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Walton ward psychiatric intensive care unit (Wakefield)
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About the service
Walton ward is a 14 bed mixed gender psychiatric intensive care unit. We are a Trustwide service and accept referrals from all of the Trust’s inpatient mental health wards and direct admissions from the some of the Trust’s community based teams.
Our service users are in an acute phase of mental ill health and are usually detained under the Mental Health Act. Service users may come to us with difficult to manage symptoms such as aggression or disinhibition (inappropriate behaviour) as well as other associated risks which do not allow them to be safely managed and treated in a general inpatient ward.
Our aim is to provide a safe environment for people and to manage their condition in the least restrictive setting.
Why would someone choose the service?
Members of our team have a wide array of skills that enable the team to carry out a range of activities, assessments and treatments. Roles within the team include activity facilitators, occupational therapists and physiotherapists.
We are able to offer intensive support to someone in crisis and work closely with service users to agree on safety plans.
We are constantly reviewing our environment to identify areas we can improve. Recent additions include a multi-purpose room which can be used by visitors or by service users for relaxation or prayer.
We have received recognition from the Trust for our work on improving the physical health of our service users.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Why a professional should choose the service
We have achieved Accreditation for Inpatient Mental Health Services from the Royal College of Psychiatrists and we are a full member of the National Association of Psychiatric Intensive Care and Low Secure Units.
Our work with service users has also been recognised through the Trust’s internal awards.
Support offered
We offer a range of support to people during their stay at Walton ward, including:
- Group work
- Recreational activities
- Physiotherapy
- Exercise therapy
- Direct contact with a named nurse
- Occupational therapy
- Physical health screening
- Healthy eating
- Environmental measures (access to quiet areas or secure gardens)
- Advice on medicines
Outcomes
We aim to support recovery following a crisis and help get the person back into the community as soon as possible. If a person has stopped treatment for any reason before they come to Walton ward then an admission may allow us to restart that treatment in a controlled environment.
Our staff work to identify signs of relapse and make plans to help service users cope. We also ensure that we provide a safe environment to enable assessment and treatment of mental ill health, reducing risks and enabling individuals to eventually transfer to general treatment areas.
Referrals accepted from:
Local authority staff, Other Trust services, Police
Referral criteria:
All admissions to our inpatient service are screened by the Trust’s crisis resolution service. Referrals to Walton ward are screened by medical and nursing staff.