NHS Somerset Talking Therapies is made up of several teams and various different types of workers.   The Service works from four different geographical bases: Bridgwater, Chard, Taunton, and Wells.   Some of these are just offices where we do not actually see patients in person.   The majority of our direct, face to face work is offered in GP surgeries, community hospitals, or other local venues.

Our Service includes:

• Administrators
• Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners (PWPs)
• Assessment Workers
• Psychological Therapists also know as Counsellors
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapists
• Team Leaders  
• Consultant Counselling Psychologist
• Service Lead
• We also have trainees who are closely supervised by a qualified practitioner while they are training.

We offer treatment by online video link, by telephone and in person. Lockdown restrictions obliged us to do all our work remotely (online and by phone). This was a sudden change, but experience has shown many benefits of these ways of working. Our patients report that they are happy not to spend time and money getting to venues, are content to be in their own home during and after a session and not have to make their way home when they may be upset after a session. Our workers report that they are able to look after their wellbeing and manage their time better through having days at home, and that they save time and costs by not having to travel to work and around the large county of Somerset so much. The Service’s performance has improved by having less missed sessions (through cancellations or did not attends’), money being saved on hiring venues which can be put back into direct patient care.

We do not want to lose all the benefits of remote working. Our treatments in future will be offered by video contact, by phone and where needed in person in venues.

Within the NHS, involving individuals who have had previous experience with one of the many mental health services is hugely important to us, connecting with patients who have first-hand knowledge of the treatment they have received, means they can tell us how we can improve things and help progress services going forward.