Community meetings
We have a fortnightly community meeting that include all patients and ward staff. In this meeting ward issues are discussed and if possible, solutions or ideas are shared. Things from these meetings can then be taken to the United Voices Meetings (more information is given later in this leaflet) if they need to be raised further. Each ward is encouraged to have a representative attend the United Voices meeting if they can.
Working towards Recovery
At Ridgeway, we try to make sure everything we do is with service user recovery inmind. Recovery is sometimes a difficult thing to think about when it comes to challenges relating to mental health, learning disability or autism
Recovery doesn’t mean “curing” someone. It describes the process of a person regaining control over their life and living the life that they want.
Recovery will be different for each person, and we aim to offer support for any individual to meet spiritual, cultural or gender needs.
Multi-disciplinary team (MDT)
On admission you will be appointed a named nurse and keyworkers who are responsible for your care. Each shift you will be allocated a member of staff as your point of contact for that shift, who will help to meet your needs.
During your stay on the ward you will be cared for by a team of professionals, this team will be made up of people who are the best placed to help you with your care needs.
This team is collectively called a multi-disciplinary team (MDT) and may include your responsible clinician, nursing team, psychologists, occupational therapists, social workers, dietitians, speech and language therapists and pharmacists.
The MDT will have regular meetings with you to discuss decisions about your treatment and goals for your care, you can also discuss any concerns that you may have.
Nursing Team
Each ward has a team of qualified Nurses, Associate Practitioners and Health Care Assistants. A qualified Named Nurse will be allocated for each service user, as well as Associate Nurses and Nursing Assistants, so each service user has a dedicated team who will work with them. The wider Nursing team are there 24 hours a day 7 days a week to support all service users on the ward.
Carer Links
Within Ridgeway, we have dedicated Carer Links on each ward.
Carer Links make regular contact with carers from their wards, offer support and can be a point of contact, alongside the named nurse.
They link in with the wider service and work together to ensure any feedback and improvements are taken forward.
Responsible Clinicians and Approved Clinicians
Each service user in Ridgeway has a Responsible Clinician (RC) as part of their Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT). This person has overall responsibility for their care and treatment whilst they are being assessed and treated whilst detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 (as amended by the Mental Health Act 2007).
While important decisions regarding care and treatment will always be made in collaboration with service users and other professional members of the MDT, the RC has overall responsibility for decisions made, including detention, renewal, discharge, approved leave, seclusion and long-term segregation, and community treatment orders (CTOs).
Psychology
The ward has access to an allocated psychologist who will assess what treatment you may need whilst you are staying with us. The forensic services offer a number of psychological treatments and these may be delivered as group sessions and/or 1:1 sessions as appropriate.
Social work
Secure inpatient services has a social work team, with each social worker allocated to their own ward to work collaboratively as part of the multi-disciplinary team and wider care team in delivering care, treatment, and support to patients. Social workers work across all mental health, learning disability and autism specific units with patients with a diverse range of needs.
Social workers support with child visiting procedures, safeguarding issues, financial matters, support service users to keep in touch with their family and carers and to involve family where appropriate, support them to access advocacy services, liaise with community teams and link in with MAPPA, The Ministry of Justice and the Victim Liaison Unit amongst other agencies to keep patients and the public safe.
Four social workers within the team are now trained in delivering dialectical behavioural therapy and co-facilitate skills groups on the wards as well as offering 1:1 programmes.
Speech and language therapy
The speech and language therapy (SLT) team within the secure inpatient service provide evidence-based communication assessment and therapeutic interventions, including ward-based one-to-one sessions and groupwork, to support patients with SLCN (speech, language and communication needs) in their journey towards recovery.
The team work closely with other professionals to provide support and advice and encourage environmental changes to promote inclusive communication.
The SLT team also provide evidence-based assessment and management of eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties (dysphagia), with the aim to manage risk whilst promoting patient well-being and enjoyment.
Occupational therapy
The Occupational Therapy team within Ridgeway work with patients to overcome challenges completing everyday activities that are essential and meaningful. Each ward Multi-Disciplinary Team has an Occupational Therapist representative, who supports communication with the patient, ward and wider Occupational Therapy team to enable individuals to access occupational therapy where appropriate.
All new admissions to Ridgeway are offered Occupational Therapy assessment and input, a patient can self-refer, they are also seen every 3-6 months for a review or when there has been a change in need. Therapy may be delivered 1:1 or in a group both, within the service on the ward or in local community.
The Activity Centre
The Activity Centre is a space where patients can attend a range of activities for leisure, interest or to learn new skills. They can also take on vocational roles in the gym, library and The Hive.
The team is made up recovery activity workers, ward-based activity co-ordinators and fitness instructors. There is an art and craft room, education room, Woodwork workshop, ADL Kitchen, library, Charity shop, outdoor sports pitch, sports hall, fully equipped gymnasium and The Hive.
A timetable is planned to offer activities which are creative, practical, vocational, educational or can help to improve physical fitness. Some activity sessions need to be pre-booked in advance and others can be booked on the same day.
The timetable is changed on a regular basis to keep it interesting and patients are invited to suggest ideas for future sessions.
Health centre
Ridgeway has a fully equipped health centre where you can have access to a GP, dentist, physiotherapist and nurse practitioners. This allows quick access to address any medical problems or treatments you may need.
Patient involvement
Every month a patient experience meeting (united voices) is held in the recovery college or online. A patient representative from each ward meets with healthcare professionals to discuss the service they receive at Ridgeway or their experience from other hospitals. The aim of the meeting is to improve the care and service provided within secure inpatient services.
Carer / family involvement
We like to involve and support carers and families (where possible) in relation to your loved one’s care. If you would like to hear from us, we would be grateful if you could check we have your contact details. Once we have this information and consent from the patient in our care, we will do our best to involve you as much as we can.
The Recovery Engagement and Cocreation Team
The Recovery, Engagement and Co-creation team support service user and carer engagement and involvement across all of Ridgeway. They support the United Voices Meeting and also link into wider involvement work across the whole trust. We are keen to hear from carers of individuals in our service to support their voice to be heard.
The team also incorporates Lived Experience Peer Worker roles, using the peer support framework, to work within Ridgeway. Peer workers draw on their lived experience to support service users as part of their care. Their lived experiences are usually of mental health, autism or a learning disability. Carer peer workers draw on their lived experience of caring for others to support carers.
All of our peer workers have received Trauma Informed Peer Support Training and work to the TEWV Peer Support Values.
The Hive
The Hive is a social space containing a café and shop within Ridgeway which patients can attend daily throughout the week.
The Hive offers a large selection of sundries available for purchase, as well as toiletries. It also gives patients the opportunity to meet up with others within the service and socialise.
The Hive hosts social activities on weekends such as quizzes and pool competitions.
It has a TV, pool table, jukebox, arcade gaming machine and coffee machines.
From within the Hive, patients can also access the multi faith room.
Trust chaplaincy service
Within the hospital there is a team of chaplains/faith leaders who aim to provide for the religious, spiritual and pastoral needs of patients, carers and staff.
There is a multi-faith room within both The Hive and Dalesway at Roseberry Park.
Here you can find a variety of facilities, including prayer mats.
Ward visiting
You can book a visit anytime by calling the ward office. Please speak with the ward staff or contact the ward office who will advise you of the visiting times on the ward.
Visiting times can be flexible if visitors have a long way to travel or have difficulty attending during normal visiting times. You can ask the ward manager, or nominated deputy, to book visits outside of normal visiting times. On the ward we also have the use of a ward tablet where we can arrange virtual calls and meetings.
Parking is available for visitors. Please provide your vehicle registration number upon arrival, using the tablets provided in Ridgeway or Dalesway Reception. Drivers must comply with the parking notices displayed in the car park.
Any items brought into Ridgeway by family or friends during a visit will need to be checked by a member of staff. Any prohibited items will be removed. Food and drink items will only be accepted if they are fully sealed. More information about which items are prohibited can be obtained from Ridgeway reception, please contact them on 01642 837400.
Alcohol and illicit substances must not be brought into Ridgeway. The trust operates a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to the use, possession or dealing of illicit substances on trust premises. Any person thought to be attempting to supply illicit substances will be reported to the police.
If you have concerns outside of normal visiting times, you will be able to contact the ward by telephone and discuss your worries with a member of staff.
Child visiting
If you have children that you would like to visit (a person under the age of 18) you must discuss this with your care team at the earliest opportunity. To ensure visits are in the best interests of the child, there is a child visiting policy that must be followed.
This includes requesting permission from the person who has parental responsibility for the child, consideration of the child’s wishes and also in most cases liaison with local social services.
No visitors under the age of 18 will be allowed access to the ward. If granted, visits will take place in the child visiting room near Ridgeway reception and will be supervised by at least two staff.
Child visits must be booked in advance to make sure the visiting room is available.
All children visiting must be a relation to you.
Smoking
Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust have a no smoking policy. Smoking advisors work within the service and will be able to provide support and guidance in relation to nicotine replacement therapy if you need to access this during your stay. E-cigarettes and vapes are not permitted inside Ridgeway. Further information about our policy is available on request.
CCTV
To ensure the safety of our patients, carers, visitors and staff, a number of our premises are monitored by CCTV. These arrangements are covered by the Trust’s CCTV policy and signs are displayed outside all areas that are monitored by CCTV. If you wish to discuss obtaining access to any recordings, please contact the head of security for Ridgeway on 01642 837482.
Other Facilities at Roseberry Park Hospital
Dalesway is the name of the area outside of Ridgeway but still within Roseberry Park grounds. This area has a café, a patient bank and a small shop. There is also a reception here where you can register your car for parking and there is toilets available as well as access to other wards that are not part of Ridgeway.
Advocacy services
Roseberry Park has close links with advocacy services and all patients are encouraged to access these services. Please ask a member of staff for further information. Advocacy services seek to ensure people, especially those that are vulnerable, or in a vulnerable situation, are able to speak out, express their views and defend their rights. Roseberry Park maintains close links with a number of advocacy services.
Roseberry Park is home to an independent advocacy service called STAMP (South Tees Advocacy in Mental Health Project). STAMP is based on site and can be contacted on 01642 283421
Martha’s Rule
Martha’s Rule is a patient safety initiative to support the early detection of deterioration by ensuring the concerns of patients, families, carers and staff are listened to and acted upon.
Martha’s Rule actively encourages patients, families and carers to tell staff if they are worried a health condition is getting worse. They may notice small changes that could be early warning signs of deterioration before they show up in routine measurements. If, after speaking to the care team, they remain worried and feel their concerns are not being addressed, they can call a dedicated number for a rapid review from a different team. (Information taken from NHS England Website)
Legal representation for mental health tribunals / solicitors
If you require legal representation from Middlesbrough or another area, please ask a member of staff for assistance. Please let staff know if you already have an appointed legal representative.
Alternatively please contact:
The Mental Health Act Office
Ground floor, Cleveland Way
Roseberry Park
Middlesbrough, TS4 3AF
Telephone: 01642 838387 or 01642 837389
L1271v1 27/04/26 to be reviewed 27/04/29
