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Single Point of Access (SPA) Wakefield
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About the service
The Single Point of Access (SPA) team in Wakefield acts a streamlined point of contact for all secondary mental health referrals in the area.
Acting as the sole point of contact for referrers the team are able to signpost service users accurately to the correct service in a timely and effective manner.
This helps to avoid multiple referrals and clears up any uncertainty surrounding an individual’s fulfilment of referral criteria.
Why would someone choose the service?
The Single Point of Access team provides a smooth and efficient entry into the Trust’s Wakefield services. We help to triage service users to the most appropriate service and make the process as smooth as possible.
Our team of experienced clinicians provide advice and information to the professionals who contact us, providing reassurance and support throughout the entire referral process.
Staff you may meet
- Administrative staff provide essential support to doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals. This can be in a variety of different settings, with administrators working as a receptionist in a clinic or a clerk on a ward. They may also be working closely with a consultant as a medical secretary.
- Dietitians use the science of food to help people to make good choices about food and lifestyle. Nutrition is an important part of recovery and wellbeing. All service users admitted to a Trust ward have their nutritional state assessed.
- There are more than 60 different specialities that doctors work within the NHS. Each is unique but there are many characteristics which are common. Roles range from working in a hospital to being based in the community as a GP.
- There are many people who work behind the scenes to keep services running and you may meet them in hospital or community settings. They include porters, cleaners, plumbers, electricians, decorators receptionists and secretaries who all work to make sure healthcare settings are kept clean, tidy and safe.
- Nurses who choose to specialise in the mental health branch of nursing work with GPs, psychiatrists, psychologists, and others, to help care for patients. Increasingly, care is given in the community, with mental health nurses visiting patients and their families at home, in residential centres, in prisons or in specialist clinics or units.
- Nursing or healthcare assistants work in hospital or community settings under the guidance of a qualified healthcare professional. They help doctors, nurses and therapists give people the care and treatment they need.
- Occupational therapy is the assessment and treatment of physical and psychiatric conditions using specific, purposeful activity to prevent disability and promote independent function in all aspects of daily life.
- The NHS employs a wide range of clinical staff, it wouldn’t be possible to list them all on this website! All our clinical staff are skilled, dedicated professionals who adhere to high standards of training and work-place practice.
- Physiotherapists help people to improve their range of movement in order to promote health and well being. This can help people to live more independently.
- Adult psychotherapists work with people to assess and treat a range of emotional, social or mental health issues. They help people tackle problems such as behavioural issues, common challenges such as anxiety and depression or more complex or severe issues, such as psychosis or a personality disorder diagnosis.
- Receptionists are the first link for many patients and visitors. They often work on their own or with one or two other receptionists, greeting patients as they arrive and check them in. They might also collect patient notes and ensure that these vital records go to the right healthcare professional. In a clinic, they may make appointments and arrange patient transport.
- Social workers help, support and protect people who are facing difficulties in their lives. They help people to take positive steps to overcome problems and improve their lives. This could involve assessing and reviewing a service user’s situation, building relationships with service users and their families and agreeing what practical support someone needs.
- We have a range of specialist advisors working in our Trust – they give advice on a wide range of different things, depending on what service they work in. So it could be, for example, mental health, stopping smoking, healthy eating or diabetes.
- Therapy is a broad term and can range from occupational therapists to behavioural therapists. Our therapists are trained in their specialist area and type of therapy to make sure we can offer the very best care.
- On a ward you will see many different members of staff, not all of them are clinical staff! Non-clinical staff include housekeepers and administrators. Ward housekeepers work with other staff to make sure everywhere is clean and tidy and that you have good food. Administrators have clerical and admin roles, like keeping patient notes filed safely, and they can often help you with general enquiries. If you’re not sure who anybody is please ask them to explain.
Why a professional should choose the service
By adhering to a standardised referral process we are able to aid services in meeting their CQUIN targets for the speed of referrals. All urgent assessments are undertaken within the relevant four or twenty-four hour period as specified.
Our streamlined service provides a more efficient process and allows us to focus solely on the needs of service users.
Support offered
The team offer a triage service to individuals accessing mental health services in Wakefield. We refer individuals on to the relevant service and offer support and advice to them throughout the referral process. We also offer advice to referrers who need guidance on whether a service user is eligible for referral and signpost to out-of-area services where appropriate.
Outcomes
The Single Point of Access team provides a clear, consistent and accessible route of referral for service users accessing Trust services in Wakefield. By offering a standardised referral process, the team is able to ensure a high quality and efficient transition between services. Our strong relationship with referrers enables a timely referral process where service users are sent to the most appropriate service as soon as possible.
Referrals accepted from:
AHPs, Consultants, Courts, GPs, Health visitors, Hospital staff, Local authority staff, Midwives, Other NHS services, Other Trust services, Police, Schools, Youth Offending Team
Referrals also accepted from:
Referrals also accepted from CAMHS.
Referral criteria:
The Single Point of Access team has specific eligibility criteria for services users to fulfil before referral to secondary services. Service users requiring assessment from the Trust’s secondary mental health services are referred on by the team and would need to meet individual eligibility criteria from the service they were initially triaged to.