Larch Court at Cygnet Hospital Colchester supports individuals with autism, learning disabilities and complex needs. The team also supports individuals who are detained under the Mental Health Act, as well as those who have complex behaviours, or who have significant difficulties with social engagement

We encourage the men in our care to make their own choices and live as independently as they are able to. To achieve this, we have developed our model of care in which the in-house multi-disciplinary team (MDT) adopt a values-based social model of disability with My Choice, My Voice, My Life sitting at the heart of the model.

Larch Court offers placements for four men with independent living areas. The living areas include self-modulation sensory facilities, with a programmable sensory menu to accommodate personal preferences, strengths and abilities of each individual.

The team focus on enabling individuals to achieve three key targeted outcomes:

• Reduction in behaviours that challenge
• Increase in pro-social presentation
• Progress to future out of hospital placements within lesser restrictive environments

The service is located in the heart of the community in Colchester which is Britain’s oldest recorded town. The individuals we support have access to a wide range of community facilities locally including, Colchester Zoo, Colchester Football Club, beautiful parks and excellent shopping and dining facilities.

Our service user profile:

• Men, aged 18+
• Diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and learning disability
• Individuals will have additional complex needs including co-morbid mental illness, behaviours that challenge, epilepsy, ADHD, personality disorder, significant impairment in social and adaptive functioning
• Individuals may be informal or may be detained under the Mental Health Act /Deprivation of Liberty safeguards

Our facilities:

• En-suite bedrooms
• Extensive communal areas including lounge and dining room
• Activities of daily living kitchen and laundry service
• Quiet room
• Sensory room
• Large garden
• Multi-faith room
• Gym
• Activity centre
• IT room

Our community links:

• Colchester football club
• Colchester Zoo
• Adult community college
• Colchester leisure world
• Dedham boating lake for picnics and paddling
• Cafés and restaurants
• Shops
• Voluntary work placements