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What is the Prevention and Resolution Service?

The Prevention and Resolution Service provides psychosocial support to residents of St Helens who have attended Whiston Accident and Emergency Department with suicidal thoughts and or self harm.

It offers crisis interventions tailored to you, delivered by nurse practitioners and assistant psychologists to help you manage your current circumstances and learn techniques to manage difficult emotions that may have led to recent self harm or suicidal thoughts. We are here for you between 8am and 8pm seven days per week.

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Who is referred to the Prevention and Resolution Service?

If you’re an adult, registered with a GP in St Helens and attend Whiston Accident and Emergency Department following an incident of self harm, you’ll be offered a referral to the service.

What help can I expect from the Prevention and Resolution Service?

Initially, you’ll receive an assessment of your mental health needs by the Mental Health Liaison Service at Whiston Hospital. Following your assessment by the Mental Health Liaison Service, you’ll be referred to the Prevention and Resolution Service. We will contact you within 24 hours. We aim to make appointments accessible so they can be offered somewhere in St Helens or online. We welcome the involvement of family and carers in supporting you.

In the initial appointment with a PRS practitioner, you will:

  • Develop a shared understanding of your needs
  • Start working on a safety plan
  • Discuss and identify areas to work on together
  • Make a plan and set goals to address your difficulties in the short and long term.
  • We will then work with you for up to ten sessions, which will each last between 30 and 60 minutes.

You will cover some of the topics below, dependent on your needs and goals:

  • Problem solving skills
  • Enhanced emotional coping skills
  • Psychosocial education to manage symptoms
  • Support to address the underlying thoughts, emotions and circumstances leading to self harm
  • Finding solutions and alternatives
  • Social and financial interventions
  • Motivational interviewing for substance use
  • Support with managing relationships.

Who works in the Prevention and Resolution Service?

We are a team of nurse practitioners and assistant psychologists, and can draw upon invovlement from your family or someone you trust. We will also refer or signpost you to other agencies we identify together as being helpful for you.

We aim to:

  • Provide an ongoing assessment of your needs whilst in the service
  • Offer a person centered care plan with involvement from family and carers
  • Identify and support your social needs through social prescribing
  • Signpost you to support from other agencies
  • Support you to develop new coping strategies to allow you to feel more able to manage your mood, thoughts, and actions
  • Support you with accessing and moving to other services.

What support can I access outside of appointments?

The crisis line offers 24 hour phone support for people who are in crisis. The number for this service is 0800 051 1508.

What can I expect in my move to other services?

We have strong links with other agencies to support you with social stressors. You will be signposted and supported to link in with other services to address your needs and support your recovery.

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Our patients matter

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust listens and responds to patients and their carers to help improve the services we deliver.

If you have any comments, compliments or concerns you can speak with a member of staff or contact our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) and Complaints Team.

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust
V7 Building
Kings Business Park
Prescot
Merseyside
L34 1PJ

Telephone: 0151 471 2377 - freephone: 0800 328 2941

Email: palsandcomplaints@merseycare.nhs.uk

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Approval date: 19 June 2025

Review date: 19 June 2026

Version number: 1

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