Forward Thinking Birmingham
Feedback Rating
Based on 64 reviews
Reviews (64)
Waiting to hear back from referral
June 9, 2023
The GP referred my children to Pause Forward Thinking Birmingham after a car accident. I'm still waiting to hear back from them
No autism awareness at any level
May 18, 2023
No autism awareness at any level. They offered no care because daughter didn’t communicate and after making complain to PALS we were discharged.
Not Fit For Purpose
Outpatients
January 24, 2023
My daughter aged 13 required support due to high levels of anxiety that effect her self esteem and affect her daily life. It creates physical symptoms such as diarrhoea before gong to school and waves of sickness. She talks about wanting to harm herself as a means of controlling her emotions. Last October we had to battle between our gp and Forward Thinking Birmingham. Neither would make or accept or request for services despite my daughters mental distress. In the end PALS were really helpful and this led to counselling being provided via citizen coaching. Only six sessions are provided but due to our daughters issues, the therapist secured two more but stated that she definately needs more. So back to the gp again who stated that she will be making an urgent referral which she did and requested
that FTB assign the same therapist who my daughter states made her feel safe and she feels she can trust. Today FTB referral team called to ask me all the same questions all over again like they did a few months ago, which they should have on file. I was then told that my daughter cannot be referred back to the service who provided therapy as all those referred require a three month cooling period. Am I in my right mind to question what stupidity is this. Who benefits from a break between therapy, who decided that policy, how is it in the best interest of children. What research is this based on. I can feel my own anxiety building again as I fear how this will impact on my daughters emotional wellbeing. Who can I turn to as it appears I'm not on my own in my attempts to seek help and support for my child. I paid for CBT for 9 months for my daughter in 2021 but this provided little help. I can't afford to pay anything now with the cost of everything going up. Do I try Pals again or is there somewhere else I can turn to??????
that FTB assign the same therapist who my daughter states made her feel safe and she feels she can trust. Today FTB referral team called to ask me all the same questions all over again like they did a few months ago, which they should have on file. I was then told that my daughter cannot be referred back to the service who provided therapy as all those referred require a three month cooling period. Am I in my right mind to question what stupidity is this. Who benefits from a break between therapy, who decided that policy, how is it in the best interest of children. What research is this based on. I can feel my own anxiety building again as I fear how this will impact on my daughters emotional wellbeing. Who can I turn to as it appears I'm not on my own in my attempts to seek help and support for my child. I paid for CBT for 9 months for my daughter in 2021 but this provided little help. I can't afford to pay anything now with the cost of everything going up. Do I try Pals again or is there somewhere else I can turn to??????
Not fit for purpose
Outpatients
November 21, 2022
Forward thinking Birmingham need intervention. There seems to be a lack of communication within the teams. There are a few nice staff working there who got compassion towards the vulnerable. My son went to FTB, to collect us medication. Usually it would be delivered by a worker who would have a quick chat with him and see how he’s doing. When he got to the Finch Road office, he was told they got no record of him. I told him to phone the number and speak to someone. When he called and was speaking to the nurse, I was very annoyed at the way she was speaking to him. I had to intervene in the conversation. That’s when her tone change and she started to assist him. They are aware he haven’t got any medication since Friday. It’s Monday today 17:05. He still haven’t got any medication. I telephone the community team and got a lovely lady. We spoke and she told me she will deliver it tomorrow, prior to speaking to her, I was told to let my son go back to Finch road to collect it.
FTB. Need to get rid of the workers who are only there for a paycheque, some of them got no compassion. My son relapse twice. One was due to is care coordinator not listening when I realise he’s relapsing. All this is the lack of care from some of the workers.
FTB. Need to get rid of the workers who are only there for a paycheque, some of them got no compassion. My son relapse twice. One was due to is care coordinator not listening when I realise he’s relapsing. All this is the lack of care from some of the workers.
They are not organized
September 16, 2022
I have been supporting my partner to access the mental health services there. However, they haven’t really been helpful. They are not organized and don’t communicate properly with service users. They have done 5 or so triages with different people before she was able to see a psychologist. Also their crisis team is not very helpful.
Absolute waste of time!!!!
September 15, 2022
My sons autistic and I have been told for over six years after numerous re-Referrals they’ll help with his anxiety.. he’s now becoming violent and aggressive to me and others!!! Went for a medical review and they did nothing due to him being calm for once, soon as I left, absolute carnage, I took him straight back and they prescribed him a medicine I explained makes him more aggressive, they said it’s your call whether he takes it or not… once I reported other behaviour to them, they said book another appointment.. the only forward thinking this organisation does is to when they can book another useless needless appointment so they can milk your child for whatever resource they can claim by dragging their heels and not actually helping your child’s needs!!! If you need help, go through your GP and initial diagnosis team as they’ve told me they do not paediatricians there, only paediatric medicine prescriptions doctors.. how can some one prescribe medicines to a child they say they can’t diagnose?? Total farce.
They don't care. Nobody there cares.
Outpatients
September 14, 2022
I'm 21 years old. I've been under FTB care since the age of 16. The ONLY way to get a shred of help is if I keep calling and calling and calling. Listening to the same pre-recorded messages day in, day out. It's taxing on my mental health but it's the only way to get someone to hear me. Once I'm actually through to someone, they treat me like a statistic on a system. They don't care about anything I have to say. They don't care about how I'n feeling. They just care about ticking boxes and ending the call/session as quickly as possible.
When I eventually end up getting a medical review, they tell me they'll contact me again in 6 weeks for a follow-up. MONTHS pass. I have to call continuously to get someone to book another appointment for me in the system.
They just don't care at all. Look at the reviews on various sites, this one included. A majority of them are poor, and it's been this way for years. Yet the service hasn't changed to offer patients a better experience.
If complaints meant anything to them, FTB wouldn't be operating at such a poor standard.
When I eventually end up getting a medical review, they tell me they'll contact me again in 6 weeks for a follow-up. MONTHS pass. I have to call continuously to get someone to book another appointment for me in the system.
They just don't care at all. Look at the reviews on various sites, this one included. A majority of them are poor, and it's been this way for years. Yet the service hasn't changed to offer patients a better experience.
If complaints meant anything to them, FTB wouldn't be operating at such a poor standard.
Great counsellor, no follow-up
Outpatients
April 8, 2022
I had a great experience with my therapy and my counsellor, but I felt like I was left abandoned as soon as the sessions finished. I needed immediate help afterwards, having to wait three months just doesn't cut it. I'm not being offered more support at all, I have no option but to wait, and I can't. It's horrible.
Very slow to respond to referrals
November 11, 2021
Very slow to respond to referrals and provide no communication during the waiting time making it very difficult to support family members in need of help.
Was given number via doctors..only 1 phone
November 9, 2021
No follow up
No appointments
No appointments
