Castle Ward is the 13-bed Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Cygnet Hospital Godden Green, in Sevenoaks, Kent.
The QNPICU accreditation sets the benchmark for best practices in PICU settings, ensuring that services meet the highest clinical and operational standards.
The accreditation process involved a rigorous assessment of clinical practice, patient experience, carer and family experience and staff commitment to continuous improvement of the delivery of care.
Medical Director and Consultant Psychiatrist Dr Ruvini Senasinghe said he was ‘truly honoured’ to receive the accreditation.
He added: “While I had the privilege of leading this process, it was only possible because of the unwavering commitment of every member of our multidisciplinary team. Their hard work, professionalism, and patient-centred approach have created a safe, therapeutic, and high-quality environment for the women we support.
“I couldn’t be prouder of our team for their hard work and unwavering dedication of our journey to achieve this accreditation. I am beyond proud of our team for this well-deserved milestone. This achievement places Castle Ward among the leading PICU services in the country, showcasing Cygnet Hospital Godden Green’s commitment to delivering outstanding mental health care.”
QNPICU adopts a multi-disciplinary approach to quality improvement, with a key component of their work being the sharing of best practice through the facilitation of peer-review visits.
Assessors noted many areas of good practice including:
- Patients are highly complementary of staff, stating that staff treat them with compassion, dignity, and respect. They said staff ‘are a fantastic team’, that ‘the level of care from staff is truly outstanding’ and ‘many staff go over and above their statutory duty of care’.
- Patients feel involved in their care, are aware of the key staff involved in their care and know how to contact them. Patients also found the expert by experience who regularly visits the ward as ‘invaluable’.
- Carer feedback is positive, with all carers agreeing that they received the welcome pack, that they get regular, dedicated time with staff to explore their needs and that ‘the consultant always listens’. Carers feel involved in their loved one’s care and gave positive feedback including; ‘I was able to ask any questions and I felt I was listened to’ and described the staff as ‘kind’, ‘understanding’, ‘caring’ and ‘helpful’.
- The wellbeing support and development opportunities available to staff was highlighted with staff saying they feel like the service ‘genuinely care’ about their health and wellbeing. Staff particularly praised the development days and said they all receive regular clinical and managerial supervision as well as reflective practice.
- The environment on Castle Ward was described as having high-quality facilities and is “bright, airy and clean”. One carer noted that ‘it really made a difference to visit in a pleasant family room and have time together as a family’.
Dr Senasinghe added that achieving QNPICU accreditation is “a remarkable milestone for Castle Ward.”
“This recognition from the Royal College of Psychiatrists inspires us to continue our mission of excellence, innovation, and compassionate care,” he said.
“This prestigious recognition is a testament to our commitment to excellence, the unwavering dedication, compassion, and hard work, resilience, and continuous improvement, ensuring that our patients receive the specialist support they need in a safe and therapeutic environment. It reinforces our mission to deliver excellence in psychiatric intensive care and to continuously strive for the best outcomes for those we support and expertise of our entire team. We call it “Castle magic”.
“Achieving this accreditation reflects the high standards of care, safety, and therapeutic support we provide to the women in our service. Every member of our team has played a vital role in creating an environment where patients feel safe, supported, and empowered on their recovery journey.
“We are inspired to continue learning, growing, and striving to provide the very best for those in our care at Castle Ward.”