As part of work to ensure mental health patients receive the right support, at the right time, in the most appropriate service for their needs, Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is working with Turning Point, a social enterprise, to develop a new countywide mental health step-down service in Grantham.
Initially intended to be a two-year pilot, the service will be opened in Ashley House in Grantham, a previous mental health rehabilitation unit in the town, and will support people from across the county who are being discharged from a mental health hospital.
The unit will support 15 guests for up to eight weeks, as they move on from being in hospital and transition to living independently again.
Turning Point, will be running the service on behalf of the Trust, providing non-clinical support to guests while people arrange accommodation, access benefits and re-build their confidence with life skills such as shopping, cooking and budgeting which they may not have used for a while.
The team will also be helping people find organisations and groups in their local community to connect with and build their social networks. Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust specialist community mental health teams will continue to support people with their on-going mental health needs.
The service will support individuals to leave hospital as soon as they are clinically ready, freeing up beds for those in more acute need and providing a much-needed stepping stone for people after being in hospital.
Paul is a former guest, volunteer and now a Turning Point member of staff at Beacon Lodge, a similar mental health step-down service run in Nottinghamshire. Paul said: “Turning Point provide a great service to people who are struggling with mental health issues. Within minutes of entering Beacon Lodge, you know you are in a good place, you are put at ease with the calming atmosphere and the friendliness of the staff.
“I cannot thank Turning Point enough for the help I received whilst I was in their care, and I know they improve the lives of 100s of people each year who enter Beacon (Lodge) in a bad state of mental health then leave in a far better state of mind, with better life skills to help cope living with their own health issues.”
Nick Harwood, director of operations for adult community services at Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust said: “By developing a step-down service we’ll be able to provide a more appropriate environment for people when they no longer need intensive mental health care. Freeing up more capacity to keep people in Lincolnshire for their hospital care and providing a better experience and outcomes for our patients.
“This new model of care isn’t new funding, its just allowing us to repurpose spend currently used to care for people out of area in a more innovative and effective way, to keep people as close to home as possible, in a more suitable environment for their needs.
“We are so pleased to be working with Turning Point on this project. They have a wealth of experience of supporting people with mental health challenges and run similar services elsewhere across England which we hope they will be able to share their experience.”
Turning Point chief operating officer, Clare Taylor added: “We would like to extend our gratitude to colleagues within the Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust for the opportunity to deliver this innovative stepdown service for the people of Lincolnshire.
“By drawing on over 60 years of experience providing integrated mental health services, Turning Point will create a recovery-focussed and outcome-oriented environment that will provide bespoke impactful support to its guests and wider health and social care system benefits.
“We encourage people to attend one of the virtual or face to face information engagement events to gain a deeper understanding of the service, the activities that are already underway; this is an opportunity to meet some of the team and find out how Turning Point enables people to be inspired by possibility.”
Turning Point and the Trust will be hosting a number of information engagement sessions both face to face and virtual in early October to meet the team and find out more. These are open to anyone to attend, including patients, their families, staff, local residents or anyone who may be interested in how people across Lincolnshire who experience mental health challenges are being supported.
Information sessions will be taking place:
Virtually on MS Teams on Friday 3 October either between 10.00am and 11.00am or 2.00pm and 3.00pm
Or in person at Ashley House on Thursday 9 October between 2.00pm and 4.00pm
People can register their interest in attending by emailing lpft.involvement@nhs.net or calling 07773 206 341.
Image credit: Stock.adobe.com/Seadog81
