Emergency Duty Service (EDS)

Children and adult social care and mental health

The Emergency Duty Team (EDT) provides an out-of-hours service for children, families and adults who need urgent social care, mental health and emergency housing support when regular offices are closed. 

We are available on:

  • weekdays: Monday to Thursday, 5pm to 9am
  • weekends: Friday at 5pm to Monday at 9am
  • Bank holidays: service runs continuously until 9am on the next working day

We are here to make sure that people in crisis receive timely advice, support, and intervention when it cannot safely wait until the next working day.

If there is immediate danger, please call emergency services (999) in the first instance or NHS 111 if it is a health-related issue.

If you have an urgent social care, mental health and emergency housing support please call the EDS on 01344 351999.

Non-urgent enquiries

Non-urgent enquiries and issues should be raised with the relevant local authority social services and housing teams during daytime office hours. EDS is run on behalf of 6 Berkshire councils. These are:

  • Bracknell Forest
  • Reading
  • Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead
  • Slough
  • West Berkshire
  • Wokingham

When to contact the EDS

You should contact the EDS if:

  • a child or adult is at immediate risk of harm, neglect, or abuse
  • there is a mental health crisis requiring urgent intervention
  • a vulnerable person is unable to care for themselves and has no immediate support
  • a carer has become suddenly unavailable, leaving someone at risk
  • urgent safeguarding concerns arise outside normal working hours
  • you need advice about a serious situation that cannot wait until the next working day

What we do

The EDS will:

  • assess urgent social care and mental health situations
  • provide advice and guidance to individuals, families, and professionals
  • arrange emergency support or interventions where necessary
  • work with health services, police, and other agencies
  • respond to safeguarding concerns and take appropriate action

Our focus is on managing immediate risk and ensuring safety until daytime services resume.

During periods of high demand urgent cases will be prioritised. There may be a delay, but we will get back to you as soon as we can.

All our telephone phone calls are recorded for quality assurance and training purposes.

Your personal information will be held in accordance with Data Protection Legislation.