Male brain injury

A 14-bed service for adult men who have an acquired/traumatic brain injury and require recovery and reintegration programmes of care.

Allitsen is an admission unit, located on our main Northampton hospital campus, in the heart of Northampton. We provide continuous support and interventions to address a range of behavioural and cognitive issues, including inappropriate social behaviour and risk of self-harm.

Our patients develop a framework of skills that allow them to re-integrate with their community

From the moment of admission our team focus on individual goal-planning with each patient, and agree on specific behaviours to develop or reduce.

We support patient progress by testing and consolidating their daily living skills, cognition and behavioural management in a safe environment, with the support of a full Multi-disciplinary Team (MDT). After treatment and care from the ward, patients are supported to progress to less restrictive environments at St Andrew's, or back in their local area.

Treatment and care

Our therapeutic programme is designed to create a reinforcing environment where individuals experience success through achievable goals and regular opportunities for learning. Within Berkeley Close the emphasis is on experiencing community-based living to test recovery.

In partnership with patients our MDT construct programmes of enablement that allow progress through our pathways to a place of least restriction, and utilise a full range of psychological and occupational therapy programmes which:

• are highly structured and tailored to the individual
• provide constant guidance and support to reinforce appropriate behaviour and skills
• cater for those with intensive, complex acute needs, as well as those further along their neurobehavioural recovery journey
• are delivered by an extensive full-time team
• offer individual and group therapy experiences
• address functional and behavioural issues such as communication, movement, self-care, dis-inhibition and aggression

Interventions on Allitsen are focussed on preparing people for community re-integration and greater independence, and to:

• ensure the safety of the patient and others
• provide a multi-disciplinary assessment of the patient’s strengths and needs
• provide a formulation of the patient’s presenting needs that will inform both risk management and care planning
• create an environment and culture that will offer the maximum opportunities for positive behaviour and optimal achievement of skills
• offer individual and group therapies that will ensure skill development and an enhanced quality of life
• ultimately effect the changes necessary to help the patient move to a less secure setting, through the Care Pathway and where possible, to progress to an environment closer to their own home.

Next steps

Our Discharge Co-ordinators begins discharge planning from the point of admission. Working with our clinical and social work teams they formulate plans and liaise with appropriate case managers to support a smooth transition.

Typically patients will spend 9-18 months on Allitsen before moving along our care pathway to a less-restrictive environment or returning to their home area.