Secure services
Providing evidence-based treatment programmes for people with complex mental health needs and need secure care.
Priory provides comprehensive secure services for people with complex mental health needs. We model our service provision on the NHS secure service specification for medium and low secure services, ensuring our patients are given the highest quality of care to enable quick and smooth transitions into local services wherever possible.
Within Priory’s secure services, we deliver clinically effective, evidence-based treatment programmes for people who need secure care, providing both psychological and physical security.
Service overview
- Individualised and flexible care pathways
- Experienced and expert multidisciplinary teams
- Rapid access to the highest quality of care
- Recovery-focused approach for a wide range of mental health needs
Areas of expertise include dealing with:
- Behaviours that challenge
- Complex needs
- Severe and enduring mental health needs
- Learning disabilities
- Personality disorders
- Autism
Services
Our patients are at the heart of everything we do. Together, we strive for clinical excellence, innovation and continuous improvement.
Our care pathways are categorised under:
- Medium secure services
- Low secure services
We recognise the importance of an individual pathway, designed to provide a safe but supportive and structured environment. Our experienced multidisciplinary teams work collaboratively with individuals and commissioners to ensure that every person receives rapid access to the highest quality of care, when they need it most.
Protecting all our patients within Priory’s secure services is at the forefront of our minds and we ensure safeguarding best practice is followed to the highest possible degree. We strive to maintain a transparent and open culture where everyone feels safe and able to share any issues.
Priory’s secure services provide free assessments, carried out by a senior clinician, usually within 24 hours of an enquiry. Subject to NHS agreement, same-day admission can be facilitated and all our secure hospitals have specific admission criteria relevant to the service and support they offer.
Referrals and admissions
Priory secure services have been designed to support the following people:
- Males and females aged 18 years or older
- People detained under the Mental Health Act (MHA)
- Prisoners with a mental health condition – remanded or convicted
- People who may have encountered difficulties in previous placements and need a higher level of support
They may also have:
- A mental health condition combined with physical health needs
- Psychosis
- Sexual offending behaviour
- Self-harming behaviour
- Substance misuse or forensic addictions
Priory accepts referrals from a variety of public sector and independent organisations throughout the UK. These include:
- NHS specialised mental health case managers
- NHS provider trusts via gatekeeping assessments
- Local systems
- Community mental health teams
- High secure hospitals
- Medium secure hospitals
- Low secure hospitals
- Mental health acute and psychiatric intensive care units (PICUs)
- Rehabilitation and recovery (R&R) inpatient services
- Prisons and courts
- Social services and the police
Patients and carers are at the forefront of all that we plan and do, and we ensure that admissions to our hospitals are as comfortable and informative as possible. Our patients are made aware of hospital procedures, regulations and expected conduct and will be allocated a fellow patient as a ‘buddy’ on arrival, to assist with initial orientation to the unit. Pre-admission visits to our services are encouraged whenever possible.
Admission is subject to agreement by NHS secure case managers.
Contact us for help, referrals or more information
For further information on Priory services offered to the NHS, or to make a referral, please call our dedicated 24/7 customer service centre.
Policy documents
The following operational policies relate to the secure service provision delivered by Priory locations nationwide.
View our operational policy documents
Arrangements for Visitors including Visits by Children
Care Programme Approach-Care Treatment Planning
Leave of Absence under Section 17 and Revocation of Leave
Safeguarding Children and Adults
Searching Patients and Visitors
Service User and Carer Involvement
Smoking Cigarettes & E-Cigs Vapes
Use of Mobile Phones and Smart Devices by Patients in Hospitals
Whistleblowing (Protected Disclosure)
Zero Tolerance of Physical Assault Non-Physical Assault Anti-Social Behaviour