How it works
What happens after you ask for support, step by step, and when to expect to hear from us.
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1. You send your request
Using the short online form, by phone, or through a professional who refers you. You get a reference you can use to check progress.
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2. First check (triage)
A trained member of staff reads your request to check whether anything is urgent and which team is best placed to help.
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3. Review
We may get in touch — only in the safe ways you chose — to ask a few more questions. You can always say you would rather not answer.
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4. Decision
A person on our team makes the decision — not an automated system. We will let you know one of these outcomes:
- Accepted
- We assign a support worker and invite you to your secure private space.
- Waiting list
- We would like to help but have no space right now. We will stay in touch and suggest other support meanwhile.
- Referred elsewhere
- Another service may be better able to help. We explain why and only share your details with your agreement, unless someone is at serious risk.
- Unable to support
- Sometimes we cannot help. We will tell you kindly and clearly, and suggest other places to go.
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5. Support
We agree a support plan with you. You can message your support worker securely, book appointments and join activities.
How long it usually takes
Configurable times — set by the organisation admin| Stage | Usually |
|---|---|
| First check (triage) | Within 2 working days |
| Review and decision | Within 10 working days |
| First contact after acceptance | Within 5 working days |
These are typical times, not a promise. Some requests take longer when we are very busy.
Urgent concerns
If you tell us you need urgent help, your request goes to a separate safeguarding queue that a dedicated team checks first, during monitored hours (Monday to Friday, 11:00–17:00). This does not depend on your request being accepted.
We are not an emergency service. If you are in danger now, call 999.