Who we are

A step up and step down service supporting professionals to maintain people at home – to prevent avoidable hospital attendances and admissions – and to help people return home from hospital who need extra support.

We operate 365 days per year, from 8am to 8pm, working in partnership with a wider community team.

We provide urgent (in two hours) assessment and support (in two days) for a short time, to help people recover and retain independence.

We ensure people are supported to:

• remain at home when things start to get challenging or difficult
• recover after a fall, accident, acute illness or operation that would otherwise put them at risk of going into hospital
• reduce the risk of being admitted to hospital
• return home more quickly after a hospital stay

What we do

Our team is made up of nurses, social workers and therapists, who work with our intermediate care service to provide ongoing support if required.

We triage, assess and support people during a crisis. People eligible for the service are:

• adults aged 18 and over who live in or registered with a GP in Warrington
• those at risk of hospital attendance/admission
• people who are medically safe to be treated/cared for in a community setting
• those in need of assessment/intervention within two hours (and are safe to wait for up to two hours)

How to access us

We work closely with GP practices, North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) and Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. We take referrals from any professional, as well as self-referrals, or referrals from family members.

To receive support from the service, please call 01925 444220.

A triage will be completed and a clinical record will be opened and assigned to a practitioner. We aim to respond within two hours.

More information from the NHS on the 2 hour response guide.

Feedback

As we are one of seven national 'accelerator sites', and therefore part of a national development programme, we would welcome feedback on the service in terms of what is working well and how it can be improved.

If you, or someone you know has used the service, please email [email protected] with any feedback.