Priory The Birches

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About this location

The Birches is located in Chesterfield in Derbyshire. The home provides residential support for seven males and females with mental health needs. We are situated on a residential street just outside the town centre.

Our team are dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of the people we support, helping them to achieve positive outcomes. We want to help each person we care for to have a healthy, happy, and independent life, within a safe and welcoming home.

We can also support autistic people and those who have:

  • Mild to moderate behaviours that may challenge
  • An acquired brain injury (ABI)
  • Historic substance misuse
  • A mild to moderate learning disability

Services at a glance

There are a total of seven bedrooms at the site. Of these:
5 have en-suite facilities
1 is on the ground floor

Contact us

The Birches 18 Gladstone Road Chesterfield Derbyshire S40 4TE
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Residential mental health services video

About our service

Our facilities and environment

The Birches is set in a large, detached, Victorian house. The home is spacious, and offers a relaxed, homely environment. We have seven bedrooms, which are split across three floors, with one bedroom on the ground floor. Five of the bedrooms have en-suite facilities, including wet rooms. A further two bedrooms share a communal bathroom. There is also kitchenette on the first floor, where residents can develop their independent living skills.

In addition, there are a variety of other communal areas within The Birches. This includes:

  • A large lounge with plenty of seating
  • Kitchen and dining room
  • Quiet room
  • Utility room
  • Communal bathroom

We also have a garden, complete with:

  • Secure fencing
  • Lawn
  • Patio
  • Communal seating
  • Shelter
  • Wheelchair access

Our bedrooms

All of our bedrooms are comfortable, welcoming and can be personalised to individual tastes. Five of the bedrooms have en-suite facilities, containing either a shower or a wet room.

Our approach to support

Everybody who lives at The Birches has their own person-centred care plan, which is co-produced with input from the individual, their family members and professionals involved in their care. We aim to help everyone in our care to make their own choices about the support they receive. This may include support in a number of areas, such as going out in the community, personal care, cooking and cleaning, and maintaining family relationships.

Our support approaches at The Birches include:

  • Positive behaviour support (PBS)
  • Occupational therapy
  • Nursing
  • Physiotherapy
  • Speech and language therapy
  • Psychology

We have support from a local multidisciplinary team to offer these services. In addition, we use tools such as the Outcomes Star™ to support our residents to achieve their goals.

The lengths of the placements that we offer at The Birches can be transitional, short-term, medium-term or long-term residential, depending on the needs of each person.

Activities

Everyone who lives at The Birches has their own personalised activities planner and are encouraged to take part in activities which are meaningful and fulfilling to them. Our dedicated team organise a variety of activities at the home, as well as out in the community.

We focus on supporting our residents to grow their independence. For some people, this may mean developing their daily living skills within the home. For others, this could be accessing work or educational opportunities in the local community.

Exclusion profile

  • Those who pose a risk to others in communal living areas

Pathways

Through our network of healthcare, residential and supported living facilities, we provide unique care pathways which help the people we support to progress towards greater independence. Every individual we support is provided with a bespoke pathway plan, tailored according to their individual needs. We aim to ensure that each person is supported to live a fulfilling and active life in the community. The Birches support people to move into their own homes in the community, through Priory's supported living services.

Our team

Our highly experienced team consists of:

  • Service manager
  • Deputy manager
  • Support workers
  • Senior support workers
  • Activities co-ordinator

Our team receive specialist staff training, designed to meet the needs of each individual we support.

Contact us for help, referrals or more information

At Priory, we want to ensure we provide the very best service to each individual we support. Contact us for more information, or to make a referral.

Call Us
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About the local area

Amenities

The Birches is ideally located, with a number of nearby amenities, including:

  • Supermarket
  • Shops
  • Café
  • Restaurant
  • Pub
  • GP surgery
  • Post office
  • College
  • Park
  • Cinema

Transport links

We also offer excellent transport links, including:

  • A bus stop around the corner with regular local transport links
  • A short drive away from the M1 motorway
  • A 20 minutes’ walk from a Chesterfield train station

A message from our site leader

Our support is led by our residents and whatever works for them, works for us

The Birches’ site leader

Comments from our residents and their family and friends

The dedication and support the staff show to residents is second to none, it is like a home from home
Person supported by The Birches The Birches
I like it that I have so much involvement in my care plans and writing them, having easy access to them. Staff are willing to go through them with me and alter the plans if they aren’t working
Person supported by The Birches The Birches

Family and friends FAQs

How does home leave work?

We support our residents to attend family events and visit their family homes. We will work with the resident and their relatives to ensure possible risks are managed and that everyone is supported. This may mean the individual’s key worker will come along on the visit.

Can friends and families visit?

Family and friends are welcome to visit The Birches, although we ask that visits are planned in advance to support individual needs. Unfortunately, we do not have facilities to enable family members to stay overnight at the home.

Will I be involved and kept up to date with the progress of my loved one’s care and support?

Yes, we strive to keep the loved ones of our residents involved in their care, where appropriate. We regularly invite families to meetings at the home, where they will meet with the residents’ support team and hear about recent happenings at the home. We can also arrange more regular catch-ups either in person or via telephone, to ensure families are kept informed.

Will my loved one be able to have a phone or call me?

Everyone who stays with us are supported to call their loved ones any time, via phone or video call. We have a landline and various cordless phones for residents to use. In addition, we can support our residents to get their own mobile phone, where appropriate.

What are the bedrooms like?

Bedrooms are all furnished and we will support our residents to personalise their spaces to suit their needs and wishes.

Are external doors kept locked?

Due to the nature of our service, our external gates are locked. However, every resident will be risk assessed to determine the level of security needed. All our exit doors are locked with keypads and those residents who are able to independently come and go, will be provided with the exit codes.

What do residents eat and how do meal times work?

Residents are supported to choose and prepare what they want to eat, whenever they like. We will, however, support residents who have concerns around meal times, such as preparing their food. Our team will also seek guidance from family members and nutritionists to ensure that special dietary requirements are catered for.

How does laundry work?

Residents are given help to do their own laundry, as part of promoting independence. Our staff are on hand to offer support if and when it is required. Our team will ensure that residents always have access to clean clothes and bedding.

Who does the housekeeping and domiciliary tasks?

Most of our residents undertake domiciliary tasks such as cleaning, and there is a rota in place to assign tasks. Our care team support them with these tasks, and task allocation is also discussed in our monthly resident meetings.

Is there anything they can’t bring or have?

Residents are not allowed to bring illegal substances onto the premises. We would also ask that people do not bring high risk personal items into the house. We may place restrictions on some items where the risks cannot be appropriately managed, such as non-approved drugs and medications, solvent-based products and lighters.

How do activities work?

Activities are planned according to our residents’ choices and interests. Thorough risk assessments are conducted before any activity. Everyone has a tailored activities planner, which will include both in-house activities as well as visits into the community. Their key worker may use a variety of communication tools to ensure they can have an input into the planning of activities.

How will residents be supported with their behavioural needs?

We use the PROACT-SCIPr-UK® framework, which means we focus on proactive strategies, rather than physical intervention. In addition, all of our staff members are trained in positive behaviour support (PBS) techniques. We require our care plans which include restrictions to be assessed frequently, for example procedures for interventions such as pro re nata (PRN) medication are regularly reviewed and removed, where possible.

Do residents and families have an input into the care plans?

We work with social workers, family members, and our residents to develop care plans which are in the best interests of each person. We use a variety of communication tools and work with health professionals to aid each resident in having a say about every aspect of their care. Care plans are regularly reviewed, and family members will be asked for their input, where appropriate.

What are the car parking facilities?

We don’t have off-road parking at the service. Street parking is permit-only but you can park for free on a specific area on the street for up to two hours. You can also park on the road round the corner for longer stays.

What is the smoking policy?

Residents can smoke by the designated smoking area in the back garden, which has a shelter. We don’t permit smoking inside the building, and this includes vapes. Residents are able to buy cigarettes and vapes at the shops, if this is what they choose.

What are your fees and how are they funded?

Our fees can vary, and are based on an assessment of each individual's needs. Many people are eligible for financial help towards the cost of support, and this funding can be accessed by contacting your local authority. Once funding has been agreed, we will work with your local care team to put together a bespoke package of care. Please note, referrals for NHS or Local Authority funded services must come from a referring organisation.

Downloads

Liam's story

How to make a referral

Our service provides high quality support to people with varying levels of need. Referrals can be made through the individual’s social care team or, if relevant, their local health authority. If you are a professional looking to make a referral, please call us or fill in our enquiry form.

Call Us
Tap on a number to call
Make a referral