New out-of-hours support for mental health launched at Rochdale Infirmary

The Safe Haven, an out-of-hours mental health support system, was launched at Rochdale Infirmary on Wednesday 9 October.

Run by Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust, the Safe Haven aims to ensure people quickly and easily receive the right support, in the right setting, from trained mental health professionals. 

The Safe Haven provides out of hours mental health support (from 5pm to 8am), to people aged over 18 years who are experiencing a mental health crisis, providing a comfortable environment where staff can take the time to speak to each patient about the issues they’re experiencing and understand what support could best meet their needs then refer or signpost them to other support.

Patients can be transferred to the Safe Haven if you attend the Rochdale Urgent Care Centre, or the accident and emergency department at Fairfield General Hospital in Bury. If you're an existing patient, you can also be referred by your care co-ordinator.

Previously, there was limited support available for those experiencing a mental health crisis out-of-hours. Depending on a patent's needs, they would either need to be admitted to a ward, or discharged home with a referral (or signposting) to an appropriate mental health service. Sometimes neither of these options was appropriate.

Now those in need can go to the Safe Haven, meaning they can more quickly and easily receive the right support, in the right place, from the right professional.

This will help to improve patients overall experience, reduce the likelihood of problems becoming worse, increase chances of making a full recovery, and reduce pressure on hospital and urgent care services.

Speaking about the new Safe Haven, Sian Wimbury, deputy managing director of mental health at Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust, said: “It’s wonderful to see the development of this service and the difference this Safe Haven makes to the local community. For someone experiencing a mental health crisis it’s so important to have somewhere safe, calm and comfortable to sit so they can take their time and share their feelings. We’re hopeful that this will help people access the support they need when they need it.”

Steve Taylor, chief officer for Bury & Rochdale care organisation and One Rochdale Health & Care, said: “When someone attends their local A&E or urgent care centre in crisis, they need the right support to help them. By working together as a system we’ve been able to develop a service that makes sure people can access help quickly and close to their home. There is clearly significant demand for a service like this and we know that effective immediate help can make a great difference to people’s recovery.”

The Safe Haven was developed by Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust in collaboration with One Rochdale Health & Care (an alliance of local health, social care and voluntary organisations) and HMR Clinical Commissioning Group and with funding from the Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership.

It’s part of ongoing work to transform mental health services for people in Rochdale and Greater Manchester alongside the second Safe Haven opened in Oldham.

What you'll find at the Safe Haven

The Safe Haven is a newly refurbished space, equipped with comfortable seating and refreshments. It's run by a team of qualified and experienced mental health nurses and support workers.

The team will spend time talking to you about the issues you're experiencing and what support will best meet your needs, before referring or signposting you to the most appropriate service.

Info for carers

If you care for someone who has a mental health problem or who may need to use this service, then Safe Haven has created a booklet for you with more information. This covers how care is delivered, how you (as carers) are included and how they will work with you.

Download