Assessment

An assessment is a structured conversation with one of our practitioners. We do this to find out if our service can help you.

How do I arrange my assessment?

Once you’ve been referred by your GP or sent us a form, please wait three working days so we can process the form.

Then, please call us on 0300 123 9122 between 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday to book a phone assessment.

When you call, we will ask you a few questions. Then, we’ll book your assessment at a time that works for you.

You can get someone to help you with calling us. Just make sure you’re with them when they call. As long as you tell us it’s okay, we are happy to take your details from a friend or family member.

Where do assessments happen?

We normally do assessments on the phone. So, you won’t need to travel anywhere.
Please let the booking team know if you can’t have your assessment on the phone. (For example, if you are hard of hearing.) We can arrange to do your assessment in person. If you don’t feel that you can attend without someone else being present, you can bring someone else with you.

How long will I have to wait for an assessment?

Your phone assessment will normally happen within 15 working days of us receiving your referral. You might need to wait a bit longer if you need an in-person assessment.

Do I need to do anything to prepare for my assessment?

• Make sure you are in a quiet place where you can have a private conversation with us.
• Fill out any forms or questionnaires that we send you. Send them back to us before the assessment starts. This helps us to get an idea of the problem you want help with before we start the assessment.
• Think about what you are hoping will be different by the end of therapy. Do you have any goals, or changes you want to make?

What happens during my assessment?

One of our practitioners will call you at the time we agreed with you.

First, they’ll explain a bit about the service and how it works. Then, they will ask you some questions. These are to help them, and you, understand what you are struggling with. They will explain whether Talking Therapies might help, and how. They’ll also answer any questions you want to ask about the service.

It will take about 45 minutes.

What happens after my assessment?

At the end of your assessment, the practitioner will let you know if they think Talking Therapies can help you.

If they think it can, they will explain what treatments they think would be best for you. They might only recommend one treatment. Or there might be a few options. You can discuss these together and agree what to do next.

Sometimes, the assessment will find that Talking Therapies isn’t the best service to help you. If that happens, we will talk to you about what service would be better suited to your problem.

We will send a letter to you which outlines what we spoke about in your assessment. It will include what you are struggling with, and what we think will be helpful. (We will send a copy of the letter to your GP and/or the healthcare professional who referred you.)

How soon after my assessment will I start treatment?

If your assessment finds that Talking Therapies is right for you, we try to start your treatment as soon as possible. There are short waiting lists for some types of treatment. You might need to wait a few days or weeks. However current waiting times for other options are longer than we would like and can be several months. The practitioner doing your assessment will let you know about waiting times for the treatment agreed.

If you need an appointment at a certain place or time of day, you may need to wait a bit longer for a suitable slot. We will contact you to arrange your first treatment appointment

If you are waiting for treatment and things are getting worse, please contact your GP.

If you are in crisis, you can call NHS 111, which is available 24/7. Select option 2 for urgent mental health support.