Dear Student

Welcome to Starley Hall Residential School. We hope that your placement with us will offer you the opportunity to experience the wide range of therapeutic and education interventions offered to young people and their families as they present to us with varying degrees of mental health difficulties.

Starley Hall offers interventions to children and young people aged between 10-18 years old who experience mental health/learning difficulties.

The main base is Starley Hall School, Aberdour Road, Burntisland. The service also has three community houses providing supportive accommodation across Fife.

 Two houses in Kirkcaldy  One house in Dunfermline

The provision of our service is offered through a range of specific clinician’s expertise which together make up the therapeutic service. These include:

 Clinical Psychology  Mental and general health Nurse  Speech & Language Therapist  Teachers/Classroom Assistants  Care Staff  Sexual Health Practitioner  Play Therapist  Social Workers

Various initiatives are also provided from Fife CAMHS and other services to ensure the holistic needs of our young people are met

Your placement at Starley Hall will see you placed with one specific team. Your mentor will facilitate you experiencing as much clinical activity as is possible throughout the service. However the majority will be from within your team and your mentor.

 We shall encourage students to ask questions and will answer them to the best of our ability, knowledge and current practice.  We will expect students to assist in their own learning by developing a questioning approach and identifying their own training needs.  We will treat students as individuals, acknowledging their need and encouraging their participation in safe and effective client care.  Mentor will work in partnership with student to facilitate the achievement of their agreed learning outcomes.  Reflection on practice will be actively promoted.  Feedback will be regular, honest, consistent and supportive.

Students will be encouraged to participate in therapy and training provided. It is essential that you contact the service at least 2 weeks prior to commencing placement so that we can tailor your placement specifically to your needs.

We hope that you enjoy your placement with Starley Hall and find it a positive learning environment.

We look forward to hearing your views and suggestions about how we can improve the learning experience for all students.

Liz Duff Manager for Medical and Mental Staff