Information about Rothbury, a specialist medium secure personality disorder unit in Sycamore Unit at Northgate Park.
This leaflet provides you with information that you will find useful during your stay. If you are not sure about anything in this leaflet please ask a member of staff.
Prior to your admission you will be sent a Welcome Guide which will provide more detailed information about your care and treatment while you are in hospital. This will include information about your care team, what you can and can’t bring into the service, your case manager will also be able to provide additional information as required.
Rothbury is the specialist medium secure personality disorder unit in Sycamore at Northgate Park. Rothbury is one of three national projects commissioned by NHS England and Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) for the assessment and treatment of Forensic Personality Disorder within medium secure conditions. Rothbury has 12 inpatient beds. There is a multi-disciplinary team attached to the ward.
The treatment model of Rothbury is a psychologically informed adaptive therapeutic environment in which the multi-disciplinary team helps to engage a diverse group of patients – with a variety of offence histories – to initially stabilise their mental health and risk related behaviours. The development of a shared formulation of care needs and risks helps to inform focused treatment and interventions, exploration of the pathway to offending behaviours, and in particular, the index offence(s).
Rothbury provides assessment, care and treatment for mental health problems in a secure setting. This 12 bed unit is for men who have come into contact with the law, and/or are thought to be a risk to others or themselves.
You have consented to the process of an initial prison based assessment. You have been offered a suitable placement on the
medium secure personality disorder service, to help your progression through the prison system.
When you arrive you will be welcomed by a member of the care team. They will explain what will happen during your stay and give you information. You will have time to settle in and have a look around your ward.
The length of stay depends upon your personal needs. The care team will discuss this with you.
A member of staff will tell you about the section of the Mental Health Act, you are detained under and what it means. You will be given an information leaflet which will tell you all about what this means.
You will get your own bedroom on the unit. Each ward has shared areas, including a dayroom with colour TV and stereo, kitchen, quiet room and internal courtyards which can be enjoyed under supervision.
There are a number of groups at Rothbury that you will be expected to attend. Staff will explain this to you when you arrive.
During your assessment, you will work alongside your care team to collect information about your strengths and needs. Once your assessment period has finished, your team will work with you to create a treatment plan that is right for you.
Your treatment may include group work and/or 1-1 sessions with members of your care team.
Secure services provide safety and real change for a better life.
Secure services provide treatment for people with complex mental disorders linked to offending or seriously harmful behaviour. Some will be involved with the criminal justice system (CJS), courts and prison. Secure services help people gain a deep understanding of themselves and their history.
We will help patients gain new skills, understanding and ways of responding to things they find difficult. This will help people move on from secure settings and have more freedom, choice, and control in their lives.
We will do this by focusing on:
-mental health;
– dealing with strong feelings;
– addictive behaviours;
– risk to others;
– physical health;
– social skills;
– relationships;
– meaningful activities; and
– trust and hope.
Our model of care in mental health forms the basis of consistent care that can be expected across medium and low secure services. The main goal is to strengthen professional practice and plan how we support, motivate, and develop staff to deliver the best care possible. The model of care has been created to develop a clear vision for how we deliver care to our patients and how we will care and support our staff within secure care services.
The model of care details how teams will continue to deliver a positive experience for patients, carers and families and the actions staff need to take to ensure that everyone’s experience of the service is encouraging and positive.
The underpinning process for our model of care identifies how we work collaboratively with the person to promote recovery. Our model of care highlights that recovery is an on-going process and wherever the person is within their pathway their skills will be assessed, developed, and applied within different contexts supported by a multi-disciplinary team which focuses on the needs of the person.
Our model of care focuses on patients, families and their carers whilst utilising the Recovery Star Secure as the focus which will result in ‘Our Recovery Journey’. Throughout this process, the model will incorporate the following:
– Respect
– Empowerment
– Dedication
– Collaboration
– Opportunity
– Hope and optimism
– Identity
Part of your treatment will involve day activities, which may include:
– Adult education – reading, writing, social skills training
– Gardening and horticulture
– Art and craft work
– Gym sessions
There are also several kinds of social activities that you can take
part in including:
– Using the gym
– Gardening indoor and outdoor sports like badminton and football
– Use of the multi-faith room for your religious and spiritual needs
– Regular social events
If you have a special interest or hobby, staff may be able to help you with it.
As a teaching unit, students may be involved in all aspects of patient care.
They will speak to you and ask for your consent if they are involved in
any direct care, but if you do not wish for them to be involved in any other
areas please speak to your named nurse or key-worker and let them know.
Staff can arrange an interpreter if you need one.
Contact Traveline Tel: 0871 200 22 33
Website: www.
If you want to make a comment, suggestion, compliment or complaint you can:
- Talk to the people directly involved in your care
- Ask a member of staff for a feedback form, or complete a form on the Trust website www.
cntw.nhs.uk/ contact/ complaints/ - Telephone the Complaints Department Telephone: 0191 245 6672
- Email complaints
@cntw.nhs.uk
We are always looking at ways to improve services. Your feedback allows us to monitor the quality of our services and act upon issues that you bring to our attention.
You can provide feedback in the following ways:
- the quickest way for you to do this is to complete our short online survey at www.
- complete a Your Voice survey, available on wards, reception areas or from staff
- other options for sharing your feedback and experience www.
Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)
PALS provide confidential advice and support, helping you to sort out any concerns that you may have about any aspect of your or your loved ones care.
We act independently when handling patient and family concerns, liaising with staff, managers and, where appropriate, relevant organisations, to negotiate prompt solutions. If necessary, we can also refer patients and families to specific local or national-based support agencies.
North of Tyne
Telephone: 0800 032 0202
Email: pals
Post: FREEPOST PALS
South of Tyne
Telephone: 0800 328 4397
Text: 07825 061 035
Email: pals
Post: Patient Advice and Liaison Service, Garden Lodge, Hopewood Park, Ryhope, Sunderland, SR2 0NB
9am – 4.30 pm, Monday to Friday
An answerphone is available at all times for you to leave a message. A member of the PALS team will aim to return your call as soon as possible.
Rothbury
Sycamore at Northgate Park
Morpeth
Northumberland
NE61 3BP
Tel: 01670 394 680
Further information about the content, reference sources or production of this leaflet can be obtained from the Patient Information Centre. If you would like to tell us what you think about this leaflet please get in touch.
This information can be made available in a range of formats on request (eg Braille, audio, larger print, easy read, BSL or other languages). Please contact the Patient Information Centre on telephone 0191 246 7288
Published by the Patient Information Centre
2025 Copyright: Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust
Ref: PIC/924/0125 January 2025 V1
Website: www.
Telephone: 0191 246 7288
Review date 2028