Who to contact for urgent help

The NHS urgent mental health helpline provides support or advice if you, or someone you know, is experiencing a mental health crisis and needs urgent help. Its available 24 hours a day. 
Phone: 0808 196 9127 (Free phone)

If you or someone you’re worried about is at immediate risk of injury or their life is at risk call 999.   

If you need to talk to someone Samaritans are available 24 hours a day - call 116 123 for free.  

You can also text ‘WOO’ to 85258 for crisis support any time of the day or night. 

If you are concerned about someone who may harm themselves, please see our crisis and prevention page.

Other support services available 

Now We’re Talking

The Herefordshire and Worcestershire campaign website has information, support, and resources for anyone struggling with a range of issues.  

The NHS website includes information and access to the NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire Talking Therapies which provides free confidential online, group or 1:1 support for people experiencing common mental health problems, such as worry and depression. 

You must be 16 or over and registered with a GP in Worcestershire to access this service. For more information, call 0300 013 57 27 or complete the online self-referral form.

Qwell

Qwell is an online platform that offers free, safe, and anonymous mental wellbeing support to adults (aged 19+) across Worcestershire. The Qwell professional team can also support parents and carers who have young people experiencing mental health issues such as stress, anxiety, self-harm or suicidal thoughts.

The community support options provide a safe space to share thoughts and ideas about how to cope from those in similar situations. To access the service, visit Qwell.  

To find out more about how Qwell works, watch this informational video. 

WOO text service

By texting the word ‘WOO’ to 85258, you can access a free, confidential, 24/7 service and have a text conversation with a trained volunteer. The volunteers offer real time support to people who are anxious, stressed, depressed, suicidal or overwhelmed. Some people may prefer this to speaking on the phone. If appropriate, users will be signposted to other local services

 Adult Social Care

Contact Adult Social Care if you or someone you know needs social care support.

Worcestershire Safe Haven

Safe Haven provides out-of-hours telephone and face to face support to adults (aged 18+) experiencing acute distress due to their mental health. The service is available 7 evenings a week 18:00 – 01:00 and is based in Redditch Town centre. 

People supported by Safe Haven are generally not considered at imminent risk of suicide or self-injury, or to pose an imminent risk of harm to others.

Phone: 01905 600400 for queries or to discuss a referral or visit Worcestershire Safe Haven for more information. 

Social Prescribing 

Social Prescribing is an approach that connects people to activities, groups, and services in the community and can support people experiencing issues such as loneliness and isolation, anxiety, as well as unemployment. 

Social prescribing services are provided by several different organisations in Worcestershire (which can be accessed through your GP practise), including: 

• Worcestershire Association of Carers take referrals for patients registered with a Redditch or Wythall GP Surgery
• Citizens Advice South Worcestershire take referrals for patients registered with GP surgeries in Malvern
• Onside Advocacy take referrals for patients registered with GP surgeries in Bromsgrove, Wychavon and Wyre Forest. Onside also accept self-referrals

If you would like to be referred to a Social Prescribing link worker, please contact your GP. 

Worcestershire Individual Placement and Support (IPS)

Individual Placement and Support (IPS) is part of the Employment and Reablement Pathway. The service is open to those currently receiving the Trust’s secondary mental health services and is by referral from their main mental health worker. A specialist mental health employment worker supports the individual to identify suitable vacancies, make approaches to employers and help with all stages of the application process. Within-work support is then offered. Please visit Worcestershire IPS for more information. 

Employment Retention Support

Employment Retention Service has helped individuals who have experienced mental health difficulties who are in work and struggling, or who are off sick and need support to get back to work. The service is integrated into Mental Health Community Teams where clients can access specialist employment support as part of their individual recovery.

Herefordshire and Worcestershire Wellbeing and Recovery College

Free educational courses about mental health and recovery which are designed to increase your knowledge, skills and promote self-management. 

Face to face courses are available in Worcestershire, with many other courses delivered online. Open to people with a moderate to severe mental health illness, their family and close friends, or people who work to support them. Please visit Wellbeing and Recovery College for more information. 

Men’s mental health 

• Men’s Sheds are local spaces for men to connect, make friends and enjoy activities. There are groups across Worcestershire. Please visit Men’s Sheds association to find out more. 
• Manup! is a podcast about men's mental health, aiming to get men talking about mental health more

LGBTQ+ Support

• MindOut is a mental health service run by and for lesbian, gay bisexual, trans and queer (LGBTQ) people, with lots of advice and guidance.
• LGBT+ Switchboard helpline is a national one-stop listening service staffed by LGBT+ volunteers. Phone: 0300 330 0630 (10am to 10pm daily). 
• Mindline Trans+ is a national evening helpline offering emotional and mental health support for anyone who identifies as transgender, non-binary or genderfluid. Phone: 0300 330 5468 (Mondays & Fridays 8pm-midnight)

Support Services Available for Children & Young People

Starting Well

A digital wellbeing service to support 13–25-year-olds in Worcestershire with their mental health, designed by young people, for young people. The website provides self-help information, handy toolkits, and a directory of local services. Visit Starting Well for more information. 

Kooth 

Kooth offers free online counselling and wellbeing support for young people aged 11-18. Individuals can join online peer support communities, access self-help materials, or engage in drop-in or booked one-to-one online chat sessions with experienced counsellors. 

To find out more about how Kooth works, watch this informational video. 

Worcestershire CAMHS

Worcestershire CAMHS provides support with emotional and mental wellbeing, for children, young people and their parents or carers. Their website has lots of information, resources, and short films about common problems.

YoungMinds

Support and information on services for children and young people up to 25, and their parents and carers. 

• For children and young people: Find help young minds
• For parents: Parents Mental Health Support 
• Parent's helpline: 0808 802 5544 (Monday to Friday 9.30am to 4pm. Free for mobiles and landlines)

Support for eating disorders 

People of any age or gender can develop eating disorders, and it's best to get help as soon as possible. The first place to go is your GP, who should refer you for further assessment or treatment by a specialist eating disorder service.

You can also talk to an advisor with Beat, the UK's leading eating disorder charity, and find information and resources.

Information and advice 

Rethink Mental Illness

Rethink improve the lives of people with diagnosed mental illness with expert information and successful campaigning. 

Money worries and mental health 

• Mental Health & Money Advice is a national impartial organisation that has lots of advice and information on managing money, debts and benefits, as well as a toolkit to help you understand, manage and improve your mental and financial health
• Money Helper is a government-approved online advice service, providing impartial free advice on money and debt issues
• Money Saving Expert provides specialist advice and a Mental Health & Debt guide
• For more national information, visit the national benefits and support calculator