Introducing Linden Ward

Introduction

Updated: 21 February 2025

Welcome to this YourSpace area where you can find the latest news and information about the move to Linden Ward. This is a community inpatient service for men and women with a learning disability who require assessment and treatment. It was formerly known as Fairhaven.

The site is on Birch Avenue in Warrington. It has been refurbished and has six beds. It will continue to be part of the Trust's Secure Services Division. It is not itself a secure site.

Byron Ward is currently closed. This is a temporary situation and patients are being supported elsewhere. We expect the new Linden Ward to open in the next few weeks.

The Linden building reached 'practical completion' at the end of last year (in Estates terminology). There is a staff room, a staff kitchen and an MDT room on site as well as lots of storage space. Signage, similar to that for the MSU and LSU which was chosen with service users, has been installed. Development of the large garden area also now nearly complete.

The whole environment at Linden Ward has been transformed into a spacious, fit for purpose facility for the revised service. The corridors are light and airy and there's good line of sight.

The Model of Care has been refreshed and has been seen by the Care Quality Commission. It is part of the staff training for the new site and has been shared with stakeholders prior to the move.

New SOPs (standard operating procedures) have been developed for Linden Ward. Training, particularly about the new environment and building functions, is underway. The building is ready well before service users arrive to allow for plenty of staff familiarisation time.

We are working closely on making sure matters like staff facilities and car parking are addressed for staff and the wider MDT on site. We are also working with advocacy and our carers' engagement lead on the booklet information about the new service for when it opens. This will enable families and new admissions to be aware of what the site is about and what the visiting process is.

If you have any queries related to the site, please email: LindenWardFAQ@merseycare.nhs.uk

Click on the image below to see a slideshow of photos showing progress on the interior of the site.

Naming engagement

It is important that public buildings are easily identifiable for all patients, staff and visitors. It is also important that national guidelines for NHS branding and corporate branding for Mersey Care forms an essential part of each building’s identity.

The team would like to thank everyone who contributed ideas to our online process in the spring; we heard from a good range of people, including staff and wider stakeholders.

The name Linden was chosen as a warm, natural and friendly identity which is easy to say and spell. It's a relatively common name but is not in use locally for a similar health related function.