Leeds Survivor-Led Crisis Service

What Leeds Survivor-Led Crisis Service does

Leeds Survivor-Led Crisis Service (LSLCS) is a UK registered charity (charity number 1075160) founded in 1999 that delivers free, survivor-led mental health crisis support across Leeds and West Yorkshire. Its operating model is distinguished by staff and volunteers with lived experience of mental health crisis, including Deaf BSL users serving Deaf service users and BAME staff serving BAME communities. The portfolio spans eleven distinct services across adult and children/young-people segments: Dial House (face-to-face sanctuary), Connect Helpline (adults 18+), Safe Zone, Safe Phone (formerly Teen Connect, 11-18 year olds), Night OWLS Helpline (West Yorkshire and Barnsley), Leeds OASIS Crisis House, and specialist provision for Deaf (Deaf Connect, Deaf Support Group) and BAME (Dial House @Touchstone in partnership with Touchstone since October 2013) communities, plus peer support groups including Sisterhood.

The underlying operating model is trauma-informed, person-centred crisis support delivered through physical locations (Dial House at 12 Chapel Street, Halton, Leeds; OASIS Crisis House; Touchstone venue) and remote channels including telephone, BSL/text, and FaceTime. There is no proprietary technology platform; the 'technology' is the methodology, the trained workforce, and the partner network. No AI/ML capabilities are deployed. Distribution is multi-channel and region-specific, with evening and overnight operating hours targeting moments of acute crisis.

The revenue model is non-commercial by design: all crisis services are free to users. Income derives from charitable grants and statutory funding (primary), individual and organisational donations (secondary), and a small emerging commercial stream comprising training and consultancy services and venue hire of Dial House. The GTM is community-led, relying on self-referral, partnerships with NHS and mental health service providers (Leeds Mind, Touchstone), and organic social media/content marketing (Facebook, X, blog, podcast, newsletter). In April 2024 a funding reduction triggered staffing-hour cuts and service modifications, signalling a defensive period operationally despite 25+ years of stable provision.

Name

Leeds Survivor-Led Crisis Service

Legal name

Leeds Survivor-Led Crisis Service

Website

https://lslcs.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Leeds Survivor-Led Crisis Service is a UK charity founded in 1999 providing free, survivor-led mental health crisis support across Leeds and West Yorkshire through helplines, face-to-face sanctuaries, and culturally specific services for Deaf and BAME communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental Health Crisis Support Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Individual and Family Services (6241), Child and Youth Services (624110), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGAEAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs) & Public Behavioral Health Providers (HLAFACAI)

Keywords

• Mental health crisis support
• Survivor-led services
• Crisis helpline services
• Peer support groups
• Trauma-informed counselling

Headquarters

HQ city

Leeds

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Funding and Grants: LSLCS is a registered UK charity (number 1075160) funded through grants and charitable funding. The organization receives funding from various sponsors and funders as shown on their website. Funding sources include statutory funders and grant-making bodies.
2. Donations: The organization accepts donations from individuals and organizations to support their crisis services.
3. Training and Consultancy Services: LSLCS offers training and consultancy services, with a dedicated section on their website for 'Training and Consultancy' under Additional Services, including awards and hiring Dial House options.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

LSLCS provides free, survivor-led mental health crisis support services for adults, children and young people, Deaf BSL users, and BAME communities across Leeds and West Yorkshire. Services include face-to-face sanctuary at Dial House, telephone/text/BSL/FaceTime helplines (Connect, Safe Phone, Night OWLS, Deaf Connect), crisis house support at Leeds OASIS, and peer support groups (Sisterhood, LGBT+ groups). All services are delivered free of charge through a trauma-informed, person-centred approach rooted in lived experience of mental health crisis.

Product overview

Leeds Survivor-Led Crisis Service (LSLCS) operates as a multi-service mental health crisis charity founded in 1999. The organization provides a portfolio of distinct crisis support services including Dial House (face-to-face crisis sanctuary), the Connect Helpline (adults 18+), Safe Phone/Teen Connect (young people 11-18), Leeds OASIS Crisis House, and specialized services for BAME communities (Dial House @Touchstone), Deaf communities (Deaf Services including Deaf Connect), and women from marginalised backgrounds (Sisterhood). All services are delivered through a survivor-led, person-centred, trauma-informed approach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Dial House: Main crisis support service providing sanctuary and support in times of crisis for adults
• Dial House @Touchstone
• Safe Zone
• Safe Phone
• Connect Helpline
• Leeds OASIS Crisis House
• Night OWLS Helpline
• Deaf Connect
• Sisterhood

Products and services

• Dial House A sanctuary and crisis support service providing face-to-face emotional support during times of mental health crisis for adults in Leeds and West Yorkshire.
• Dial House @Touchstone A culturally specific crisis support service for people from Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities in Leeds, operated in partnership with Touchstone.
• Leeds OASIS Crisis House A crisis house providing intensive out-of-hours support for individuals in Leeds experiencing acute mental health crisis.
• Deaf Services Specialist mental health crisis support services for Deaf people using British Sign Language (BSL), including Deaf Connect and the Deaf Support Group.
• Peer Support Groups Various peer support groups including the Sisterhood group for women and non-binary people from culturally diverse communities, and LGBT+ and Trans & Non-binary groups.
• Safe Zone Crisis support service for children and young people, providing a safe space during difficult times.
• Safe Phone (formerly Teen Connect)

Quantifiable outcome

• £9.69 social return for every £1 invested

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• TouchstonecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2013Dial House @Touchstone is a partnership between LSLCS and Touchstone, a BAME-specialist organization with over 30 years of experience. Touchstone brings expertise in supporting people from Black and Minority Ethnic communities, while LSLCS contributes crisis care expertise. The service opened 1st October 2013 to address under-representation of BAME communities in community mental health services. All staff at DH@T are from BAME backgrounds.
• Leeds MindcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLSLCS works in partnership with Leeds Mind as part of the network of mental health services in Leeds. Simon Richardson, Operations Director, is involved in partnerships working with Leeds Mind.
• NHS PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOASIS service maintains strong relationships with NHS partners to ensure effective support for those accessing the service. The organization works in partnership with statutory services while maintaining its position as a radical, different and alternative service.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Together for Mental Wellbeing: National UK mental health charity providing personalized support, advocacy, and crisis services. Comparable as a national mental health support provider with similar person-centred and community-based ethos, though broader scope than LSLCS.
• Sane: UK mental health charity providing helpline, text, and online support for people affected by mental illness, including crisis. Comparable as a national non-statutory crisis support provider with similar funding model and emotional support focus.

Direct peers

• SignHealth: UK Deaf health charity providing mental health services, advocacy, and crisis support in British Sign Language. Highly comparable to LSLCS's Deaf Services and Deaf Connect offering, addressing the same Deaf community access gap in mental health provision.
• Samaritans: UK-wide charity providing 24/7 emotional support via helpline and email to people in distress or at risk of suicide. Directly comparable as a volunteer-led crisis support provider offering a non-clinical, non-judgmental alternative to statutory services, with similar funding and operational model.
• The Mix: UK charity providing multi-channel support (helpline, webchat, text, peer support) for under-25s on mental health, relationships, and crisis. Directly comparable to LSLCS's Safe Zone, Safe Phone, and Night OWLS services for children and young people.
• Mind (Leeds Mind / national Mind): Leeds Mind is a named LSLCS partner and operates in the same mental health ecosystem in Leeds. National Mind advocates for and provides mental health services across England and Wales, with comparable crisis support, counselling, and peer support offerings.
• Childline (NSPCC): National UK helpline for children and young people in distress, providing free, confidential support 24/7. Comparable to LSLCS's Safe Phone and Night OWLS services in target population (under-18s) and crisis helpline delivery model.
• CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably): UK charity offering crisis support, particularly helpline and webchat, for people experiencing suicidal thoughts or emotional distress. Comparable as a non-statutory, community-funded crisis intervention service with strong brand recognition.

Regional players

• Touchstone: Leeds-based BAME-specialist mental health organization with 30+ years of experience; LSLCS's named partner for Dial House @Touchstone. Comparable as a regional mental health provider serving BAME communities, with overlapping service population and co-delivery model.

Emerging players

• Hub of Hope: UK mental health service directory and support platform connecting individuals to local and national mental health resources, including crisis support. Comparable as a digital-first entry point to mental health services, representing the digital channel LSLCS has not yet built.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LSLCS
• Facebookfacebook.com/leeds.survivor.led
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/leeds-survivor-led-crisis-services

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Leeds Survivor-Led Crisis Service