Student placements reopen in specialist mental health unit

Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust’s Adult Forensic Services is officially reopening to student placements.

Student nurses and other trainee health professionals at universities in Greater Manchester and Lancashire will be welcomed back to both the Riverside Centre and the Lowry Unit in Prestwich, to undertake placements as part of their training.

These will offer invaluable first-hand experience of working within this highly-specialist setting, equipping learners with the skills and confidence to navigate complex care environments.

This integration of education with practice plays a vital role in shaping the future NHS workforce, ensuring safe, high-quality, and sustainable services.

The announcement follows extensive work over the last two years to significantly improve GMMH’s Adult Forensic Services with, and for, service users and their families.

We have collaborated closely with our higher education and health system partners to develop a safe and structured placement offer, to ensure the best outcomes for our service users, their families, and our students

This includes the development of the learning environment in collaboration with NHS England, NHS Greater Manchester, regional higher education Institutions, and the Nursing and Midwifery Council, to ensure the NHSE Safe Learning Environment Charter is delivered, monitored, and sustained.

The reintroduction of students will take place in a phased approach, with a thorough supervision, support, and training package in place, and in close communication with all partners.  

Salli Midgley, chief nurse at Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are proud to offer wide range of student clinical placements across our footprint. 

“Our services greatly benefit from the enthusiasm, curiosity, and fresh perspectives that the students who join us on placement bring.

“They provide vital opportunities to reflect on our own practices, develop the skills of our staff, and work together to improve the delivery of care for service users and their families.

“We are so pleased to be in a position to welcome back student nurses to the Riverside Centre.

“Over the past two years, we have worked hard to transform this service, which includes improving ward environments, developing a clinical model to improve patient safety, and recruiting and retaining skilled, kind, and compassionate staff.

“As part of this work, we have collaborated closely with our higher education and health system partners to develop a safe and structured placement offer, to ensure the best outcomes for our service users, their families, and our students.  

“We will continue to make improvements to our Adult Forensic Services, underpinned by our new Trust Strategy, which sets out our clear ambition for the future and how we will achieve it.

“The next generation of mental health nurses will play an absolutely-vital role in this vision, and we look forward to continuing on our journey together.”

Phoebe Ashleigh Siapno De Carlos, a student of nursing at Manchester Metropolitan University and placement student nurse at the Riverside Centre, added: “During my placement, I have felt truly supported by the staff, who have welcomed me as part of their team.

“They consistently involve me in all aspects of care, which has given me valuable opportunities to expand my knowledge and develop my skills within the forensic mental health setting.”

Placement opportunities are available to students at the University of Salford, The University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University, The University of Greater Manchester, and the University of Lancashire.