I am sending this request under the Freedom of Information Act to ask for the following information.
1. What date did your mental health crisis helpline become operational? Please give a date for both the adult crisis line and crisis line for children and young people if separate.
2. How many calls did you receive to your mental health crisis line in the following financial years. If separate, please break down the figures for each year by calls to an adult crisis line and calls to a crisis line for children and young people.
a. 2019/20
b. 2020/21
c. 2021/22
3. How many calls to your mental health crisis line were abandoned in the following financial years. If separate, please break down the figures for each year by calls to an adult crisis line and calls to a crisis line for children and young people.
a. 2019/20
b. 2020/21
c. 2021/22
4. In seconds, what was the average time taken to answer calls to your mental health crisis line in the following financial years. If separate, please break down the figures for each year by calls to an adult crisis line and calls to a crisis line for children and young people.
a. 2019/20
b. 2020/21
c. 2021/22
5. In seconds, what was the maximum time taken to answer a call to your mental health crisis line in the following financial years. If separate, please break down the figures for each year by calls to an adult crisis line and calls to a crisis line for children and young people.
a. 2019/20
b. 2020/21
c. 2021/22
If the following questions cannot be answered within the 18 hour time limit, please answer only questions 1 to 5.
6. How many crisis line call handlers were in post on 1 April 2022, across both adult and child/young people helplines? If data for 1 April 2022 is not available, please provide figures correct at the time of responding to this request..
7. How many of those in question 6 were qualified mental health professionals? For example, they might have a Registered Mental Health Nurse Diploma or degree or relevant professional qualification.
Freedom of Information Request – Ref: FOI 259
Thank you for your recent Freedom of Information request. Please find our response below.
1, What date did your mental health crisis helpline become operational? Please give a date for both the adult crisis line and crisis line for children and young people if separate.
Crisis ‘helpline’ i.e. the 0800 open access crisis service has been operational since approx. 2015 open to ages 11 and up. From June 2020 following a national directive from NHSE it became all age.
2. How many calls did you receive to your mental health crisis line in the following financial years. If separate, please break down the figures for each year by calls to an adult crisis line and calls to a crisis line for children and young people.
a. 2019/20
b. 2020/21
c. 2021/22
Financial Year Total Callers
2019/20 19897
2020/21 27648
2021/22 19879
6. How many crisis line call handlers were in post on 1 April 2022, across both adult and child/young people helplines? If data for 1 April 2022 is not available, please provide figures correct at the time of responding to this request..
As from 1st April there were 60 substantive staff across the Crisis Teams and First Point of Contact Centre who are able to respond to calls as part of their job role. We do not have separate call handler function as any staff member can answer the calls.
7. How many of those in question 6 were qualified mental health professionals? For example, they might have a Registered Mental Health Nurse Diploma or degree or relevant professional qualification.
47 of these staff were qualified mental health professionals.
