Mental Health Social Work Team at Newcastle City Council

The Mental Health Social Work Team is part of Newcastle Adult Services. They help adults with a mental health diagnosis who are open to secondary care (for example, people who have a community psychiatrist) and their carers. They can:

• arrange assessments of need under the Care Act for adults with a mental health diagnosis and their carers
• plan support with adults and carers with eligible needs
• signpost adults and carers who do not have eligible needs to other services
• monitor whether support has been implemented for the people as directed
• work with other professionals who have been asked to support you
• work to safeguard adults with a mental health diagnosis
• promote the rights of people with mental disorder

The team has a statutory (legal) duty to assess people who are acutely unwell, for assessment under the Mental Health Act (MHA). This team is made up of specially trained social workers called Approved Mental Health Professionals ( AMHPs).

If you are a relative of someone requiring an urgent assessment you should, in the first instance, tell the person’s GP or Community Mental Health Team. You may have rights as the person’s ‘Nearest Relative’ to request that an assessment under the MHA be considered by an AMHP. Call them for advice.