Priory Hazelwood House is a Low Secure unit for males with a primary diagnosis of a learning disability, who have co-morbid complex care needs, including those of mental illnesses and autistic spectrum disorder (ASD).

We are a well-established service in the Midlands with a pro-active team who works with patients to maximise their opportunity to live as independently as possible in the community, through a robust treatment programme that aims to build and consolidate core skills, promote relapse prevention strategies, and promote safe positive risk taking.

Hazelwood House is a member of the Quality Networks for Learning Disability & Forensic Mental Health Services and are extremely proud that we were recently rated Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission. We are also working towards QNLD accreditation with the Royal College of Psychiatry.

Our approach

All interventions aim to help the patient to understand the effect of their behaviour on others, to help them to manage the impact of external triggers on their behaviour and ultimately to promote the concept of recovery.

Our model of care explicitly acknowledges and supports the issue of change (or readiness for change) and this is essential for successful engagement and treatment. When stability is achieved, patients engage in appropriate treatments to meaningfully focus on reducing the risk of relapse and this can help to reduce length of stay in secure care.

Patients at this hospital could also go on to benefit from our specialist secure services care pathway. Priory Suttons Manor provides support for older, more vulnerable patients, who may require a slower paced environment and more specialist care. Located North East of London, Suttons Manor provides longer-term nursing support and maintenance therapy and incorporates both physical and mental health needs.

Psychology led therapies include:

• Individual psychological therapy
• Recovery and mental health awareness
• Stop & think! - a social problem solving therapy
• Managing anger programme (MAP)
• Drug and alcohol programme
• Relationship programme (social skills, collaboration with therapies)
• Adapted sex offender treatment programme
• Coping skills programme
• Arson treatment programme
• Relapse prevention and discharge planning
• ‘I can feel good’ group (Adapted DBT group)
• Mindfulness Practical sessions
• Ready Steady Go (Discharge Group)

Occupational therapy led activities include:

• Community-based volunteer work
• Real work opportunities
• Breakfast club – develop cooking and food preparation skills as well as socialisation skills
• Group cooking skills
• Education – literacy and numeracy
• Physical fitness
• 1:1 cooking
• Arts and crafts
• Hobbies
• Computers
• Skills for living group
• Recovery college
• Pets as therapy

Focus on Safety

Our absolute priority is to make sure we operate safe and effective services 24/7 and that all staff understand what is required of them to make that happen. Click here to read more.

The environment

We believe that the environment in which patients are treated is just as important as the therapy itself. Patients go out into the community for many activities but we also have the following facilities on site:

• Outdoor gym and large garden
• Large group room and computer room
• Rehabilitation kitchen

We also provide real work opportunities which help patients to develop pre-employment process skills including CV workshops, application support, interviews with formalised feedback and training relevant to the role such as health and safety or manual handling.