Spencer Ward provides support for women in a low secure environment, including those with personality disorder. This is the third year in a row that Spencer Ward has achieved excellent feedback from the Quality Network of Forensic Mental Health Services. In 2016 the ward achieved full compliance with 89% of standards and in 2017 this increased to 94%.
“It is a privilege to work with a dedicated team of staff on Spencer ward. It is a service valued by all our stakeholders including carers, service users and commissioners.”Dr Vinaya Bhagat, Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist, Spencer Ward
Areas of good practice highlighted during the May 2018 review:
- The service is highly patient centred and has strong patient involvement in care planning process. Service users reported that this helped them feel listened to and valued by the service.
- Service has strong ties with the community and allows for patients to take up voluntary work and attend courses.
- Service users praised the ‘buddy system’. They praised staff and their hard work with one service user reporting that she already felt better after being on the ward for 3 months compared to her 9 years long journey in another similar hospital.
- Ward environment is clean, inviting, bright and homely.
- Staffing numbers are good with low vacancies. MDT dedicates an entire day per week to discuss service users’ needs and goals.
- Staff feel supported with regards to their health and wellbeing. This is reinforced by the open-door policy by the ward manager and senior clinicians.
- The relational security is “praise worthy”. Formal feedback is collected using a standardised tool and the outcomes are discussed at the monthly unit management meeting.
Staff and service users celebrated their success by having a barbecue on warm sunny day.
Spencer Ward are due to have their next full review in 2019.