The Sanctuary is a 24-hour support service for people who are struggling to cope with anxiety, depression, panic attacks or in crisis. We offer a safe, non-clinical environment with staff who have lived experience to support the service user. The Sanctuary is based in Manchester, Salford, Trafford, Tameside, Glossop, Bolton, Wigan and Leigh.
The Sanctuary is a 24-hour support service for people who are struggling to cope with anxiety, depression, panic attacks or in crisis.
Following an initial telephone call, with professionally trained peer support staff, the person in crisis may be invited to attend The Sanctuary (overnight from 8pm-6am) for one-to-one support, relaxation and a personalised recovery plan.
We offer a safe, non-clinical environment with staff who have lived experience to support the service user.
The Sanctuary is based in Manchester, Salford, Trafford, Tameside, Glossop, Bolton, Wigan and Leigh.
The Sanctuary has been in operation since September 2013. In this time, we have provided support to 2000 people who were in a crisis.
Wider Active Support
We have worked closely with our partners in Greater Manchester Police (GMP) and the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) to assist in the diversion of people using A&E as a default.
We hope by working across Primary and Secondary care we will continue to reduce inappropriate use of A&E/ GMP staff time and, more importantly, provide appropriate care for the service user at the point of need.
As a user-led mental health charity, we are run by people with personal experience of mental health difficulties and therefore value the contribution that people with lived experience of mental health difficulties bring to our work.
At least 60% of our staff have personal experience of mental health problems.
The Sanctuary is a non-clinical model with the ethos of peer support as an intrinsic element of the model.
We are working with some of our service users in recovery to encourage them to volunteer in our services and expand peer support across crisis care.
The only thing we would have done differently would have been to launch this service earlier. Over the past few years, the feedback from our clients shows that the support they received from The Sanctuary has been invaluable in helping them to recover from their mental health difficulties. People tell us that in times of crisis they would often visit A&E departments, which would only exacerbate their symptoms and cause more problems which further delayed recovery.
Here is one person’s account of accessing The Sanctuary:
“In the past 7 years I’ve had a lot of involvement with mental health services following a series of stressful events taking place in my life, including bereavements, which I struggled to cope with. I often feel very suicidal and in the past I’ve been sectioned under the mental health act. I feel especially worse in the early hours of the morning when my mind starts to have irrational thoughts. I have had some serious suicide attempts where I’ve almost died, but I’m glad I didn’t because 95% of the time I don’t want to die”
“The Sanctuary has been a safe place where I can go when my mind goes to a dark place. If it wasn’t here for me, I would have been looking on the internet for ways to kill myself or writing suicide notes. Now, instead of writing a letter or researching suicide, I’m able to visit the Sanctuary instead. It’s here for me overnight when other services aren’t available”
“When I first visited the Sanctuary, I was struggling to take my anti-depressants even though I knew they were important part of my recovery. Whilst at the Sanctuary, the first thing the worker did was to talk to me about the medication. With his help, I was able to draw up a schedule and begin taking the medication on a regular basis which has helped lots”
“Previously, I’d had conversations with psychiatrists and medical professionals about the importance of medication, but none of them were able to convince me, like the Sanctuary worker was able to, in a compassionate way, that medication was right for me”
“Since the Sanctuary has been here, I’ve not needed to be in touch with mental health services apart from my fortnightly Community Psychiatric Nurse visits. Just knowing that the Sanctuary is there is important to me. I know the right help is there when I need it, whereas in the past I’d struggle to cope every night”
The main challenge has been embedding a different way of working with mental health crisis care. Historically people may have migrated to busy A&E departments & police staff have used Section 136 and custody suites.
Self Help have been passionate in showing that with The Sanctuary there are alternative ways of working that reduce demand on already overstretched services and also hopefully improve the patient experience. Another challenge has involved evidencing the success of the model and gaining the trust of clinical and blue light staff.
We have had some excellent testimonials and case studies from clients and staff from across other services which evidence the Sanctuary model plays a significant role in MH crisis pathways.
Feedback from an NWAS paramedic: “Without the use of The Sanctuary tonight this patient would have refused all help from the ambulance crew. Accident and Emergency was certainly not appropriate but leaving the patient alone was unfortunately not an option. An invaluable source”
Feedback from a Police Officer at GMP: “Great service received during phone call, friendly and happy to help. Same on arrival greeted with a smile and welcomed the client in. Can’t fault staff, and work they do. Great help for the Police. Keep up the good work!”
We have recently conducted a Cost Benefit Analyis, carried out by New Economy, which demonstrates value for money and a saving to the public finances as part of Payment Systems Regulator. Other providers across other geographical patches are keen to work with Self Help to explore further expansion.
Dr Judith Gellatly, University of Manchester, conducted an executive summary of The Sanctuary in September 2014.
We have a commitment to sharing information about our services with healthcare partners and stakeholders through the North West of England. Our Chief Officer, Nicky Lidbetter, chairs on the Manchester Mental Health Provider Engagement Group, which includes representatives from 30 organisations across Greater Manchester.
She also sits on a range of strategic, national and regional boards including the Systems Resilience Strategic meetings and the Police and Crime Commissioner led Strategic Mental Health Partnership board.
