Cygnet Heathers receives ‘Outstanding’ rating from Headway — Brain Injury Association
Cygnet Heathers, a 20-bed neuropsychiatry rehabilitation hospital in West Bromwich that supports men with acquired brain injuries and neurological conditions has been rated ‘Outstanding’ in five domains and ‘Good’ in Service Delivery providing Heathers with an overall ‘Outstanding’ rating by Headway, the Brain Injury Association following their latest interim review.
The facility was inspected by Headway, which has developed an accreditation program open to care settings, which includes National Health Service (NHS) and independent hospitals and neuro-rehabilitation units, and its standards reflect the specific needs of people with acquired brain injury.
The process includes a robust on-site assessment that also involves unannounced interim reviews to ensure that the approved provider can demonstrate the provision of appropriate care and treatment for those with complex cognitive or physical impairment due to acquired brain injuries.
“We’ve had really challenging times over the past year and my team has done such an amazing job. They should all be extremely proud of the hard work they put in.”
Stephen Smith
Hospital Manager
The service was inspected across six domains including Culture, Systems and Processes, Workforce Development, Service Delivery, Governance Leadership and Management and Quality, and Environment.
“We’ve had really challenging times over the past year and my team has done such an amazing job. They should all be extremely proud of the hard work they put in,” said Stephen Smith, Hospital Manager. “It’s not easy being a healthcare worker, especially in times of COVID-19. I’m enormously proud of them and they all deserve real credit for what they’ve achieved. We do put the service users at the heart of everything. Everything we do is based on them, and their individual needs. We are honest, open and transparent with the people who come to our service.”
New initiatives at the hospital include an online and competency-based training course specifically covering neuropsychiatric rehabilitation, care and treatment, which all staff members — from the hospital manager to support workers — must complete.
“What we focus on is getting the people who work with our patients to have as much knowledge and as many skills as possible. The course made a real difference because it has given our staff the ability to communicate with people with a brain injury more effectively,” said Smith.
Cygnet Health Care runs eight neuropsychiatric services in the UK. Cygnet Heathers was the first service to be assessed through the Headway accreditation scheme and its transitional step-down service Meadows Mews was rated ‘Good’ this year making the whole rehabilitation pathway Headway Accredited. Cygnet’s other neuropsychiatric services are due to be evaluated over the coming months.