Creating a better environment for patients
The Trust is celebrating the completion of a seven year programme of refurbishment at Arnold Lodge, its medium secure unit in Leicester.
The changes have taken place within the Male Mental Illness Service, which now has three wards offering modern, purpose built accommodation and facilities which complement the care and treatment provided, whilst complying with national medium secure standards.
The Service operates a three stage model of care to patients through Acute Admission and Assessment, High Dependency Treatment and Low Dependency Treatment and Rehabilitation.
Each ward caters for one of the stages of care and has been designed accordingly. For example, Rutland Ward, the acute admission and assessment ward, includes a seclusion suite and intensive care unit for patients who are experiencing severe distress and mental ill-health. The high dependency treatment ward, Foxton, focuses on the management of acute psychotic symptoms, which in some patients will create issues with risk to themselves and others. Therefore, the ward features a seclusion suite, a long term segregation suite with a specially designed communication wall.
Thornton Ward accommodates patients in the low dependency treatment and rehabilitation stage and reflects the fact that they may be on the ward for a longer period of time, but are of lower risk.
All of the wards have been designed to
- Provide well-lit and spacious environments, with bedrooms, day spaces, dining areas, therapy and activity areas, visiting and group rooms.
- Maximise observation, with careful consideration for staff, patient and visitor safety, whilst ensuring that privacy and dignity is not compromised
- Offer access to fresh air through courtyard areas for all patients including those who may be being cared for in the intensive care unit or long term segregation.
Both staff and patients in the service were involved in the refurbishment throughout, providing useful insight and opinions.
The Service is underpinned by the principles of Recovery; patients are provided with a wide range of opportunities and experiences to develop and maintain their skills. The multi-professional staff teams work in partnership with patients, their family, friends and carers to deliver a high quality service that centres on the promotion of independence, responsibility and an improved quality of life.
Patients have access to a range of therapeutic treatment programmes and additionally creative activities, horticulture, community rehabilitation programmes and the opportunity to gain educational and vocational skills and qualifications. The aim is to maximise patients’ chances of a successful discharge from Arnold Lodge to an appropriate onward placement whilst minimising any potential risks.
Trust colleagues, partners and commissioners recently attended a special event to tour the wards and hear about the care and treatment provided and the therapeutic and vocational opportunities to patients.
Ruth Hawkins, Chief Executive of the Trust said: “It is great to see the end result of this programme of change; it really has made a huge difference to the environment and will enable us to deliver the best possible care to patients. I want to thank the staff who are so passionate about the work they do at Arnold Lodge, but also the patients in the Male Mental Illness Service who have offered their valued input, but also put up with the upheaval of building works going on around them. This is a great facility and we should all be very proud of it.”
Arnold Lodge is part of Nottinghamshire Healthcare’s Forensic Services Division and provides care and treatment as part of a much larger network of services for mentally disordered offenders. It has 102 beds and provides inpatient, medium secure services for adults aged 18 and above. These individuals cannot be managed by general mental health or low secure services due to the seriousness of their index offence, levels of behavioural disturbance and potential for absconsion or escape.
Arnold Lodge has been consistently rated in the top 10 medium secure units in the country and last year was placed joint second out of 61 Medium Secure Units in England, Wales and Ireland.
AL Brochure - Male Mental Illness Service FINAL.pdf[pdf] 593KB
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