We did not speak with people who used the service as part of this review.

Our last inspection found that people understood the care, treatment and support choices available to them and could express their views. They were involved in making decisions about their care, treatment and support and had their privacy, dignity and independence respected.

People who used the service were confident that their needs were being met and they felt supported.

We spoke with eight patients on three wards. Without exception they said they were involved in making decisions about their care and how they were supported.

A recently admitted patient said the nurses had made them, “Very welcome” and familiarised them with information.

We spoke with patients who had been admitted to the Meden Ward and Lucy Wade Ward on a section of the Mental Health Act 1983 (MHA). This means they did not have a choice about their admission. When we asked them, they were clear about their legal status with regard to their detention and, in some cases, their rights to go out on unescorted leave.

One patient on Kingsley Ward told us, “I was asked if I wanted to be admitted to the ward, I said yes because I’ve been here before and they helped me a lot.” Another patient on Meden Ward said, “They always talk to me about my problems, they give me really good support and they’ve asked me where I want to live after I’m discharged.”

We asked patients about their care plans and no one said they had seen their plans. One patient said, “I don’t see what staff write about me but I could ask to have a look.”

We asked patients if they felt protected and safe in the hospital and we were told by one patient, “I feel very safe, the staff are brilliant, you can’t fault them.”