Men's Mental Health - low secure

A low secure rehabilitation and recovery service in Northampton for men aged 18-65 with complex mental health needs.

Bayley ward is a 10 bed service which is part of our male forensic care pathway. It acts as a step down from our male medium secure wards to consolidate the process of recovery and build on the work previously undertaken. The ward is needs led with specialist treatment and rehabilitation for working age men with a complex mental health need.

The ward is located in Isham House, which is on the main Northampton hospital site, close to local amenities and a 10 minutes walk to the local town centre.

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Admissions criteria

Spencer North supports males aged between 18 to 65 years old with a primary diagnosis of mental illness. Males admitted may also have a comorbidity of mental illness with:

bipolar disorder
paranoid schizophrenia
psychosis
borderline intellectual impairment
development disorders.

Patients are likely to have a forensic history and will need to be detained under the Mental Health Act 1983. We often take patient direct from prison or the wider criminal justice system. These criteria are a guide for assessing suitability. Each patient will be individually assessed by our dedicated team.

Treatment and care

Bayley is designed to support the step down of males from our medium secure services, however the ward can equally support males who require admission from other secure services to continue their treatment and rehabilitation.

Males on Bayley will continue rehabilitation programmes that work to help them address any index offences, such as sex offences or fire setting. Rehabilitation programmes will also help males to understand their mental health needs and support them to develop the coping skills necessary to overcome difficult situations or periods which could trigger behaviours that challenge themselves or others.

The psychological therapies continue from our medium secure services and include Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) and offence related interventions. In addition to this, supportive psychological therapies include coping skills, problem solving and understanding needs. Each of these activities and treatment interventions are based on a thorough understanding of an individual's wants, needs and goals.

Treatment on the ward typically consists of three stages:

Stage 1: The clinical team work with the male to help achieve physical and emotional stabilisation.

Stage 2: The clinical team aim to encourage the male to engage in therapies to develop coping mechanisms that help regulate behaviour and emotions.

Stage 3: The clinical team focus on integration and recovery which includes relapse prevention, further self-understanding and resilience building to assist in the transition to a lower setting or community placements.

A broad range of activities are also offered to males as part of a comprehensive activity and holistic treatment programme. Activities range from sports to arts and crafts and are situated both on and off the ward in order to challenge learnt skills in different scenarios.

Treatment interventions on Bayley ward aim to equip a male with a thorough understanding of their mental health needs and the skills required to live the life they wish to outside of a hospital setting.

Facilities

Bayley is a modern environment which provides a homely space for the treatment and rehabilitation of males.

The ward is located in the centre of our Northampton campus, surrounded by wide open spaces. It has outdoor gyms, football pitches and tennis courts close by, and is set within 160 acres of green space that patients can explore.

Our Northampton campus is a ten minute walk to the Northampton town centre and next to Northampton's general hospital.

On the ward there, males have their own bedroom with en-suite bathroom. There are therapy areas including crafts, information technology (IT) skills, kitchens and vocational rehabilitation, a fitness suite, large enclosed courtyard and garden, café, library, chillax room and a family visiting suite.

Many patients develop well at St Andrew's, building their skills and interests to attend Workbridge, which is located next to St Andrew's Healthcare and which provides a range of vocational opportunities in which to develop work and life skills as part of a male's therapy programme.

Next steps

For males on Bayley ward the aim is to support their understanding and development to such an extend that they will be able to successfully discharge from hospital and live their lives within a community setting. This is something which is discussed between relevant parties upon admission.