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Not every crisis occurs during office hours and there are
times when waiting for the office to open can be too long. Kent and
Medway Social
Services provide for these times. The Out of Hours Service can
offer advice or help to ensure that waiting does not mean
vulnerable people being at risk.
Out of Hours Service
Tel: 0845 762 6777
Minicom: 01233 898 504
Who can phone?
Anyone can contact the Out of Hours Service for advice or
assistance. You, your relatives or carers, friends or neighbours.
We take calls from the police, doctors and members of private or
voluntary organisations. Anyone who has urgent need of advice or
assistance from Social Services.
Who will answer?
Calls to this number
will be taken by a trained telephonist who will take a brief
message and pass it on to the duty Social Worker.
The duty Social Worker will call you back as soon as possible,
generally within 15 minutes.
If you are in a public call box, you should let the telephonist
know.
What sort of problems?
- Severe problems with your children
- Concerns about children and young people who are at risk
- Older people at risk
- Concerns about a person with a disability
- If you are having difficulties about housing or money matters
we can put you in touch with other people who can help.
What happens next?
It's hard to think straight when there is a crisis, especially
if it's in the middle of the night. The Social Worker on duty can
give you information and advice over the phone to help you deal
with the problem. If you need to contact another organisation, we
will help you get in touch with them.
You may already be in contact with someone from Social Services.
If this is the case and things go wrong, the Out of Hours Service
will try to help until you can make new plans with daytime
staff.
We can often sort things out over the phone. However, we will
come out to see you if we think you need more help than we can give
over the phone.
The County Out of Hours Service provides:
- A response to new and urgent situations that arise "after
hours" and cannot wait until the next working day.
- A means of access to the Department's resources outside of
normal office hours, for those in greatest need.
- A single point of contact by the use of an 0845, local rate
telephone number.
- A service that operates across all client groups and throughout
the County.
- Advice and assistance to service users, their carers, friends
and family, the police, health services and people from other
agencies.
- Service to ensure that vulnerable people who are at risk, are
made safe until the next working day.
- Appropriate adults to attend police interviews of vulnerable
people, 24 hours a day.
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