Service detail

Corner House is part of the National Deaf Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service. The inpatient unit provides Tier 4 care to deaf children and young people aged 11-17 from across the UK.

Base: Springfield University Hospital
Service Type: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services
Service Contact: cornerhouse@swlstg.nhs.uk

Service Category: Inpatient
Disabled access: Level access, accessible facilities, hearing loop

Address: Elizabeth Newton Building, Springfield University Hospital, Elizabeth Newton Way, London, SW17 0YF
Reception hours: Sunday 8pm to Friday 5pm
Reception phone number: 020 3513 6860 or 07816334822 (text/phone/video call)

About our care

Corner House is a specialist deaf ward providing mental health care, assessment and treatment to young people and their families. The team includes deaf and hard of hearing professionals and sign language interpreters.

The unit is open from Sunday night to Friday afternoon and offers beds for up to six young people.

The purpose of Corner House is to help deaf young people with mental health difficulties to recover and live a full and healthy life. To achieve this, the team works collaboratively with service users, families, schools and other professionals.

Corner House provides a holistic approach to care, focusing on the areas that are valued by each young person. This could include, but is not limited to, support with education, communication, deaf identity, relationships and friendships and leisure activities. The aim is to equip young people with the tools needed to reach their agreed goals of admission.

When admitted to Corner House, young people are expected to attend Corner House School from Monday to Friday during term time. Outside of school hours, young people will receive support from the nurses and multi-disciplinary team either in 1-1 sessions or group activities.

Corner House offers the following assessments and interventions as required:

Nursing assessment and care
Full occupational therapy assessment and interventions including sensory, movement and activity of daily living assessments
Psychology interventions include neuropsychology and cognitive assessments, as well as talking treatments such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Social work assessment and support
Systemic family therapy assessment and intervention
Speech and language assessment and intervention
Therapeutic group programmes including psychoeducation
Physical health assessment and monitoring
Specialist educational assessments and interventions
Autism assessments
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessments
Psychiatric assessment
Activity programme
Parenting work
Non violent resistance (NVR) training
Positive behaviour support

Who is this service for?

Deaf children and young people who have:

a severe or profound hearing loss or
BSL as their preferred language or,
a significant language impairment related to their hearing loss

and

A complex mental health presentation which could not be effectively assessed or treated in the community and requires a deaf inpatient environment for effective mental health assessment and intervention.

A complex presentation which is challenging to formulate/diagnose in the community requiring a specialist deaf inpatient environment for specific assessment.

Requires a review of the treatment plan/second opinion/differential diagnosis that is most effectively delivered in an inpatient setting. This may be as a result of, for example, little progress within the community, the need to be within a different environment to change/monitor an intervention (e.g. medication change) or because a second team opinion has been requested.

and

Are able to return home at weekends and does not require a 24/7 inpatient environment.

Referrals and access

Referrals can be made by a range of services and professionals, including community paediatricians, audiologists, social services, schools for the deaf, hearing impaired units, GPs and national deaf CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) outreach services.

Initial contact for referrals is via phone or email to the team. Following an initial discussion, a referral form will be sent out to be completed by the referrer. The form should be filled out in its entirety with all relevant information.