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No female staff on duty Camden Crisis Team

Posted By Qwerty1970

"No female staff on duty Camden Crisis Team"

About: Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust

(as a friend),

Yet again I’ve called the crisis team and there are NO female workers on duty and the male worker refused to find a female worker, as the management who respond here always state happens. This male worker always refuses access to women crisis workers

My friend who your services know is a rape victim is severely psychotic. Police keep coming to her house telling her to call the crisis team. Recently I have called 5 times in one night and straight to answerphone. No call back. Same story 4 other evenings. Her children rung 14 times on a Friday night - straight to answer phone. The police actually told her children they couldn't get through on dedicated line.

It is the same when I or anyone have taken my friend to A&E - always told no women or have to see a man . Same when she's been taken by police or ambulance . She's so unwell, actually managed to ring crisis team herself and the male worker told her NO women on duty & she'd have to speak to him. She's terrified of male MH staff, he should have know this as her MH records very clearly state this and he says this. Why?

WHY if the policy is ALWAYS to offer a female member of staff from a crisis house of a different team does this keep happening? Vulnerable women shouldn't be put at risk like this. I for one will be talking to my MP about this.. Seriously wrong.

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Responses

Response from Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust 6 years ago
Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust

Submitted on 12/12/2017 at 10:15
Published on Care Opinion at 11:52

Thank you for taking the time to write a review regarding staffing within Camden and Islington Crisis Resolution Home Treatment Teams.

It is unfortunate that you were not able to speak to a female worker when you contacted the Crisis Call Centre. You highlighted that the male worker declined your request to speak to a female worker. We aim to facilitate this on most occasions as depending on the time of the day, there are female workers available to speak to service users when required. Even during the night when there is a limited service, we able to contact other acute services so service users can speak to a female worker. It would be useful to have more information regarding approximately the date of the call and your details so I can investigate why this request was not facilitated.

Staff have also been reminded on the importance of facilitating this where feasible.

You reported that you have contacted the crisis call centre on several occasions and have not been able to get through and you were not called back after you left voice messages. As the crisis call centre is the single point of access for all the crisis teams in Camden and Islington, there are a high number of calls received hence why there is advice to leave a voicemail when people cannot get through. A new system has now been implemented where a staff member is allocated the voicemail task and follows up on all the voice messages. In this instance contact details and names will need to be clearly left for the voice messages to be followed up.

I am sorry that you and your friend have not had a positive experience with the Camden and Islington Crisis Resolution Home Treatment Team. Our priorities are early and effective intervention whilst maintaining personalised care therefore we are committed to on-going development improvement. Your feedback is valued and will be discussed and reflected on to ensure service improvement.

As stated above, without more detail we are unable to fully investigate what happened and thus are not able to speak directly with the staff involved. However, I encourage you to get in contact with me directly. I am happy to meet with you to discuss this further.

My contact details are:

Lorraine Mazwi
Clinical Team Manager
South Camden Crisis Resolution Teams
Email: lorraine.mazwi2@candi.nhs.uk
Crisis Call Centre number – 020 3317 6333

Kind regards

Lorraine Mazwi, Clinical Team Manager

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