Dewnans Centre

The Dewnans Centre, situated at the pinnacle of our stunning 111-acre Langdon site, is a contemporary facility housing 60 beds spread across four wards. In addition to the spacious accommodations, the centre offers an array of recreational, educational, and vocational amenities. These include a Sports Barn and Therapies Centre, providing individuals with ample opportunities for leisure, learning, and skill development.

Wards

The four wards at Dewnans Centre are:

• Ashcombe
• Holcombe
• Warren
• Cofton

It represents an investment of £27 million and offers an unparalleled environment in which to deliver high quality care, therapy and recreation.

It is designed to be a flexible facility, providing varying levels of security and different types of care as demand dictates. Its four wards support people on a ‘treatment pathway’ from acute emergency admissions through to long-term residential and step-down care as their health and wellbeing improves.

Although Dewnans Centre is a secure facility for men under constant supervision, the focus of its design is on unobtrusive security and flexibility to support and enable recovery.

It is designed very much to feel like a small village, with the Therapies Centre and recreational activities placed at the heart of everything. People pass through this central area on the way to and from wards and other parts of the facility, and this helps to create and sustain a sense of community and minimise any sense of isolation or separation.

As well as treatment rooms, the Therapies Centre includes 'heavy' and 'light' workshops, computing and library facilities, a music room and a café. Office and administration space has deliberately been housed separately, in the only part of the building that has a second storey.

The overall focus of care at the Dewnans Centre is upon personal recovery – supporting people to attain their goals, to achieve a sense of hope, opportunity and control and to move towards independence.

With every individual we follow a programme of personalised care planning. Professionals from different disciplines work with people to create a tailored programme of care. Nurses, psychologists, psychiatrists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, social workers and specialist sports and activity workers work together as a flexible and responsive team whose focus is not just mental health, but also physical, psychological and social wellbeing.

There are two separate arms of the building each housing two wards. With their own courtyard garden, TV lounge, laundry, interview rooms, offices, arts and crafts room, and dining room, each ward functions as a completely self-contained unit. However, if the need arises, neighbouring wards can work together as a team.

All of the bedrooms are en suite and offer views over the surrounding countryside. People sleep, eat and live on the wards, and go ‘out’ to the Therapies Centre, courtyard and the purpose-built Sports Barn.

The link between physical activity and mental health and wellbeing is well-documented. Sport and physical exercise are key elements of the programme at the Dewnans Centre and everyone is encouraged to participate in some way.

The Sports Barn in the central courtyard area is deliberately visible from almost every part of the building and its three-sided design means that it can be used in all weathers.

It offers a wide variety of activities including tennis, cricket, volleyball, badminton and five-a-side football.