North Cumbria Asylum Seeker Service (NCASS) is a free NHS service. It helps adults seeking asylum, or new refugees, in North Cumbria with their mental health. Using NCASS will not affect your asylum claim.
We are here to listen and help you get the right mental health support. Our service is free, private and will not affect your asylum claim.
North Cumbria Asylum Seeker Service (NCASS) is an NHS service to help people seeking asylum living in North Cumbria.
We provide:
- Support with mental health
- Access to a range of mental health services
- One to one support
For you to feel confident to contact NCASS, you should know that NCASS:
- Is a free NHS service – there is no cost
- Is judgement-free
- Will not affect your claim for asylum
NCASS supports adults aged 18 and over who:
- Are seeking asylum or have been granted refugee status within the last 6 months
- Plan to stay in the local area for at least the next four weeks
- Are not already receiving help from a specialist mental health team, such as the Community Treatment Team, also called a (CTT)
- Need support with your mental health
- Are registered with a local GP (doctor) – or need help to register with one.
NCASS supports adults aged 18 and over who:
- Are seeking asylum or have been granted refugee status within the last 6 months
- Plan to stay in the local area for at least the next four weeks
- Are not already receiving help from a specialist mental health team, such as the Community Treatment Team, also called a (CTT)
- Need support with your mental health
- Are registered with a local GP (doctor) – or need help to register with one.
NCASS supports adults aged 18 and over who:
- Are seeking asylum or have been granted refugee status within the last 6 months
- Plan to stay in the local area for at least the next four weeks
- Are not already receiving help from a specialist mental health team, such as the Community Treatment Team, also called a (CTT)
- Need support with your mental health
- Are registered with a local GP (doctor) – or need help to register with one.
You can ask to use NCASS yourself. A professional can also refer you to the service.
A referral can be made by:
- You
- Your GP or another health worker
- Your case worker
- A staff member or volunteer from a local support organisation
To make a referral email: cmb-ncasylumseekerservice
Please include:
- Your name
- Your date of birth, if you know it
- Your phone number
- Your preferred language
- The best way and time to contact you
- A short reason why you would like support from NCASS
If you need an interpreter, please tell us the language you prefer. We will arrange this for you.
After you contact us, a member of the team will talk with you about what support you need and arrange an appointment if NCASS is the right service for you.
Your first appointment/assessment
At your first appointment, you will meet with a mental health worker. You can bring a friend or family member with you.
They will:
- Ask you about yourself and how you are feeling
- Ask about your physical and mental health now and in the past.
You do not have to talk about traumatic or very upsetting things have happened in detail, unless you feel ready.
Ongoing support
If the service is right for you, the team will work with you to agree a plan of support. This plan will be based on your needs and goals.
Support may include regular appointments, help with managing your mental health, and advice about other services that could support you. Appointments may take place at a clinic, in your home, or by phone or video call.
The team will work closely with you and, where appropriate, other health and care professionals involved in your care.
Reviews and discharge
Your support will be reviewed regularly to make sure it is helping you. You will be involved in these reviews and can talk about what is working well or what may need to change.
You may be supported by different people, depending on what help you need.
This may include:
- A mental health professional from NCASS
- Your GP or another health worker
- An interpreter, if you need one
- Other services that are helping with your care
We will talk with you about who is involved in your care. We will only share information when it is needed to support you, keep you or someone else safe, or when the law says we must.
We will work with you to understand what support you need. Your care and treatment will be based on your mental health needs, your goals and what matters to you.
We will explain any support we offer and talk with you about your choices. You can ask questions at any time.
You will be involved in decisions about your care. If you want, you can bring someone you trust to your appointments.
If your needs change, we will talk with you about changing your support plan or linking you with another service.
If you are feeling very sad, worried, scared, anxious, angry or upset, you may find it helpful to talk to NCASS.
Asylum seekers and refugees often have difficult experiences that can affect their mental health. They may be more likely to feel:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Taking care of your mental health is important. It can help you feel better now and support your well-being in the future.
We understand that family members, carers, or other people who support you may be important to your recovery.
With your permission, the team can involve your family, carers, or supporters in your care. This may include inviting them to appointments or sharing information that helps them support you.
We will always respect your choices and your right to privacy. Information will only be shared with others if you agree, unless there is a serious concern about safety.
Carers may also be offered information and signposting to services that can support them in their caring role. A range of resources are available at www.
Appointments
Appointments are usually arranged by NCASS.
This may be by letter, phone call, text message, or other agreed method.
Appointments may take place at a clinic, in your home, or by phone or video call, depending on your needs and what has been agreed with you.
If you can’t attend an appointment
If you can’t attend an appointment, please contact the team as soon as possible to let us know. This helps us offer the appointment to someone else and arrange another time for you.
If you miss appointments without letting the team know, it may affect the support we are able to offer.
Contacting the Team
The team will explain the best way to contact them and the hours they are available. This may include phone or email.
If you need help outside of these hours or in an emergency, you should contact your GP, NHS 111, your local crisis service, or call 999.
NCASS is not an emergency service. If you need urgent help with your mental health, contact your GP, NHS 111, or go to your nearest Emergency Department. If there is an immediate risk to life, call 999.
Being involved in decisions
You have the right to be involved in decisions about your care and treatment. The team will listen to you, explain your options, and answer any questions you may have.
We will work with you to agree what support is right for you, based on your needs, wishes, and goals.
Consent and confidentiality
Your information is kept private and confidential. This means we do not share information about you without your permission.
We will ask for your consent before sharing information with family members, carers, or other services, unless there is a serious concern about safety.
You can ask questions at any time about how your information is used.
Interpreters, accessibility, and reasonable adjustments
We want to make sure you can access our service in a way that works best for you.
Interpreters can be provided if you need support with language or communication. Information can also be made available in other formats, such as large print, easy read or other languages.
Please tell the team if you need any reasonable adjustments, such as extra time during appointments or support with attending appointments.
Everyone is different, so the support you receive will depend on your needs.
Your NCASS practitioner may suggest:
- A referral to another team, such as a Community Treatment Team, Crisis Team or NHS Talking Therapies
- A letter to your GP (doctor) to recommend any medical tests or treatment for your mental health
- Information about local groups and activities that could support your well-being
- Information about other health services you might need
- Extra NCASS sessions (up to four more) to give you short-term mental health support – this can be reviewed if needed.
We also run regular drop-in sessions across North Cumbria. To find out where and when these take place visit: www.
NCASS is here to support your mental health, but there are some things we cannot help with:
- We do not give you medication
- We do not help with physical health problems (including dental care)
- We do not provide support with:
- Problems with where you live
- Legal problems
- Age checks
- Asylum claim
However, we can give you information about other services that can help with these issues.
If NCASS is not the right service for you, we will try to tell you about other services that may be able to help.
You can talk to a staff member or use the contacts listed below. See other ways to give feedback.
Your Voice
You can use this email to tell us what you think about your care. This can be good or bad. You can also ask us to tell you what happens after you send feedback.
Email: yourvoice
Comments and complaints
If something went wrong, please tell us. This will help us improve services.
Email: complaints
Telephone: 0191 245 6672
Write to: Complaints Department, Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust, St Nicholas Hospital, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 3XT.
Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)
PALS offer a free, confidential service. They can help if you are worried about your care. They support patients, families and carers.
PALS North of Tyne
(services in Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland and North Cumbria)
Email: pals
Telephone: 0800 032 0202
PALS South of Tyne
(services in Sunderland, Gateshead, South Tyneside and Lotus Ward, Middlesbrough)
Email: pals
Telephone: 0800 328 4397
To make a referral, please email: cmb-ncasylumseekerservice
You can get more information about this leaflet from the Patient Information Centre. This includes how the leaflet was made. We can provide this leaflet in other formats. These include Braille, audio, large print, Easy Read, British Sign Language, and other languages.
We welcome your feedback about this leaflet. You can email pic
Published by the Patient Information Centre
2026 Copyright: Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust
Ref: PIC/936/0826 August 2026 V1
Review date 2029
Website: www.