Child and Adolescent Mental Health Unit

An updated revision of HPU 132 Child and Adolescent Mental Health Unit (Revision 8.0, February 2025) has been uploaded to the website. The revised version has been informed by an extensive consultation process through a co-design approach with clinical, operational and technical experts, as well as participants with lived experience of mental illness.

Key changes to the document include: 

• Consideration for increased complexity of young people presenting to these units, including children and adolescents with neurodiversity, developmental delays, and other health conditions, which necessitate additional design considerations.
• Inclusion of families, carers and supporters as important components of a therapeutic, recovery-oriented model of mental health, requiring the provision for a parent to room-in or access to family accommodation nearby.
• Recommendations relating to risk assessments including for areas where close face-to-face interactions between young people and staff occur such as receptions and staff stations.
• Inclusion of design guidance relating to the recreation/day areas.
• Updated design guidance relating to dining and beverage bay areas to maintain the multifunctional use of dining spaces.
• Updated recommendations for outdoor areas to ensure a minimum of 10m² per young person, with an ideal minimum of 60m² even in units with fewer than six young people, to support both active and passive areas.
• Minor area revisions to the allocations for patient property, staff amenities and staff work areas based on benchmarking and other feedback. 
• Updates to relevant policies, standards, and other key reference documents.

A thank you is extended to all those who have contributed to the review and update of this document.

Kind Regards,

The AusHFG Team