Sturt House

Updated 6 November 2018

Sturt House is a large detached property set in its own grounds in a rural setting. Currently the hospital has 20 beds and there are plans by the provider to increase this to 21 beds by extending the building.

Sturt House is a hospital-based rehabilitation service for male patients providing specialist mental health treatment and rehabilitation. The service provides a recovery-focused treatment programme to enable patients to develop skills in daily living and managing their mental health conditions. The patients using the service may have stepped down from a secure hospital ward or have been referred by staff in community rehabilitation services for a period of more intensive support. Patients stay for one to three years before their discharge back to community mental health services.

The core service provided is long stay/rehabilitation mental health wards for working age adults.

Sturt House is registered to carry out the following regulated activities:

• Accommodation for persons who require treatment for substance misuse
• Assessment or medical treatment for persons detained under the Mental Health Act 1983
• Diagnostic and screening procedures
• Treatment of disease, disorder or injury.

The Care Quality Commission carried out a comprehensive inspection of Sturt House in November 2015. At that inspection the service received an overall rating of ‘Good’. However, we rated effective as requires improvement and told the provider it must ensure that staff received regular and appropriate supervision to enable them to carry out their duties.

A focused inspection took place in October 2016 to see if the provider had made the required improvements. We found that the provider had made the improvements and that staff were now receiving regular supervision.

Since the last inspection the provider of the service at Sturt House has changed and is now Elysium Healthcare (previously the Priory Group).

Updated 6 November 2018

We rated Sturt House as good because:

• The service provided safe care. The ward environments were safe and clean. There enough nurses and doctors to meet the needs of the patients. Staff assessed and managed risk well using recognised tools. Staff followed best practice in anticipating, de-escalating and managing challenging behaviour.
• Staff managed medicines safely and followed good practice with regard to safeguarding.
• All patients received a comprehensive assessment from a registered medical officer on admission. Patients’ physical health was assessed and monitored throughout their admission.
• Staff developed holistic, recovery-oriented care plans informed by a comprehensive assessment. They provided a range of treatments suitable to the needs of patients cared for in a mental health rehabilitation service and in line with national best practice.
• Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity and understood the individual needs of patients. Staff supported patients to be central in decisions about their care.
• Staff planned and managed discharge well. They liaised with services that would provide aftercare and maintained regular contact with community staff.
• The service treated concerns and complaints seriously, investigated them and learned lessons from the results, and shared these with the whole team.
• The senior team was visible on the ward and had a good knowledge of the patients. The service worked to a recognised model of mental health rehabilitation. Sturt House was working towards accreditation with the Royal College of Psychiatry network for mental health rehabilitation services in 2019.
• There were clear governance processes in place including a monthly governance meeting which looked at issues such as safety, security and risk, staffing, patient and carer experience.

However

• There was no open access to hot water for people to make drinks and patients had to request hot drinks from staff.
• The fabric and decoration of the ward communal areas was tired and in need of refurbishment.

Updated 6 November 2018