New-build CAMHS unit, Ancora House installs electronic locksets and push/pull handles

Designed by Gilling Dod Architects, Ancora House is an award-winning 30-bed CAMHS unit built around an aluminium curtain wall structure.

When it was being built, the Trust specified a need for practical and safe en-suite locksets consistent with the window and door handles.

Care provider: Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS FT
Project type: New Build
Mental Health Discipline: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Inpatient Unit
Architects: Gilling Dod Architects

Products supplied:

Passport Smart Locksets – LINK NEEDED
1-Way SOS (Staff Override System) locksets
Push/Pull Handles

The Challenge

The brief was to provide superior safety so staff could unlock the doors even if the service user holds the turn/pull on the other side. They also wanted design consistency across the doors on the ward, the en-suite doors and the windows.

The Solution

Fitting 1-way SOS locksets on all of the en-suite rooms provided superior safety as the two separate spindles operate independently, meaning staff can unlock the door even if the service user holds the turn/pull.

Standard anti-ligature push/pull handles were also fitted on the doors and windows, providing consistency across the ward.

Ensuring easy access in an emergency

Locksets and handles were then fitted elsewhere throughout the two-storey facility.

The trust were particularly satisfied with our electronic lockset, combining speed of access with convenience, as a single access card could be used to operate any door lock – reducing the number of keys carried in the ward and making it easier for staff to access a room in an emergency.