THE Island's mental health facility Grainagh Court has gained an accreditation from the Royal College of Psychiatry.

Grainagh Court registered with Accreditation for Acute Inpatient Mental Health Services (AIMS) in 2008 and has recently undergone a review of its service which is set against 283 standards.

Minister for Social Care Martyn Quayle MHK said: "AIMS accreditation is a very significant achievement, especially as it was gained on the ward's first attempt, and is normally only achieved by 10 percent of wards on their first attempt. 

"It is a testament to the hard work and commitment of the staff of Grianagh Court which is much appreciated by myself, the department, and the service users. It confirms that the Island is at least on a par with, if not better than, many of our neighbours in the UK."

The guiding principle behind AIMS is to develop and raise the standards of care in mental health inpatient units. Areas covered in the review included the therapeutic environment, general standards, timely and purposeful admission and safety.

Questionnaires were completed by service users, carers, and staff. Four professionals from the Royal College attended the facility and conducted interviews with all those involved.

Member for Social Services Bill Malarkey commented: "I am aware that the review team spoke to all staff, service users, and carers and our policies and procedures were examined - basically no stone was left unturned.

"Staff have worked tremendously hard to gain this accreditation and their commitment and dedication has been clearly demonstrated. I congratulate them on all their hard work."