Priory Oak Vale Gardens
Specialist neurological rehabilitation and high-dependency care
About this location
Oak Vale Gardens is a specialist neurological rehabilitation and nursing service, part of the Cheshire and Merseyside Rehabilitation Network, supporting adults with acquired brain injury and complex neurological needs.
Our purpose-built 18-bedroom service provides personalised rehabilitation, specialist nursing care and residential support, helping people maximise their recovery, maintain independence and achieve goals that matter to them.
Services at a glance
There are a total of 18 bedrooms at the site, including:
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About our service
Who we support
We support individuals with a range of neurological conditions and needs, including:
- Acquired brain injury (ABI)
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Hypoxic brain injury
- Stroke
- Encephalitis and other acquired neurological injuries
- Neurological needs following brain tumour surgery
- Complex physical disabilities associated with neurological injury
- Cognitive, communication and functional difficulties
- Prolonged disorders of consciousness (PDOC)
We can also support individuals with complex nursing and physical care requirements, including:
- Tracheostomy care
- Enteral feeding
- Specialist moving and handling
- Hoisting and positioning requirements
- Complex mobility and personal care needs
Our rehabilitation and care programmes are tailored to each individual's clinical presentation, rehabilitation potential, personal goals and support requirements.
Each referral is assessed individually through the agreed referral pathway to ensure that Oak Vale Gardens can safely and appropriately meet the person's needs.
Our facilities and environment
Built in 2013, the service comprises two distinct units, supported by shared rehabilitation, communal and outdoor facilities.
- Stephenson unit: A specialist environment for individuals with complex neurological and physical needs, including those requiring tracheostomy care and support for prolonged disorders of consciousness (PDOC). The unit offers a lower-stimulus environment appropriate for individuals requiring higher levels of physical and nursing support.
- Unwin unit: Unwin supports individuals who are able to engage more actively in rehabilitation, with programmes focused on physical function, communication, everyday living skills and greater independence.
Our specialist facilities include:
- Therapy room and rehabilitation spaces
- Fully equipped training kitchens with adjustable worktops
- Sensory room and specialist sensory lighting
- Hoisting and specialist moving and handling equipment
- Height-adjustable bath and accessible wet rooms
- Smart technology and assistive equipment
- Comfortable communal lounges and dining facilities
- Quiet spaces for relaxation and individual activities
- Mobility-adapted vehicle supporting community access
The service is surrounded by extensive accessible gardens, including a sensory garden, lawns, patios and communal seating areas.
Our facilities support individualised neurological rehabilitation, complex physical care, meaningful activities and quality of life, according to each person's needs and abilities.
Our bedrooms
All of our bedrooms are comfortable, welcoming, and have been specifically designed to be suitable for people with a brain injury and associated physical disabilities.
The rooms have very good natural light, and some have direct access to our beautiful gardens through individual patio doors. We can also support residents to personalise their bedrooms to suit their needs and wishes. In addition, our bedrooms may have features such as:
- En-suite facilities, containing a wet room
- Wheelchair access
- Robust, low arousal furniture
- Smart televisions and Wi-Fi access
- Medical equipment, as required
Our approach to neurological rehabilitation and care
Our multidisciplinary approach combines specialist nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, psychology and other rehabilitation interventions to address each individual's physical, cognitive, communication, emotional and functional needs.
Our approach includes:
- Neurological rehabilitation: Individualised rehabilitation programmes supporting recovery, functional improvement and rehabilitation potential.
- Physical rehabilitation: Physiotherapy focused on mobility, strength, balance, positioning, transfers and physical function.
- Functional rehabilitation: Occupational therapy and speech and language therapy supporting everyday living skills, practical independence and preparation for community living.
- Psychological and emotional wellbeing: Support addressing the emotional, psychological and behavioural impact of neurological injury.
- Communication and cognition: Joint specialist MDT input and individualised strategies to support communication, cognitive function and meaningful participation.
- Complex nursing and high-dependency care: Specialist nursing and physical support for individuals with complex neurological needs.
- Family involvement: Working collaboratively with families and carers throughout rehabilitation, care planning and reviews.
- Onward planning: Supporting individuals to progress towards the most appropriate future living arrangements.
Our rehabilitation and care programmes are reviewed regularly and adapted according to individual progress, changing needs and personal goals.
Activities
At Oak Vale Gardens, meaningful activities are an important part of neurological rehabilitation, wellbeing and everyday life.
Each individual has a personalised activities programme reflecting their interests, abilities, communication needs and rehabilitation goals.
Activities may include cooking and everyday living tasks, sensory activities, gardening, social opportunities, community outings and opportunities to explore education or employment.
For individuals with higher-dependency needs, activities and sensory experiences are adapted to their clinical presentation, preferences and abilities.
Where appropriate, activities are incorporated into individual rehabilitation programmes, helping residents practise and develop skills beyond formal therapy sessions.
Pathways
Individuals are referred through the agreed Network pathway and receive an assessment of their clinical, nursing and rehabilitation needs.
Our pathway:
Referral through the Cheshire and Merseyside Rehabilitation Network
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Individual assessment and multidisciplinary goal-setting
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Placement within the appropriate specialist unit
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Individualised neurological rehabilitation or high-dependency care
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Regular multidisciplinary review and rehabilitation planning
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Functional rehabilitation, community participation and onward discharge planning, where appropriate
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Progression to the most suitable future care or living environment
Individuals can also move between Stephenson and Unwin as part of an internal rehabilitation progression pathway, dependent on clinical appropriateness and availability.
Our team
Our team brings together nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, psychology and specialist rehabilitation expertise to develop coordinated, goal-focused programmes.
Our nurses, therapists and support teams work collaboratively to ensure that rehabilitation and care strategies are incorporated into everyday routines, providing consistency beyond formal therapy sessions.
Our team receives specialist training tailored to the needs of the individuals we support, including tracheostomy management, epilepsy, PEG feeding, specialist communication aids and SMART assessments.
Inside Oak Vale Gardens
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Comments from our residents and their family and friends
I think being at Oak Vale Gardens has helped my son a lot. He has physio, occupational therapy, psychology, and speech therapy. He has never received as much support as he gets now. I know if he needs anything, he can just walk out of his room and find someone to play a game or speak to about his worries. He’s better off here than he was in previous places
This place is a home away from home. All the staff are welcoming, and other residents are too. I have gained more self-confidence and I am ready to go back into the world again
Family and friends FAQs
How does home leave work?
We support our residents to attend family events and visit their family homes. We will work with the resident and their relatives to ensure possible risks are managed and that everyone is supported. This may mean the individual’s key worker will come along on the visit. For those who are unable to visit their family home, we can support your loved ones with video calls.
Can friends and families visit?
Family and friends are welcome to visit. Due to the nature of the support we provide, we do have set visiting times, which will be communicated to the family members of the people we support.
Will I be involved and kept up to date with the progress of my loved one’s care and support?
We strive to keep the loved ones of our residents involved in their care. We work with families to understand how they would prefer to be communicated with. This could include phone calls, emails or face-to-face meetings, when they visit.
Will my loved one be able to have a phone or call me?
Everyone who stays with us are supported to call their loved ones any time, via phone, video call or assistive technology such as eye-gaze, where appropriate. Family and friends are also able to call as often as they like. We have landlines available at the home for this, and can support residents to purchase and use their own mobile phones.
What are the bedrooms like?
Bedrooms are all furnished to a robust, fitted standard, with specialist equipment, which is provided as required. Each bedroom has its own en-suite facilities, and a 32-inch Smart TV on the wall. We encourage our residents to personalise their bedrooms as much as possible, taking into account the need to maintain a safe environment.
Are external doors kept locked?
Yes, due to the nature of the service, the doors are locked and we have a keypad system in place. However, residents have free access to the enclosed garden.
What do residents eat and how do meal times work?
Nutrition is personalised to the needs of our residents, depending on their dietary and clinical needs. Where people have dysphagic needs, our speech and language therapist support our residents with plans and monitoring. Our chefs will cater for everyone's individual preferences and special dietary requirements. There are always alternative meals available and people can choose their meals. We have a rotating menu, which changes every four weeks, reflecting seasonal variety. We also have themed meals, such as Italian, Spanish, Chinese and Indian styled food.
How does laundry work?
Our team will ensure that residents always have access to clean clothes and bedding. We have a dedicated laundry room, and this is mainly carried out by the staff but family can do their loved ones laundry, if they wish.
Who does the housekeeping and domiciliary tasks?
We have a dedicated housekeeping team who manage all of the cleaning and domestic tasks.
Is there anything they can’t bring or have?
We would ask that residents do not bring valuables such as family heirlooms to our home, as we cannot guarantee their safety. We may place restrictions on some items where the risks cannot be appropriately managed, such as alcohol, non-approved drugs and medications, solvent-based products and lighters. We ask family and friends to talk with us about any food items they may wish to bring in, to ensure that these are safe for the person to have and also for others we are supporting.
How do activities work?
Every resident has a tailored therapy and activities planner. This will include both in-house activities as well as visits into the community. We have a monthly resident meeting where requests can be made about activities, they wish to participate in around the local area. We use a variety of communication tools to ensure the resident can have an input into the planning of activities.
How will residents be supported with their behavioural needs?
We use positive behaviour support (PBS) informed approaches when working with people who may present some low-level behaviours that may challenge. Our team strive to understand the needs and preferences of our residents, to ensure that the right support is in place for each individual.
Do residents and families have an input into the care plans?
When people first come to us, a care plan will be put in place immediately to ensure that their needs are met. We meet with the family member soon after their loved one is admitted, to find out more about their needs and aspiration. We will then have a full multidisciplinary team meeting within the first four weeks of their arrival, and subsequently hold goals meetings every four months with the individual and their family, as appropriate, to discuss progress and to re-set goals. The support plans and risk assessments are fully reviewed each month, to account for the changing needs of the people we support.
What are the car parking facilities?
Oak Vale Gardens has on-site car parking facilities, which are free to use. There is also free on-road parking if our car park is full.
What is the smoking policy?
There is a no smoking policy in our home and our grounds.
How to make a referral
Oak Vale Gardens provides specialist neurological rehabilitation and high-dependency care through an established partnership with the Cheshire and Merseyside Rehabilitation Network. Referrals are coordinated through the agreed Network pathway, with individual assessments undertaken to determine clinical suitability and rehabilitation needs.
For further information about the service, please contact the Oak Vale Gardens team.