Wisteria Ward is a twelve bed national inpatient unit for young people between the ages of 11 and 18 with severe eating disorders and weight loss related to mental health problems. The multidisciplinary team are highly experienced in this specialist field. Psychological therapies include individual, cognitive and psychodynamic therapies and group therapies.
As family therapy has been shown to be the most effective therapy in treating young people with eating disorders, a range of family interventions are offered – family therapy, multi-family group treatment, information sessions, dietetic advice, supported family meals and parents’ support groups. A family suite means families from some distance away can spend time with their children when they are too unwell to go home.
We ensure a broad, engaging and personalised educational offer is in place for all young people admitted to Wisteria Ward. All inpatients are encouraged to attend school on a daily basis. On admission, pupils are requested to bring in their work from school, or the school staff can arrange for the work from school to be sent directly to the ward. Pupils who are not well enough, or not able to manage in the classroom environment will be visited on the ward by one of our teaching staff.
On first entrance to the classroom each student is met by their assigned lead teacher. This lead teacher is responsible for all aspects of pastoral care, progress monitoring and communication for the young person. We ensure the classrooms are safe and welcoming, offering phased integration and a range of strategies to enable students to engage with their learning. Each patient becomes a student once in the classroom, duly encouraged to refocus on their interests, academic studies and future pathway. Curriculum content and timetables are personalised in the light of student’s needs and interests.
The education team is comprised of highly specialist teachers and specially trained Higher Level Teaching Assistants (HLTA’s) who are able to teach a wide range of subjects across KS3, KS4 and KS5. Education staff liaise closely with the pupil’s home school, ensuring continuity of education and supporting them to prepare for GCSE’s or A Level examinations or any other external accreditations.
The school is a registered examination centre and pupils who are inpatient during their exams will be able to sit exams in the CAMHS Campus School.
