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Our services for the Armed Forces Community

At Mersey Care we take our obligations to our ex-forces and their families very seriously. Our range of local, confidential services, from talking therapies to help with addictions are provided by experienced and highly trained staff, many of whom are trained in armed forces community awareness or are armed forces community members themselves.

We understand, often first hand, the many and complex challenges that the armed forces community and their relatives can face, and we strive to deliver our services with understanding, sensitivity, and support.

Advice and support for patients and carers who are ex-armed forces or are currently serving in the armed force

You can be referred to our services by your GP or another health professional.

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For the purposes of the Covenant, it means all those to whom the nation has an obligation due to their service in the armed forces including:

  • The serving armed forces consisting of regulars and reservists:
    • Regulars are employed full time and will have signed up for various lengths of service
    • Reservists are made up of both regular and volunteer reservists. Regular reservists are former full time members of the armed forces and may still be eligible for call up for a number of years after their military service has ended. Volunteer reservists have usually joined directly from the civilian community and have jobs and careers outside the military. They are required to train two to three weekends per year plus 15 continuous training days. They are called up for compulsory operational tours when necessary.
  • Ex-armed forces
  • The families of serving and ex-armed forces who have or are supporting their family member and make their service possible

If you feel you or a member of your family’s mental health problems are related to military service, please get in touch with your GP who can refer you to our services.

Crisis information:

  • At immediate risk of danger to life? Dial 999
  • Struggling to keep yourself safe? Call NHS 111 or attend the A&E department at your nearest hospital.

24/7 support is available for you during a mental health crisis from the following: 

  • Freephone helpline: 0800 145 6570 if you’re a resident of Liverpool or SeftonCrisislines - square pink.png 
  • Freephone helpline: 0800 051 1508 if you’re a resident of Halton, Knowsley, St Helens, Warrington
  • Text ‘HEAL’ to 85258 if you’re a resident of Liverpool or Sefton and ‘REACH’ to 85258 if you’re a resident of Halton, Knowsley, St Helens, Warrington
  • Samaritans: 116 123
  • Combat Stress: 0800 138 161
  • For urgent mental health support
  • Urgent help for veterans

 

Mental health problems are common and can affect anyone, including veterans, serving personnel, reservists and their families. It's important to get help and support if you or someone you know has mental health problems.

All ex armed forces community living in the North of England can access Op COURAGE through a single phone number and email.

Call 0300 373 33 32 or email OpCourageNORTH@cntw.nhs.uk - available 8am to 8pm, 7 days a week.

Find mental health information and support for veterans, service leavers, reservists, families and carers.

The Life Rooms Walton and Southport have a regular drop-in service available to provide communities with an opportunity to connect with a Veteran HQ representative and find out more about support available. The organisation helps ex-servicemen, women, and their families as well as for those leaving the services. 

Veterans HQ can provide or access the following:

  • Employment and job search support
  • Confidential referrals to mental health support programmes
  • CV support and work clubs
  • Volunteering programmes
  • Social events
  • Access to benefit and housing support.

More details on these partner activities and other organisations at The Life Rooms sites can be found here.

Cobseo is The Confederation of Service Charities. The Cobseo Housing Cluster is made up of a wide range of charitable and social housing organisations that provide veteran-specific accommodation.  This ranges from specialist hostel and supported housing projects for those with a specific need to family accommodation in assured and assured shorthold tenancies. More information can be found here

The ‘Veterans’ Gateway’ supports veterans and their families to find the help they need and a team of advisors can be contacted 24 hours a day, seven days a week and are connected to a network of armed forces organisations.

They support:

  • Serving personnel
  • Those who have previously served
  • Reserve or auxiliary personnel
  • Those who have served with the Mercantile Marine in hostile waters
  • Current or previous full-time members of Allied Civil Police Forces
  • Anyone entitled to a campaign medal issued to the Royal Navy, Army or Royal Air Force
  • Any member of Voluntary Aid Societies who has served full-time and in uniform in direct support of the United Kingdom Armed Forces
  • Any British subject (by birth or otherwise) who has served at least seven days in the forces of an allied nation during hostilities and received seven days' pay from that nation
  • Any British subject (by birth or otherwise) who served in a resistance organisation of an allied nation during hostilities in which the United Kingdom armed forces were engaged
  • Any person who served in the Home Guard for at least six months, or in a Bomb and Mine Disposal Unit for at least three months
  • Any person who was awarded the Defence Medal in respect of service in the Home Guard
  • Past and present members of the Brigade of Gurkhas and their families

RBL also provide care homes for older veterans and support for carers at home.

Contact telephone number: 0808 802 1212.

Provides a 24-hour, 365 day helpline on 0800 138 1619. They have 15 pop-in centres around the UK. The area office and Liverpool pop-in is: 25 to 31 Williamson Street, Liverpool, L1 1EB. Opening hours are weekdays 10.00am to 4.00pm.

For other outreach centres in the region visit their website. 

Togetherall believes no one should be excluded from instant access to mental health support from real people when they need it. They're on a mission to make this a reality. With Togetherall, entire populations can have a safe place to connect, share and discuss what’s on their mind with peers. Their diverse community is active day and night, monitored and moderated 24/7 by licensed mental health practitioners.

Help for Heroes provide a range of services including health and wellbeing courses and financial support. H4H also have recovery centres around the country, the one for the North West is Pheonix House in Catterick: Phoenix House Recovery Centre, Richmond Road, Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire, DL9 3AW Phone: 07808 789 492 or email: catterick.supporthub@helpforheroes.org.uk

The Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund supports current and former members of the RAF, their partners and families, providing practical, emotional and financial support and work closely with SAFFA. For former serving RAF and their partners, they offer financial grants to aid day-to-day living, cover one-off unexpected costs like replacing a broken boiler, right through to adapting homes to help independent living based on holistic assessment.

The Army Benevolent Fund helps very young serving families cope with a sudden bereavement or traumatic loss. Also provides wide-ranging support to wounded soldiers, including financial assistance. Help with housing, education and training for employment for soldiers and veterans of all ages. Support for older veterans and their widows or widowers when they find themselves lonely or isolated.

Pride themselves on acting fast when help is needed and aim to make a relevant grant if appropriate within 48 hours. It is important to contact SSAFA or The Royal British Legion in the first instance to ensure a fast response as they usually provide the background information.

Veterans UK is part of Defence Business Services (DBS) within the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and administers the Armed Forces Pension Schemes serving around 900,000 members of the armed forces community. It also administers compensation payments for those injured or bereaved through service and provides a package of welfare support for the armed forces community via a national Armed Forces Community Welfare Service and armed forces community helpline facility. More information can be found here.

SSAFA Forces help provide financial, practical and emotional assistance to anyone that is currently serving or who has ever served in the Army, Navy or RAF, and their families. 

SSAFA's contact telephone number: 0207 463 9354.

SSAFA also provides a number of services for retirement-age veterans, helping with both domestic and emotional needs including help with mobility, loss and access to critical domestic goods for families in need. https://www.ssafa.org.uk/get-help/supporting-older-veterans

SSAFA also provides FORCESLINE which is a confidential helpline by phoning 0800 731 4880 (from 9am to 5.00pm, Monday to Friday) which provides access to a team of advisors for veterans and their families who can provide support with isolation, debt-related problems and signposting to specialist services.

The Poppy Factory supports veterans with health conditions and their families into employment, helping them overcome any barriers. Four out of five of the veterans we work with report a mental health condition. Whatever their situation, and whatever they are going through, our employment team is on hand to offer one-to-one support. 

There are many local services available for ex-armed forces or people currently serving in our armed forces; based in Liverpool, Sefton, Warrington, St Helens, Knowsley and Halton.

Below are some that we work closely with. This list is not exhaustive, and you may wish to search for services particular to your area.

Liverpool Veterans HQ is a registered charity dedicated to helping ex-armed forces personnel, reservists, and their families. Veterans HQ is now recognised as the single point of contact for all veteran’s needs. Veterans, reservists and their families can gain access to employment support, education, training, housing support and health referrals. The Veterans HQ team can offer advice and guidance on housing, employment and family support. They have in-house mental health counsellors, a community engagement team, plus caseworkers and admin support, who are all here to serve our armed forces

Tom Harrison House provides an award winning 12-week addiction recovery programme exclusively for military veterans, reservists, emergency personnel, and their families and is the only service of its kind in the UK.

Veterans in Sefton have a team of over 20 volunteers working alongside full time staff at the Brunswick Youth and Community Centre (“the Brunny”) from 9.00am to 5.00pm, Monday to Friday. They provide ex-service personnel, reservists and their families help and advice with housing, employment, drug and alcohol dependency, financial problems and mental health issues.

We are part of the Armed Forces Covenant.