Our Assessment Process

Have you already made a referral to us ?

• If not, you can refer here  Refer Yourself

 

If you have already made a referral

• If you’ve already made a referral to us, we will review the information you have given us, to check we are the right service to offer you an assessment. We will then be in contact.

   

A video about our assessment process

• What to expect from a Talking Therapies Assessment

   

What is the purpose of the assessment? 

• It is important for us to complete an assessment to find out what your difficulties are, what you need help with and what we might be able to suggest as a helpful next step. This might be something from our service or might be something from the wider mental health system.

 

• This is a collaborative assessment, we want to hear your voice, what you think, what you need help with. To support you with this we will ask you a set of planned questions. This will help us build a picture of what is going on for you.

 

• The assessment will last about 45-60 minutes. After the assessment the clinician will consult with a supervisor about options to meet your needs. Your assessor will agree at the end of your appointment whether to offer you a follow up telephone call or to send you a letter to confirm your treatment plan. Waiting times for treatments will be explained at this point and are available on our website (link to waiting times).

 

• The assessment is a stand-alone appointment to gather information and there may be a wait for support afterwards.

 

How do I book my assessment?

• If you’ve already made a referral to us, we will review the information you have given us, to check we are the right service to offer you an assessment. We will then be in contact.

 

• If you haven’t yet booked your assessment, and you have given us permission to send text messages, you will receive a booking link by text message.

 

• When you click on the booking link you will be taken to a page where you can choose and book your assessment.

 

• When choosing your telephone assessment appointment please make sure that you book your appointment for a convenient time when you can make yourself available for the full 45-60 minutes, that you will be in a private space where you can talk openly and that you have good phone signal.

 

• This call may come from an unknown, withheld or 0300 number. Please ensure your phone will accept a withheld number.

 

• We encourage you to think about how you will take care of yourself after the call and think about who you might want to speak with after.

 

Confidentiality

• Confidentiality will be discussed with you at the beginning of your assessment. Please ask your assessor any questions you may have about this.

 

How can I prepare for my Assessment?

• It is not unusual to feel nervous before your assessment. You will be talking about difficult things, and it can be an emotional appointment. Many people tell us that afterwards they feel a sense of relief from talking about what is happening. We hope you’ll feel positive and hopeful about moving forward.

 

• We know people often have a lot going on, so before your appointment it can help to think about what you want to say. What is the main problem that has led you to seek help and how this is impacting on your life. You may want to write this down in advance. Some people can find it helpful to talk to someone they trust to help them consider the most important things to share.

 

• This is an assessment, we are seeking the headlines, what are the most important things for you to share to help us understand your difficulties.

 

• It can also help to have a quiet, safe and private space so you can talk freely.

 

• Two days before the assessment we will send you an email with a link to questionnaires. Please keep an eye on your junk mail or spam folder, it will come from Webforms. It is important you complete these at least two hours before the assessment. Doing them in advance will mean there is more time for conversation in the assessment. There are no right or wrong answers, please pick the options which best fit how much the symptoms have bothered you in the last two weeks. If you have any queries please ask the clinician in the assessment.

 

Goals

• During your assessment you will be asked to identify what you are hoping to achieve, your hopes and expectations are from accessing our support. To help with this please consider in advance how you will know you are feeling better, what would change.

 

• It can help to think about how you want things to be rather than what you don’t want them to be.

 

• This is important as it helps to match what you want to achieve with what is available within and outside of the service.

 

What happens after the assessment?

• Talking about your difficulties can be tiring. It is important to look after yourself after your assessment. You might want to go for a walk, have a cup of tea and take some time before stepping back into your usual routine.

 

• We will be in contact by phone or letter after the assessment to explain the next steps.