Our Services - Out of Hours Service

Colebrook's Out of Hours Service (OOH)

Colebrook offers a Telephone Support Service to all Colebrook residents and clients.

The OOH team can offer support hours a day - After midnight calls are limited to emergencies only.

24 hours a day - 7 days a week - All year round

When might OOH be used...?

  • When a resident/client is anxious about something and needing to talk about it.
  • When a resident/client is feeling physically unwell and needs help to contact a Doctor.
  • When a resident/client feels mentally unwell and needs to talk or needs help to contact a CPN or Social Worker.
  • There may be an emergency maintenance problem i.e. broken window, fire alarm or water leak.

...or there could be other reasons

How might the OOH team help...?

  • The OOH team can offer: emotional support, a listening ear, an opportunity to talk through options, suggest coping strategies and distraction techniques.
  • The OOH service will involve/signpost other services such as the emergency services, contractors, OOH mental health/learning disability teams or emergency GP for advice or assistance when the situation requires it.

Some things to remember with OOH...

  • When someone joins Colebrook services, information such as GP, next of kin and illness details, is collected and passed to the OOH team. This is so the OOH team have the necessary information in case that person rings. This information is updated every six months.
  • Occasionally the phone line will be busy. Callers will not hear an engaged tone as calls will be diverted to a private answering machine. Leave a name and number and OOH will always call back as soon as possible.
  • Callers should make sure their telephone number is not withheld so that the OOH worker can then call back in an emergency or if a caller was cut off.
  • If someone calls before 5pm the OOH team will try and contact their project staff / floating support workers first, as they are the best people to be able to provide support.
  • If during the day, a resident/client or their support worker feels that telephone contact in the evening would be helpful, then a ‘planned contact’ by OOH can be requested by the support worker.
  • Colebrook OOH will send a report of any contact to the Colebrook project or floating support worker concerned and email information to relevant CPN/Care Co-ordinators. This is in case further support is required and to keep people updated.
  • Colebrook is keen to promote independence and does not want to create a dependency. If it is felt that this is occurring; then that individual will be supported with this.
  • In line with the Colebrook ethos (values) the OOH team will always encourage personal responsibility.

What the Out of Hours service IS NOT:

  • Is not: A medical advice line – the OOH staff are not medically trained but can signpost to someone who is
  • Is not: A visiting service – This is a telephone service only
  • Is not: A locksmiths – The OOH team will not let people in who have lost their keys but will help someone decide what to do
  • Is not able: to act as an ‘appropriate adult’ in police situations

OUT OF HOURS SERVICE GUIDELINES

9am - Midnight - for support when staff are not available in projects

Midnight - 9am - Emergency calls only