At Seren Gobaith Hospital the term ‘smoking’ refers to the use of tobacco products and E-Cigarettes.
The hospital will seek to provide a non-smoking, health-promoting environment, which is as risk free as possible from either smoke or “passive smoking” but at the same time we will be sympathetic to those who smoke and appropriate arrangements will be implemented for grounds and external leave.
We will therefore allocate a garden area for a designated safe area for patients to vape excluding tobacco products. For the continuing safety and wellbeing of all patients we will not permit smoking tobacco products or vaping internally or in any of our bedrooms or public rooms, or other places within the building.
Seren Gobaith Hospital will comply with current legislation relating to smoking in public places and will be reassured that these changes do not include the prohibition of smoking in the grounds of hospitals where patients are detained under the Mental Health Act 1983. If any patient wishes to stop smoking, the MDT will ensure that they are fully supported through a “smoking cessation” programme and encourage to partake in a healthy living programme of eating and exercise.
Each patient will be always treated with respect and therapies, interventions and treatments will be carried out in a way which promotes dignity and respects privacy.
No consultation or treatment will be carried out in a public area and patients have the right to choose to be accompanied at all consultations, examinations, and treatments. This choice extends to the gender of staff who carry out treatments or personal care.
Patients will be advised that, on occasions, it may not always be possible to ensure that staff of a chosen gender is available at that time and a period of delay might result.
All our policies and procedures will be written to reflect current “best practice” and ensure that all patient’s rights will be observed and always promoted. This includes respecting patients’ privacy and dignity.
To ensure privacy and dignity there will be a designated policy covering the use of information technology, cameras, and mobile phones.
CCTV will be in operation for the welfare and protection of the patients and staff. This will only be situated in main communal areas and external areas to maintain the dignity and respect of the patients. The only professionals that will have access to the CCTV will be the Hospital Manager, Deputy Hospital Manager, Service Manager and Nurse in Charge. Police may be given access if requested but will have to request this in writing from the Hospital Manager. All data will be backed up for 30 days securely and reviewed and monitored on a weekly basis. The data will be secured safely and encrypted. The CCTV will be used to review incidents to ensure all policies and procedures are followed.
The CCTV will also be used external to the building to maintain the site security during the day and night. Security door alarms will be on operation during the evening and will go directly through to the ground floor Nursing station.
All security processes and procedures will be monitored by the security lead for the site.
The Hospital will have a comprehensive fire system following discussions and agreement with the local fire brigade and fire safety officer. This will be checked regularly to ensure that it complies with the fire safety strategy regulations and requirements. Employees will be provided with fire Awareness/Safety training with updates on a six-monthly basis This will be recorded, documented, and audited.
The entrance doors to each unit within the hospital have automatic door locking systems, which stops access without an authorised electronic swipe card. These doors will automatically unlock if the fire alarm is active within the same fire zone as the activation point (i.e., other doors remain locked.) There will be three gardens within the complex, two of which are secure and one, which is open. Fire assembly points will be located within these areas. Admin and members of the public will leave via the main entrance doors to a designated fire assembly point at the front of the building. Fire registers will be kept on reception with a Fire Safety Evacuation Pack for the benefit of any attending fire officers in case of emergencies.
In the event of a fire all main doors on the corridors are fire doors and when closed will give safety from fire and smoke for up to 30 minutes. In the event of the fire alarm sounding, all individuals will be advised to move Horizontally behind the next fire door. If in doubt they will be advised to leave the building via the nearest fire exit, all exits will be clearly signed. To assist with fire prevention, we will not allow patients to smoke anywhere inside the hospital, smoking shelters will be provided within the gardens.
In the event of a major fire in the building or a fire which results in smoke damage/water damage or inability to return patients to the building a contingency Business Continuity Plan will be implemented to ensure that all patients and members of the public remain safe.
Access and egress to the hospital will be via the main reception area and will be controlled also by means of an electronic fob system. The fob system will be reviewed and audited daily to ensure that fobs not returned to the central control are deactivated immediately.
The Fob system will be the Traka system, which is the state-of-the-art fob and key monitoring. To maintain the security of the Hospital, the system prevents anyone leaving the building with them in their possession.
The hospital will also rely on physical, procedural, and relational security and this will be supported by appropriate fencing and compartmentalization of the grounds. The fencing will be in place as per diagram included and will consist of:
Fencing- 3 types of fencing.
Red lines – 5m high security fencing around areas where residents are.
Blue lines – 2.4m boundary fencing around the car park.
Magenta lines – 1.8m fencing to prevent access to shrubs etc.
Access / egress – Gates would have fob facilities and pedestrian gates will be locked operated from both sides.
For external means of escape, only those gates designated as being on an escape route (see arrows) will be fob operated, all other gates will be key activated as they are not required for means of escape in case of emergency.
Further to fencing there will be CCTV security cameras both internally and external to the building. This CCTV system will be monitored during all operational hours.
Staff will be trained in pat down searches and room searches for the secure and locked ward.
Restraint training will be supplied to all staff using the CPI model, which is a system that does not use pain compliance.
Seren Gobaith values individuality, personal choices, and responsible risk-taking, empowering patients to rebuild lives, reconnect with communities, and achieve sustainable recovery.
Copyright © 2025 Seren Gobaith | Powered by Enliven Designers
