Support

Following admission to Sanctuary Ward, service users will have their medications reviewed and other interventions will be considered and, where appropriate, put into place.

“The staff here are the salt of the earth and my thanks cannot be enough to express how wonderful they are. Thank you everybody for your help when I needed it most.”Service user, Cygnet Hospital Harrogate

The service has a full MDT including three consultant psychiatrists, ward doctors, a therapy team including group and activities coordinators and nursing therapists. There are a range of therapies available and all service users can access a minimum of 25 hours’ therapy a week. There is a comprehensive programme of both group and individual therapies available in:

• Alcohol abuse
• Coping mechanisms
• Anger management
• Stress reducing techniques

Where a person is not able to leave the ward to attend therapy sessions or a structured group, activity coordinators are based on the ward and can support individuals to engage in ward-based activities.

Admissions are usually short-term but we can support people longer-term if they require extra support while an alternative service is found. Our aim is to help people learn how to manage their mental health before returning home.

Facilities

Each individual admitted to Sanctuary Ward has their own bedroom with en-suite bathroom. There is also a communal sitting room and ward kitchenette.

The Catering Team provide for all dietary requirements, and individuals can choose to eat their meals in the dining room, where waiter service is provided, or on the ward.

Our service user profile:

• Women, aged 18+
• May be informal or detained under the Mental Health Act
• Experiencing an acute episode of mental illness requiring a crisis admission
• Diagnoses may include:
  • Acute mental illness
  • Acute depressive illness
  • Psychosis
  • Schizophrenia
  • Bi-polar disorder
  • Personality disorder
  • Dual diagnosis
• May present with co-morbid presentations:
  • Self-harm
  • Substance misuse issues
  • Complex needs