support that you have received from the Single Point of Access. It is very much appreciated and I hope that Services will continue to support your recovery.
Kind Regards
John Price
Manager Calderdale and Kirklees Single Point of Access.


Provider responded

Few good nurses

September 14, 2018
It depends who answer the phone, but there's a couple or few good nurses. my new Dr is a breath of fresh air to folly hall-hope he stays.
Anonymous

Reply from Single Point of Access (SPA) - Mental Health*

Thank you for your feedback. We continue to work to improve the service that is provided.


Provider responded