Community Mental Health Teams

Personnel from Social Services and the Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board who provide confidential advice, assistance and counselling for adults. Advice and assessment to access mental health services

Swansea West - 01792 517800
Swansea Central - 01792 517853
Swansea North - 01792 841435

Mental Health Services

Swansea Social Services works in partnership with the Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board, the  voluntary sector, service user groups and carer groups in Swansea to provide a network of services for people with mental health problems, their families and carers.

These services are intended to help people with mental health problems receive effective treatment, care and support so that they can live as fulfilled and independent a life as possible. Access to many of these services - such as the ones listed below - is provided through the Community Mental Health Teams.

Community Mental Health Teams

Community Mental Health Teams are made up of staff from both Social Services and the NHS, including community psychiatric nurses, social workers, clinical psychologists, occupational therapists and psychiatrists.

The central function of a CMHT is to provide assessment and care co-ordination for those individuals who have severe or enduring mental illness that significantly impacts on their functioning or ability to manage daily living.

However the CMHT can also provide appropriate advice and information as part of a signposting process to help individuals, carers and their families find the right place to get the care or support they need.

The CMHT provides an integrated service within the framework of the Care Programme Approach (CPA), and based upon the principles of "Recovery", to identify and assist with the support needs of those individuals, their families and carers who may be suffering from the consequences of mental illness. Priority will usually be given to those with serious mental illness, enabling them to live as fulfilled a life as possible within the community by maximising their independence.

People with mental health problems are usually put in touch with the Community Mental Health Teams by their doctor, but you can also contact the Teams directly - see overleaf for contact details of your local Team.

Assessment and Eligibility for Services

When you are first in touch with the Community Mental Health Team, we will ask you for some initial information, to find out whether we are the best people to help you.

If we are able to help you, a member of staff will carry out a more detailed assessment, to find out more about you, and what help you might need. We will see how your needs fit in with our eligibility criteria, to decide whether you will qualify for help from us. You can read more about assessment and the eligibility criteria in our factsheet Getting help from Social Services: a guide to assessment and eligibility for adults.

If you are eligible for a service, a Care Co-ordinator will then work with you in helping to arrange the necessary services and in drawing up a Care Plan.  A Care Plan is a written agreement setting out all the help and support which you need.

Services available through the Community Mental Health Teams

If you have been assessed and are eligible to receive our services, you may receive one or more of the following types of support:

• Day and drop in services
  These offer services like education, employment advice and training, leisure activities, and life skills to help you become more confident and assertive while improving your skills.
• Accommodation Services
  We can help you find a place where you can live while learning new skills, helping you to become more confident and independent, until you can move into your own accommodation, with the level of support which suits you.
• Respite Services
  These can provide a break from the place you usually live, perhaps because your carer is away, or because you need extra support for a while.
• Therapy services
  A range of services to help alleviate the effects and development of mental illness and improve your sense of wellbeing.

CMHTs also make use of the specific resources of in-patient services, Crisis Resolution Home Treatment Services and Assertive Outreach Services to help support people.

Direct Payments

In some cases, rather than offer a service directly, we can provide a Direct Payment, which is money for you to pay for support which you arrange for yourself.  Our factsheet Managing Your Care with Direct Payments gives more information on this option.

Working with carers

If you have a carer - an unpaid friend or relative who regularly looks after or supports you - we can carry out an assessment of their needs as well. You can read more in our factsheet Carers' Needs Assessments and Support for Carers of Adults.

Contact details for the Community Mental Health Teams

The Swansea area is covered by 3 teams. All offices are open:
Monday -Thursday from 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 pm
Friday from 9.00 am to 4.30 pm.

Swansea West
CMHT Area 1,
Central Clinic, Orchard Street,
Swansea SA1 5AT
Tel: 01792 517800

Swansea Central
CMHT Area 2,
Central Clinic, Orchard Street,
Swansea   SA1 5AT
Tel: 01792 517853

Swansea North
CMHT Area 3,
Clydach War Memorial Hospital, Quarr Road, Clydach,
Swansea   SA6 5DT
Tel: 01792 841435

Independent and voluntary groups

Many independent and voluntary groups in Swansea also provide information and support for people with a mental health problem. Contact details are listed below of some organisations in Swansea which might be able to help.

The Patients Council
An organisation working with in-patients.

c/o Cefn Coed Hospital
Cockett
Swansea,
SA2 0GH
Tel: 01792 516627

SNUG (Swansea Network of User Groups)
An organisation working with service users in the community.

c/o Cwmbwrla Day Centre
Heol y Gors
Cwmbwrla
Swansea
SA5 8LP
Tel: 01792 516627

Hafal
An organisation working with people with severe mental illness and their families, particularly through the Hafal Recovery Programme.

33 Mansel Street,
Swansea
SA1 5SW
Tel: 01792 466990

Mental Health Forum and Development Service
The Forum brings together local organisations working in the field of mental health and can provide information regarding the full range of organisations that might be able to offer support.

c/o SCVS Voluntary Action Centre,
7 Walter Road,
Swansea
SA1 5FN
Tel: 01792 642755

Swansea Mind Abertawe
An organisation providing a range of activities and facilities, including information, advice, leisure activities and group work.

66 St Helens Road,
Swansea
SA1 4BE
Tel: 01792 642999 / 643605

Factsheets

If you would like free copies of any of the Social Services Factsheets mentioned in this leaflet call 01792 636693 or visit www.swansea.gov.uk/socialcarepublications.

Swansea Social Services and personal information

When you are in touch with Social Services, we will keep information about you in written records and computer files. We will keep this information confidential, except where we need to share it with people providing you with care, or to protect other people.

You have a right to ask to see records we keep about you.

We can give you more information about how we handle personal information. Phone 01792 636693 for our factsheet Your Personal Information, or ask the Community Mental Health Team.

Comments and complaints

We welcome any comments about our services - good or bad. We are interested to hear how we could do things better, and we like to know when we are doing well.

If you are unhappy with the services you receive, we encourage you to make a complaint.  Full details are given in the factsheet 'Making a comment, complaint or compliment about Social Services.' For more advice or information about making a complaint, you can contact our Complaints Officers on 01792 637345.

This information is also available in alternative formats, such as large print, on audio CD, in Braille, or electronically. Please phone 01792 636693 for copies.

Factsheet: 021/April 2010/v.3