Information for parents and carers about what to expect on admission and during your child’s stay on Hope unit.

About Hope unit

Hope Unit is 12-bed acute psychiatric inpatient service for 13- to 18-year-olds experiencing mental health difficulties.

We provide short-term, intensive assessment and treatment
in an open ward setting, when enhanced community treatment is no longer safe or possible.

Care is delivered in line with our ‘acute care pathway’ - a structured plan of care to ensure young people with acute, or sudden, mental health difficulties receive timely and effective treatment.

The pathway streamlines the admission process - from assessment and treatment, to preparing your child for discharge and transition home or to community settings.

We will discuss the care pathway with you in more detail during the admission.

A nurse will welcome you and your child, complete admission paperwork, and allow time for you to ask questions and share any information we need to be aware of.

A risk assessment will be completed, and observation levels of your child will be discussed. The nurse will explain these observations to you.

With your child’s permission, a doctor (accompanied by a nurse), will carry out a physical examination on your child.

They will also discuss procedures such as blood tests and an ECG, either on admission or during the first week. The doctor will also clarify any other aspects of immediate medical care.

You’ll be shown around and your child will be allocated their own bedroom, where you can spend time with them.

The nurse will also explain ward safety, such as where the fire exits are and alarm systems.

The nurse will meet with you separately to discuss any other information or concerns you may want to share, alongside any needs you may have, and to discuss the
family contact plan and who will be visiting your child on the ward.

Family contact plan – we understand that receiving updates about your child is very important, so we will sit down with you to discuss how and when this will occur.

A key nurse, and other team members, will be assigned to your child soon after their admission.

They will develop individualised care plans specific to your child’s needs, ensuring they receive the right level of care, support, and interventions.

The key nurse will work with your child, develop care plans, and, with your child’s consent, share them with you.

We will observe your child’s mood and behaviour, including interactions with other teenagers on the ward and staff.

This will help us understand your child’s likes, dislikes, needs, and challenges.

Over the first few days, team members who will be working with your child will introduce themselves and arrange meetings.

Your child will meet with the psychiatrist and other doctors regularly.

The family therapist will arrange to meet with you to discuss their role and the role of family intervention work.

The consultant psychiatrist and family therapist will meet with you weekly outside of ward rounds, allowing you time to ask question, share your thoughts and feelings.

The ward social worker will introduce themselves and offer their support where needed and will discuss if a carer’s needs assessment is required.

The family ambassador will make contact with you in the first week to introduce themselves and discuss their role in supporting you.

Clinical team

Your child will meet a range of professionals who work together to understand their needs and goals:

  • Consultant psychiatrist
  • Clinical psychologist
  • Ward doctor
  • Nurses and support workers
  • Occupational therapist
  • Dietitian
  • Social worker
  • Family therapist
  • Pharmacist - will meet with you to discuss medication
  • Education team - education is an important part of your child’s daily timetable. Our teachers will liaise with you and your child’s school so they can continue with their required learning plan.

Usually, within a week of admission, we will arrange a care programme approach (CPA) meeting to gain further information and discuss and review your child’s care plan.

You and the young person will be invited to attend, along with the child’s advocate, and staff from both our ward and community treatment team.

An advocate is someone who is independent of the ward team and is there to support your child, help them express their views, and ensure their voice is heard in decisions about their care.

Further care programme approach meetings will take place every four weeks to discuss progress, discharge planning and community involvement after discharge.

Weekly ward rounds

You will be invited to attend in person or join via Microsoft Teams to hear updates, progress and contribute to care planning decisions.

From the age of 16 and over young people can consent to treatment on their own. Children under the age of 16 can consent to their own treatment if they’re believed to have enough intelligence, competence, and understanding to fully appreciate what’s involved in their treatment.

However, we will, where appropriate and possible, involve you in all aspects of the care planning and treatment.

Your child has a right to talk to us in complete confidence.

We have a duty NOT to give out information about your child, without their consent, except in exceptional circumstances.

If they do not consent, we will only share information about your child with you and other professionals to protect them from harm, abuse, or for the protection of other people.

This does not prevent us from supporting you or listening to your concerns and any questions you may have.

We need your direct and continual involvement if treatment is to be successful.

Your support is invaluable to us, and we need your involvement throughout your child’s stay for treatment to be successful.

Young people can have access to their own mobile phones and electronic devices.

Pennine Care is smokefree, which means that on Hope unit, we will not be handing out or keeping vapes or cigarettes on the ward.

Read more about Pennine Care's smokefree hospitals (opens in new window).

Your child will be encouraged to stay in touch with family and friends during their stay. Your involvement is really important.

We also want to avoid disrupting their routine, including school and therapy sessions on the ward.

Please speak with the nursing team to agree on visiting times that work best for you and your child.

Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. A staff member will help you.

During visiting times, you will sign in and out, you will be given a visitors’ badge, and an alarm to alert staff if you require assistance.

We welcome feedback and are committed to resolving any concerns quickly.

  • Step 1: You can speak to the nurse in charge or the consultant on the weekly call if you have a concern or complaint.
  • Step 2: If your concerns are not met, please ask to speak with our ward manager.
  • Step 3: If you feel that your concerns are not resolved, you can contact our complaints team.

Email: pcn-tr.complaints.penninecare@nhs.net
Call: 0161 716 3083 (24 hour answer phone).

Patient advice and liaison services (PALS)

Our patient advice and liaison service (PALS) acts on behalf of service users, families and carers to negotiate prompt solutions to problems and help bring about changes in the way that services are developed. Contact PALS:

Email: pcn-tr.pals.penninecare@nhs.net
Tel: 0161 716 3083 (24 hour answer phone).


Family and friends test

We welcome your feedback, to tell us what we are doing right and what we can improve. Postcards are available at the entrance area or you can complete the friends and family test online.

Compliments

A few kind words to show your appreciations for staff can really make their day. If you would like to share a compliment, you can:

Family ambassadors are here to support you. They are non-clinical professionals with lived experience of inpatient services, who can work with you and the clinical teams.

Read more about our family ambassadors.

Getting here and car parking

Address:
Fairfield General Hospital
Rochdale Old Road
Bury
BL9 7TD

Details on how to get here and car parking are available on the Northern Care Alliance website (opens in new window).

You may be able to claim a refund under the ‘Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme’ (HTCS) for the cost of travelling to hospital if you are in receipt of certain allowances or benefits.

More information can be found on the NHS website (opens in new window).

Restaurant and coffee shop

Broadoak restaurant is close to Hope unit on the hospital site and is open for visitors to use. It is opposite entrance three.

A small coffee shop within the main hospital is open every day, including weekends.

We've created virtual tour of Hope unit, using 360-degree photography. Take a look around the unit.

You can also check our parents’ and carer’s boards on the ward for topical information.