Personality Disorder Hub Team – Patient Information Leaflet

“Personality” refers to the individual ways we think, feel and behave. Due to their life experiences, some people can develop difficulties in these areas. If the difficulties are causing great distress, are long-lasting and impact on many aspects of life, then help, (sometimes including input from mental health services), may be needed.

Our service users present with many of the difficulties below:

• Problems managing emotions
• Managing urges to act quickly
• Self-harm and suicidal thoughts
• Making and keeping healthy relationships
• Distressing memories about past events

The Personality Disorder Hub service works with people who experience severe and long-standing personality difficulties and engage in behaviours that place them at a high risk of harm. The team is multi-disciplinary and includes Nurses, Occupational Therapists, Psychologists and Psychological Therapists; alongside administrative staff.

We have a central base in Newcastle, however we offer appointments at local community bases across Newcastle, Gateshead, Sunderland, North and South Tyneside and Northumberland.

Our contact address is:
Benfield House, Walkergate Park, Benfield Road, Newcastle, NE6 4PF

We take referrals from community treatment teams and other CNTW services. We will discuss with you and your team whether we are the best service to meet your needs.

If this is agreed, there will be a period of transition from your existing team to our service. We will work with you to decide how long this transition period will be, depending on your needs.

You will initially meet with two members of the team, who will complete an assessment and formulation with you. Once you have completed this, we will discuss your options and next steps with you. This is most likely to include a period of preparation for therapy and what we call ‘stabilisation’. This stabilisation might be the main task of your therapy with the team or we might decide together that you would benefit from Structured Clinical Management (SCM). Each of these is outlined below:

Assessment and formulation
Firstly, we need to find out about the things that are difficult for you and how these difficulties have developed. We will spend time thinking about your strengths and the things that have helped you manage these difficulties.

We do this by meeting with you regularly (usually weekly); this process can take a number of sessions but helps us get a good understanding of the best ways to meet your needs. Your assessors will discuss information sharing and confidentiality with you prior to the assessment. If you would like further information on this please ask staff for a copy of the Trusts leaflet ‘Information that the Trust keeps about you’.

At the end of the assessment, we will develop a shared formulation’ with you. A formulation is like a jigsaw that pulls everything together and helps us to make sense of your experiences. The assessment and formulation will help us decide together the best treatment approach for you. If ongoing treatment is to be provided by our service, you will then be helped to prepare for this as follows.

Preparation for therapy
The preparation stage helps you get ready to engage in the therapies we offer. During this period, we will work with you to develop goals, make plans to help you manage your safety in times of crisis, and develop treatment agreements (so you know exactly what to expect and what is asked of you), alongside treatment targets (so that we can make sure we are on track with your needs)

Trauma Stabilisation
This type of work focuses on the difficulties people described as the result of multiple traumatic experiences, usually starting in early life. This can include flashbacks, nightmares, negative thoughts about yourself and other people, and unusual experiences such as voice hearing or other perceptual disturbances.

This may be the main treatment you would benefit from, or engaging in trauma stabilisation work may help you develop greater skills and stability to access other helpful therapies, such as SCM.

Structured Clinical Management (SCM)
Structured Clinical Management is an evidence based approach for people with personality difficulties and can help people to:

• Problem solve
• Manage crises
• Develop skills to manage emotions
• Reduce impulsivity or behaviours that place you at risk
• Improve interpersonal relationships
• Reduce self-harm and suicidality

The earlier preparation stage uses SCM principles and we may decide together to continue with the therapy part of this approach. If you want to read more about SCM there is a leaflet available on the Trust website.

We recognise that people who are close to you may also require support and our service can provide this.

We do this in order for them to better support you. We can offer this support to your family or those you view as carers. We will also work alongside the other services involved in your care to help them to better understand and respond to your difficulties.

In the same way that we pay attention to your transition into our service, we will work together to plan your next steps when you have completed treatment with us. We will work together to develop an individualised plan that focuses on maintaining the skills you have developed, planning for any difficult times in the future, and identifying other community resources that can help you.

Sometimes we recommend further specialist psychological therapy. This might be Mentalisation Based Therapy (MBT) or Cognitive Analytical Therapy (CAT). We will endeavour to provide this from within the Hub team but might need to refer you on to others specialists in these areas. If this is the case we will explain this to you.

On occasion it might come to light that you experience difficulties that are different to the work of our team. For example, you might have an autistic spectrum disorder, or be struggling with a dissociative disorder. If we are not best placed to help you, because we don’t have the right expertise, we will signpost you to the appropriate service at the earliest opportunity.

Personality Disorder Hub Team
Benfield House
Walkergate Park
Benfield Road
Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 4PF

Telephone: 0191 287 6156

Staff can arrange an interpreter if you need one.

If you need urgent help with your mental health or learning disability you can get in touch, 24 hours a day. If you live in:
South Tyneside or Sunderland call 0303 123 1145 or freephone 0800 652 2867
North Tyneside or Northumberland call 0303 123 1146 or freephone 0800 652 2861
Newcastle or Gateshead call 0191 814 8899 or Freephone 0800 652 2863
Cumbria call 0300 123 9015 or freephone 0800 652 2865

If you or another person have been harmed or are at immediate risk you may require an emergency response contact 999

If you want to make a comment, suggestion, compliment or complaint you can:

• talk to the people directly involved in your care
• ask a member of staff for a feedback form, or complete a form on the Trust website
• telephone the Complaints Department on 0191 245 6672
• email [email protected]. Please note that information sent to the Trust via email is sent at your own risk

We are always looking at ways to improve services. Your feedback allows us to monitor the quality of our services and act upon issues that you bring to our attention. You can provide feedback in the following ways:

• the quickest way for you to do this is to complete our short online survey at www.cntw.nhs.uk/yourvoice
• complete a Your Voice survey, available on wards, reception areas or from staff
• other options for sharing your feedback and experience www.cntw.nhs.uk/yourfeedback

Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)
PALS provide confidential advice and support, helping you to sort out any concerns that you may have about any aspect of your or your loved ones care.

We act independently when handling patient and family concerns, liaising with staff, managers and, where appropriate, relevant organisations, to negotiate prompt solutions. If necessary, we can also refer patients and families to specific local or national-based support agencies.

North of Tyne
Telephone: 0800 032 0202
Email: [email protected]
Post: FREEPOST PALS

9am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday

An answerphone is available at all times for you to leave a message. A member of the PALS team will aim to return your call as soon as possible.

Mind
15-19 Broadway, Stratford, London E15 4BQ
Infoline:0300 123 3393
Mind is a leading mental health charity in England and Wales and has extensive information on personality and personality disorder.

National Personality Disorder Website
This provides information, resources and learning opportunities for those with a personality disorder and their carers.

Rethink
Helpline: 0300 5000 927 89 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7TP
Provides information and a helpline for anyone affected by mental health problems. Has information on personality and personality disorder.

Royal College of Psychiatrists
Personality Disorders – Help is at Hand

A full list of references is available on request from the Patient Information Centre telephone 0191 246 7288.

Further information about the content, reference sources or production of this leaflet can be obtained from the Patient Information Centre. If you would like to tell us what you think about this leaflet please get in touch.

This information can be made available in a range of formats on request (Braille, audio, larger print, easy read, BSL or other languages). Please contact the Patient Information Centre on 0191 246 7288.

Published by the Patient Information Centre
2024 Copyright: Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust
Ref: PIC/768/1224 December 2024 V7

Website: www.cntw.nhs.uk
Telephone: 0191 246 7288

Review date 2025