Access Compass

Access Compass guide

Crisis & out-of-hours contacts (children & families)

Key numbers if things escalate–social care, safeguarding, and urgent repairs.

Published by Access Compass · How we research and check guides

Who it's for: Parents & carers, Professionals, Children & young people

Not yet checked: confirm with the service before relying on it Details gathered 25 Oct 2026. Review due 24 Nov 2026. Always confirm details with the service before relying on them.

Visual explanations

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Action plan · full text built in

Family crisis plan: prepare now, urgent help, emergency

  1. Prepare now

    • Support
      Write one-page essentials

      Record communication, medication, health and behaviour needs, calming strategies, risks, safe people, preferred hospital and what must never happen.

    • Information
      Name backups

      List family, social worker or duty team, GP, school, adult transition worker, respite and out-of-hours contacts. Confirm who can step in.

  2. Urgent help

    • Urgent
      Say what has changed

      Contact the allocated worker, duty service, GP, NHS 111 or relevant crisis team. Explain what cannot safely continue today and ask for a recorded plan.

    • Urgent
      Keep everyone safe while help is arranged

      Use the agreed low-arousal plan, reduce demands, secure medication or hazards and bring in a trusted adult where safe.

  3. Emergency

    • Emergency
      Call 999

      Use 999 for immediate danger, a life-threatening medical emergency, serious self-harm risk, violence that cannot be safely managed or a missing person at immediate risk.

Printable and zoomable: this is structured text, not an image.

Step by step

  1. Safeguarding

    If a child is in immediate danger, has been left alone or is missing, call 999. Otherwise contact Northamptonshire MASH on 0300 126 7000 for advice or to raise a concern; the same number covers North and West Northamptonshire and is used out of hours. You can also email MASH@nctrust.co.uk where appropriate. Check the live NCT and NSCP pages before relying on contact details.

  2. Mental health (24/7)

    The Mental Health Number, 0800 448 0828, is free, 24 hours a day, every day, for people aged 17 and a half and over in Northamptonshire. For a child or young person under 17 and a half, call NHS 111 and choose the mental health option, or ask your GP about CAMHS. Call 999 if there is immediate danger.

  3. Wheelchair repairs (urgent)

    Blatchford repair: 01536 511025 (emergency out of hours also via this number). Source: West Northamptonshire Council Local Offer directory.

  4. Community equipment repairs

    Millbrook Healthcare repairs and replacements: 0330 124 1219. North Northamptonshire Council's page showing this number was last updated on 30 January 2025, so the provider or number may have changed: check with your occupational therapist or the council before you rely on it.

  5. Health advice now

    NHS 111 online/phone for urgent but non-life-threatening health issues.

Source: https://nctrust.co.uk/report-a-concern-or-request-support/

Crisis, safety & safeguarding

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