On arrival

On arrival you will be welcomed by a member of the ward team who will show you around and show you where your bedroom is located. You will be given a copy of a Welcome Guide for your ward and be advised who your Named Nurse is.

Named Nurse

Your Named Nurse is a trained nurse who will help you in putting together your care plan. Your care plan will help work out what needs you have, what treatment goals you may have and how we can work together to meet those needs. Your Named Nurse will arrange times with you throughout your stay to review your progress.

Who you will meet

Our approach is a multi-disciplinary one. This means that care and treatment is provided by a team of professionals including doctors, nurses, support workers, occupational therapists, pharmacists and psychologists.

Our staff are committed to giving time to you and your relatives and carers.

Your assessment

The first 24 hours of your stay  are very important. Your need will be assessed to see how we can best help you, during your stay.

Our main aim is to continually care for you and your needs, your family, friends and or carers. We offer person centred  care planning. This means that we can work together to find your strengths and work on personal goals.

These will include:
An assessment of your mental state - this involves us talking with you and monitoring your activity in this difficult time. In some cases we may need to be with you at all times to provide you with a suitable amount of care to keep you safe (this is not always the case).

A risk assessment and care plan - this helps to support your safety.  We aim to keep you as safe as possible and appreciate this can feel frightening. We will create with you a plan of care called a ‘care plan’ to find the best ways we can help you stay safe and recover with us. Your care plan will focus on all aspects of your life from relationships to where you live as there are many areas that will have an impact on your wellbeing. You will receive a copy of your care plan. If you have no community support then a referral will be made to your local community mental health team and appropriate support will be allocated to you. You will be seen by a community worker within seven days after discharge.

A physical healthcare assessment - this involves being examined by a doctor and includes various tests, such as blood pressure, blood tests and urine sample testing. Some medications require these tests to be done regularly. 

Within 72 hours of your arrival we will carry out a detailed assessment of your needs. We will continue to monitor your needs throughout your stay and will regularly review and update your care plan accordingly.

Levels of engagement and supportive observation - We have a responsibility to support you and the frequency will depend on your level of distress and safety and how safe you are feeling at that time. You may hear this referred to as ‘level of obs’ or ‘obs’ for short or ‘intentional rounding’ or ‘IR’. The levels are regularly reviewed to be the most supportive for when you need them. There are four different levels, as follows:

• Level 1 – we need to know your whereabouts once an hour when you are on the ward, including at night.
• Level 2 - intermittently throughout each hour at times agreed in your care plan. These can change to reflect how you are feeling and you could be checked every five minutes to every 30 minutes.
• Level 3 - offers a higher level of support, with at least one nurse staying with you all the time. We share this care, so there are staff changes hourly.
• Level 4 – offers close and constant support and engagement, which means someone would be with you at all times, even during personal care to help you feel safe. We share this care so staff will change hourly.

You will always be informed of your level of observation.