Asking enough without clinical triage

Escalation often depends on a few clear facts. Reception staff should collect information that enables local processes to act, but must not interpret risk, diagnose, counsel or decide that a described crisis is safe.

Factual questions record what the person has said, where they are, whether they can be contacted, and whether anyone is in immediate danger. Clinical risk assessment would require judging intent, capacity, diagnosis, protective factors or likelihood of harm. Local scripts should keep staff on the factual side of that boundary.

Factual questions may include

• "What words has the person used?"
• "Are they with you now?"
• "Where are they at the moment?"
• "What is the safest number to call back on if the line drops?"
• "Has anyone already called 999, 111, the crisis team or another urgent service?"
• "Are there children, dependants or anyone else at immediate risk?" where local protocol asks for this information.

Avoid drifting into clinical judgement

• Do not assess whether the person "really means it".
• Do not ask detailed counselling questions unless they form part of an approved local script.
• Do not promise confidentiality where safety concerns may require escalation.
• Do not give clinical reassurance that the person can wait for a routine appointment.
• Do not negotiate risk alone if the person refuses the urgent route or hangs up.

Question boundary

Ask enough to make escalation safe, but do not turn factual information-gathering into mental health risk assessment.