Our Care Philosophy
The fundamental ethos of all of our services is based on a concept of rehabilitation, and our Clinical Governance team ensures that care is of the highest quality, protecting and nurturing our service users.
Our aim is to provide needs-led, CPA-supported specialised care for both men and women with mental health needs. We provide a continuum of treatment and care by embracing the principles of the recovery model.
As most of our patients admitted are detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 all residents are well-informed of their rights throughout their stay. We have a bank of specialist mental health lawyers available for service users if they wish, as well as an ongoing advocacy service.
Our care philosophy encourages service users to embrace increased levels of responsibility, replacing maladaptive behaviours with pro-social ones, alleviating psychiatric symptoms, building skills and reducing risk. As responsibility and interventions begin to provide clinical improvement and risk is reduced, service users are able to receive less restriction in their daily lives. Our department ensures that the safest environment is created for this activity to happen. Through our combination of medium and secure services, St Andrew’s is able to provide a continual care pathway through to community rehabilitation.
We ensure that all staff are fully trained, qualified and skilled in identifying and understanding the effects that our residents’ complex conditions may have on their treatment, as well as ensuring that they have the resources to assist, educate and facilitate patients in their rehabilitation towards an agreed optimal level of independence.
Upon admission, our initial treatment focuses on the management of disturbed behaviour and risk to self and others, moving through to the development of appropriate coping skills and self-management.
Every unit is supported by an extensive multi-disciplinary team, who undertake and extensive assessment and regular reviews of both residents and care pathways.
All of our services have signed up to the principles of person-centred planning, set out in the White Paper, Valuing People.