The St Aubyn Centre Therapeutic Education Department is part of the The St Aubyn Centre which is a Child and Asolescent Mental Health Unit run by the Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust.
The St Aubyn Centre unit was opened in June 2012. It was designed specifically for the needs of young people with mental health difficulties aged between 13 years and their 18th birthday. The unit has two wards:
Longview Ward
- 15 en-suite bedrooms (including one High Dependency Unit)
- Bathrooms (including an assisted bathroom)
- Lounge and dining area
- Outside courtyard
- 2 quiet rooms
- De-escalation room
- Therapy room
- Nursing office
- Family visiting room
Longview is a generic ward for young people with a range of mental health difficulties including depression, self-harm, eating disorders, severe anxiety problems, and psychosis. Young people are admitted to Longview because their difficulties have become so severe that they are unable to manage everyday life appropriately and safely in the community. They maybe voluntary patients or they may be detained under the Mental Health Act.
Larkwood Ward
- 10 en-suite bedrooms
- Bathrooms (including an assisted bathroom)
- Lounge and dining area
- Arts and crafts area
- Outside courtyard
- 2 quiet rooms
- De-escalation room
- Seclusion room
- Long term segregation area
- Sensory room
- Nursing station and nursing office
- Family visiting room
Larkwood ward is a regional secure ward providing a Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) service. Larkwood caters for young people with severe mental health difficulties that cannot be safely managed on a generic ward. The primary role of Larkwood is to stabilise patients and establish if they need longer term care in a secure environment or can be treated on an acute ward. All of Larkwood’s patients are detained under the Mental Health act at point of admission.
For further information regarding the St Aubyn Centre NHS unit please contact reception on 01206 334600.
You can also find the St Aubyn Centre guide to parents for each of the wards in the links below.