Young people also told us that they found there was enough to do to keep them meaningfully occupied. However, one person told us that 'Sometimes our plan of activities does not happen because the staff member is busy or not here. We get free time then.'
None of the young people we spoke with expressed any concerns about their safety. One young person said 'I feel safe here'.
Patients with whom we spoke told us that they were satisfied with the care, treatment and support they were receiving. They told us that they were aware of their care plans, one patient said that they had their own copy, and thought these were, 'Quite cool'. One patient commented, 'I have been involved in my discharge arrangements' and said that they were, 'Looking forward' to returning to their previous home and that a visit had been arranged.
We asked patients if they felt safe living at St Luke's hospital, they told us that they felt safe and that they got on well with fellow patients, although there was occasional arguments, which they felt staff managed well.
We spoke with four parents who told us that they were involved in their relative's reviews and that staff were good at explaining the treatment programmes for their relatives and how the associated risks were managed. They said that every effort was made to involve them in the care planning process and all four parents reported an improvement in the wellbeing of their relative since they had been admitted to St Luke's hospital. Parents told us that there was an obvious effort made by the service to ensure that patients were able to continue their education both on site and at the city college. We saw that educational programmes consisted of self study revision, reading, sex and relationships education. Literacy, history, English and maths, were all being undertaken at GSCE level.
Parents commented that although the hospital was situated in a remote location, the family accommodation referred to as 'The Lodge' on site and also the willingness of staff to pick families up from Norwich railway station enabled them to visit and spend time with their relative.
During our visit we heard young people expressing their views about aspects of the service, such as the fact that smoking was not allowed and their wish to keep pets. Staff responded appropriately, listened to their views and explained the reasons for certain rules.
Two young people were undertaking college courses with the support of staff. When asked about their experience of attending college and they spoke very positively about the social and educational advantages of this.
In June 2011 a survey had been completed on Woodlands unit, with responses from all the young people on the unit at that time. The survey report showed that young people's experiences were predominantly positive; however it also indicated that they would like to do more activities. One individual response to a question about the best thing about being at the hospital was 'I feel safe being here.'
The survey also indicated how staff could improve the experience of people using the service. Feedback from the young people told us that some things that were raised had already been improved.
Some people told us that they had good access to an independent advocate to support them with decision making.
People told us that the food was 'OK' and that they had sufficient choice. When we asked about the arrangements for food and drink they all told us that they did not have free access to snacks and drinks and that snacks and meals were only offered at set times.
During our visit we discussed with people their use of the internet. They all told us that they were unhappy about the fact that they had no unsupervised access to the internet at that time.
All of the people with whom we spoke told us that they enjoyed frequent activities, such as swimming, fishing, visiting local attractions, going out for a drive, using the trampoline and the hot tub. People with whom we spoke told us that none of the people on Woodlands Unit held a key to their bedroom. They said that all bedrooms that were occupied were kept unlocked and people and staff had free access to their rooms at anytime.
Another person told us that 'I have everything I need'. This person was moving to another placement shortly and was looking forward to it. They said that they had been 'well looked after'. They showed us a transition workbook that they had been completing with the support of staff in preparation for the move.
People with whom we spoke during our visit told us that they felt safe living at St Luke's Hospital. They made comments such as 'The staff are OK' and one person told us that they were 'well looked after'. They also told us that they felt able to raise any concerns they may have. One person said that they felt safer with the closed circuit television in the unit.
During our visit on 07 July 2011 all of the people with whom we spoke were complimentary about the staff and told us about the positive relationships they maintain. Comments included 'The staff are OK'; 'They are good' and 'They look after us.' Throughout our visit we observed positive interactions between staff and people living at the hospital.
Each year, we visit all NHS trusts and independent providers who care for people whose rights are restricted under the Mental Health Act to monitor the care they provide and check that patients' rights are met. Immediate concerns raised by patients on those visits are discussed, if appropriate, with hospital staff.
Our Mental Health Act Commissioners may carry out a number of visits to each provider over a 12-month period, during which they talk to detained patients, staff and managers about how services are provided. In the past, we summarised themes from the visits and published an annual statement followed by the provider's response where applicable. We are looking at different ways to indicate the outcomes of our monitoring in the future.