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- Complete our online referral form. You will then receive a text message with a link to book your first appointment. You can choose the most convenient day and time. Or you can call us on 0114 226 4380 to self-refer. We have first appointments available within two weeks.
- Your first appointment will be a 45 minute telephone assessment with a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP). If you find talking over the phone difficult, please tell us on the referral form. The assessment is an opportunity to understand your low mood and/or worry and what you are looking for help with.
- After the assessment, you will be able to discuss treatment options based on your goal for treatment. Sometimes the options we offer within Talking Therapies might not be suitable to meet your needs. We will try to give you information about alternative services. Most of our treatments can be started quickly within a few weeks.
What to expect at your Talking Therapies telephone assessment
The initial telephone assessment is for us to understand what you might be struggling with at the moment, and how Sheffield Talking Therapies may be able to help. Below is some information that would be useful to read before accessing your appointment:
What to do before your appointment?
- Take a look at the treatment options we offer (How we can help)
- Please complete the questionnaires via the text link provided, they explore common symptoms of low mood and anxiety.
- Make sure you are in a private, quiet place where you won’t be disturbed. We want you to be able to be as open and honest as possible.
- We are unable to complete the call if you are driving, on public transport, or under the influence of alcohol or substances.
During your appointment
- A Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP) will call you using a withheld number
- The appointment will last 45 minutes, so please ensure you have time for the full assessment.
- We will discuss options within Talking Therapies and whether they are suitable for your current needs. The assessment will include a PWP asking some questions about you and your safety and the safety of others around you.
- We are not an urgent and crisis service, so if you need urgent support then please contact the numbers provided on your appointment text or visit (https://www.shsc.nhs.uk/urgent-help)
- The assessment will also include some questions about what you are currently experiencing, some lifestyle questions and then a plan of what service will be best to support you moving forward. We may direct you to other services or back to your GP to ensure you get the right kind of support.
- We will attempt to call you twice on the number you provided, if you don’t answer a voicemail message will be left. If we still can’t get in contact you will be discharged back to your GP’s care.
- If you are unable to attend for any reason, you can change your appointment via the online booking link up to 24 hours beforehand, or on our website here: Cancel or Amend your Appointment, or you can cancel by calling 0114 226 4380.
After your appointment
- All assessments are discussed with a Clinical Supervisor as a standard part of our service. We may need to be in touch again to ask some further questions or discuss alternatives to ensure we are offering you the right kind of support.
Confidentiality
- In line with NHS policy, everything you discuss during your telephone assessment remains confidential, unless there is a risk to yourself or others. In this case we will inform your GP or other services to ensure you have appropriate support.
- All patient notes from your appointments within the talking therapies service will be confidentially stored on an NHS patient management system.
- We will also send a brief summary of the assessment outcome to your GP
What to expect from video appointments
The video appointments are completed in the same way as face to face appointments, by NHS professionals.
They are created through our patient data system IAPTUS. You will not need to download any apps, simply just click the link from your therapist.
What are the benefits of video appointments?
- No travel to the appointment
- Access anywhere confidential with internet connection
- Easy to use
Before the video appointment
You will receive a text reminder 48 hours before your scheduled video appointment. The appointment reminder will also have the link you will need to join the video appointment.
If you do not receive a video link in this text message, then please call our admin team on 01142 26430 who will contact your therapist.
The video can only be accessed on the day of your appointment.
Joining the video appointment
To join the appointment, click the link sent via text message. You can use your mobile phone, but if possible, we recommend you use a device with a bigger screen such as a tablet, laptop or a desktop computer. You will then need to copy your link from the text message into your internet browser if you can, use Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome.
We suggest logging onto the video appointment five minutes before the appointment start time. If you have any problems accessing the link, please call our admin team on 0114 2264380 who will contact your therapist. Alternatively, your therapist will give you a call after five minutes to see if you are having any technical problems.
Entering the appointment
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Enter or click the video link onto your web browser.
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This is what you will see when you join the video appointment
3. This button lets you turn the camera on or off
4.This button lets you turn your microphone on or off
5. To send a message to the therapist during the call, click on the below button, type your message and click send
6. To end the call, click the red telephone button
You might feel video appointments are not right for you. You might have heard or read some information online. It is understandable to worry about what to expect and how it might work. The explanations below will help you dispel some of these common myths.
What to expect from face to face appointments
We aim to offer you an appointment as soon as possible, which could be at your GP practice, a practice in your neighborhood or an NHS venue. We work across the city so you might be offered an appointment in another location. Face to face appointments on occasion can have a longer wait.
Once an appointment becomes available, we will call you to book. If we cannot speak to you, we will send you a letter with your appointment details. You can contact us if the appointment is not convenient.