Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) service
Our Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) service supports professionals when there are serious concerns about an adult’s mental health and safety.
AMHPs are specially trained mental health professionals who work under the Mental Health Act 1983. Their role is to help make sure people get the right support at the right time, and that the law is used fairly and correctly.
The service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
What is an AMHP?
An Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) is a qualified professional who has completed extra training and is approved by a local authority.
AMHPs can be social workers, mental health or learning disability nurses, occupational therapists or psychologist practitioners. They work independently and make key decisions under the Mental Health Act, including whether a person needs a formal mental health assessment.
What does the AMHP service do?
The AMHP service:
carries out Mental Health Act assessments
works with doctors, health services, the police and social care
helps decide if hospital care is needed
looks for the least restrictive options, where possible
makes sure people’s rights are protected
When should professionals contact the service?
Contact the AMHP service if there are serious concerns about mental health, safety or risk, or if advice is needed about using the Mental Health Act.
Mental Health Act (MHA) assessment
An assessment under the MHA may be arranged when a person is thought to be suffering from a mental disorder and is considered to pose a risk to themselves or others.
Prior to requesting a MHA assessment, consideration should be given to whether there may be other ways to support the person, such as input from a Community Mental Health Team or Crisis Team, a review of social care needs, family support or help from the GP.
The purpose of the assessment is to consider whether it is necessary to detain a person in hospital under a section of the MHA. A person will only be detained under the MHA if their care and treatment can no longer be provided safely in the community, and they are unwilling (or unable) to agree to go into hospital (or stay in hospital) voluntarily.
A person may need to have a MHA assessment if:
There is a rapid and serious deterioration in their mental health; or
There is a gradual decline over a longer period which has reached a critical point; and
The person or those around them are at significant risk of harm as a result of their current mental health needs.
Requests to the AMHP Service can be made on our online portal.
More information on completing requests (aged 18 years and over) through the adults portal
You can also call our Customer Access Service on:
0300 123 6720 - Monday to Friday - 8am–5pm
0300 123 6722 - Out of hours/weekends/bank holidays
Our Customer Access Service will ask for some initial information about the person being referred before sending the request to the AMHP service.
The AMHP service responds to requests for Mental Health Act (MHA) assessments from a range of professionals as well as from relatives and carers of people in mental health crisis.
Once a request is received by the AMHP service, the duty AMHP will screen the request to ensure that a MHA assessment is appropriate. The duty AMHP will contact the referrer to discuss the circumstances in more detail.
The duty AMHP will check whether other ways of helping the person with their mental health have been tried first, which might prevent the need to use the MHA (for example, involving a crisis team or arranging for a review of the person's social care needs).
If a MHA assessment is appropriate, an AMHP will be asked to arrange the assessment.
Requests are prioritised based on a risk assessment and the needs of the person or others.
AMHPs undertake MHA assessments alongside authorised doctors. A MHA assessment may take place at the home address, in a hospital (if the person is already an inpatient), in an A&E department or other place of safety.
An important part of the AMHP role is to make sure all alternatives to detaining someone in hospital have been considered. To help them decide whether an application to detain someone should be made, the AMHP will consult with professionals involved in the person's care as well as speaking to family members and carers to seek their views.
The AMHP will attempt to speak to the person's nearest relative. There are some instances where a person's nearest relative can object to the AMHP making an application to detain the person in hospital, so their views are extremely important.
During the assessment the AMHP will make sure that the person being assessed is fully informed about what is happening. The AMHP will make sure the person is able to participate as fully as they can in the assessment and that their views and wishes are listened to. Family members or carers can also be present if the person being assessed wants them to be.
The AMHP and doctors will ask the person some questions to help them understand what the person is going through and how best to help them. The AMHP and doctors will also be trying to establish whether the person is suffering from a mental disorder and whether any risks mean that hospital admission is necessary.
The AMHP will explain the outcome of the assessment to the person being assessed. If a decision is made to detain the person in hospital the AMHP will make sure the person understands the reasons for this decision and what this means. The AMHP will talk to the person about their legal rights under the Mental health Act (MHA)
The AMHP will also inform the nearest relative of the outcome of the assessment, the reasons for the decision and the nearest relative's rights under the MHA
Where hospital admission is necessary, the doctor will contact the NHS Mental Health Trust's bed management team to request that a bed be identified. The bed management team will inform the AMHP of the hospital where the bed has been identified.
Once a bed is confirmed the AMHP can complete their application to detain the person to that hospital. The AMHP will make arrangements for the admission and for the most appropriate transport to the hospital.
Throughout this process the AMHP will consider any risks to the person or to others and will ensure the person is treated with dignity and respect.
Our adult mental health social care services support people with a mental health diagnosis and a social care need, we have the following teams in Lancashire:
Mental Health Social Care Team
This team offers a social work service to individuals experiencing mental distress when there is a social care need. They assess social care needs with the individual and their family/network using an asset strengths-based approach.
Mental Health Review Team
They undertake the reviews of people in residential and nursing home placements funded by Adult Mental Health services and review people with community care packages.
Secure Services - Forensic Community Mental Health Team (FCMHT)
The FCMHT is a multi-disciplinary team which manages a caseload of approximately 50 people who are on extended leave from or discharged from Guild Lodge, which is a secure mental health service. In addition, the team provides Health and Social Care support to all the wards within Guild Lodge to support with discharge planning. The social workers undertake Mental Health Act assessments and the completion of social circumstances reports for Mental Health Review Tribunals.
Integrated Discharge Team
This team provides a strength-based assessment to adults across inpatient mental health services to ensure compliance with Care Act (2014) and to ensure social care outcomes are met. They work collaboratively with health colleagues to achieve safe and timely discharges from hospital to the most appropriate service and setting that actively supports people's wishes and feelings.
Older Adult Mental Health Team
This team assesses social care needs of over 65s with the individual and their family/network using an asset strengths-based approach. Using 'eligibility determination' Care Act 2014 to identify unmet social care needs and work with the individual and their family and supportive network to agree a care and support plan.
Healthier Lancashire is a Mental health support resources in Lancashire and South Cumbria. You can find information, support organisations and websites to help support your mental health. You may also be visiting this page if you are worried about someone else.
Mental Health Helpline is the Wellbeing Helpline and Texting Service is a Freephone out of hours, person centred listening environment for people requiring emotional support in relation to their own mental health or that of someone they know. Tel: 0800 9154640
Lancashire Advocacy Hub a free, independent, and confidential single point of contact for adults in Lancashire. If you are experiencing difficulties with, or need help with, your health and/or social care the Hub can help. Here you will find information on how to get the help and support you need.
Rethink Mental Illness. Find advice and information about different mental illnesses, living with mental illness, your rights and benefits and information and resources to help carers of people living with a mental illness.
Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust. If you need help, no matter what it is, we are here to support and signpost you. You can find information and advice on things that are affecting your emotions, your physical health, financial worries, relationships, or drink or drugs problems.
Mindsmatter are a wellbeing service offering a range of free psychological therapies to people aged 16 and over in Lancashire.
Guidance, news and policy development in mental health from GOV.UK
Mental Health Crisis Breathing Space. A breathing space is a debt respite scheme which provides protections include pausing enforcement action and contact from creditors and freezing interest and charges on debts. The scheme provides additional protections for people currently receiving mental health crisis treatment.