Our out of hours team provide an emergency response for adults in need of community care support in Bournemouth, Christchurch or Poole, who are in crisis or need urgent help.

Contact the adult's emergency duty service

There is a separate process to contact us about out of hours children's social care emergencies.

You should call us if you or an adult you know needs urgent social care help outside of normal office hours.

You can call our emergency line on 0300 123 9895:

• Monday to Thursday, from 5pm to 9am
• Fridays, from 4pm to 9am on Monday
• all bank holidays, including Christmas Day and New Years Day

If lines are busy, leave a clear message and tell us:

• your name
• the nature of the emergency
• your telephone number

Outside of these times, you should use the normal daytime contact numbers for the service you need. If you don't have a number, or aren't sure which to call, you can call 01202 123 654.

How to know if you should call

You should call us if:

• you are urgently concerned about the welfare of an adult who is frail, sick, disabled, has mental ill health, or has a learning disability
• an adult needs to be supported when they are interviewed by the police
• an assessment is required under the Mental Health Act in respect of a compulsory admission to psychiatric hospital, or assessment as a result of a Section 136 "arrest"
• you need to discuss a concern to safeguard an adult in need of social care who is at risk of harm from others
• someone is lacking the capacity to consent to support or help, and needs to be assessed

How we respond to emergencies

We will always listen to you carefully and sensitively, but can only take immediate action if we think you or the person you are calling about is at serious risk.

After taking your phone call, we will:

1. review all the information we have about the situation
2. discuss your concerns with the appropriate professionals
3. consider the risks, wider circumstances and implications if no further action is taken
4. intervene if an adult is at risk
5. manage a crisis until the next normal working day

If we cannot help, we will tell you why, and give you advice about who else may be able to.