Urgent out of hours help

If you have an urgent, unplanned need at home but don't need the emergency services, contact us on 0344 800 8020.

Norfolk’s Emergency Duty Team

During emergencies, we help:

• Children and their families
• People with mental health problems and disabilities
• Older people and adults at risk of abuse or neglect

We are open when local daytime offices have closed, including:

• Nights
• Weekends
• Public and extra-statutory holidays

We work with other emergency services including the health services and police.

What is an emergency?

An emergency is something that cannot safely wait until the next working day.

What happens when you call us?

Your call will be answered by a call handler.  They'll take your details and discuss the reason for your call with you to find out how urgent it is. 

If necessary they'll pass your details onto a qualified social worker from the Emergency Duty Team. Alternatively they may signpost you to other agencies or refer your situation to one of the daytime social care teams for follow up at a later date.

People in high-risk situations will always receive a priority service.  At busy times there may be a delay before someone gets back to you.

How can you contact us?

Please note: We are only available to deal with Social Work emergencies which happen when local daytime offices have closed.

We're open:

• Monday to Thursday - from 5pm-9am the following morning
• From 4.35pm on Friday through to 9am the following Monday morning
• All day (24 hours) on Bank Holidays

Further support

Young people and families

We are a contact point for children and young people at risk of immediate family breakdown.  We work to prevent them going into public care.

We can help families find new ways of dealing with difficult situations.

Assessment and support

We work with doctors carry out emergency Mental Health Act assessments.  We also give emergency telephone support and advice to carers and families dealing with mental health emergencies.

We're able to guide people towards other help available.

We aim to help older people and other adults with care and support needs stay in their homes and, where safe, not use residential or nursing care.

Our work focuses on:

• Children in need of protection
• People with mental health problems who may be at risk to themselves or others
• Older people with care and support needs who need urgent help which cannot wait until our usual opening hours
• Adults at risk of abuse and neglect
• People with a disability who need urgent access to social care services
• Working with the police to help adults with care and support needs and young people
• Families in emergencies