DORCHESTER: New mental health facility opens

Situated on Maiden Castle Road, this redeveloped former residential home replaces three mental health sites previously located in the town.

The new premises have a full range of community services including access and recovery, and early intervention that will serve the Dorchester locality.

The building also incorporates inpatient facilities, nine bedrooms, a family therapy suite, disabled facilities, outpatients’ departments and ample space for creative activities.

Throughout the development phase, local service users were closely consulted and were instrumental in deciding the décor and furnishings.

An example of this can be seen in the artwork displayed throughout the building.

Alex Coulter, Arts Co-ordinator with Dorset County Hospital Foundation Trust, helped put this project together.

She said: “There is a lot of evidence to suggest that being outdoors and having access to the natural environment is good for our metal wellbeing.

“The ‘Growing Nature’ arts strategy used in this development builds on this ethos, and on the principles of recovery.”

The project for the new facility involved around 40 people who use local services in arts workshops, and includes 3D collages, glass works, and even the furniture in the reception area.

Creative writing sessions also gave participants the opportunity to reflect on their experience of the arts workshops and the new buildings.

And in an effort to enhance patient experience, each of the bedrooms has an individual artwork displayed in a specially designed frame, allowing in-patients to choose an artwork and personalise their bedroom whilst staying there.

The new facility was officially opened by Jacqueline Swift, Chair of NHS Dorset.

She said: “There is no health without mental health.

“This new building provides individuals with a much greater degree of choice, and has very successfully combined the old with the new.

“The old façade has been retained, while the inside  has been completely refurbished.”

An excellent working relationship with Dorset County Council helped make all this possible, as well as support from the Dorset Mental Health Forum and countless other groups of people and individuals who have worked tirelessly over the last few years.

And building contractors Hammonds had to contend with some of the worst weather conditions for years in delivering a first class service.
Following the official opening, an army of visitors were treated to a conducted tour of the new building.

Lunch was available in the new kitchens, and music was provided by the superb Spirit of Life Community Band.

Guests included County Councillor Michael Bevan, Member Champion for Mental Health Issues, Councillor Ron Coatsworth, Chairman of West Dorset District Council.

One of the more emotional aspects of the opening was a speech by service user Bob Shaw.

He said: “You can lose a lot when you are mentally ill. The biggest loss for me was the loss of hope. Because of this I have had several suicide attempts, and as you can see I didn’t even manage that very well. But things have changed for the better over the 25 years I have been mentally ill.

“The concept of recovery has arrived and flourished, there is now a belief that people can have a good quality of life even within the limitations of their illness. I am included in that.

“I have achieved a degree of personal recovery. I take greatly reduced amounts of medication, and instead of going into an acute unit two or three times a year I have not had an admission for over four years.

“Recovery is about people. And whilst it is nice to have a lovely new building the biggest help comes from the partnership between the staff and the patients, to work in a recovery orientated way to promote recovery not just as a concept but as a reality.”

PICTURE: Patrick Rimmer shows Councillor Ron Coatsworth, Chairman of West Dorset District Council and County Councillor Michael Bevan around the new facility

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