News

Flint House to reopen September 7th

Details: Published: Wednesday, 19 August 2020

The Board of Trustees and CEO Tom MCAuslin are pleased to announce that Flint House is now in a position to admit patients for physiotherapy (in much reduced numbers) from Monday 7 September. Due to the interactive nature of our mental health programme we will not be able to offer this residentially for the time being.

The staff at Flint House have been working hard to ensure that when we can admit patients for treatment it is safe to do so. This has been challenging due to the Centre's obligations to comply with the guidelines across the various sectors; hotel and catering, bars and pubs, gymnasiums and healthcare simultaneously whilst accommodating patient officers from a wide geographical area.

Flint House will only be able to offer residential Physiotherapy treatment to those patients who have completed the remote consultations with us. Their clinical team will then assess the benefits of a 5 day residential stay assuming that they are eligible after strict COVID risk assessments.

Patients will be contacted directly by the Centre. Initially the numbers will be small with a view to expanding within the limits of safe social distancing. Stringent pre-admission protocols and daily screening regimes are being developed to ensure the safety of all patients and staff.

For those who require our services please apply in the normal way at https://www.flinthouse.co.uk/attending/application-form.

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Virtual treatments are in operation at Flint House

Details: Published: Wednesday, 12 August 2020

Following the latest Government advice regarding COVID -19 The Police Rehabilitation Centre still has to remain closed for residential patient treatment currently although plans are being set in place to open safely. More detail will follow on this over the coming weeks. Follow our facebook and twitter updates if you are able.

During lockdown, police officers in need have continued to receive Flint House care and support, with programmes taking place virtually with exercise videos and treatments/consultations online utilising our own YouTube exercise videos, Zoom video calls and telephone based programmes.

Our clinical teams have been in contact with patients who had to have their treatment periods cancelled and remote treatments have been offered where appropriate. With Physio and Mental Health teams are all working from Flint House, the ethos of keeping the esential link to our unique "Flint House" factor is still retained whilst we cannot have patients in the Centre. You may apply for treatment and our clinical team will contact and review with you how we are able to help. The virtual physio programmes offered by the centre have been taken up by around 250 officers after our last website update inviting existing patients and new patients to take part.

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CEO Flint House Update August 2020

Details: Published: Monday, 03 August 2020

"Flint House’s top team is working non-stop to ensure treatments and programmes can be carried out safely in person. And in the meantime, officers can receive remote support from the charity – and from today follow the centre’s news and views with more regularly updated Social Media posts".

“Officers haven’t been able to come to Flint House because we’re trying to comply with the various regulatory standards to ensure that when patients can come here, we can look after them in a safe environment, so they don’t pose a risk to each other and to staff. That’s foremost in our mind - working out the ways of ensuring that when a patient comes here that they are safe to be here and we can manage their safety while they are here. For Flint House, Covid-19 and the unlocking of the lockdown has posed various challenges because we have to comply with the different industry standards; hotel and catering, bars and pub, gymnasiums and healthcare."

“We’re all looking to get the centre opened again and to carry on what we’ve successfully done for the past 130 years. Police officers, our donors, Police chiefs, Police and Crime Commissioners can be reassured that when we take their officers in for treatment, we’ll be looking after them and making sure they’re safe. We’ve got to make sure that when we’re bringing people here on site that it’s as safe as possible in the current coronavirus environment.”

"During the lockdown, police officers in need have continued to receive Flint House care and support, as some programmes have been taking place virtually with exercise videos and treatments/consulatations being shared online via YouTube, Zoom video calls and other channels. The virtual programmes offered by the Centre have been taken up by around 250 officers after a note was published on the Flint House website inviting existing patients and new patients to take part. During lockdown, the team really got their act together; we had rehab therapists who were doing YouTube type videos, so Joe Wicks eat your heart out!”

“The physio teams and mental health teams also looked at their patient base and identified who would benefit from having more access to our services and remote consultations, and that’s been really successful. It’s a lot about the dialogue you have with the patient. We accept that it doesn’t substitute the ‘Flint House factor’ of actually being here, but in the current climate, it’s the best that we can do, and our patients do appreciate it. If officers are unsure out there about the benefits of remote consultation, please contact us. All of the physios are working from Flint House. They’re not working from home, and we are keeping that link to Flint House.”

"We hope our new proactive approach to social media will help the centre share the ‘Flint House Factor’ with more officers, encouraging those who need their expert help to come forward and get the treatment they need. We’re being more proactive online and on social media and keep everyone up to date with all the latest information and our opening date.The Flint House factor is how we look after our patients away from the day job, away from the frontline. It’s about the site itself; it’s a listed building in 19 acres of ground, but it’s also that unquantifiable factor that everyone’s here, as patients, to get themselves better and all the staff are here to support that end".

“We treat around 3,500 patients a year - we’ve been doing this for 130 years, so we’re pretty good at it. When you come down our lovely, long drive lined with trees, it’s all part of the ethos of Flint House. We take an element of stress and anxiety away… whatever it is you have stress and anxiety about… whether it’s an injury or just about coming here, it’s our empathy factor.There’s something about coming to Flint House and immersing yourself in getting better - that is the Flint House factor.”

To keep up to date with all the latest from Flint House keep a more regular eye on this Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @FlintHouseRehab on Twitter, Like us on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/FlintHouseRehab/videos

Our August newsletter is available

Details: Published: Monday, 10 August 2020

Our August newsletter is here!

It's full of lots of updates about what we've been up to at the centre over the past few weeks, working hard for when we can reopen.

Read it here: https://mailchi.mp/policerehab/newsletter-august-2020

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Mental Health outreach programme.

Details: Published: Monday, 13 July 2020

Whilst we have to remain closed for residential care we are successfully undertaking personalised outreach programs for officers applying to us for Mental Health treatment as well as Physiotherapy care too. The quote below is from a recent patient officer who used our Mental Health outreach care with one of our Mental health Practitioners during the lockdown period.

"After initial nerves as I didn’t really know how this was going to work were easily put to rest by Alison. Initial consultation was very easy to do and perform we organised in advance our schedule and this acted as an initial ice breaker which I would recommend in the future. She was extremely understanding, compassionate, professional and I was at total ease talking to her about my different symptoms/ conditions.I was set tasks/ homework by Alison to complete by the next session which I understood and completed. I was able to perform these into my current life and even after my first session had such an impact on my mood, well being and life.

My overall experience with the programme is 10/10. Understanding of my needs was 10/10. My mentally health and positivity has increased dramatically by using this programme and I thank you for being accepted.

I would totally recommend this service to my colleagues."