Single Point of Access (SPA) - Mental Health* Healthwatch Kirklees

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.

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Reviews (47)

Incompetent

February 20, 2018

I called for help when I was suicidal and was given a telephone number for psychological services which is the counselling section not the intensive home based treatment team who should be dealing with someone who is suicidal - absolutely incompetent, uncaring and dangerous... this is not a mental health support service it's a hindrance to really ill people who are trying to get help...

Anonymous

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

Firstly let me apologise for your experience of Calderdale and Kirklees Single Point of Access (CKSPA).
Whenever I reply to Service Users on this site I make my name and phone number available. This is to give people who feel unhappy with our service an opportunity to discuss it directly with a manger. Hopefully this will help me to resolve your complaint and it also helps us to improve our Service. (John Price 01924 316830).

If you phoned CKSPA feeling suicidal you should have been put through to a clinical member of staff. I apologise that this did not happen. I have spoken to our admin staff and our clinicians and reminded them of the importance of this.

My hope is that our priority would always be to place the service user or member of public at the centre and treat them with dignity and respect. Again if that has not been your experience I apologise sincerely. I am happy to speak to you further if that would be helpful. Please see my phone number above.

Terrible

October 25, 2017

After been assessed 15th August I'm still waiting to see someone 2 months later when called by me or GP there having a meeting. It's fine I've been let down by every care system all my life so join the club

Lisa jennings

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

Hello Lisa
I am sorry to hear your comments. You are suggesting that you are waiting for a response from Services. Could you call me please and ask for me as soon as possible and I will give it my personal attention. Thanks. John Price SPA manager 01924 316830

Mostly helpful

October 17, 2017

Phoned a few times when been Suicidal. Normally really nice and helpful. Normally get through to female staff who are always really nice and help you make a plan even if its just to get you through the next few hours. Always been told to ring back if I need to. Once I spoke to a man who wasn't in the slightest helpful. But apart from that one bad experience I've always had positive experiences.

Anonymous

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

Thank you for your mainly positive report. I think that offering you a plan, even for the next few hours, can be really helpful, particularly when you know that you can call back if it is not working. I am really sorry that a male in the team was not as helpful. I will speak to our team and convey your experience, both the positive and the unfortunately negative. Our aim would be to provide a consistently positive response to people who call us. If you would like to discuss this further please feel free to contact me as the manager. John Price 01924 316830

Happy for you to hurt yourself

September 6, 2017

I called today in extreme distress wanting to harm myself after advice from carers support to be told there was nothing they could do I said you don't care and hung up
No one chased up despite my history of self harming and feeling suicidal they don't care and won't help

Naomi Walker

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

Naomi
I am very sorry that you have been left feeling so upset about our Service. It is so important that if a person contacts our Single Point of Access they feel heard and supported. I would like to ensure that this is thoroughly investigated so that we learn from your experience. In order for it to be investigated I wonder if you could contact our Customer Services on:
0800 5872108
customer.servicesswyt@nhs.net
John Price
Manager Calderdale and Kirklees Single Point of Access

Waiting over 60 minutes for a response

July 25, 2017

I am a professional wanting to make a referral to the crisis team and needed immediate support with an issue, I was on hold for over an hour and could not get through! Terrible service!

victoria WElls

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

Dear Victoria
I am sorry to hear about your experience of waiting for a call to be answered. Whilst we are a very busy service I accept that such a wait is far too long and indeed unacceptable. As a result of your comment I have made contact with our Telecoms manager to look at possibilities of managing this more effectively. I wonder if you could call me so that we can discuss this further and apologise personally to you. If I am not available please leave a number on which to contact you. - John Price.

Good

July 7, 2017

Having had terrible, bad, and good experiences in the spa team in the past, and reluctantly calling again tonight which I promised myself I would never do. I have just spoke to a nurse. What can I say apart from a breath of fresh air. Despite spa still under staffed (telephone ringing), He gave me reasoning to my mood. Thank God there's some new staff at this place. Thank you mhn. Despite not well, I will give credit where due in this area. Does not mean I am happy with Kirklees MH team as a whole. Please do not change, once in the area for a while.

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

Thank you for your feedback. i am pleased to hear that you have had a more positive experience this time. We continue to strive to improve the service we provide,

Terrible

May 31, 2017

Depends who you get through too. Some good staff but certainly a few bad apples, clearly in the wrong job.

Anonymous

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

I am so sorry that your experience of SPA has been so mixed. I would expect that the response to your call would be consistently supportive whichever staff answers your call and apologise for this not being your experience. I have only been made aware of 'Healthwatch Kirklees' so I am sorry that this reply is so late. I would be happy for you to contact me on the above number to discuss your concerns further. Please ask for me personally and if I am not available please leave a number that I can contact you on. - John Price 01924 316830

Single Point of Access (SPA) - Mental Health*