Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services

St Andrew’s Healthcare provides low and medium secure Tier 4 CAMHS inpatient services, with the objective of enabling young people to live well and to their full potential in the least restrictive environment possible.

The unit focuses on the core therapeutic aims of assessing, diagnosing and treating and reducing the symptoms of their mental health condition, particularly any risk behaviours.

In addition to this it importantly addresses the young person’s ongoing personal development in terms of their ability to:

  • take responsibility for their emotions, thoughts and behaviours to the level which they can act safely towards themselves and others
  • increase their level of personal autonomy, so they can increasingly make responsible  and well considered decisions with decreasing levels of external support and intervention
  • increasingly be able to live independently in the world, being able to structure their day and attend to their own daily living needs.

Stowe: Admission criteria

Young people aged 13 - 18 on admission who:

  • have a diagnosis of either mental illness, emerging personality disorder or co-morbid conditions
  • pose a significant risk of harming themselves or others
  • require care within a low secure environment.

Therapy Programmes

Delivered by a full time, on-site multidisciplinary team (MDT), patients will benefit from our therapy programmes, specially adapted for the needs of vulnerable young people:

  • behaviour therapy including moral reasoning work, aggression management strategies, drug and alcohol education/relapse prevention work and adapted fire-setting work
  • offence related treatments
  • vocational therapy including work experience programmes through Workbridge
  • self-care groups to promote cleanliness and confidence, eg 'Because you're worth it' 
  • education
  • sensory integration.

 

Next steps

Discharge is considered at admission and our clinical and social work teams work with appropriate case managers to support a transition.