An Emergency Duty Team is available to help deal with crises in peoples' care or with any welfare emergency involving adults, children and families that occurs outside normal office hours. Normal office hours are 8:30 am to 5:00 pm Monday to Thursday and 8:30 am to 4:30 pm on Friday.

Should you, the person you are caring for, your family or neighbours have immediate difficulties with personal care or if you have concerns about a child or adult being at risk of harm outside normal office hours, please telephone (01454) 615165. 

The Emergency Duty Team cannot deal with non-urgent enquiries or act as a message service for ‘daytime’ Social & Housing Services.

Non-urgent (non-emergency) enquiries should be made during normal office hours to the following:

Adult Services (01225) 396201 or (01225) 396231

Children & Families Services (01225) 396313 or (01225) 396314

Housing Services (01225) 396296

Minicom: (01454 618966

If English is not your first language, the Emergency Duty Team will arrange for an interpreter so you can tell them about  your concerns.

What sort of Problems?

• Difficulties with children and young people
• Concern about a child outside your family
• Acute mental health problems
• Older people at risk
• Concerns about a person with a disability
• Emergency housing advice

  If you have financial difficulties, we are unlikely to be able to help directly, but may be able to put you in touch with the Department for Work and Pensions Out of Hours service. Tel: 0762 695 6442

  Who can phone us?

  Anyone can phone us; individuals or their families, friends, or carers, and staff working for statutory or voluntary agencies

  Who will answer the phone?

  An experienced social worker who is confident in dealing with crisis situations.  There is always at least one person in the office, but because we have three phone lines they may be busy with another call when you telephone.  Please leave a message on the answerphone and you will be contacted as soon as possible.

  What happens next?

  It's hard to think straight when there is a crisis, and many callers can be helped by advice given over the phone.  If you already have a social worker, we may be able to offer advice to help you until you can make new plans with your social worker, and we will send them a message to let them know what has happened.   

  If you do not have a social worker, we can refer you to your local daytime social work team if this would help your situation.

  Because we have only one or two staff available to visit across the whole area out of hours, we try to sort things out over the phone if possible.  If a visit is necessary, we will do our best to offer this service, wherever you live within the four Authorities.

  If your problem is urgent and we cannot visit because we are busy elsewhere, we will advise you how to obtain immediate help.  We always work very closely with other agencies such as  the police, health care professionals and voluntary organisations to provide the best possible service.