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Alexandra Wellbeing House

Swindon and Gloucestershire Mind in partnership with Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust

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For our latest service update including leaflet and referral form, please visit our web-page

Who are we?

Alexandra Wellbeing House is located in Gloucester and is a partnership project between Swindon and Gloucestershire Mind & Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust. The service was officially opened by the Countess of Wessex in July 2017. The Alexandra Wellbeing House offers a preventative approach for people experiencing mild to moderate mental health challenges and to those who may be at risk of mental health admission, crisis and/or relapse.

Where are we?

The service is situated within the centre of Gloucester and is within walking distance of the city centre. We accommodate up to five people at a time. Individuals are referred to as ‘Guests’ to reflect the non-clinical and relaxing atmosphere of the service. Each guest is allocated their own private bedroom and there are also several communal areas and shared facilities such as, the living room, kitchen, crafts room, outdoor garden space and summer house.

What do we do?

Alexandra Wellbeing House provides a safe, therapeutic environment for adults experiencing mild to moderate mental health challenges who need up to two weeks support and advice from wellbeing support staff. The service is staffed Monday to Sunday during the day with an on-call system available during the night. Guests stay overnight and access support for up to two weeks in a therapeutic environment, promoting recovery, resilience and wellbeing.

The services aims are to:

Support Guests to develop safety and support planning to help prevent further deterioration of mental health which may result in hospital admission.
Support Guests who have been discharged from hospital so they can move back into the community (if they have their own secure accommodation arrangements following a stay with us).

The service also offers:

Time for reflection and space to think and time away from the causes of emotional, environmental and social problems.
Individual and person-centred support that focuses on specific outcomes via the Five Ways to Wellbeing Plan which includes personal safety and support planning.

Outcome Measures:

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‘I referred Sam (not real name) to Alexandra Wellbeing House for a two-week break. I’ve worked with Sam for some time and she has always had ups and downs and periods of Crisis. However, we have built a good working relationship and have an agreed plan of support in place. I referred Sam as we agreed a regular planned break may be a useful addition to her plan for staying well. The break was in our view massively helpful to her. In the months before the stay there were difficult accommodation, financial, and physical issues to contend with, in addition to her mental-health concerns. The break was a chance to leave some of this behind for a while and provided a period of stability. Sam loved the place and the staff at Alexandra Wellbeing House. The period of stability also resulted in an opportunity for Sam and I to progress work in therapy that was not possible previously’.

Jon Cash

Former Head of Psychological Services , Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust

‘All the people I met during my stay were helpful and interesting, staff were exceptional when on duty, support was very good. I felt that it was important to have someone who was willing to listen to me at times of stress. This made my stay very special’.

Submitted by A Previous Guest of The Alexandra Wellbeing House

96%

Friends and Family Test 96% of Guests who completed a stay in 18/19 would either ‘Extremely Likely’ or Likely’ recommend The Alexandra Wellbeing House to their friends and family.

100%

Self-Assessment Score 100% of Guests who completed a stay in 18/19 either maintained or improved upon their self- assessment score.

96%

Warwick Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale 96% of Guests who completed a stay in 18/19 either maintained or improved their wellbeing score.

Referral Criteria:

The Alexandra Wellbeing House will accept referrals from any statutory services, i.e. GP’s and Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust healthcare professionals. Referrals from a non-statutory organisation has to have known the individual for at least 6 months before a referral can be made.

To access this service, a Guest must be:

Aged 18 years or over.
Registered with a GP within the Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group area.
Able to self-medicate and self-care.
Risk assessed to ensure The Alexandra Wellbeing House is a safe and suitable environment.

A Guest will not be eligible for the service if a Guest is:

Subject to the Mental Health Act, excluding Community Treatment Order (CTO) and Section 17 leave.
Assessed as being actively suicidal with plans to end their own life.
Diagnosed with an organic illness, such as dementia.
Homeless or of No Fixed Abode (NFA).

We are unable to accept self-referrals at present and would require a healthcare professional (i.e. GP, care coordinator, support worker etc) to complete the referral.

How to Refer:

Alexandra Wellbeing House referral form can be found via the website. A current risk assessment (within the last month) for your client is also required to be sent alongside the referral. The completed forms can be sent via email to: sg.mind@ghc.nhs.uk or posted via the address:

Alexandra Wellbeing House
29-31 Alexandra Road
Gloucester
GL1 3DR

Swindon and Gloucestershire Mind will contact the referrer and the person being referred within 4 working days with the outcome of the referral. If an assessment is offered it must take place within 14 calendar days of receiving the referral and it is requested that a healthcare professional attend the assessment with the person being referred. If this is not possible, the person being referred can be accompanied by a family member or friend for supported if needed. A decision will be made no more than 2 working days after the assessment has been completed. The Guest and referrer will be notified of the outcome.

Referral and Risk Screening Form

Accessibility:

The service offers a ground floor bedroom to those who have physical mobility issues. At present all bathrooms are on the 1^st floor of the building, therefore it is a requirement that Guests are able to use the stairs during their stay. The service is currently in the process of refurbishing the ground floor bathroom suite to enable greater access to those with physical mobility issues.

Further Information:

Guide for Professionals

Contact Details

Guide for Guests

Infographic

Alexandra Wellbeing House-Operational Policy

Address:
Alexandra Wellbeing House
29-31 Alexandra Road
Gloucester
GL1 3DR

Email:
alexwellbeing@sgmind.org.uk
Phone:
01452 245338
Services Manager, Gloucestershire:
Mr Ieuan Edwards (MSc, MBPsS, DCP)