Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust

Ratings - Community-based mental health services for older people

• Overall

  Good

• Safe

  Good

• Effective

  Good

• Caring

  Good

• Responsive

  Good

• Well-led

  Good

Our view of the service

Community based mental health services for older people provided assessment, treatment and support to individuals with mental health conditions who were living within the community across Norfolk and Suffolk. The service comprised of community mental health teams, crisis intervention services and memory services. Crisis intervention services were named Intensive Older People Services (IOPS) in Norfolk and Dementia Intensive Support Team (DIST) services in Suffolk.

Teams were based across 16 locations, these sites provided coverage across Norfolk and Suffolk.

At this inspection, we visited 4 service locations between 7 and 8 July 2026. These included the Sage Centre Newmarket Bury North Older Adults community mental health team; Gateway House Wymondham South Older adult community mental health team; St Andrew’s Lodge Julian Hospital Intensive Older People’s Service (IOPS) central Norfolk and Carlton Colville Lowestoft Great Yarmouth and Waveney Older people (IOPS).

We also visited the Sophie Centre Julian Hospital Norwich, the Memory service for Central Norfolk, South Norfolk Norwich and North Norfolk which offers a diagnosis and treatment service.

The teams all had individual managers and worked independently, however there was some crossover working with some staff, especially the multidisciplinary team (MDT) consultants, working across the memory and community mental health teams.

The service was last inspected in October 2019 and was good in all domains and rated good overall.

Mental Health Act

Compliance with Mental Health Act training was 97% among staff.

Staff were trained in and had a good understanding of the Mental Health Act, the Code of Practice, and the guiding principles.

Mental Capacity Act

Staff had completed mandatory training in the Mental Capacity Act, with overall compliance of 93%

Staff had a good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act, particularly the 5 statutory principles. Managers told us staff were experienced and had a good understanding of Mental Capacity assessments and carried these out. The managers and/or consultant could provide help and guidance, and discussions were held in MDT meetings.

People's experience of this service

We spoke with 15 people, 7 carers including care home staff and 8 people using services.

Overall feedback was overwhelmingly positive.

Crisis teams were consistently described as compassionate, responsive and highly effective. Several carers and people felt staff genuinely cared and went above and beyond expectations. People reported being seen quickly and receiving regular contact according to need.

Staff were described as accessible, often returning calls promptly and providing reassurance during crisis. Reviews and visits were frequent, particularly during periods of deterioration, with support reducing as stability improved.

Carers highlighted IOPS' ability to identify triggers, manage risks and develop practical strategies to support individuals.

Families and care home staff felt well informed and involved in care planning. IOPS worked closely with GPs, mental health teams, care homes and families.

Care homes reported positive working relationships and felt supported in managing complex needs. Regular communication and MDT working were viewed as key strengths.

Families valued the emotional support, clear communication and practical advice provided by staff. Carers reported feeling listened to, included and reassured during difficult periods.

Some families continued to receive support and contact even after transfer to other services. People reported improvements in wellbeing, confidence and understanding of their mental health conditions.

Practical interventions, including medicine reviews, breathing exercises, self-management plans and encouragement to engage socially, were viewed positively.

Community involvement, such as joining support groups and choirs, had improved confidence and reduced isolation for some people.

However, 1 carer highlighted limited respite and support opportunities for carers, and 1 person was unclear about medicine reviews and monitoring of side effects.

Feedback from carers, families and people was exceptionally positive. The consistent themes were kindness, professionalism, responsiveness and strong communication. People delivered person-centred care, managed risks effectively, worked collaboratively with partner agencies and provided invaluable support during periods of crisis and recovery. Many individuals described the service as outstanding and could not identify any significant areas for improvement.