Leaflet 1 - Who Does What

Approved Social Workers

• Social Workers specially trained in the areas of mental health and mental health law.
  
• May be involved in assessments concerning a person's need to be formally admitted to hospital for treatment, or to be subject to guardianship.
  
• Offer support, advice and information to individuals and families in matters of mental health and mental ill health.
  
• Can be contacted through Community Based Services (See Section 13 - Caring contacts).

Assessing Officers

• Do not hold a social work qualification, but their job is similar to social workers.
  
• Work in the community and hospital teams.
  
• Assess a persons needs and arrange services and equipment to meet those needs.
  
• Provide support to families and carers.
  Hospital Assessing Officers work with staff in assisting safe discharge from hospital.
  
• Can be contacted through Community Based Services (See Section 13 - Caring contacts).

Community Care Social Workers

• Manage Community Care Workers.
  
• Monitor and review packages of care where community care is the main service.
  
• Work with Social Workers, Assessing Officers, users and carers to tailor services to meet individual need.
  
• Can be contacted through Community Based Services (See Section 13 - Caring contacts).

Community Mental Health Team (CMHT)

• Offer a service for people aged 16-65 experiencing severe and enduring mental ill health (for example depression and schizophrenia)
  
• Provide support, advice for families and carers and, where appropriate, an assessment of carers' needs.
  
• Includes Community Psychiatric Nurses, Approved Social Workers, Occupational Therapists, Psychologists, Consultant Psychiatrists and Support Workers.
  
• Contact the Community Mental Health Team (See Section 13 - Caring contacts).

Community Psychiatric Nurses (CPN)

• When someone in the family has mental ill health, for example, depression, schizophrenia or dementia, CPN's offer support to the whole family (but not family therapy).
• Keep an eye on the person's well-being and arrange any specific help they may need in relation to their illness.
  
• They work with appropriate professionals, for example Social Workers, GP's and Psychiatrists.
  
• Can be contacted through the GP, hospital or Community Mental Health Team.

District Nursing Service - Gateshead Primary Care Trust

• District Nurses provide professional care, covering all aspects of an individual's need, to patients living at home.
  
• The main reasons District Nurses see patients is to care for people with a chronic or terminal illness, incontinence, diabetes and wound management.
  
• They are part of the Primary Health Care Team, working closely with local GP's.
  
• They can involve Community Based Services and other appropriate services to make sure people get the support they need.
  
• The service to patients is provided over 24 hours, 7 days per week.
  
• Access to district nursing services is through GP practices, although patients can be referred through other sources, for example hospital, podiatry or Community Based Services.
  

Domiciliary Care Managers

• Manage the domiciliary care service (formerly known as home help service).
  
• Work with Social Workers and Assessing Officers, users and carers to tailor services to meet individual need.
  
• Are available to discuss any aspect of an individual worker's performance, or how the service is delivered.
  
• Can be contacted through Community Based Services (See Section 13 - Caring contacts).

Domiciliary Care Workers

• Home Help Workers - assist with practical tasks and personal care for older people and disabled people.
  
• Community Care Workers - provide intensive personal care for severely disabled people who are at risk of entering residential care.
  
• Home Care Support Workers - provide personal assistance and social support for people with learning difficulties.
  
• Community Support Scheme Workers - provide personal assistance, rehabilitation and social support for people with mental ill health.
  
• Senior Community Care Workers - support and supervise Community Care Workers.
  
• Senior Home Helps - support and supervise Home Helps.
  
• Can be contacted through Community Based Services.

Gateshead Health NHS Trust

• Provides free, locally-based hospital and rehabilitation services to people living in Gateshead.
  
• Services are provided from Queen Elizabeth, Bensham and Dunston Hill hospitals.
  
• Services are provided on an inpatient, outpatient and day care basis.
  
• Works closely with Community Based Services, Gateshead Primary Care Trust and voluntary agencies to provide care for a wide range of individual needs.
  
• For further details, contact Gateshead Health NHS Trust.

General Practitioners (GPs)/Family Doctors

• Help people with health problems or related matters.
  
• Can put the person you care for in touch with a District/Community Nurse or specialists, if practical help or advice is required to manage their medical condition at home.
  
• Can put you in contact with services such as community care alarm, meals on wheels, chiropody, home care or short breaks.
  
• Are available to discuss any difficulties you or the person you care for are experiencing - this should not be viewed as a waste of time and they may refer you to an appropriate service.
  
• GP's and primary care teams have a duty to identify all carers in their practice to ensure that carers are supported too. Make sure you let your GP know that you are a carer. Doctors' and hospital appointments may be less likely to be cancelled if they know you have had to make alternative arrangements for the person you care for.
  

Gateshead Primary Care Trust (PCT)

• An independent NHS organisation that is responsible for delivering better health care for the residents of Gateshead.
  
• Covers GP practices, dental practices, pharmacies and opticians.
  
• Local people are welcome to attend public board meetings to have their say about local health services.
  
• For further details, see Section 6 - Primary care and hospital discharge.
  

Health Visitors

• Are based at GP surgeries or health centres.
  
• Visit or contact people at home or alternate venues, and are responsible for assessing the health needs of families which include children and over 75's.
  
• Are there for people during life crises e.g. bereavement and depression.
  
• Can be accessed via the GP surgery.
  

Occupational Therapists

• Work with people of any age with physical disabilities or mental ill health to promote independence in caring for themselves, employment and leisure activities, and to resolve practical problems.
  
• Are based within Community Based Services or in hospitals, enabling patients to return home.
  
• Are experienced in aids, equipment and housing adaptations.
• Contact Community Based Services or Gateshead Health NHS Trust (See Section 13 - Caring contacts).

Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)

• People in Gateshead now have access to fast, on-the-spot help and support designed to provide information, guide people to the services they need, and help resolve minor problems quickly.
  
• For details of how to access PALS, see Section 12 - Comments, compliments and complaints.

Pharmacists/Chemists

• Can tell you all you need to know about medicines, whether prescribed by your GP or bought over the counter
  
• Can offer advice on the prevention and treatment of common ailments
  
• May be able to supply specialist equipment to people with physical disabilities or continence problems and special containers to help people to remember to take their medicine at the correct time
  
• Many offer a prescription collection and delivery service to people who are housebound or infirm, for details contact individual chemists. They may also arrange for the safe disposal of medicines no longer required
  Primary Care
  
• The primary care service is provided by GP's, dentists, opticians, pharmacists and district nurses
  
• Primary Care is often the first point of call for someone with a health need

Secondary Care

• The service that is provided in or by hospitals

Social Workers

• Work in the community, in hospitals and in the person's home.
  
• Assess needs, and arrange services and equipment to meet those needs.
  
• Provide support, deal with family difficulties and areas of concern.
  
• Assist in hospital discharge preparations, as do Domiciliary Care Officers.
  
• Can be contacted through Community Based Services or through ward staff if the person is in hospital.

Welfare Rights Service

• Gateshead Community Based Services operates a Welfare Rights Service which offers free advice and information about any aspect of Welfare Benefits.
  
• Advice can be given over the telephone, at a Community Based Services office (by appointment), or in your home.
  
• Contact your nearest Welfare Rights Service (See Section 13 - Caring contacts).
  

TOP OF PAGE