Aquarius Unit Adolescent Acute Psychiatric Service A Referrer’s Guide

South West London and St George’s
Mental Health NHS Trust
Aquarius Unit
Springfield University Hospital
Adolescent Acute
Psychiatric Service
A Referrer’s Guide
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Who we are
Aquarius is a short stay open inpatient
unit with ten beds for young people
aged 12-17 during a period of acute
mental health crisis.
We provide daily 24-hour medical
and nursing care for urgent or planned
admissions.
Aquarius is staffed by a multidisciplinary
team which assesses, and then reduces
and manages the risk to the young
person while in our care. The team
comprises child psychiatrists, clinical
psychologist, occupational therapist,
social worker, mental health nurses,
teachers and administrative staff.
We work in collaboration with referring
teams to help the young person move
back to an appropriate community
setting as soon as possible.
Whiskey, a Pet as Therapy volunteer dog, is a weekly visitor to Aquarius Ward
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Our philosophy
Who the service is for
The service will work within relevant statutory
frameworks including the Children’s Act 1989, the
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the
Mental Health Act 1983 and the Mental Health
Code of Practice.
When this constitutes an acute mental health crisis
requiring a short-term hospital admission, the Unit
will work with young people suffering from serious
mental health problems, such as psychotic illness,
bipolar affective disorders, depression, severe anxiety
disorders and obsessive compulsive disorders.
Eating disorders are treated in a national Eating
Disorder Service, located on the Springfield Hospital
site, with whom we share resources.
The needs of the young person will be paramount
in determining the best course of treatment for
the individual.
The service will aim to be flexible and empowering
in offering a package of care to meet the needs of
the young person.
Parents, carers and young people will be actively
involved in formulating a treatment plan.
Parents, carers and young people will be provided
with verbal and written information to assist them
in making informed decisions.
The service will be equally accessible to all young
people in acute mental crisis regardless of race,
culture, gender, disability, sexual orientation or class.
The service will aim to avoid or keep to a minimum
the stigma, institutionalisation and trauma inpatient
admission may bring.
The service will actively seek the views of carers,
young people and referrers and incorporate these
into service provision where possible.
Admissions are generally agreed with the young
person and the relevant carers. However, we are
able to admit under the Mental Health Act provided
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Referrals
that the young person can be contained on an
open unit. We work closely with the Adolescent
Assertive Outreach Team (AAOT) to make moving
in and out of hospital smoother and less stressful,
by maintaining this link we aim to keep admissions
as short as possible.
In some cases we are able to offer day
treatment places.
Each young person to be considered for admission
to the Aquarius Unit must be referred by a clinician
from their local CAMHS Tier 3 service. The referral
will be supported by a comprehensive written
assessment by the Consultant in Child and
Adolescent Psychiatry or Specialist Registrar within
that service. Supplementary electronic information
may accompany the referral, but is no substitute.
Unless the young person also has a treatable
psychiatric disorder (see page 3), admission will not
be offered to those with a primary diagnosis of:
When required, we provide a rapid professional
response to the initial referral, and have structures
in place so that a young person can be admitted
in an emergency.
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In addition to the assessment of individually
referred patients, we can offer consultation to the
referring service, drawing on the wide expertise
and experience of our team. We are here to help,
so please contact us.
Conduct disorder
Substance misuse
Eating disorder
Moderate to severe learning disabilities
Social crises
Except under special circumstances, we do not take
anyone with a known history of persistent violence,
fire setting, serious criminality or sexual offences.
On reaching the age of 18 years, a young person
still in need of inpatient or day patient services
will be transferred into the relevant adult
psychiatric service.
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What we offer
We provide multidisciplinary clinical intervention on
a 24-hour basis, with an age appropriate weekday
programme including schooling and a vibrant
youth club.
It is intended that treatment be tailored to the
need of the individual young person and that it be
evidence based, with a care plan, risk assessment
and a risk management plan. In additional to an
identified care co-ordinator, each young person on
the ward will have a named and an associate nurse.
The progress of each young person is regularly
reviewed by members of the multidisciplinary
team, who also provide liaison with the referring
CAMHS team, community and local resources.
We aim to take into account the views of carers,
young people and their referrers, incorporating
these when possible into the care plan.
In-patient management involves a synthesis of
nursing care, psychological treatment, medication,
and education. Psychological approaches include
individual and group therapy, art and exercise
groups, family work and psychosocial interventions
such as problem solving, life-management skills
and practical assistance.
We enforce a clear set of rules of acceptable
behaviour on the unit, and we encourage the
involvement of parents and carers in support groups.
In addition to visiting, home leave is considered an
important aspect of treatment.
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What it’s like
Aquarius Unit is a comfortable friendly place,
attractively decorated and furnished. Each young
person has an individual bedroom, with separate
washing facilities for boys and girls. Recreational
space and the dining area are shared by in-patients
and day patients. There is supervised access to an
outside courtyard and to ward facilities such as
laundry, ironing, cooking, drinks preparation, and
internet access. Access can also be arranged to
Trust facilities such as the gym and tennis courts.
The classroom is part of the unit, staffed by qualified
teachers and teaching assistants who provide as
full an educational experience as the young person
is ready to receive, based on the National
Curriculum. In general, the classroom strives to
enhance the self -esteem and confidence of its
pupils. If appropriate, young people are encouraged
to take public examinations and are assisted in
their applications to further education.
A recent OFSTED inspection gave the school an
outstanding report. The unit is a member of the
Quality Network for Inpatient CAMHs (QNIC)
and the care provided is benchmarked with other
member units in the UK.
There is input from visiting artists and specialist
teachers. Also, the school offers several educational
outings during the course of a term.
The ward has a ‘chill-out’ room that is equipped
with Snoezelen relaxation specific furniture offering
a calming experience that can be used as part of
treatment with input from the staff team.
On planned discharge from Aquarius, a party is
held to mark the young person’s achievement in
moving on. The ward does not offer any follow-up
once young people are well enough to leave
hospital, neither does it encourage return visits
by former in-patients.
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Feedback is regularly received, following treatment,
on the experience that patients have had:
“
When my day isn’t productive and has empty
spaces in it, I find it difficult. So, coming into the
ward fills up the day and it has a structure. I am
always kept busy and it can help me get
through the day. ”
Feedback questionnaires state areas they liked:
“
Ward consultant very well informed about
my illness ”
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The staff ”
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“
. . . the respect they show on equality and diversity ”
Warm and friendly feeling from staff, always
made welcome, always staff at the end of the
phone . . . ”
Extremely professional and helpful staff creating
a welcoming, secure and safe friendly environment,
instilling confidence in their care and approach. ”
A parent said the thing they liked was
“ the way my child was treated and looked after. ”
Recovery story from a young person:
My OCD has been affecting me noticeably for just
over a year but in this time, it had gradually been
getting worse, till the point where I was barely
able to function. I would have my ridiculously long
baths, which take anywhere between three and
seven hours, depending on how distressed I was.
In the space of a few months, I went from
full-time attendance at school, participating in
extra-curricular activities and having a social life,
to not being able to attend school, and if so only
once or twice a week.
I was offered in-patient treatment at Aquarius.
This intensive treatment proved to be exactly what
I needed. I quickly made noticeable changes; I cut
my shower time down and was able to participate
in the day programme. One of the main tasks
I am now able to do is my washing, whereas I had
previously relied solely on others to do this for me.
The end goal for my treatment was to be able
to go to college, something which seemed quite
unrealistic to me, but I am now attending everyday
and coping really well and most importantly
enjoying it!
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Contact details
Aquarius Unit
Building 5
Springfield Hospital
61 Glenburnie Road
London SW17 7DJ
Tel: 020 3513 5421
Fax: 020 3513 5439
The nearest tube station is Tooting Bec
(Northern Line), a 12-15 minute walk.
Bus G1 serves Springfield Hospital itself. On nearby
Trinity Road there are buses 219 and 319. On
Upper Tooting Road there are buses 57, 155, 219
and 355. On Tooting Bec Road there are buses 249
and 319.
Design from The Drawing Room www.drawingroom.uk.com
How to find us
Photography by Paul Lapsley
Switchboard tel: 020 3513 5000
Specialist Services Directorate tel:
020 3513 6305
Email: business.development@swlstg-tr.nhs.uk
Revise Feb 2012