Newhaven low secure learning disability service (Wakefield)

About the service

Newhaven is a low secure service providing 16 beds for males with a learning disability based at Fieldhead in Wakefield. In addition to inpatient beds, the service provides an outreach service which supports people to integrate back into the community.

Newhaven provides high quality assessment and treatment packages for males with a learning disability aged over 18 years who present with offending or challenging behaviour which may bring them into contact with the criminal justice system.

People are usually admitted from the criminal justice system or from local learning disability services. Some service users are also admitted from more secure units once their needs have reduced.

The ward promotes hope and recovery through a supportive approach which involves service users in their care pathway.

Why would someone choose the service?

• We achieved a Nursing Times award for our work around service user contact for families.
• We encourage service user involvement in all areas of the running of the unit.
• We work closely with Huddersfield University, providing care and treatment in line with the latest research.
• The Trust’s former medical director was very complimentary about the clinical care she observed in the unit and said she would be very happy if any of her family and friends needed similar care for them to be treated and cared for at Newhaven.

You can find out more information about Newhaven in this welcome book given to all new service users as they enter the centre.

We also have a newsletter for families and carers, you can read our latest newsletter here.

Staff you may meet

Activity co-ordinator

Activity co-ordinators are responsible for implementing a range of therapeutic activities. Examples of activities provided include social, recreational, leisure, communication, sensory or educational sessions.

Administrator

Administrative staff provide essential support to doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals. This can be in a variety of different settings, with administrators working as a receptionist in a clinic or a clerk on a ward. They may also be working closely with a consultant as a medical secretary.

Dietitian

Dietitians use the science of food to help people to make good choices about food and lifestyle. Nutrition is an important part of recovery and wellbeing. All service users admitted to a Trust ward have their nutritional state assessed.

Doctor

There are more than 60 different specialities that doctors work within the NHS. Each is unique but there are many characteristics which are common. Roles range from working in a hospital to being based in the community as a GP.

Housekeeper

Housekeepers help nurses run hospital wards. They are a member of a ward team and support the delivery of clinical care by ensuring the ward is a clean, safe and attractive place which is conducive to patient care.

Non-clinical support staff

There are many people who work behind the scenes to keep services running and you may meet them in hospital or community settings. They include porters, cleaners, plumbers, electricians, decorators receptionists and secretaries who all work to make sure healthcare settings are kept clean, tidy and safe.

Nurse

Nurses who choose to specialise in the mental health branch of nursing work with GPs, psychiatrists, psychologists, and others, to help care for patients. Increasingly, care is given in the community, with mental health nurses visiting patients and their families at home, in residential centres, in prisons or in specialist clinics or units.

Nursing assistant

Nursing or healthcare assistants work in hospital or community settings under the guidance of a qualified healthcare professional. They help doctors, nurses and therapists give people the care and treatment they need.

Occupational therapist

Occupational therapy is the assessment and treatment of physical and psychiatric conditions using specific, purposeful activity to prevent disability and promote independent function in all aspects of daily life.

Other clinical staff

The NHS employs a wide range of clinical staff, it wouldn’t be possible to list them all on this website! All our clinical staff are skilled, dedicated professionals who adhere to high standards of training and work-place practice.

Physiotherapist

Physiotherapists help people to improve their range of movement in order to promote health and well being. This can help people to live more independently.

Psychologist

Adult psychotherapists work with people to assess and treat a range of emotional, social or mental health issues.   They help people tackle problems such as behavioural issues, common challenges such as anxiety and depression or more complex or severe issues, such as psychosis or a personality disorder diagnosis. 

Receptionist

Receptionists are the first link for many patients and visitors. They often work on their own or with one or two other receptionists, greeting patients as they arrive and check them in. They might also collect patient notes and ensure that these vital records go to the right healthcare professional. In a clinic, they may make appointments and arrange patient transport.

Social worker

Social workers help, support and protect people who are facing difficulties in their lives. They help people to take positive steps to overcome problems and improve their lives. This could involve assessing and reviewing a service user’s situation, building relationships with service users and their families and agreeing what practical support someone needs.

Support worker