“Mental Health Care Stream has a new day unit”

The Acorn Education building used to be used solely for Education sessions. This building closed around two years ago when the Education Department moved into the main hospital.

The Acorn building was empty for a couple years before the decision was made to turn this building into the new Mental Health Day Unit.

The Mental Health Care Stream hasn’t had a dedicated day unit before now, so this is an exciting opportunity for those patients to have a day unit specifically designed and run for them.

The Day Centre will be used to host sessions, therapy groups and leisure based activities for patients, with the purpose of encouraging them to spend time off the ward and to help them engage in sessions to help progress them through their treatment.

Patients were asked to come up with a new name for the building to show the change from Acorn Education into the new Day Unit.

The competition was run through the Mental Health newsletter and patients were given an open brief to make suggestions.

In December 2020, we shortlisted the suggestions received and the three shortlisted names were:

1 The Major Oak Centre

2 The Phoenix Centre

3 The Oak Centre.

We went to a final vote, and patients voted through their preferred choice at their community meetings.

Chloe one of our Ward Managers said;

‘Handing over to the patients to rename has been a great experience.

I have spoken to the patient about this and I know he is quite humbled to have ‘left his mark’ as he puts it.

He is a long stay patient who is hopefully coming towards the end of his pathway in high secure services. It has been really rewarding for him and thank you for facilitating this‘.

Chloe.

The Phoenix Centre won!

Here is a comment from one of our the Patient who took part in the naming;

“The reason I put forward the name “The Phoenix Centre” was because therapy in a place like Rampton aims to facilitate a re-birth of inpatients lives, just like the mythical phoenix will rise again, from the ashes of its former life. Patients committed to change will use Rampton and the Training, Education and Therapeutic (TED) activities to change their lives to safer, happier and more productive ones”

How amazing and powerful is that?!

Emma Atkinson
Mental Health Therapy Team Manager
Therapies and Education Department