South Kensington & Chelsea Home Treatment Rapid Response Team helps avoid admission to a mental health inpatient ward by providing intensive support to people in acute mental crisis in their homes.
The team includes a rapid response service (to respond to emergency and urgent referrals) 24-hours a day. Emergency and urgent referrals should be made through the Single Point of Access which is open 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. All patients are provided with a crisis card with details of who to call in an emergency.
The team provides support for people who:
- Are over the age of 18.
- Are a resident of Kensington & Chelsea or registered with a K&C general practitioner (GP).
- Are in an acute phase of serious mental illness, or are suspected to have an acute mental illness. This may include service users who have a dual diagnosis, such as a learning disability or substance misuse.
- Are suffering a relapse of a long term mental illness.
- Are vulnerable or at risk of harm to themselves or others, who cannot be safely supported in a community setting without an intensive level of support, care and treatment.
The team is unable to support people who:
- Are under the age of 18.
- Are not in an acute phase of a serious mental illness.
- Could not be safely treated within a community or residential setting, due to risks posed by the environment or individual.
- Have a primary diagnosis of alcohol or other substance misuse, or a learning disability, or a physical problem, without a mental health problem.
- Have a primary organic diagnosis at any age, such as dementia.
- Are in crisis that is social in nature, and where there is no current evidence of acute mental disorder.
- Cannot be safely managed in the community, such as those at risk of offending.
The team accepts referrals from other secondary mental health services, which include:
- Single Point of Access
- Community mental health teams
- Early intervention teams
- Assertive outreach teams
- Psychiatric liaison services
- Acute inpatient wards (to facilitate early discharge)
- Any other secondary specialist teams
- Other (out of area) hospitals where a CNWL service user has been assessed to need home treatment
The team is unable to accept referrals from:
- GPs – who should refer to the Single Point of Access
- Hostels and other non-statutory services, such as supported houses or day centres, which should use the GP referral pathways as above
- Police: section 136 presentations will be assessed as per local agreement.
The team is operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Bus: 14, 211, 345, 414
Train: Overground
Tube: District, Jubilee, Victoria and Piccadilly lines
