Our low secure services provide intensive rehabilitation designed to support individuals to move safely along their care pathway in a safe environment. There is a dynamic programme of therapy and activity, designed to support the transition between inpatient services and the community.

The aim of our secure services is to help individuals learn how to manage their mental health and reinforce their daily living skills, to prepare them for life in a community setting, or in the least restrictive environment possible.

All wards at Cygnet Hospital Stevenage work closely together to provide a seamless secure care pathway for men and women. Working closely with NHS case managers and commissioners, we are able to provide solutions for service users requiring step-down service options both on-site at Cygnet Hospital Stevenage and across our national network of rehabilitation and specialist services.

Prison Transfer Programme

We offer a specialised three month prison transfer programme, for assessment of prisoners whose mental health needs cannot be met in the prison environment.

• Referrals and assessment: We provide a rapid response to referrals, assessment within the prison environment, quick decision on suitability for transfer within five working days and liaison with MOJ over transfer warrants
• Comprehensive inpatient assessment: Twelve week assessment programme including full diagnostic and risk formulations, IQ and neurological assessments, treatment plan and prison pathways if necessary

Therapy Programme

Therapies are offered on both an individual or group format with the aim to support the men to feel safe, make sense of their difficulties, and engage in more safe and prosocial behaviours in response to feelings of distress. The therapies available include:

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
• Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT)
• Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT)
• Radically Open Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (RO-DBT)
• Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) informed skills training
• Specialist trauma therapies available, include:
  • Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
  • Prolonged Exposure Therapy for PTSD (PET)
  • Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR)
• Specialist offence focused therapies available, include:
  • Substance Misuse Programme
  • Offence chain analysis and Good Lives Model work regarding violent and/or sexual offences
  • Fire-setting Intervention Programme for Mentally Disordered offenders (FIP-MO)

Our service user profile:

• Men, aged 18+
• Detained under the Mental Health Act, including those under Ministry of Justice restrictions
• Requiring assessment and treatment in a secure environment
• Presenting active or potential risk to others
• Diagnosis of:
  • Severe and enduring mental health problems
  • Psychotic disorder
  • Schizoaffective disorder
  • Schizophrenia
• May be exhibiting dangerous and challenging behaviour
• May have a dual diagnosis with substance misuse

Our Facilities:

• Outdoor space
• Social areas
• ADL kitchen
• Activity rooms
• Vocational café
• Hospital recording studio
• Multi-gym and outdoor football pitch