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Nostell ward (Wakefield)
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About the service
Nostell ward provides inpatient care for people who are in crisis who cannot live safely in their home environment.
The ward caters for people with a wide variety of problems, including diagnosed mental illnesses and people reacting to crises in their lives such as relationship difficulties, loss of employment or financial problems.
People also come to the ward with alcohol and substance misuse problems and they are directed towards the appropriate services to address these problems.
Why would someone choose the service?
Staff give time to support individuals and this level of service is reflected in the feedback we receive from people who visit the ward. The service has a group that meets on a monthly basis with carers and relatives.
Clinical staff attend the meetings and the agenda includes sessions on Mindfulness (a technique used to help you relax) and advice on medicines.
Therapy input includes regular groups designed to develop coping strategies and relaxation such as Tai Chi and hydrotherapy. Staff are regularly updated in all mandatory training.
The service has placement students from Huddersfield University on a regular basis and good practice continues to develop from their input. The ward receives excellent feedback from students on placement who find they are given a good experience working alongside staff who embrace knowledge and the development of good practice.
Staff you may meet
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 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 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Porters work within the Trust facilities team moving and delivering post, equipment and medication to locations across the organisation. They also help to move frail and often very ill patients between different departments and wards in safety and comfort.
- 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.
- 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 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.
- We have a range of health workers who all have different specialities. This could be in a certain condition, a therapy or the advice they can give you. Our specialists our highly skilled and trained professionals, ready to offer you help and advice whenever you need it.
Why a professional should choose the service
The ward offers a safe environment and aims to develop therapeutic relationships with service users, promoting a reduction in crisis and self-harming behaviour.
Staff are up to date with all mandatory and other relevant training. This ensures that the ward is a safe environment with staff who are promoting recovery.
Everyone who visits the ward completes a questionnaire when they leave and a good level of satisfaction with the service is consistently recorded.
The service is regularly audited and also consistently achieves CQUIN targets. Staff are aware that by achieving the targets a high standard of care is maintained. The staff are positive and proud of the service they offer.
Support offered
We offer a range of support during an individual’s stay at Nostell, including:
- Occupational therapy
- Exercise
- Education sessions
- Recreational activity
- Self-care skills
- Social skills
- Health screening
- Onward referral to other NHS service
- Group work
- Daily one-to-one discussions with an allocated nurse
Outcomes
We hope that during an individual’s stay with our team they will develop:
- Increased coping strategies
- Ability to self-care
- Confidence to get back into their local community as soon as possible
- Improved engagement with community services
- A diagnosis of their condition
- Improved physical health
- Skills to prevent relapse
- Self-management skills
- Reduced risk of self-harm
- Better knowledge of their medication
Referrals accepted from:
A & E, CMHTs, Consultants, GPs, Local authority staff, Police, Single Point of Access team
Referral criteria:
Admissions come via the Trust’s Single Point of Access (a team who deal with all referrals for mental health services), 136 suite (a place of safety where people can be brought by the police for assessment) and Mental Health Act assessments.