A YOUNG people’s mental health unit in Orford is set to shut permanently.

The Fairhaven Young People’s Unit, which provides inpatient mental health support for teenagers, will close at the end of next month.

First opened in 2009, the eight-bed Birch Avenue facility is a specialised regional service commissioned by NHS England for young people aged between aged 13 to 18.

But North West Boroughs Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the Fairhaven Unit, says that there have been ‘ongoing challenges recruiting staff with the necessary specialist skills’.

This means that the unit has been deemed ‘not sustainable for the future’.

Staff are currently working with patients, their families, NHS England and parter trusts to support their discharges or transfers.

NHS England has put in place temporary alternative arrangements to support new referrals of young people in need of inpatient treatment for mental health problems.

When the Fairhaven Unit closed on Sunday, March 31, the child and adolescent mental health services’ community team will remain on Birch Avenue - based at the neighbouring Alders facility.

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Warrington Guardian:

The unit - which was described as being ‘high-quality accommodation for young people when they need it most’ by North West Borough chief executive Simon Barber when it first opened 10 years ago - will then be ‘securely sectioned off’.

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John Heritage, chief operating officer at North West Boroughs, said: “Whilst the trust board is disappointed to have had to recommend the closure of the Fairhaven Unit, we are very proud to have run a highly successful unit since it opened in 2009 and have seen first-hand how much our care has helped vulnerable young people over the years.

“Following our most recent Care Quality Commission inspection in summer 2018, the Fairhaven Unit was rated as good in all domains.

“However, ongoing difficulties in recruiting staff have unfortunately led to concerns about the long-term resilience of the unit.

“The care and welfare of the young people on the Fairhaven Unit remains our top priority.

“We are now working closely with these service users and their families, as well as NHS England and other local service providers, to support them to move on from the unit when they are clinically ready.

“We are also working with our partners across Cheshire, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to enhance community-based mental health services and crisis support for young people to ensure they receive the best possible care, and to provide a more appropriate alternative to inpatient admissions.”