Social Work

When a patient is admitted to Cawston Park, their social needs are assessed to understand how their mental illness and substance issues have impacted upon their ability and skills to function socially.

Patients are offered the opportunity through our Core Skills programme or in individual sessions to develop more successful ways to manage themselves and their social situations including managing money, time, social skills, well-being and health and nutrition. We believe it is very important for patients to maintain appropriate contact and links with their families, friends and social networks whilst with us. The social work service can assist with this and more extensively work with families to promote their understanding of mental illness, coordinate formal and informal contact with children and support re-integration into the patient’s home area as discharge approaches.

Whilst at Cawston Park patients are encouraged to manage their own affairs, including finances, as far as possible especially as they progress towards discharge. The development of an on site benefits service for patients will promote with this further. At times when this is difficult for patients, the social work service can assist and advocate for patients in the resolution of more complex and/or multiple problems. Equally the on site social work service may be able to take forward issues on behalf of the home area Care Coordinator.

The social work service regularly contributes to the multi-disciplinary ward meetings with patients where care plans are reviewed and amended. Summary reports on social work involvements with patients are provided to support the CPA/S117 after care planning process. The responsibility for the compilation and representation of MHRT and Managers reports rests with the area to which the patient would return if discharged. However the social work service is able to provide a report on a patients’ psychosocial progress since admission to Cawston Park.

Download the
Patient Guide handbook PDF