Mermaid Ward – Tier 4 CAMHS PICU

Gender: Mixed

Age: 12-18

Beds: 10

Mermaid Ward is a 10 bed CAMHS PICU service for young people with severe mental illness.

The focus on Mermaid Ward is on stabilisation with a view on enabling transition to a general acute ward or back into the care of community services. The service is able to provide robust care and support for young people displaying significant levels of challenging behaviour.

“Thank you so much for helping – the staff have been amazing and after seeing our son today and seeing the amazing improvement we feel like we can actually relax now and that our son is in good hands and being cared for” Parent

The average length of stay in our PICU service is eight to twelve weeks. Referrals are accepted from all over the UK. We offer a rapid response system and aim to respond to referral requests within an hour of receiving adequate clinical information.

Mermaid Ward has full Multi-disciplinary Team (MDT) input including a specialist doctor, psychologist, social worker, occupational therapist, ward manager, consultant psychiatrist, clinical psychologist, speech and language therapist, clinical team leaders, BACP registered therapists, dietitian, nurses, healthcare assistants, social workers and family liaison officer and educational support from full-time teachers and educational support staff.

Service User Profile

  • Age 12-18
  • Detained under the Mental Health Act
  • Diagnosis of:
    • Psychosis
    • Self-harm and/or suicidal ideation
    • Depression or anxiety
    • Emerging personality disorder
    • Substance misuse – providing there is a primary diagnosis of a mental health problem
    • Emotional, social and behavioural difficulties
    • Borderline/mild learning disability as a secondary diagnosis
    • Autism spectrum disorders, with a mental health primary diagnosis
  • May have a forensic history
  • Our Facilities

    • En-suite bedrooms
    • Spacious communal areas
    • Outdoor sports areas
    • On-site Ofsted-registered school, Summit School
    • Training kitchen to support skills development
    • On-site Café called the Phoenix Café
    • IT suite
    Download the Mermaid Ward flyer
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