Men's mental health - transitional living

Berkeley Lodge and 37 Berkeley Close offer men with complex mental health needs specialist rehabilitative hospital care in a community setting.

Based on a quiet community housing estate adjacent to St Andrew's main hospital site in Northampton, both houses offer a transitional environment and 24/7 nursing for patients moving from a hospital into the community. The step down nature of the service encourages patients to test skills, improve confidence and build community links before they discharge to a supported living service or a home address.

Patients are often those from secure or rehabilitation services who are ready to move to less restrictive environments or patients who require additional support and the chance to learn daily living and integration skills before moving to supported living in the community. Patients may also be those who require a bespoke community placement and would benefit from a more homely environment to receive specialist rehabilitative care and test risk.

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Images of Berkeley Lodge

The living room offers a spacious environment for relaxing and resident gatherings.

Patients are encouraged to do their own cooking in the clean and tidy kitchen.

A welcoming sign as our patients return home from their daily activities in the community.

The dining room offers an alternative space to the kitchen and is sometimes used for therapy sessions or activities.

Patients are encouraged to make their bedrooms their own.

Berkeley Lodge is located in a residential community adjacent to St Andrew's main hospital site in Northampton.

Admission criteria

People who would benefit from this service will meet the following admission criteria:

Men aged 18 years and over
With severe and enduring mental illness
Who may have a mild learning disability as a secondary diagnosis
Who may have a forensic history
Who may have behaviours that challenge but have been risk free for 3-6 months
Who are detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 amended 2007
Who are under Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLs), informal or voluntary registered
And who are ready to engage in therapeutic treatment and care.

These criteria are a guide for assessing suitability. Each patient will be individually assessed by our dedicated team.

Preparing for the community

For some patients a direct move back to the community from a traditional inpatient environment can be a daunting step, especially if it comes after an extensive period of hospital care. By enabling our clinical teams to continue with therapeutic work, combined with the development of independent living skills, patients in Berkeley Lodge will significantly improve the likelihood of their successful transition to a full community placement.

To bridge the gap between a more structured secure environment and a full return to community living, Berkeley Lodge and 37 Berkeley close provide a homely service, located in close proximity to our Northampton Men's Mental Health services and the town centre, allowing us to test greater levels of autonomy and personal responsibility.

Our qualified nurses and social work teams have established links with local support groups and supported living providers to facilitate individual transitions.

Berkeley Lodge is a house offering six separate bedrooms, four bathrooms, kitchen, dining room. large living space and outdoor garden. Patients work with the clinical team to develop their daily living skills and build essential links in the community.

37 Berkeley Close is another house in the same street offering three separate bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, kitchen/diner and outdoor garden. The house is ideal for patients moving from more restrictive environments, or for bespoke packages of care where a patient would benefit from a less ward-like environment.

Berkeley Close is next to St Andrew's main hospital site in Northampton which is situated five minutes walk from Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust hospital and ten minutes walk to Northampton's Town Centre.

The value of rehabilitation services

“People receiving support from rehabilitation services are eight times more likely to achieve/sustain community living, compared to those supported by generic mental health services.”

Joint Commissioning Panel for Mental Health guidance for commissioners of rehabilitation service

Learning skills for community employment

Patients at Berkeley Lodge and 37 Berkeley Close are encouraged and supported to build social connections and skills in the local community to help them make the next step to independent living. The clinical team work with each patient to help them actively pursue interests and activities.

Many of the patients visit Workbridge, which is located at our Northampton hospital site. Workbridge is St Andrew's vocational education service and is accessible to all patients at St Andrew's and in the local community. It offers people with complex mental health needs the chance to learn meaningful life, vocational, and employment skills that will help them in their local communities. Sessions include vocational and skills-led sessions, and work experience.

Workbridge consists of a Food and Health Hub, Design Technology and Engineering Hub, Business Administration Hub, Horticulture Hub and a Creative Arts Hub which enable service users to work with staff to learn education, life and work skills, building confidence and social capability in the process.

Many of the patients at Berkeley Lodge and 37 Berkeley Close who access Workbridge have been supported to gain work experience in Northamptonshire. The location of Berkeley Close is ideal for access to work opportunities, with the town centre only 10 minutes walk away.