Child, Adolescent and Family Service, Direction for Change: Inpatient Units

Specialist Mental Health Service’s have released the Child, Adolescent and Family (CAF) Service Direction for Change for Inpatient Units. The proposed model of care has been informed by three key reviews on SMHS Regional CAF Inpatient and the Eating Disorders Services, and a Proposal for Change paper that achieved widespread support during the consultation process.

The Direction of Change includes:

An expanded Regional Eating Disorders Unit

- Two beds from the CAF Regional Inpatient Service will be transferred to the Regional Eating Disorders Unit.

- This will enable the creation of a 4 bed Child and Adolescent Pod for both local and regional patients with Eating Disorders who are under 18 years of age.

The creation of a 14 bed CAF Inpatient Service to provide developmentally appropriate psychiatric care to children and adolescents

- The two inpatient units (Child and Family Unit and Youth Inpatient Unit) will be administratively and functionally merged into a single inpatient facility with a single system of access.

- The CAF Inpatient Service will operate two physically separate but functionally merged wings in order to address the developmental needs of the younger and older age groups.

- At least two beds will be dedicated for young people under the age of 13

An increase in the capacity of the current Child and Family Day Programme with the addition of the Child and Family Workers redeployed from the Child and Family Unit.

The executive leadership team of the CAF Service will oversee the implementation of these changes within 12 months. Working groups/streams will be established to inform this process

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