We are a recovery-focused community mental health service with teams based in Lowestoft to support residents with complex mental health needs in Waveney, and in Great Yarmouth to support those living in the Great Yarmouth area. 

Our service offers you an assessment of your mental health needs, treatment options and community support. With co-production at the heart of what we do, your opportunities include access to our busy Recovery College, day services, peer worker support plus help for families and access to other partner agencies. 

In Waveney, where the section 75 agreement with Suffolk County Council is in place, this also includes, as part of service delivery, your social care needs being considered as part of your needs-led assessment. 

What conditions do you treat?

We provide assessment and treatment for those with complex mental health issues.

What age range does this service treat?

For people over 25 years of age.

What geographical area does this service cover?

Great Yarmouth and Waveney. 

Family, partners and friends can be important supporters for us all. As a service, we offer opportunities to look after the significant supporter in our lives through access to all our Recovery College courses, but where there are also specific courses available that aim to help increase understanding.

Within Waveney, as part of the section 75 agreement with Suffolk County Council, you will have access to a carer’s assessment via our dedicated carer assessors. 

In Great Yarmouth, as our colleagues in Norfolk County Council are co-located with the team we can ensure needs are identified to them quickly. 

Both teams are keen to hear what support family and friends need to help you achieve the outcomes you want. 

We are lucky to have proactive service user and carer forums who are keen to welcome you. Via our service user and carer hub, everyone is invited to support the good development of service delivery.  

​What are the referral criteria?

You will likely have been identified as having a complex mental health problem, which perhaps your GP or other health or social care provider feels may benefit from assessment and advice from our secondary mental health service.

How can people get referred to this service? 

Usually people are referred by their GP. But other health, social care or statutory providers can also refer to us. We will always inform you and your referrer of the outcome of your referral, and, if it was not your GP who referred you, we will always inform them also, as any ongoing treatment we may recommend will need to be supported by them.

What to expect when referred

On the day of receipt of your referral, one of our senior clinicians will call you to discuss the issues raised by you to your GP or other agency, so please be aware that we will be calling and please ensure your GP or person who is referring you provides us with the correct number to call you on. The caller will be one of our senior members of the team. This assessment may result in our needing to see you face to face to continue our understanding of your needs. At this point, a doctor or psychologist may also be present to ensure your treatment options are fully explored for you from the beginning.

This assessment forms the basis of your recovery plan which we will develop or co-produce and agree with you. It could be that you will need to be taken on by our service to enable you to develop your skills or understanding through our various resources to assist you in how to better manage your problems independently. Or perhaps we can enable you to access help from a more appropriate source that is available.

Once accepted into our service, any interventions are time limited, as we want to ensure we are enabling you in a recovery-focused manner. We hold regular reviews, in order to ensure all opportunities to work with you on achieving your goals are explored and so enabling your independence.

Waveney Recovery Team at Victoria House, Alexandra Road, Lowestoft

Team Leader: Sharon Rose Duke

Service telephone number: 01502 532100

Office hours: Monday to Friday, 9-5

Car parking: We have no parking facilities, but there are a number of large pay and display car parks nearby. We are a 10-minute walk from the bus and railway station.

Eastern Recovery Team at the Resource Centre, Northgate Hospital, Great Yarmouth

Team Leader: Luis Fittipaldi

Service telephone number: 01493 337648

Office hours: Monday to Friday, 9-5

Car parking: There is parking on the site, but it can be full as a number of services are based here.

Buses stop right outside the hospital.

If you are not open to our teams, you can also call our dedicated access admin staff on 01493 337958.

Out of Hours

Please call the 111 service.

If it is an emergency and people are in immediate danger, call 999 for an ambulance.

Samaritans, on 116 123, are also an invaluable support.