We hope this leaflet will provide you with information that you need whilst in contact with the Universal Crisis Team. If you are not sure about anything in this leaflet please ask a member of staff.
The Universal Crisis Team is a team of experienced mental health staff, which includes nurses, clinical support assistants, social workers, psychiatrists, junior doctors, psychology, peer supporters, non-medical prescribers and pharmacists. We offer assessment, home based treatment and carer support for people experiencing a mental health crisis, as an alternative to hospital admission.
The team operates 24 hours a day 7 days a week. However, the crisis team does not provide an ‘emergency’ service such as a 999 response.
Mental health crisis can mean different things to different people. Crisis causes a significant disruption to your life and your ability to function. It may be an existing problem suddenly getting much worse or the first experience of a psychiatric problem due to major life events.
Call us on NHS 111 and select the mental health option.
This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You’ll speak to a mental health professional who will listen and help you find the right support.
If you are Deaf or have communication difficulties, you can contact us in a crisis by:
Texting 07860 064 775
Using SignVideo
Contacting 18001 111 using the Relay UK app
The crisis team does not provide an emergency service such as a 999 response.
After having a telephone call with our triage team, if you are referred to the Universal Crisis Team, we will contact you as soon as possible, normally by phone to arrange a convenient appointment.
CNTW Crisis Teams work to national guidelines to identify the clinical priority and response time of a referral. This is for a patient to be seen within four hours of a referral for a very urgent case and 24 hours from referral for an urgent case.
The Universal Crisis Team will be happy to consider the following if required:
- You are able to state your choice for a male or female clinician.
- You can have your family or someone close with you during your appointment.
- We can organise an interpreter if English is not your first language.
- The time and venue of the appointment can be negotiated.
We will meet with you to complete an assessment. This is normally carried out by two experienced health care professionals who will talk with you about your current situation and how you have coped with similar situations in the past.
We will also ask you about your health, lifestyle and medication. We will then discuss options to try to resolve the crisis, a summary of this assessment will be sent to your GP.
You can have a family member, friend or carer present during the assessment to offer support. This may also help us to further understand your situation. If you are under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the assessment it may not be possible or appropriate to carry out the assessment at that time and alternative arrangements will be made.
The Trust has a series of self help guides covering a wide range of mental health conditions. Please visit www.
We will work with you to try and resolve the crisis and to identify the most appropriate support to meet your needs at this time. This could include an onward referral to another service.
If you are offered home based treatment, this will involve regular contact with the Universal Crisis Team either at home or at a more suitable venue, as well as telephone support.
When you begin home based treatment, the team will agree a treatment plan with you and your carer, family or close friends where appropriate.
The Universal Crisis Team operates 24 hours a day so you are likely to see several different clinicians during your treatment.
Staff will discuss the frequency of your visits which will be agreed in your treatment plan. This may involve:
- Intensive support managing your crisis situation.
- Helping you manage your condition.
- Offering practical support or signposting.
- Where appropriate offering support for your carers and family to relieve stress.
- Responding to the need of carers, which may include referral for assessment.
- The Universal Crisis Team will monitor and review your medication including physical health monitoring where appropriate.
If you are admitted to hospital we will try to make your stay as short as possible. You will be given information about the ward and contact details for your friends and carers.
We will start to plan and prepare for your discharge as soon as you are admitted because we recognise that people can recover more quickly if they are treated in their own home with familiar surroundings and their family and friends close by.
All people accepted for home treatment will be registered on a Care Co-ordination database. This is a system which ensures that everyone seen by the team has an assessment, a plan of care and a regular review of that plan. You will be given a copy of your plan of care.
There may be instances when you or others are deemed to be at risk, making it necessary to share this information with other professionals.
All crisis teams are aware of ‘Commonsense Confidentiality’ to guide them about dealing with the concerns expressed by relatives or carers. There is further information in the Carer Promise leaflet. Please ask a member of staff if you would like a copy of this booklet.
Before discharge from the Crisis Team a plan will have been discussed with you regarding any referrals or follow up care that is appropriate for your needs.
A copy of your assessment and discharge summary will be sent to your GP.
Yes. We will discuss options with you and arrange for this to happen either from another Psychiatrist in our team or by asking an appropriate external team.
You can apply to see your records by contacting Disclosures team and asking for an application form. You can telephone: 0191 246 6896 or email disclosures
Please speak to a member of the team if you need interpreting services at appointments with you and your family/carer. This might be:
- Face-to-Face in any given spoken language
- Spoken Video Remote Interpreting
- Face-to-Face British Sign Language (BSL)
- Non-spoken Video Remote Interpreting
- Telephone Interpreting Service
- InterpretersLive (Deaf BSL)
An advocate is somebody who can work with you to help you have your say about things.
If you’d like more information about advocates please ask a member of the team.
Where appropriate, relatives and carers are often part of the initial assessment and are often involved in the following home treatment sessions.
We will put you in touch with local carers support networks and offer a Carers Assessments on request. These are all important to the work of the crisis team.
Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust has a Carer Promise. Please ask a member of staff if you or your carer would like a copy of this booklet.
Trust staff carry devices that can monitor and record abusive behaviour. They can alert and receive support from emergency services and the recordings may be used in court proceedings.
You are able to access the team 24 hours a day to discuss your care.
| Use this space to write down any questions |
This plan will be reviewed regularly during home based treatment.
Before discharge from the Universal Crisis Team a plan will have been discussed with you regarding any referrals or follow up care that is appropriate for your needs.
A copy of your assessment and discharge summary will be sent to your GP.
If you want to make a comment, suggestion, compliment or complaint you can:
- talk to the people directly involved in your care
- ask a member of staff for a feedback form, or complete a form on the Trust website www.cntw.nhs.uk/contact/complaints/
- telephone the Complaints Department Tel: 0191 245 6672
- email complaints@cntw.nhs.uk
We are always looking at ways to improve services. Your feedback allows us to monitor the quality of our services and act upon issues that you bring to our attention.
You can provide feedback in the following ways:
- the quickest way for you to do this is to complete our short online survey at www.
- complete a Your Voice survey, available on wards, reception areas or from staff
- other options for sharing your feedback and experience www.
Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)
PALS provide confidential advice and support, helping you to sort out any concerns that you may have about any aspect of your or your loved ones care.
We act independently when handling patient and family concerns, liaising with staff, managers and, where appropriate, relevant organisations, to negotiate prompt solutions. If necessary, we can also refer patients and families to specific local or national-based support agencies.
PALS
Tel: 0800 032 0202
Email: pals
Post: FREEPOST PALS
South of Tyne
Tel: 0800 328 4397
Text: 07825 061 035
Email: pals@
Post: Patient Advice and Liaison Service, Garden Lodge, Hopewood Park, Ryhope, Sunderland, SR2 0NB
9.00 am – 4.30 pm, Monday to Friday
An answerphone is available at all times for you to leave a message. A member of the PALS team will aim to return your call as soon as possible.
North East NHS Independent Complaints Advocacy
The Executive Centre, Aidan House, Sunderland Road, Gateshead, NE8 3HU
Telephone: 0808 802 3000
North East NHS Independent Complaints Advocacy (ICA) provide help and support to people living in North Tyneside who want to formally complain about the NHS.
Healthwatch Northumberland
Adapt (NE), Burn Lane, Hexham, Northumberland, NE46 3HN
Telephone: 03332 408 468
Text: 07413 385 275
Email: info
Healthwatch are here to make sure your views on health and social care in Northumberland are heard. Please get in touch with your experiences of GPs, hospitals, dentists, care homes or any other healthcare service in the county.
Healthwatch North Tyneside
16, The Forum, 2nd Floor, Customer First Centre Spirit of North Tyneside Wing, Wallsend, NE28 8JR
Telephone: 0191 263 5321
Email: info
Healthwatch here to make sure your views on health and social care services in North Tyneside are heard. They work with users of local NHS and social care services to hear about your experiences, identify any issues or problems and help bring improvements.
Local
Carers Centres
North Tyneside Telephone: 0191 249 6480
Northumberland Telephone: 01670 320 025
North East Council on Addictions (NECA) Telephone: 0191 414 6446
National
MIND Infoline Telephone 0300 123 3393 9am – 6pm, Monday to Friday
No Panic Helpline: 0300 772 9844 10am – 10pm every day
Rethink’s Advice and Information Service Telephone: 0808 801 0525 9.30am – 4pm Monday to Friday
The Samaritans Telephone: 116 123, 24 hours everyday
Saneline Crisis Line Telephone: 0300 304 7000 4pm – 10pm everyday
Alzheimer's Society Helpline: 0333 150 3456 Mon-Wed 9am – 8pm, Thur-Fri 9am – 5pm, Sat-Sun 10am – 4pm
Dementia UK helpline Telephone: 0800 888 6678 Monday to Friday: 9am – 9pm Saturday to Sunday: 9am – 5pm
Childline Telephone: 0800 1111
Support Line - www.
Confidential emotional advice and support to assist people during a crisis.
The NHS website - www.
Information about conditions, treatments, local services and healthy lives.
Universal Crisis Team – Northumberland and North Tyneside
St George’s Park
Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 2NU
Tel: 0303 123 1146 or NHS 111 and select the mental health option
This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You’ll speak to a mental health professional who will listen and help you find the right support.
If you are Deaf or have communication difficulties, you can contact us in a crisis by:
Texting 07860 064 775
Using SignVideo
Contacting 18001 111 using the Relay UK app
The crisis team does not provide an emergency service such as a 999 response.
Use the space below to write down your useful numbers,
Further information about the content, reference sources or production of this leaflet can be obtained from the Patient Information Centre. If you would like to tell us what you think about this leaflet please get in touch.
This information can be made available in a range of formats on request (eg Braille, audio, larger print, easy read, BSL or other languages). Please contact the Patient Information Centre Telephone: 0191 246 7288
Published by the Patient Information Centre
2025 Copyright, Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust
Ref, PIC/412/0325 March 2025 V12
Telephone: 0191 246 7288
Review date 2026