This information is aimed at carers of people who are being supported by our neighbourhood mental health services.

You’re a carer if you provide unpaid support to a family member, friend, neighbour or someone else who couldn’t manage without your help. They may have mental ill-health, be physically ill, frail, disabled, or autistic, have a learning disability, or dealing with drug and/or alcohol problems.

If anything is unclear, please speak to a member of staff - we’re here to help.

It may be helpful to make a note of the named worker of the person you care for, their contact details, and times they are available.

The neighbourhood mental health service is run by the NHS, voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations and other partners.

We support adults (18+). Our service includes two teams:

  1. Neighbourhood mental health team. We support people experiencing significant mental health difficulties that have a serious impact on their life, where support from their GP, talking therapies, or community services hasn’t been enough. We’ll support their mental health recovery and wider issues that may be affecting their mental health, such as housing, finances, substance use, domestic abuse, physical health and more.
  2. Specialist mental health team - formerly known as the community mental health team. We support people who have more complex and long-term mental health issues, particularly if there are significant safety concerns such as frequent crises, self-harm, or suicidal thoughts.

When the person you care for is referred into our service, we’ll work with them to decide whether the neighbourhood mental health team or the specialist mental health team is best to meet their needs. They might receive support from one or both teams and this may change over time.

View the services by borough (links below) for more information, including:

  • Contact details
  • What happens after we've received a referral
  • What the person you care for can expect from us
  • Who they may work with
  • Where they’ll be seen

These borough pages have local contact details and more information, including who we work with, what happens after we've received a referral, what the person you care for can expect from us, and where they’ll be seen:

The person you care for and their practitioner will create a personalised care plan that includes:

  • Their goals and what they want to work on
  • The support that’ll help them feel better
  • Updates as their needs change

We value your insight and with their agreement, we’ll involve you in planning their care. Where possible, you can attend meetings and speak to staff about any concerns.

If the person you care for has a disability, we’ll make reasonable adjustments to ensure our services are accessible. For example, offering longer appointments, easy read documents, visual aids, and communication tools.

If they’re blind or partially sighted, have hearing loss, reduced mobility or neurodiverse conditions, we’ll work with them to agree what support they need.

Please speak to a staff member to request any information in a different format, such as large print, audio, Braille or another language.

There’s lots of information about many mental health conditions at www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions ​​​​​​

As a carer you may be entitled to support for your own wellbeing. This might include a carer’s assessment or practical and financial support.

Visit our info for carers webpage for more information, including contact details of local authority services for carers.

The Triangle of Care

We are part of the national Triangle of Care, which promotes strong working relationships between staff, service users and unpaid carers. We hold regular meetings which you can attend.

To find out more, contact our service user and carer involvement and engagement team:

Read more about Triangle of Care on the Carers Trust website.

Get involved

We want patients and their carers to shape our services, because your views and experiences help us improve. You can get involved by:

  • Joining project groups or meetings
  • Helping with staff recruitment or training
  • Reviewing our services
  • Volunteering

Visit our involvement webpage, or contact our service user and carer involvement and engagement team to find out more:

Urgent help for a crisis

Call 111 and select mental health option 2. The service is available 24/7 for all ages and connects to your local team. Visit our helplines page for more information and other helplines.

Patient advice and liaison service (PALS)

Confidential advice and support. They can guide you through NHS services and help resolve concerns quickly. Phone: 0161 716 3083. Email: pcn-tr.pals.penninecare@nhs.net 

Comments and complaints

We welcome feedback and aim to resolve concerns quickly. Complaints won’t affect your care. Speak to a staff member or contact our Complaints Team: Address: Trust HQ, 225 Old Street, Ashton-under-Lyne OL6 7SR. Phone: 0161 716 3083. Email: pcn-tr.complaints.penninecare@nhs.net  

Become a member  
Help shape local services by becoming a member or standing for governor. You'll get updates, event invites and chances to comment on plans. Phone: 0161 716 3960. Email: pcn-tr.ftmembership.penninecare1@nhs.net