Westgate Unit Mental Health Service – Information leaflet

This leaflet provides you with information about the mental health service at Westgate Personality Disorder Treatment Unit, HMP Frankland. If you are not sure about anything in this leaflet please ask a member of staff.

On admission to the unit you will be allocated a named Mental Health Practitioner, who will support, monitor and offer evidenced based interventions in relation to personality disorder, mental health and well-being. The team can also signpost to other services if needed.

Westgate Mental Health team assess, plan, implement and evaluate your mental health care, producing care plans and relapse prevention plans. Mental health review sessions are offered at a minimum of every three months but this will be agreed with you and your multi-disciplinary team on arrival. The purpose of these sessions is to monitor; your mood, medication, behaviour, coping strategies and progress. The focus is on recovery and building a meaningful, satisfying, pro-social life. We work collaboratively with your clinical team and discipline colleagues throughout your time on the unit.

As with all sessions on Westgate Unit, there will be two members of staff in all of your sessions. This may be two members of the mental health team, or an operational or clinical member of staff involved in your care. This will be discussed with you during the induction process, and any questions you have about this can be answered during this time.

The mental health service on the unit is essential in supporting you to remain in treatment on the Westgate Unit. The mental health team are part of the Westgate Unit multi-disciplinary team which includes; discipline officers, therapists and psychologists. We work closely with one another other during your assessment, to identify any additional needs early in your stay and longer term can support during treatment to ensure you are provided with care that meets your needs.

The team is made up of a Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist, a Clinical Lead Nurse and four Clinical Nurse Specialists. ~We do have access to external services within the Trust if required. For example Occupational Therapy Services and Speech and language Therapist Services.

If you need an appointment with your allocated practitioner outside of the agreed review period you can submit an application to the mental health team with a short explanation of what the problem is. This form should be put into the healthcare collection box on the wing and will only be seen by healthcare staff. You will be notified when your appointment will be; you must tell staff if you can’t attend your appointment.

A Consultant Psychiatrist attends the unit on a weekly basis. You will be booked in for a routine introduction (and initial assessment) on arrival to the unit and will be reviewed afterwards based upon your needs. A member of the team will escort you in your psychiatry review and a member of discipline staff will be outside the interview room. You do not have direct access to the psychiatrist; if you need an appointment, you should discuss this with your named practitioner. Your needs will be assessed and an appointment arranged if required.

Westgate Unit Mental Health Team work with the Primary Care Team and Mental Health In-Reach Team to share information to ensure continuity of care. Maintaining links between different healthcare teams ensures good practice. For example, working together can mean a smooth transition for prisoners between the Westgate Unit and receiving establishments.

Westgate Unit Mental Health Team record information which can be accessed by all healthcare professionals. Members of the team work within professional codes of conduct and follow NHS policies to ensure the confidentiality of the information we hold about you. The exceptions would be if the team felt that there was:
• A risk you may cause harm to yourself
• A risk to others
• A risk to security

We share information about your care and treatment with other staff involved in your care and treatment while on the unit.

The mental health team support service users moving onto other parts of the Offender Personality Disorder pathway, i.e. hospital or other progression sites. If you are transferred during your time on Westgate Unit, we will ensure a full handover is given to the mental health team taking over your care.

• Self-help booklets and factsheets which cover a wide range of topics are available from the mental health team on request. These include: coping after a traumatic event, schizophrenia, depression, personality disorders, bereavement, anxiety panic and phobias.

• Samaritans are available for emotional support via the Samaritans phone. You can also ask to speak to a listener; information about each of these services is provided on the notice boards on the wing.

• talk to the people directly involved in your care
• Complete a Have your say about our services”form (available on the unit)
• We are always looking at ways to improve services. Your feedback allows us to monitor the quality of our services and act upon issues that you bring to our attention.
You can provide feedback in the following ways:
– via suggestion boxes located on the units
– by speaking with people directly involved in your care

Please complete a Healthcare Application FAO Westgate Unit Mental Health Team.

Further information about the content, reference sources or production of this leaflet can be obtained from the Patient Information Centre. If you would like to tell us what you think about this leaflet please get in touch.

This information can be made available in a range of formats on request (eg Braille, audio, larger print, easy read, BSL or other languages). Please contact the Patient Information Centre Tel: 0191 246 7288

Published by the Patient Information Centre
2021 Copyright, Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust
Ref, PIC/790/01 21 January 2021 V2
www.cntw.nhs.uk Tel: 0191 246 7288
Review date 2024