Excellent support for autistic adults at Priory hospital, says National Autistic Society

• Autism Accreditation has been awarded to Priory Stockton Hall in York
• The award means the service is “committed to understanding autism”, says the National Autistic Society
• The accreditation process reviewed staff performance and included input from patients and their families.

Priory Stockton Hall in York has been recognised for “setting the standard for autism practice” by the National Autistic Society.

The hospital, a highly specialist setting which provides care for people with developmental, mental health and personality disorders, has received the Autism Accreditation for offering “excellent support” to autistic adults and demonstrating “increased expertise in supporting autistic people.”

Meet the team at Priory Stockton Hall

The award proves the site “is committed to understanding autism” according to the society, and means people being supported at Stockton Hall can expect a high quality, personalised service which is “autism-focused.”

The Autism Accreditation is an internationally recognised quality standard and is the UK’s only autism-specific quality assurance programme. The four stage accreditation process included a three-day, in-person assessment where care practices were observed, key documentation was reviewed and discussions with patients and their families or carers took place.

During the assessment, one patient at Stockton Hall told inspectors: “I feel very supported, and staff listen to my views. I can ring any time and staff will listen.” One family member also added that their relative at the service “is happy and settled. The support is absolutely bespoke.”

Priory Stockton Hall’s Fenton Ward, an eight-bedded, medium secure service which is tailored towards males with autistic spectrum disorders, was accredited by the National Autistic Society in July 2020. Now, the hospital’s other service, Kyme Ward, which provides care for patients with higher functioning autism and mild learning disabilities in a medium secure environment, has also received recognition from the society, meaning the entirety of Priory Stockton Hall’s Learning Disability/Autism Spectrum Disorder service line is accredited.

Liz Littlewood MBE, Hospital Director at Priory Stockton Hall said: “Autism is complex and the people we care for all require highly individualised, person-centered care. This accreditation demonstrates Priory’s commitment to this tailored approach, and I’d like to congratulate our brilliant colleagues who are continuously developing their practice in order to provide the very best care to patients.”

Priory is the UK’s leading independent provider of mental health and rehabilitation services.

ENDS

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About Priory and MEDIAN

Priory is the UK’s leading independent provider of mental health services. We treat more than 70 conditions, including depression, anxiety, addictions and eating disorders, as well as children’s mental health, across our nationwide network of sites. We also support autistic adults and adults with a learning disability, Prader-Willi Syndrome and brain injuries, as well as older people, within our specialist residential care and supported living facilities – helping as many people as possible to live their lives.

Priory is part of the MEDIAN Group, one of Europe’s leading providers of high quality mental health and rehabilitation services. The MEDIAN Group comprises 290 facilities with 5,000 beds caring for 28,000 people in the UK, 120 facilities with 20,000 beds caring for around 250,000 patients in Germany, and 15 facilities with 2,000 beds caring for 13,000 people in Spain, with more than 29,000 employees overall.