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Mutual expectations

Your time on Kestrel Ward is an opportunity, to work with your team to help you make the changes needed to improve your wellbeing. In order to get the most from this experience it will be important that you and your parents or carers are willing to work in partnership with us.

We encourage you to talk to staff and ask for help if you are struggling with thoughts, feelings, or urges. You are not expected to manage this alone — we are here to support you.

We expect everyone to get involved and work collaboratively with the ward routine, which includes:

  • Working with us to identify goals for your admission
  • Working with us to achieve your goals
  • Taking part in the therapeutic interventions offered
  • Respecting other young people’s and staff’s personal space
  • Respecting other people’s and hospital property
  • All unhealed self-harm wounds must be covered
  • Joining in therapeutic activities, such as groups and ward sessions
  • Attending education during term time and follow all rules for that setting

If at any point you are reluctant to take part in education, therapeutic sessions, are not consistently working with staff, or if your behaviour affects your own progress or that  of others, we will need to meet with you to understand what is making things difficult. Following this, we may need to consider whether Kestrel Ward remains the most suitable environment for you.

Confidentiality

At NWAS your confidentiality is important to us. However, because we work as a team, information that you share with any member of staff is written in your notes and shared with others in the team, including our teaching staff. We do this so that we can co-ordinate your treatment, monitor your progress, and ensure that you and others are kept safe. Information about your progress will be shared with your family and community team.  You can ask if you do not want certain information to be shared and we will be happy to discuss this with you but we may not be able to meet your request.

CCTV

In Wales, General Adolescent Unit’s are required to have CCTV outside of the building and within all communal areas in order to enhance the safety of patients, staff and other’s that visit the unit. The privacy in bedrooms and toilets is not impacted by the CCTV.

Rules

NWAS has several important rules that have been developed with the help of young people who have stayed at the unit. The rules are there to keep the environment safe.

We understand that a different environment can be challenging but these rules are in place to maintain everybody’s safety. It may not always appear this way but people are here for different reasons and require different support. These are a few to be aware of:

We will not accept threats of violence or physical aggression towards staff or other young people.

  • No swearing or abusive/ insulting language.
  • No sharing of problems with peers outside group meetings.
  • Young people are not permitted in each other’s bedrooms.
  • Devices should be always used appropriately. If they are misused, they may be kept by staff for 24 hours or longer, and we’ll talk to you about when you can have them back.
  • All films facilitated by NWAS must be certified 12, 12A or below.

This is a hospital and we are here to keep you safe.

Smoking

The North Wales Adolescent Service is a Non-Smoking unit.

If you have been smoking prior to admission and would like support adjusting to being smoke free, we will support you with Smoking Cessation including use of nicotine replacement therapies (such as patches) if needed.

Vapes/e-cigerettes are not permitted on the ward.

Mobile phones and Devices

Mobile phones, tablets and other devices are permitted on the ward, for young people to use – to maintain contact with friends and family, to provide distraction or a way to relax and unwind. We encourage young people to use their devices for these purposes, and will offer support to minimise any potentially unhelpful or harmful impact that a device can have. Young people, professionals or your parents/carer may decide they/the young person does not want to or should not use devices for all or part of their time at NWAS.

Kestrel Ward have developed a Local Protocol For use of digital smart devices, as part of the expectations for admission. This Local Protocol will be discussed and shared with you and the bill payer (often parent/carer) on or prior to admission to Kestrel Ward. We suggest that it is important to review this Protocol thoroughly for you to make an informed decision about whether to bring a device in during admission. There is restricted use of devices during the therapeutic day. This is for you to focus fully on your treatment and avoid unhelpful therapy interfering behaviours

There is Wi-Fi on the ward which is free for young people to use. There is also a landline phone that young people can use. Family or carers are welcome to call the ward or contact the young person directly on their device if they wish. In order to preserve the Therapeutic Programme, we ask that young people use their devices or receive calls outside of education, therapy, and mealtime hours. Any video calling must be away from communal areas due to confidentiality. All devices must be handed by lights out; they will then be taken by staff to be charged overnight.