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Temporary closure of Rose Lodge, and launch of new Learning Disability In-Reach and Transitions Team (LDITT)

Posted: 10/11/25

About Rose Lodge

Rose Lodge is a specialist unit in Hebburn, South Tyneside. It provides assessment and treatment for adults with significant learning disabilities.

Reduction in demand for beds at Rose Lodge

Although Rose Lodge has ten beds, only about five have been used at any one time in recent years.

Over the past few months, we have been able to work with partners to discharge or transfer the remaining patients from Rose Lodge, most of who had been clinically ready for discharge for some time. There are now no patients at Rose Lodge.

This reduced demand is due to increased support in the community, and improved joint working between CNTW and our partners across the health and care system. Local and national guidance has also increasingly focussed on supporting people with learning disabilities in their community or in mainstream mental health units wherever possible.

The provision of appropriate, safe and effective care pathways for individuals with a learning disability has been a significant feature of health and social care policy for many years (transforming care). The focus has been on reducing the number of people with a learning disability who are in receipt of hospital-based care.

Decision to temporarily close

We have therefore made the decision to temporarily close Rose Lodge for an initial period of six months from Monday 10 November 2025 following the successful transition and discharge of existing patients.

This temporary closure is an opportunity for us to explore new ways to provide better support for people with learning disabilities – see below.

New model to be piloted during temporary closure – the Learning Disability In-Reach and Transitions Team (LDITT)

As part of implementing a new Model of Care and Support which supports our strategy, we are exploring ways to improve our inpatient and community support for people with learning disabilities.

National and local guidance encourages providers to support people with learning disabilities in their community or in mainstream mental health services wherever possible.

Since June 2025, we have been developing an outline service specification and staffing model for a new Learning Disability In-reach and Transitions Team (LDITT) model.

The temporary six-month closure of Rose Lodge gives us a chance to test this new team in the North East.

The LDITT will offer enhanced care in our mainstream mental health wards by offering specialist support to people with learning disabilities, including those who also have autism.

They will ensure these patients receive care and treatment which is right for them while in these mainstream wards. They will also help people to be discharged from hospital and transition back to their community in a safe and timely way.

We believe this extra support will mean that this group of patients will spend less time in hospital, be less likely to return after discharge, experience fewer restrictive practices, and overall have a better experience of care.

We will also be running a pre-engagement programme with staff, service users and carers, partners and the local community in the new year to get views on the LDITT model, and to shape our medium – longer-term model of care for learning disabilities and autism services.

What the Learning Disability In-reach and Transitions Team (LDITT) will do

The LDITT will offer expert support to people with learning disabilities, including those who also have autism, who are being cared for in regular adult mental health wards. The team will use a Positive Behavioural Support (PBS) approach.

The team will:

  • Visit mental health wards to help staff provide the best possible care and treatment (in-reach support). This might include working directly with patients or advising staff.
  • Help patients leave hospital safely (transitional support to facilitate discharges). If needed, they may offer up to four weeks of support in the community. Our Community Learning Disability Treatment Teams will still play a key role in planning and support.
  • Help staff in mainstream mental health wards to develop their skills and knowledge so they can better understand and support people with learning disabilities and autism.

What this means for patients

We believe this extra support will help people with learning disabilities and autism:

  • Spend less time in hospital and be less likely to return after discharge.
  • Experience fewer restrictive practices, due to staff’s improved knowledge and skills
  • Have a better experience of care from CNTW

Who will be in the team?

The LDITT will include staff with a wide range of skills. All will be experts in supporting people with learning disabilities and mental health needs. (The team will include Psychiatry, Psychology, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, and other support staff.)

What will happen next?

Starting in the new year, we will be running a comprehensive engagement programme with our staff, service users and carers, stakeholders, partners and the local community to discuss options for the future. We will be communicating what our services look like, what some of the challenges are for these services and the people who rely on them, and our ideas for improvement.

This work will formally report into the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board Transforming Care Executive Group, who will oversee the engagement and next steps in this process.

In the meantime, although there will be an opportunity to be involved, if you would like to meet to discuss anything further, please contact [email protected].

FAQs about the temporary closure of Rose Lodge:

  • Why will Rose Lodge have no patients once the current people there are discharged or transferred?

    Although the unit has ten beds, only about five have been used at any one time in recent years.

    Over the past few months, we have been able to work with partners to discharge or transfer the remaining patients from Rose Lodge, most of who had been clinically ready for discharge for some time. There are now no patients at Rose Lodge.

    This reduced demand is due to increased support in the community, and improved joint working between CNTW and our partners across the health and care system. Local and national guidance has also increasingly focussed on supporting people with learning disabilities in their community or in mainstream mental health units wherever possible.

  • How have you engaged with staff at Rose Lodge about this change?

    We have worked closely with our staff at Rose Lodge and Trade Union representatives to support them during this change. We have offered staff a range of suitable alternative roles, which will help them in their career progression and also help to fill vacancies in other clinical areas and help reduce our reliance on temporary workforce. All staff have been offered one-to-one conversations to discuss the impact of this change, and their preferences and skills.

  • What other challenges does Rose Lodge face?

    Isolation from other specialist units

    Rose Lodge is located in Hebburn, South Tyneside. It is not on any of our main sites, or near other specialist learning disability services.

    On sites where several units are located together, each can draw on support from other units’ staff. This support is vital during emergencies or staffing issues. Rose Lodge cannot draw on this kind of support.

    Given the specific patient cohort and service delivered at Rose Lodge, the ward must have more staff on each shift than is normal in this type of unit, so they can respond to a serious incident if needed.

    But having lots of staff around is often challenging for patients with additional sensory needs. It can increase the number of incidents, and lead to more restrictive interventions to keep patients and staff safe. (The impact of the number of staff on shift was noted in our most recent CQC report.)

    Units that are isolated from other similar services or the rest of their organisation are also at significant risk of developing ‘closed cultures’. The abuses at Whorlton Hall, Winterbourne View, and other services have highlighted the risks of harm and abuse occurring when a service develops a closed culture. Read the CQC’s guidance on the risk factors and impacts of closed cultures.

    Delayed discharges

    Most of the people who were recently receiving care at Rose Lodge were clinically ready for discharge. But some had to stay for longer than they needed to be in an inpatient unit, when it was not the most suitable place for these people to be supported. This delay was because of a lack of bespoke accommodation and care packages. This also meant we were not able to admit other people who needed assessment and treatment.

    We are now working more closely with our partners across the health and care system to enable suitable community placements and other specialist support. This support is more suitable for these people than staying in hospital.

  • Where will people go if they need inpatient care on a specialist learning disability unit during this temporary closure?

    Wherever possible, adults who need inpatient care because of struggles with their mental health will be admitted to one of our mainstream mental health inpatient services.

    During the six-month temporary closure of Rose Lodge, these inpatient services will be supported by the Learning Disability In-reach and Transitions Team (LDITT). This is a new model which we will be trialling in the North East. (See below for more details.)

    Patients with a learning disability who need specialist inpatient care during the six-month temporary closure of Rose Lodge would be admitted to Edenwood Unit. Edenwood is our other specialist adult learning disability inpatient assessment and treatment unit. It is located at The Carleton Clinic in Carlisle, our main site in Cumbria.

  • If people have to be admitted to a unit further away from home because of this temporary closure, how will you ensure they maintain contact with their family, carers, friends and loved ones?

    If we have to admit someone to a hospital away from their local area, we provide transport or cover travel costs so families, carers and loved ones can visit.