A ward that provides specialist therapy for women with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) has become the first inpatient setting in the UK to receive national accreditation for its work.

Silverstone Ward, located within the St Andrew’s Healthcare site on Billing Road in Northampton, has been awarded the Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) Clinical Programme Accreditation by the Society for DBT (SfDBT) UK and Ireland.

DBT is a form of cognitive-behavioural therapy designed to help people regulate emotions, tolerate distress, improve relationships and build mindfulness skills.

It was originally developed for people with intense emotions who engage in self-destructive behaviours, but is now used to treat a wide range of mental health conditions due to its ever-growing evidence base.

Sally, who is a Silverstone patient and receiving DBT, said: “I have been in and out of inpatient hospitals since I was a teenager and it was only when I was introduced to DBT, that something shifted.

“Prior to coming to St Andrew’s, I was struggling with self-harm. I was a danger to myself, but DBT has helped me learn skills that I need to get me through each day, so I can manage my feelings in an appropriate way.”

Now, the 23-year-old is hoping to be discharged from the Northampton hospital early next year and she plans to fly to Spain to see her grandmother and eventually open her own business.

She added: “I know it sounds dramatic, but DBT saved my life. That is the truth. Without doubt, DBT and the staff at St Andrew’s have given me hope for my future. A future, I didn’t think I had.”

The accreditation is a significant milestone for the charity, demonstrating to commissioners, referrers, service users, and partner organisations that the team has the capacity to deliver DBT with fidelity and consistency.

Dr Victoria Taylor, Consultant Clinical Psychologist and DBT Therapist, said: “This accreditation marks a major milestone for our team and recognises that our DBT programme has the structures, processes, and practices needed to deliver a truly comprehensive service to our patients.

“We already knew that our programme upholds the highest standards of evidence-based practice, but to have external recognition is something to be proud of. This achievement reflects the dedication, expertise, and collaboration of every member of our DBT service, whom I would personally like to thank. Their hard work and willingness to support our patients has consistently demonstrated compassion and clinical excellence.”

The SfDBT UK and Ireland was established to support practitioners committed to advancing the therapy as an evidence-based treatment.

Chair of the SfDBT UK and Ireland Amy Gaglia Essletzbichler, said: “Congratulations to Silverstone Ward on their DBT team’s success in the application for programme with the SfDBT UK and Ireland.

“There has been an inpatient DBT service at St Andrew’s since 1998 and it is testament to the commitment of the charity and to the staff on the ward that they have been caring for patients that require an inpatient DBT programme for over 25 years.

“Achieving this Programme Accreditation with the SfDBT, signifies that DBT is being offered with adherence and fidelity to the evidence-based model.”

Silverstone is a specialist comprehensive DBT inpatient unit, specifically for the treatment of women over the age of 18 with severe emotion dysregulation difficulties. Service users may often have a diagnosis of BPD alongside other diagnoses including Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD).

Women admitted to Silverstone present with complex mental health needs, risky behaviours that can be challenging to appropriately support in community settings and  significantly impaired day to day functioning.