Published on: 2nd June 2016
The county’s inpatient unit for young people experiencing serious mental health problems has been recognised nationally for the quality of care it provides.
Ash Villa, Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust’s acute inpatient unit for youngsters aged 13 to 18, is one of just 24 nationwide to have received accreditation from the Royal College of Psychiatrists and joined the prestigious Quality Network for Inpatient CAMHS (QNIC).
The network aims to demonstrate and improve the quality of inpatient child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), through a system of review against seven crucial service standards.
The unit is now accredited until April 2018 as a result of an intensive clinical audit cycle which involved gaining views from patients and family members on the standard of care being provided.
Kathryn Hopkins, acting deputy ward manager at Ash Villa said the accreditation process was a way for the unit to showcase some of the great work, therapy and innovative practices they have to offer.
We all work tirelessly to ensure that young people have opportunities to engage in meaningful occupations, mental health interventions and therapy to support their recovery
she said.
The accreditation team recognised the excellent work of the nursing and therapy staff, and also of Ash Villa School which has played a huge part in the young people’s journeys and recognised as a great benefit to them during their inpatient stay. Being awarded the accreditation is a privilege and I want to say a huge well done to all that were a part of this.
The QNIC report noted that ‘staff appear very dedicated and committed to the service’ and that ‘they received positive feedback from the young people and parents who spoke about being listened to and respected by staff’.
The reviewers were also impressed by the resources available to the young people on the unit, including the art and music rooms, gym and pet therapy provision on offer.
Nige Dixon, LPFT’s quality improvement and assurance lead for specialist services said:
Getting an accreditation like this is fantastic for the whole team at Ash Villa. Patient focus is at the heart of everything the staff do there and we are continually looking at ways we can improve services for the young people who spend time on the unit.
