- SERVICE PROVIDER
Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
This is an organisation that runs the health and social care services we inspect
On 28 September 2018, we published an easy-to-read version of our report on community learning disability services at Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.
Assessment report published 10 April 2026
Contents
Ratings - Mental health crisis services and health-based places of safety
Our view of the service
We carried out an inspection of Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust’s (DHFT) mental health crisis services and health-based places of safety from 20 to 30 January 2026. DHFT’s mental health crisis services and health-based places of safety (HBPoS) form part of the trust’s mental health services in the community. The inspection was completed as part of CQC’s Adult Community Mental Health Programme. We also inspected community-based mental health services for adults of working age as part of the programme. The programme of inspections contributes to CQC's commitment to inspect the standard of care in community mental health services across the country. We undertook a short notice announced, comprehensive inspection of this service, looking at all 5 key questions to assess if services are safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.
At the time of the assessment, DHFT was part of the Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care System (ICS). It is now part of the Derby and Derbyshire, Lincolnshire and Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB cluster. DHFT’s mental health crisis services and HBPoS provide care and treatment to a population of just over 1 million people living across 2 local authorities, Derby City Council and Derbyshire County Council. Derby is more deprived than Derbyshire. According to the Index of Multiple Deprivation, Derbyshire ranks 105 out of 153 local authorities in England. In contrast, Derby has a higher deprivation ranking of 64.
Around a quarter of the ICS’ population lives in Derby, which has more ethnic diversity than Derbyshire. In Derby, 15% of people are from an Asian or Asian British background. In Derbyshire, 96% of the population identifies as white. Derbyshire has a higher proportion of residents aged 65 and over compared to Derby, whereas Derby has a larger share of working-age adults compared to the national average. According to Health Index Scores 2021, Derbyshire reports better health outcomes than the national average. However, suicide rates for males in Derbyshire were higher than the national average, and females had higher emergency hospital admissions for self-harm. Derby recorded higher emergency hospital admissions for self-harm in males when compared to the national average.
DHFT’s mental health crisis services provide crisis resolution and home treatment (CRHT) to people who would otherwise require hospital admission. Their CRHT teams (CRHTT) also provide early discharge support for people on inpatient wards. CRHTT are multidisciplinary andoperateovera 24-hour period, 7 days a week. They offer assessment of people in a mental health crisisandprovide intensive home treatment interventions.
DHFT also has 3 health-based places of safety (HBPoS), also known as 136 suites. These are designated spaces within a hospital or other health facility where individuals detained under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act can be safely assessed. This secure environment allows health professionals todeterminethe best course of action for the individual's mental health needs, whether that's further assessment, treatment, or discharge. HBPoS are not a ward for long-term admission but a place for initial assessment. People can be detained in a place of safety for up to 24-hours, allowing for the necessary assessment.
The mental health crisis service’s mental health helpline NHS 111 Option 2 team also provides a professional line, in which health and care professionals can talk directly to specialist clinicians. The mental health helpline was set up in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to provide mental health and wellbeing support and signposting. NHS 111 Option 2 is a service that provides urgent mental health support and access to mental health professionals. The freephone mental health helpline, NHS 111 Option 2 and the professional line are provided by the same team.
Teams within DHFT’s mental health crisis services and HBPoS include 4 CRHTTs, 3 HBPoS and a mental health helpline. The teams are:
- High Peak CRHT
- Chesterfield CRHT
- Derby City CRHT
- County South CRHT
- Derwent Unit (Chesterfield)
- Carsington Unit (Derby)
- Radbourne Unit (Derby)
- Mental Health Helpline NHS 111 Option 2
At the time of our inspection, DHFT was in the process of implementing a significant transformational change, operationally and clinically. As part of the transformation the trust had realigned to 2 directorates, north and south, and 5 care groups with 2 divisions - Community and Acute Mental Health Services and Older Adults Mental Services, Specialist and Children Services. The mental health crisis services and HBPoS had been allocated to the Working Age Community care group. The week before our inspection, the trust implemented the next stage of its restructuring and had informed some service managers and clinical leads that their roles were going through a management of change process, with a risk of redundancy and opportunities for new roles.
We last inspected DHFT’s mental health crisis services and HBPoS in 2019 when it was rated good. In 2019 we identified 2 breaches of the regulations in relation to risk assessments in HBPoS, and staff training compliance. At this inspection, the service has been rated good. We identified significant improvements in staff training compliance and risk assessments in HBPoS.
People's experience of this service
People’s feedback about mental health crisis services and health-based places of safety (HBPoS) was mostly positive.
Most people who used the mental health helpline were positive about the service. The service collected feedback from people who used the mental health helpline between July and September 2025. Feedback was that people felt listened to and treated with compassion, dignity and respect. They also fed back that they had a better understanding of what to do if they needed support for their mental health. Most people, 72%, said they were ‘likely’ or ‘extremely likely’ to recommend the service. Most people, 87%, said staff were ‘good’, very good’, or ‘excellent’ when asked if they were understanding and helpful.
We spoke to 8 people who had used mental health crisis services and 1 carer. Everyone said the staff were supportive and approachable. Some people told us staff made them “feel human” and others told us staff treated them “like a normal adult, without any stigma”. Some people told us the community resolution and home treatment teams and mental health helpline were “lifesavers”. People told us the service made them feel safe and staff explained their care to them. People told us they knew what to do if they felt they were in crisis and needed help.
We also spoke to 2 patients detained in an HBPoS. They both told us they had a positive experience and felt safe. They told us staff offered caring and compassionate support to them during their time experiencing a mental health crisis.
We approached Healthwatch Derbyshire, who confirmed they had received no feedback about mental health crisis services or HBPoS in the 6 months prior to our inspection.