Publish date: 29 September 2022

On 1st October, Richmond Fellowship will be taking over from Rethink as the new provider for the West London Crisis Recovery House, a 17 bed property in Ealing, previously known as Amadeus House.  

Richmond Fellowship, is a national mental health charity with over 60 years’ experience and 160 services nationally, including eight crisis houses and four crisis cafes/safe havens. 

Richmond Fellowship will be investing £250,000 over the next twelve months to refurbish the property. Richmond Fellowship are also recruiting an additional 8 staff to improve and enhance the service offer and ensure referral decisions can be made within 3 hours, 24/7 365 days a year.

The service will support people experiencing a mental health crisis, as an alternative to hospital admission, where appropriate. It will also provide support to individuals discharged from hospital who require a brief period of intensive support. The service will offer short term placements, with respite, practical and emotional support, therapeutic sessions while retaining or forming key links with family and support networks, to help build resilience and learn mental health coping strategies.

Maddy Smith, Deputy Director of Operations, said: "Richmond Fellowship are delighted to be partnered with West London Trust in assuming responsibility for the delivery of the Crisis Recovery House, we are excited to expand our portfolio in West London and look forward to providing an excellent service to residents accessing mental health support."

Dr Christopher Hilton, Executive Director of Local Services, said: "We are thrilled to be working alongside colleagues from Richmond Fellowship as part of our Acute Mental Health Service provision, located in Ealing and supporting residents from Ealing, Hounslow and Hammersmith and Fulham. We look forward to jointly delivering this valuable service to vulnerable people experiencing mental health crisis, both as an alternative to an admission to an inpatient ward, and as a step-down option from inpatient care."

In order to start embedding the service, and to allow the onset of refurbishment West London Trust have agreed to a freeze in referrals between 1st October 2022 and the 4th October 2022, where after a slow increase in referrals to the use of nine beds from the 5th October 2022 with full service resuming from the 13th October 2022.

Referrals will continue to be managed through the Ealing Crisis, Assessment and Treatment Team and the new contact details for the service are as below:  

Tel :03300083816  

Email : Info.WestLondonCrisis@richmondfellowship.org.uk

An open day to the service is being planned for December 2022.