Service Detail

Brook Ward is a medium secure forensic unit in River House at Bethlem Royal Hospital. We provide treatment and care for men, aged 18-65, who have mental health problems and a history of offending, who are close to recovery and moving towards their independence.

A medium secure service provides inpatient care and treatment in a secure unit for people with offending behaviour. We support people through the final, managed stages of recovery. Our aim is to improve people's mental health and support their move to greater independence.

Our team of health and social care professionals includes a psychologist, a social worker, an occupational therapist and nurses. We work with people and their families and carers to develop care plans to help prevent relapses, and to help identify early warning signs so they know how to get help in a crisis.

This is a specialist service, available to people from across the UK. GPs, consultants, health professionals, referrers, commissioners and members of the public can learn more about our forensic services on our National Forensic Services page.

Overview

The purpose of our service is to ensure that mentally disordered offenders are assessed and treated effectively, in the least restrictive environment. We aim to manage the risk, reduce further offending and support recovery throughout the person's stay.

Our service is designed to support people on a pathway to recovery through a series of carefully managed stages. Each of the ward areas are associated with a specific stage, so that those people who have responded well to treatment and are close to being discharged will be cared for in a different area than those who are acutely unwell, and at the beginning of their journey. Where our admissions and intensive care ward offers enhanced physical and procedural security, our pre-discharge unit offers a high level of independence with a lower level of security, increased access to community programmes, and community outreach services fostering the development of living skills, before moving to independent settings in the community. We also offer time limited inpatient stays and community assessments.

Our service complies with the national standards set out in the Department of Health Best Practice Guidance: Specification for Adult Medium Secure Services (July 2007).