It is a psychiatric hospital and service provider that caters for individuals requiring inpatient care and rehabilitation, and step-down housing.
[15] In June 2019 the organisation's mental health hospital for children and adolescents in Northamptonshire was put in special measures by the Care Quality Commission because the patients were found to be treated in an “uncaring, undignified and disrespectful” way.
People in seclusion were left to sit or lie on the floor in rooms with no chair, bed, pillow, mattress or blanket.
[18] in 2019 the Care Quality Commission found evidence of poor and selective reporting, falsifying of records, intimidation of staff, and active deception of their inspectors soon after the organisation had lost an employment tribunal against a nurse who had been wrongly dismissed for whistleblowing.
[22] Patients have the opportunity to take part in occupational and creative therapies, including arts, horticulture, ceramics, woodwork, textiles and catering.
[25] St Andrew's College is a specialist school for young people within the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in Northampton.
[28] Research is a key element of St Andrew's strategy,[29] and is grouped by three top level themes: 1) Transition: Exploring mental health systems across the patient’s life span to enable individuals to live with the least restriction possible.
[30] The results showed that virtual reality can increase well-being, help to recall past memories and reduce challenging behaviour, with ongoing psychological benefits.
In 2019, St Andrew's launched a unique podcast called On the Ward,[31] recorded from inside the organisation's psychiatric hospital in Essex.