Laurel House, Canterbury

Laurel House in Canterbury is part of Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust, delivering specialist mental health services to the local community.

Our Community Mental Health Team provides treatment in the community to:

• Adults aged 18–65
• Who are experiencing moderate to severe mental health issues
• Including those with complex mental health needs

Laurel House is a community based NHS service in Canterbury, Kent. The Canterbury and Coastal Community Mental Health team provide treatment, in the community, to adults aged 18-65 who are experiencing mental health issues. Treatments are provided to those who are presenting moderate to severe mental health needs.

The Community Mental Health Team at Canterbury’s Laurel House is in the process of converting to the new service, Mental Health Together. Mental Health Together is a new initiative and service, developed by Laurel House, to provide support to people with complex mental health needs. This is part of the wider NHS community mental health transformation initiative - a large-scale national NHS programme to transform mental health services for adults and older adults.

Types of care offered at Laurel House:

• Treatment and support in the community
• Multidisciplinary team (MDT) care
• Therapeutic interventions
• Medication management and monitoring
• 1-to-1 support and personal care
• Support for daily living and rehabilitation
• Coordination with multi-agency partners

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Careers at Laurel House

The multidisciplinary team (MDT) framework in Laurel House, Canterbury consists of Nurses, OTs, Healthcare Workers (Support Workers), Psychiatrists and Psychologists.

From your first days with us we will do our best to help you develop a career pathway that fits your ambitions.So, from day 1 KMPT is committed to supporting you and this includes a comprehensive induction programme. The programme's duration depends on your role and can be from 2 days to 4 weeks. This induction programme provides an excellent opportunity for you to meet and engage with KMPT’s diverse range of subject specialists and it will include the required training for your specific role.

Mental Health Nurse

Mental health nurses lead shifts, coordinating quality patient care, implementing therapeutic interventions and administering medication if required. Nurses will be considering the medical requirements of patients and monitoring physical as well as mental health. Nurses develop strong communication skills so that they can work successfully within the multidisciplinary team (MDT) of psychiatrists, psychologists and healthcare workers, as well as within the multi-agency team where required (police, social care colleagues, KMPT discharge coordinators and others).

Support Worker

Day-to-day Support Workers will be working with patients and observing patients. They will have a good deal of interaction with patients, and be able to provide them with therapeutic activities too. Where a patient is at risk to themselves Support Workers may be asked to provide 1-2-1 support and observation, monitor and complete the necessary forms.Support Workers are there to support patients with their personal care, daily living and from time-to-time will be required to accompany them on escorted leave.They work alongside their nursing colleagues, occupational therapists (working together to design therapeutic activities), psychiatrists and psychologists. They support all of the team!

Occupational Therapist

The O.T provides assessment & therapeutic interventions. These may include cooking, creative, physical activities among others. OTs will plan and implement therapeutic activities. For instance, they might help them in the kitchen, assist them with rehabilitating their cooking skills or join them in artwork therapy. They’ll work closely with the healthcare workers to design therapeutic activities. As an OT, you’ll be helping to treat patients by building their independence, teaching them new skills, and rehabilitating them.

Psychologist

Psychologists provide psychotherapy, therapeutic intervention and talking with patients about their mental health needs.

Psychiatrist

Psychiatrists are responsible for taking decisions about the patients, meeting patients, advising on treatment and care and diagnosing. Each of the Psychiatrists work within the MDT, but are there to also authorise the legal aspects of each person’s care, working within the mental health framework and making decisions around discharge. This is a clinical and ward leadership role with considerable responsibility.

Practical information about working at Laurel House

Laurel House in Old Dover Road, Canterbury is close to the city's southern outskirts and is in a residential area. There is easy access to Canterbury’s historic city centre as well as supermarkets, restaurants, and entertainment venues - cinemas and a theatre. For those with a young family looking to relocate here for work, there are a choice of local schools in the area.

Access to Laurel House is given by Canterbury East Station (which offers rail links to Dover and London Victoria) and Canterbury West Station which connects to London St Pancras.