Adarna Ward – Highly Specialised Autism Spectrum Disorder Service

The service is delivered in a purpose-built therapeutic environment, where the focus is on recovery through meaningful activity and engagement in local community initiatives. Our aim is to support service users to live as independently as possible.

Referrals will come to us from Acute, PICU, Low and Medium Secure services. We may also take referrals from service users who are looking for a placement closer to home or who are at an unsuitable hospital placement.

The Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) will work together with service users to provide a holistic, person-centred, comprehensive assessment and care plan. The MDT will ensure individual’s needs are met in a way that helps achieve stability and discharge to a less restrictive setting.

We will offer evidenced-based assessment and treatment interventions as recommended by NICE (National Institute for Health Care Excellence) for individuals with autism spectrum disorder, that focus on the differences of experience which fall under four main categories: thinking differences, social differences, emotional differences and sensory and movement differences. This ensures that we provide high quality of care to our service users, their families and carers. With the right support, our service users will be able to live a more fulfilling life.

The ward is set in a spacious environment with a large open communal lounge area, an enclosed courtyard and five additional communal areas including a sensory room, IT suite, and therapy kitchen, providing lots of space for service users. There is also a de-stimulation suite to provide a low stimulus environment for service users who may be experiencing heightened feelings of agitation. Individuals will have their own en-suite bedroom that they are encouraged to personalise to their liking.

Our therapies and interventions:

• Adapted Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
• Behavioural Therapy (BT)
• Self-help interventions based on CBT
• Mindfulness
• Coping skills training
• Behaviour rehearsal
• Relaxation strategies
• Problem solving skills
• Social skills interventions
• Creative groups

Our service user profile:

• Men, aged 18+
• Primary diagnosis of mental illness with complex needs
• Secondary diagnosis of high functioning Asperger’s syndrome or autism
• Typical diagnoses include:
  • Schizophrenia
  • Schizo-affective disorder
  • Psychosis
  • Personality disorder
  • Bipolar affective disorder
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder
  • Depression
• May be detained under the Mental Health Act (1983); sections 3, 37, 37/41 or informal
• May present with forensic history
• May include a history of substance misuse

Our facilities:

• En-suite bedrooms
• Large communal lounge
• Enclosed courtyard
• Sensory room
• IT room
• Therapy kitchen
• De-stimulation suite
• Activity room
• Gym