R/WP – 26/27 – Adult MH - Crisis Alternative (Safe Haven) Oxfordshire

1.1 National/local context and evidence base

This service specification sets out the principles and values by which the Oxfordshire Non-Clinical Crisis Alternative will meet the ambitions from NHS England (NHSE) and the NHS Long Term Plan for Mental Health.

As part of the Urgent Care Pathway, it will meet the ambitions of NHS England as articulated in Fit for the Future: The 10-Year Health Plan for England and the NHS Medium Term Planning Framework 2026/27 to 2028/29. These strategic documents establish the expectation of neighbourhood health services operating as alternatives to hospital centred crisis response and integration across health and social care.

In the context of this specification, a mental health crisis is when someone is experiencing a period of acute psychological distress, or an acute mental health problem which may or may not have been given a formal diagnosis. The crisis may be a sudden deterioration of an existi