Mental Health Sanctuary Service

The contract is for the provision of a Mental Health Sanctuary Service designed to support adults aged 17 years and 9 months and over across Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan who are experiencing emotional distress, escalating anxiety, or a mental health crisis. The service provides a safe, welcoming, non‑clinical environment where individuals can access immediate support outside of traditional service hours, reducing reliance on emergency and acute mental health pathways. Operating seven days a week between 5pm and 1am, with face‑to‑face appointments from 7pm, the Sanctuary offers both telephone‑based and in‑person support, enabling individuals to receive timely assistance based on their preferences and level of need.

Referrals into the service are made exclusively via the NHS 111 Press 2 mental health triage service, ensuring that every individual accessing the Sanctuary has received an initial professional assessment and is appropriately directed to this community‑based alternative to A&E, crisis teams, or police involvement. The service places strong emphasis on early intervention, compassionate listening, de‑escalation, and providing a calming space away from the home environment. The provider will deliver a peer‑led model utilising support workers with lived experience of mental health challenges, helping to reduce stigma, increase trust, and improve engagement for those who may struggle to access more formal types of mental health care.

Under this contract, the provider is responsible for the full operational management of the Sanctuary, including staffing, supervision, safeguarding compliance, and ensuring a workforce that reflects the diversity of the local community. The provider will also manage the premises allocated by the Health Board, ensuring the environment supports recovery‑focused practice and offers quiet, comfortable, and emotionally safe surroundings. Free transport must be arranged for any individual who requires assistance travelling to the Sanctuary, ensuring equitable access across the Cardiff and Vale region.

The provider must deliver both immediate crisis support and short‑term follow‑up where appropriate, working closely with local mental health pathways to ensure continuity of care. In addition, the provider will supply regular performance, activity and quality reports, capturing both quantitative data (such as referral volumes, activity levels, demographics and outcomes) and qualitative insights (including patient stories and feedback). The service is expected to respond flexibly to changing levels of demand and participate in monthly review meetings during the first nine months, moving to quarterly contract monitoring thereafter, with ongoing evaluation and continuous improvement forming a core part of service delivery.

This Sanctuary Service forms part of Cardiff & Vale University Health Board’s commitment to improving crisis care, strengthening early intervention, and offering safe, accessible alternatives to emergency services for individuals in distress.