Award-winning inpatient unit unveiled in boost for young people’s mental health care
A brand new inpatient unit is now open in Northamptonshire, offering a friendly and supportive live-in environment for young people with mental health difficulties.
The Sett has moved from its old standalone site to the specially designed new facility at Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust's (NHFT) Berrywood Hospital in Northampton.
The award-winning design features a purpose-built extension and includes an activity room, informal communal areas, classrooms, a therapy room, kitchen, outdoor spaces and comfortable bedrooms for the young people.
Created in partnership with service users, families and team members, the new Sett is now next door to NHFT's other child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS) inpatient unit, the Burrows. Together they provide 20 beds for young people needing inpatient care in a safe setting.
The new facility has been years in the planning and development, and it earned three design prizes at the national Building Better Healthcare Awards just ahead of its opening in November. The project was delivered by Fleet Architects and T&B Contractors and managed by NHFT's Estates team, with input throughout the process from young people and ward staff.
Dr Tiff Webster, Director of Children and Young People's Services at NHFT, said: "It really is fantastic news that our refurbished Sett is now fully up and running. It's a first-class facility that's been designed around young people's needs, offering inpatient care and spaces for therapy, learning and relaxing all in one space.
"Our colleagues at the Sett have always done a brilliant job providing high-quality care and support for our service users. But making the move from the old standalone site to Berrywood they now have improved access to the hospital's support network, so it's now even easier for them to work with young people to deliver the best possible experiences and outcomes."
Marie James, NHFT Service Manager for Inpatient CAMHS, added: "We consulted with young people before and during the design of the building and what they were asking for was that it didn't feel like a hospital.
"I think the architects have really taken that on board. It feels so different to the rest of the hospital. It's very bright, open and you just get that different kind of vibe, which is more in line with what the young people wanted."
NHFT's Estates team supports the Trust's services by providing the right premises for the provision of care. Contract manager Caroline Machray said: "We are absolutely delighted with the final result of the Sett refurbishment and relocation - especially the new extension. The project involved essentially fitting the existing service into a quite a limited space, but Fleet Architects surpassed expectations with their innovative design."
Recognition for the refurbishment has come with two gold and one silver prize at the Building Better Healthcare Awards.
Jaime Bishop, Director at Fleet Architects, said: "The awards are a huge recognition not only of the design but also of the commitment and vision of everyone at NHFT, who helped make it happen. This is a wonderful example of what can be achieved through trust, collaboration and shared purpose. We're genuinely proud to see this work - and the Trust - recognised on a national stage."
NHFT is the lead provider for the East Midlands CAMHS Collaborative, which is working to improve community mental health care across the region for children and young people.
The collaborative was named Provider Collaboration of the Year at the prestigious Health Service Journal Awards in recognition of its work to bring CAMHS care closer to people's homes, improve the support available in the community and reduce the need for young people to be admitted to inpatient care.
Explore the newly refurbished Sett and find out more about what the designers and ward staff think in this video:
(Photo courtesy of Fleet Architects / Fernando Manoso)