An official logo has been chosen for Irvine’s new secure mental health unit for young people.

A series of consultation activities to select a design for the new 12-bed national secure adolescent inpatient service (NSAIS) facility, to be located on the grounds of Ayrshire Central Hospital, was undertaken in June 2021.

The facility will house youngsters aged 12 until 18 with a range of complex mental health difficulties and risk, which cannot be managed within other mental health services in Scotland.

Health and social care chiefs on North Ayrshire’s integration joint board heard the project team for Foxgrove worked alongside ‘art strategists’ Freemantle Consultants/Lindsay Perth and NHS Ayrshire and Arran’s graphic designer to design and develop a logo for the facility, along with young people.

Irvine Times:

Meeting papers state: “In order to devise a suitable logo for Foxgrove there was a series of consultation activities which included engagement workshops with young people from various youth group forums, Kibble and Good Shepherd, as well as consulting with the public reference group.

“The logo has been circulated to stakeholders and also the projects steering group and project board, and has received positive feedback.”

Construction work has also begun on site for a brand new child care unit at Irvine’s Ayrshire Central Hospital Campus.

Caroline Cameron, director of the North Ayrshire health and social care partnership, said: “This really is an important milestone in the development of Foxgrove and takes us one step closer to providing first-class services for this most challenging and vulnerable group of patients.

“Foxgrove will improve the outcomes for young people who are seriously unwell and pose a risk to themselves and others. “For the first time, these individuals will be provided with the complex mental health care and support services they need within an appropriate environment in Scotland.”