Three more Night Light Cafés set to open in Lincolnshire!
As part of urgent work to improve the mental health crisis care offered in Lincolnshire, and in our local communities, Gainsborough and Grantham have today joined the Night Light Café family and will be closely followed by Spalding, set to open next week. These three new locations will join the other 10 cafes across Lincoln in supporting anyone struggling with their mental health or at risk of experiencing a crisis.
Night Life Cafés are safe spaces that offer an out-of-hours, non-clinical support service and are staffed by teams of trained volunteers who are available to listen. They can also provide signposting advice and information on other organisations that may be able to help with specific needs, such as debt advice.
Night Light Cafés allow people to have improved access to face-to-face and telephone support when they are struggling in an evening, when practices and community mental health team are less available. Hopefully, preventing their concerns escalating and pressure on local emergency departments. The service is open to your patients from 4pm Monday to Friday, and from 8pm Saturday and Sunday.
On average, almost 29 people a week visited a Night Light Café in 2021 and over 1,000 phone calls were made to people who needed support or a friendly ear to listen to them. 339 referrals were made from other agencies into the service.
Night Light Cafés are funded by NHS England and Improvements as an integral part of the Lincolnshire Mental Health Transformation Programme, which is committed to improving mental health and wellbeing by creating opportunities for people to thrive in connected communities. ACTS Trust, who co-ordinate the service, is now working in partnership with existing charities in Stamford, Bourne, and Long Sutton with venues also being sought in Skegness and Boston.
It doesn’t cost a thing to go to a Night Light Café, the only ask is that a person calls or sends a quick message to book in advance to make sure someone is available to listen and help. People can self-refer by calling 0300 011 1200 or via Instagram DM or Facebook Messenger @NightLightCafeLincoln.
GPs or other agencies can refer individuals with their consent by completing an online referral form.
We are trying to raise awareness across the county of this invaluable service and would be grateful if you could display the attached poster and screen presentation in your patient waiting areas – to let patients know help is available to them when your surgeries are closed. As a handy reference tool, we have also included a list of all Night Light Café addresses and their opening hours. If you’d like any further information, please visit our website LPFT/NightLightCafes or email [email protected].
The Night Light Cafes form part of an expanding range of mental health crisis support in the county, which also includes 24hour helplines for adults, children, young people, and their families, and soon to be opened Mental Health Urgent Assessment Centre.
The Mental Health Urgent Assessment Centre, managed by Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, will enable patients with a mental health crisis, to be taken directly to, or walk-in at a dedicated centre in Lincoln, where they can receive an assessment of their needs and additional packages of care where required, rather than going to an emergency department.
Whilst LPFT is developing the service model and increasing staffing support, the assessment centre will initially be accepting direct transfers from East Midlands Ambulance Service and United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust emergency departments, where patients are fit to be transferred and have no physical healthcare needs.
However, in the very near future it is hoped it will extend to direct transfers from Lincolnshire Police and eventually accepting direct walk-ins from the local community. More information on the assessment centre will be available soon and you can find details of all of the helplines available in the county on the LPFT website www.lpft.nhs.uk/accessing-support.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Night Light Café?
The Night Light Cafés are safe spaces for anyone who is struggling with their mental health, or at risk of experiencing a crisis with their mental health. The cafes are staffed by teams of trained volunteers who are available to listen to guests and connect them with other organisations who might be able to help with specific needs.
Are the Night Light Cafés run by counsellors or medical professionals?
No, the Night Light Café is a non-clinical support service which is staffed by teams of trained volunteers. The only advice given in the Night light Cafés is signposting advice when guests are given information about other organisations who may be able to help with specific needs.
Does a person need to be referred by a doctor or an agency to visit?
No, although many agencies refer individuals, we also accept self-referrals via our Facebook page @NightLightCafeLincoln or phone, 0300 011 1200.
How do I refer someone for support?
You can email [email protected] and request the link to our online referral form, or alternatively, access the form directly below.
You can also call us on 0300 011 1200 and leave a message if calling outside of cafe opening hours and one of our admin team will return the call.
When are the Night Light Cafés open?
Night Light Cafés provide out of hours support. They’re open from 4pm Monday to Friday and from 8pm Saturday and 7pm on Sunday. (see separate PDF for full opening times and address details)
Where are the Night Light Cafés?
At the moment they are in 13 different locations across Lincolnshire with more and more cafes opening every month. There are currently 10 Cafes open in Lincoln (where the pilot project started) and a further 3 have since opened in Gainsborough, Grantham and Spalding. Further locations are set to open in Stamford, Bourne and Long Sutton. Venues are also being sought in Skegness and Boston (see overleaf for full addresses).
Who runs and pays for the Night Light Cafés?
Night Light Cafés are funded by NHS England and The Kings Fund but run by Acts Trust in Lincoln and other local charities, who provide the venues around the county.
Do I need to book in advance?
We encourage people to let us know when they are coming so we can make sure there are enough volunteers available to talk to everyone, and enough seats and biscuits to go round! Even if it’s 5 minutes before you will arrive, please get in touch to let us know you are coming if you can – 0300 011 1200 or via our Facebook page, @nightlightcafelincoln
Do I have to talk about my crisis?
You don’t need to talk about your crisis… you can just come for the company, you can talk about trivia or just play a board game. There is no pressure to open-up unless you feel ready to.
How much do drinks and food cost in the cafes? How much money will I need?
Although we call ourselves ‘cafes’ we are simply safe spaces where people can come for support, so we serve basic food and drinks free of charge.