Priory Healthcare provides community focused rehabilitation services within its main rehabilitation and recovery provision. The primary purpose of community-focused settings is to:

• Support patients to develop confidence and independence
• Achieve a life worth living in the community
• Be transitioned to the least restrictive alternative

Our therapy-led integration programmes actively encourage community engagement and we support patients with activities of daily living (ADL), such as cooking, leisure activities and daily personal care skills, in order to re-establish their independence, freedom and dignity. Our programmes are based on bespoke timetables, taking into account the individual needs of our patients.

We also provide real work opportunities (RWOs), which allows patients to work as volunteers in the community, complete paid employment, fulfil job opportunities at the site itself, and they are also offered support in tasks such as CV writing.

Working together

We focus on helping patients to learn new ways of managing their condition and symptoms, while assisting them to reintegrate successfully back into the community, where possible.

Despite the more open approach, our services are still safe, secure and well equipped to meet the changing needs of those in our care. We provide:

• Expert multidisciplinary team input
• Pre-admission assessments to determine the needs of the individual
• Post-admission assessments, with continual treatment planning from our specialists

Priory works in partnership with local agencies to promote independence by building excellent community links with local services, which provide residents with access to wider services, in order to facilitate initiatives such as volunteering.

Patient-centred care

We place patients and their families at the centre of our recovery model and encourage participation in a wide range of therapeutic activities. Patients are also encouraged to be involved in the running of our services. Often our sites run regular house meetings and have patient representatives who attend their clinical governance meetings.

Carers and relatives are encouraged to participate in their loved one’s care, and can join in on ward rounds. We also help to facilitate regular contact between carers and relatives.

The environment

Our community focused wards and flats provide a homely environment, often set within quiet residential areas. We ensure close links to transport routes, shops, parks and educational facilities where possible, to further promote independence.

We promote also positive risk taking and proactively utilise the community as a therapeutic resource.

Overall, our main aim throughout our community focused rehabilitation units, is for our patients to be discharged to independent living, but where this is not achievable, our patients would be supported in a transition to the least restrictive alternative.