TheHaldon

A centre for the treatment of eating disordersUnit

Contents

The Haldon Unit ....................................................3

Our services .........................................................5

What makes us special? .......................................7

Admission and discharge ......................................9

Weight restoration and returning to normal eating ..................................11

Support and group work .....................................13

How to refer people to us ..................................15

About Devon Partnership NHS Trust ..................15

The Haldon Unit The Haldon Unit is a dedicated specialist service helping and treating men and women affected by eating disorders. Our approach uses psychological treatment and a range of alternative therapies, underpinned by medical safeguards, to achieve lasting progress.

We work in partnership with fellow specialists at London’s renowned St George’s Hospital and the Yorkshire Eating Disorder Service in Leeds. This allows us to draw on our academic research and service excellence to further develop the quality and effectiveness of our treatment programmes.

We have a warm and friendly environment for our patients who, as they progress, can live ‘semi-independently’ in our self-contained, two bedroom flat within the Haldon Unit, with 24-hour support close at hand.

We take pride in working closely with those people who refer to us, to ensure successful outcomes.

For more information about the Haldon Unit, our approach to eating disorders and the packages of care we can offer, contact us on 01392 208263 or email us at HaldonUnit@DevonPtnrs.nhs.uk.

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Our focus is on achieving the best for each person

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Our servicesThe Haldon Unit is a modern, welcoming facility within Wonford House Hospital, part of Devon Partnership NHS Trust. We are close to the centre of Exeter and next door to the City’s major acute hospital, the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust.

We have 12 beds arranged in a mix of shared accommodation, single rooms and one two bedroom self-contained rehabilitation flat. We accept women and men, usually over the age of 16. Care and treatment is given by a full multi-disciplinary team covering psychiatry, psychology, nursing, occupational therapy, dietetics and individual, family and creative therapies.

We adopt a patient-centred approach, offering a flexible menu of options that can meet a diverse range of needs and circumstances.

We work closely with community teams, families and carers to sustain recovery. We provide regular progress reports and work towards having a carefully planned and prepared discharge. Dietetic and other support is also provided for a significant time after discharge.

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We have a warm and friendly environment for our patients who, as they progress,

can live ‘semi-independently’ in our self-contained, two bedroom flat,

with 24-hour support close at hand.

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What makes us special?

Every person is encouraged to take the biggest possible step they can towards their recovery.

Our treatments are designed to address disordered eating and the underlying psychological issues.

We see each patient:

n playing an active part in their treatment and in setting their goals

n understanding the emotional and psychological issues aiding their eating disorder

n achieving weight gain in a safe, paced and well supported way

n progressing towards managing all aspects of feeding themselves

n re-establishing or creating a new approach to regular eating

n winning freedom from rituals, compulsions and excessive exercising.

Our focus is on achieving the best for each person. We use a range of group and individual treatments and therapies to try and bring about long-lasting change.

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Time away from the unit for fresh air and a change of scene...

...we recognise how important this can be for someone’s overall wellbeing.

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Admission and discharge

We encourage pre-admission visits. We talk with people about their ambitions and, together with their families, they can learn about our programme and therapeutic environment. Integral to the work of the unit is the ongoing contact with referrers and community teams to ensure an effective discharge from the unit.

During the initial two week pre-assessment period we are able to decide if a person has the right level of motivation for treatment or not.

We use a ‘buddy’ system, along with a comprehensive information booklet, to support new patients to settle in and become familiar with the unit. Our initial assessments work motivationally, engaging people and helping them to set clear and agreed expectations for their treatment.

Time away from the unit for fresh air and a change of scene is arranged as soon as someone is medically well enough. We recognise how important this can be for someone’s overall wellbeing.

Individual plans are discussed each week, allowing us to respond flexibly to each person’s progress and keep referrers informed.

We encourage people to eat snacks and then meals outside the unit, while building-up to overnight leave. When this goes well, we arrange longer periods of leave in preparation for discharge. Leave is an important part of treatment. It helps towards confidence building, practising new skills and identifying any specific problems that require further work.

We help people plan their time in ways that support their wellbeing and recovery, as well as focused eating disorder relapse-prevention work within their treatment programme.

When someone is ready to leave the unit, having achieved their goals, we work with them, their families and the teams in the community. Thorough and careful pre-discharge planning is very important to us.

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We use a ‘buddy’ system, along with

a comprehensive information booklet,

to support new patients...

10

Weight restoration and returning to normal eating

We work towards an agreed target weight range. For some, this may be a short admission, with a clear idea of what will happen after discharge, but our aim is to encourage everyone to work towards recovery.

We work to normalise meal times, including completing meals within a reasonable time, social engagement at the table and minimising the behaviour which supports an eating disorder.

We fully support people to manage meal time emotions. Staff and patients eat together and we encourage everyone to remain at the table until the meal is finished.

We have a phased programme of introducing food from admission onwards. People build up from a low fibre, half-portion schedule in the first week to a normal diet of three main meals and appropriate snacks in the third week.

Our dietitian advises on food and supplement drinks. Our expectation is to see 0.5kg - 1kg of weight a week restored.

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We plan opportunities away from the unit, with staff support, so people can experiment with new opportunities such as shopping trips, eating in the nearby hospital café, a meal in town, a leisure trip or cooking for and eating with their family.

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Support and group work

Each person has a named and associate nurse specifically involved in their care, from the time they are admitted until they are discharged. From the start, we also allocate a qualified therapist to each person, based on their needs, for weekly psychotherapy sessions, which review behaviour and problems and seek solutions. Everyone is offered a wide range of therapeutic activities, including art and movement therapy.

Additionally, we plan opportunities away from the unit, with staff support, so people can experiment with new opportunities such as shopping trips, eating in the nearby hospital café, a meal in town, a leisure trip or cooking for and eating with their family.

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From the start, we also allocate a

qualified therapist to each person...

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How to refer people to usWe are flexible in accommodating planned admissions to the unit. Our administrator manages the referral process, and the contact details are below.

Referrals, written or email, are accepted from any secondary services, community care co-ordinators and other specialist eating disorder services.

No charge is made for pre-admission assessments as we are essentially looking at a person’s suitability for treatment and whether or not we can offer what they require.

Full specialist assessments are charged at three rates – standard bed rate, intensive care bed rate and day patient rate. For full details of our fees, current terms and payment policy, or to speak to a member of the team, please contact us:

Unit AdministratorThe Haldon UnitWonford House HospitalDryden RoadExeter EX2 5AF

Tel: 01392 208263Email: HaldonUnit@DevonPtnrs.nhs.uk Web: www.devonpartnership.nhs.uk click the services section

About Devon Partnership NHS TrustWe are an NHS organisation that works closely with other health and social care providers across Devon to support the recovery of people with mental health needs. We deliver services for:

n Adults

n Older people

n People with alcohol and substance misuse issues

n People with an eating disorder

n People with a learning disability

n People who need forensic or secure mental health services (usually people that have come into contact with the criminal justice system).

We were created in 2001, serve a population of around 890,000 people and have an annual budget of £108 million. We employ 2,200 staff and also have staff working with us from Devon County Council and Torbay Care Trust, including social workers and support workers.

The Trust’s services were rated as excellent in the recent Annual Health Check by the Healthcare Commission.

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How to find usBy carFrom M5 Junction 30, take the A379 signposted Exeter and hospitals. After half a mile take left exit signposted for RD&E Hospitals. Continue down the hill to Countess Wear roundabout.

Take 3rd exit signposted RD&E Hospitals onto Topsham Road. After about a mile turn right into Barrack Road signposted for Hospitals. Turn right after 200 yards at first set of lights into Dryden Road. The Haldon Unit and Wonford House Hospital is the first turning on the left.

By trainExeter is about 180 miles (290 Km) southwest of London, easily reachable by rail from Paddington station in 2.5 to 3 hours. Visit www.nationalrail.co.uk website for train times.

By bus/coachNational Express run daily services from Exeter to London, Victoria. See National Express’s website for times and fares.

Once you get to Devon there are extensive local coach services to all the outlying towns. The County Council’s website contains details of all Bus Services and their frequencies including route maps.

Reference: 139/02/08 Published February 2008

Devon Partnership NHS Trust, Trust Headquarters, Wonford House Hospital, Dryden Road, Exeter EX2 5AF

Telephone: 01392 403433 www.devonpartnership.nhs.uk

Devon PartnershipNHS Trust

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