This page is for the carers and supporters of those using adult mental health services in the Western Trust. Here you will find useful links to help you help your loved one.
Carers’ Support Service
The Western Trust’s Carers’ Support Service provides a full range of information and support to help you in your caring role. Click here to access the Carers’ Support Service web page.
CAUSE – Independent advocacy for carers
CAUSE is a charity that supports the carers of people using adult mental health services. CAUSE’s peer advocates can raise issues about your loved one’s care on your behalf. In the Western Trust, there are two CAUSE advocates. Click here for the advocates’ contact details and more information about CAUSE
Minding Your Head
Minding your head has information, advice and support to help people in Northern Ireland look after and improve their mental health and wellbeing, and find out what to do in a crisis. Click here to access the Minding Your Head website
My family member has been detained: what does this mean?
In certain circumstances, people experiencing significant mental health disorders can be compulsorily admitted to a psychiatric hospital. When someone has to be compulsorily admitted against their will for assessment (or assessment and treatment), the law that covers these situations is The Mental Health (NI) order 1986 (the MHO).
If a person who is experiencing a mental health disorder resulting in a likelihood of substantial risk of serious physical harm to themselves or others and refuses to enter hospital voluntarily, then an Approved Social Worker (ASW) can apply to have them compulsorily admitted to hospital for assessment.
An ASW is a social worker with specialist mental health training. An application for compulsory admission to hospital for assessment by an ASW must be founded on a doctor’s medical recommendation, preferably from a GP who knows the patient.
On arrival at hospital, the person is further assessed by a hospital doctor to decide whether compulsory admission for assessment and / or treatment is necessary and justified. The initial assessment period is for up to 7 days and can be extended for another 7 days (up to 14 days in total).
If continued detention is required, the person must be detained, under Article 12 of the MHO, for treatment – for potentially up to six months, then a further six months, then for a year at a time. Any person compulsorily detained under the MHO can make an application to the Mental Health Review Tribunal (MHRT) challenging the lawfulness of his or her detention. The nearest caring relative (as defined in the MHO) of the person detained can also apply to the Mental Health Review Tribunal to appeal the detention should they feel that their family member no longer requires detention.