Home > Adults > Mental Health >

Sanctuary (Bristol) Mental Health Support

Checked: 15-12-2023 by Vicky Ryan Next Review: 13-12-2025

Overview

The Bristol Sanctuary (run by Second Step) is for people in serious emotional distress. It is for people aged 16 years and over, registered at surgeries within BNSSG. The Bristol Sanctuary is based in North Bristol, on the grounds of Southmead Hospital.

The Sanctuary team will work with clients to prevent and reduce psychological difficulties. They are able to offer support with needs such as emotional distress, anxiety, depression, low mood, social isolation and sleep hygiene.

While the service is not able to provide onward referrals, they are able to provide support and signposting for issues such as housing, debt, health problems, drugs and alcohol use, substance misuse, unemployment and government guidelines regarding Covid-19 if these are the underlying trigger for their current emotional distress.

The Bristol Sanctuary team are operating a bookable service for people aged 16 and over who need additional support out of hours. The staff team can offer remote or face to face sessions between 5:00pm and 11pm, 5 days per week – Thursday – Monday evenings.

The Sanctuary service is not suitable for service users in acute mental health crisis, including patients whose needs can be more appropriately met by Crisis Teams and Recovery Teams.

Referral

Patients can self-refer. Alternatively, referrals are accepted from GPs and other care providers.

Opening times: Thursday - Monday 5pm - midnight

Referrals can be made by emailing the team awpBMHSanctuary@nhs.net or calling the team on: 07709295661, letting the client know to expect a call within the timeframe requested (staff will endeavour to answer any messages or return calls when the service is next open, or within 72 hours) in order to confirm an appointment time.

The referrals will be triaged between 4pm and 5:30pm Thursday to Mondays. There will be an initial phone call with the client to carry out a brief assessment. Following this, the team will assign appointment slots for the same evening - a call will be made to the client to confirm this. If any follow up support is required, this will be discussed and arranged by the Sanctuary team directly with the client.

Details of interventions will be stored on the AWP RiO system. Further support for individuals in North Somerset can be accessed via the Safe Haven Centre in Weston Super Mare.

BNSSG-wide self and GP-referral options for acute mental health support include:

AWP 24/7 Response Service

Contact details:

For further information, or to discuss referrals, please contact the Sanctuary team on:

Tel: 07709295661 Email: awp.BMHsanctuary@nhs.net

Service Manager:

Tel: 07736291605 Email: Paul.Sargent@mungos.org

Deputy Manager:

Tel: 07718571030 Email: Helen.Trinh@mungos.org

Efforts are made to ensure the accuracy and agreement of these guidelines, including any content uploaded, referred to or linked to from the system. However, BNSSG ICB cannot guarantee this. This guidance does not override the individual responsibility of healthcare professionals to make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of the individual patient, in consultation with the patient and/or guardian or carer, in accordance with the mental capacity act, and informed by the summary of product characteristics of any drugs they are considering. Practitioners are required to perform their duties in accordance with the law and their regulators and nothing in this guidance should be interpreted in a way that would be inconsistent with compliance with those duties.

Information provided through Remedy is continually updated so please be aware any printed copies may quickly become out of date.