South Older People’s Community Service - Norfolk

  • Our South Older People’s Community Service offers assessment, diagnosis and post diagnostic support to those people living or thought to be living with a cognitive decline. Referral to our service is through your GP. We also support older people (aged 75 and over) living with a range of psychotic and non-psychotic symptoms. Our service covers the Central South Norfolk area of the county.

  • Service Manager Lead: Danny Wilcox
  • Service Contact: Telephone on 01953 611002 (select option 1)
  • Address:
    Gateway House,  Unit 1,  Gateway11 Business Park,  Farrier Close, Wymondham, NR18 0WF
  • Service hours: This service is open from Monday to Friday between 09:00 and 17:00 hours.

What this service offers

Referred people receive an initial assessment within 28 days of referral. This is for a functional illness. They also receive a memory assessment within 18 weeks of referral. We offer an appointment at the earliest opportunity. We also provide a care co-ordinator.

Our South Older People’s Community Service offers:

  • assessment and diagnosis
  • care co-ordination
  • complex advanced care planning
  • complex risk management
  • complex treatments and therapies
  • consultation and advice
  • initiation of drugs for treatment of dementia
  • statutory functions.

The team offers clinic appointments at the Julian Hospital (Norwich) and Bickley (Attleborough). Clinic appointments are also available in Springwell (Dereham) and at Gateway (Wymondham). This is as well as seeing service users in their own homes.

Access this service

Referrals to this service come from GPs or primary care settings.

To be eligible to receive this service individuals will be living with dementia. Or they may have a mental health problem in later life where:

  • There is a need for memory assessment and diagnosis. This could include potential treatment with Cholinesterase medication
  • They suffer severe symptoms. This could include hallucinations or delusions which are causing significant distress
  • They show serious challenging behaviour. This would be as a result of their illness and places the person at significant risk of harm
  • They show serious challenging behaviour as a result of their illness. This places others at significant risk of harm or impact, including family carers
  • Their condition interferes with normal daily living either through self-neglect or disruptive behaviours
  • The vital activities of daily life are at risk but they refuse because of their mental condition
  • Their situation is particularly complex because of the interplay of various factors. These include a range of symptoms, environment and relationships with others
  • Timely specialist intervention may prevent admission to hospital or a care home.

Or, people will fulfil two or more of the above criteria and:

  • Their diagnosis is unclear, including unexplained sudden onset
  • Their medication may be causing problems
  • Physical health problems due to, or typical of, the ageing process. Especially any effects of prescribed medication on mental health, cognition, functioning and mobility
  • Psychosocial problems typical of ageing. This includes the impact of retirement, bereavement, frailty and loss of role
  • Complex diagnosis requiring the specific expertise of “old age” specialists. This includes the first onset of psychosis in later life
  • Direct effects of physical health on mental health.

Visiting and onsite facilities

Free car parking is available at all clinic sites used by the South Older People’s Service. We send a parking permit with appointment letters for the Julian Hospital.

All clinics have disabled access and disabled toilets.

How this service support carers including friends and family

This service offers carers, including friends and family the following:

  • Individual support
  • Access to an acceptance and commitment therapy group for carers
  • Facilitating a memory changes group
  • Identification of needs and requesting referrals to Admiral Nurse service
  • Signposting and empowering to other services. Or referring to other services if indicated following assessment
  • A specialist nurse for those in care homes.

Urgent help

If you are a service user and are in crisis and need support urgently you can contact your service on 01953 611 002.  

Call 111 and select the mental health option to speak to our 24 hour mental health crisis line.

If you are with someone who has attempted suicide, call 999 and stay with them until the ambulance arrives. 

If anyone is at serious risk of harm, call 999 and ask for the police. 

For non-life threatening medical situations, call NHS111 on 111.  

For more information, see Help in a Crisis.

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