What happens when I come in?

Following admission, our team will discuss each patient's needs and progress  at the weekly team ward round, and agree a treatment plan. Any necessary appointments will be arranged with team members and family or carers. When parents or carers collect their child each Friday (or as arranged), we will discuss progress, changes to the care plan and goals. We will also plan goals for the weekend with you.

When patients are admitted, we assess them using the children's global assessment scale. This scale is commonly used by mental health clinicians and doctors to rate the general functioning of children under the age of 18. These scores are stored on a database so they can be audited and analysed.

Patients are reassessed each month and when they are discharged to evaluate progress.

Daily routine

The daily routine will vary depending on the individual needs of each child. The general pattern is:

7 to 9am	Getting washed and dressed for breakfast
9am	School
10.15 to 10.45am	School break (supervised by nurses)
12noon	Lunch (supervised by nurses)
1pm	School
3 to 3.30pm	School finishes (timing depends on primary or secondary)
3.30 to 5pm	Patients will often have appointments (for example, time with  the play specialist) and visiting time for families
5pm	Tea (supervised by nurses) - families are not invited to visit while the children are eating tea, unless it is required as part of the treatment plan
6pm	Visiting time for family
Freetime	Freetime
Bedtime	This will be agreed with parents or carers, who may participate in their child's bedtime routine, for example, bathing, reading and helping to settle their child.

Find out more about Southampton Children's Hospital School.