Sheffield Mental Health Citizens Advice Bureau (originally known as Middlewood CAB) was set up as an independent advice centre in 1976 to provide a service to the patients and staff at Middlewood Hospital.  With the closure of the hospital in line with the government’s policies of Community Care, the Bureau moved into Nether Edge Hospital (now the Michael Carlisle Centre) in the south of the city with an outreach at the Longley Centre in the North.

The Michael Carlisle Centre and Longley Centre sites are primarily inpatient units.  People are seen on the wards or in the interview rooms.  Most of the enquiries are to do with people’s money while they are in hospital, including benefits and debt.  We also give advice on housing and relationship problems.

Referrals are often taken from nursing staff and social workers, with whom we work closely at the patient’s request.

Patients who have used our service while in hospital often return to use the bureau after they have been discharged.  We also have a mobile service which customised vehicle that visits outreach sites such as St Wilfrid’s Day Centre (see Advice - Accessing our service for more information).

2002 saw us expand our service with the addition of our advocacy service, which provides a 'voice' for people to have their say about the care they receive from mental health services - see general mental health advocacy for more info.

In 2006, we celebrated 30 years of operation with many highs such as the introduction of the advocacy service in 2002 and the Mobile Service and lows, the fire at Hillsborough and having to reduce our mobile service due to funding running out for that service at that time (click on the diagram above for further details).