How we care
Care at St Magnus Nursing is designed to be safe, supportive and focused on enhancing every resident's quality of life, delivered by a skilled nursing team that gets to know each person as an individual.
Care at St Magnus Nursing is safe, structured and built around each resident’s individual needs and personal circumstances. Our dedicated nursing teams, working under GP leadership with input from visiting psychiatrists, specialise in supporting residents with a wide range of chronic mental health conditions, including serious mental illness and the complex presentations associated with dementia.
St Magnus Nursing provides supported living as a natural continuation of care for residents transitioning from St Magnus Hospital, as well as for those referred directly from other settings. The composition of our units is responsive to the needs of our residents, ensuring the right level of support is always in place. Our close relationship with St Magnus Hospital means residents benefit from a consistent, connected therapeutic community throughout their care journey.
The St Magnus Community stands out because everyone is incredibly caring and professional. It is brilliant to see the bonds built between staff and our patients and residents, and it is such a welcoming community to join.
Senior team member at St Martha’s Hospital
Your assessment process
Patients and residents usually come to us after a placement elsewhere has not been as successful as hoped. Your assessment process considers you as a whole person.
What Defines Our Care
Best-practice thinking, specialist equipment and a genuinely responsive approach to each patient’s evolving needs are at the heart of what we do. The Musical Garden, robotic cats and unobtrusive sensor technology are just some of the ways we create environments that are both safe and therapeutically rich.
Across St Magnus and St Martha’s, our high staff ratios and responsive management team allow us to continuously introduce fresh activities and treatment approaches, pursuing those that work best for each individual. Because patients with the same diagnosis can have entirely different needs, care at St Magnus is never formulaic — it is always built around the person.
Patients may have cognitive impairment, and perhaps more severe forms including behavioural symptoms of dementia. We have developed systems in common across every hospital ward and nursing unit to adapt treatments for you.
We also have specialist dementia wards: Cowdray Ward at St Magnus Hospital has so much space, with en-suite bedrooms, two gardens and three lounge areas for just eight patients; in Park House or Goodwood Ward, patients can revel in our interactive Musical Garden with musical instruments all around, coloured paths to follow, sweet-smelling, fully edible plants and bright canopies that diffuse light in different colours while keeping everyone warm and dry.
Our robotic cats are fluffy companions bringing joy and calm to patients with dementia, providing comfort and a gentle sense of purpose, much like our soft-fabric Reuben dolls in a variety of outfits. Dramatherapists work with patients on positive behaviour support plans, while occupational therapy teams take time to discover each patient’s personal interests and sensory needs, purchasing a sanding cloth for a DIY enthusiast, for example. This level of individual attention is what genuine quality of life looks like in practice.
We reduce risk with inventive technologies such as sensor mats and doorbells that let us know when you get out of bed or come out of your room. It’s less intrusive than being on constant observation and let’s staff get on with other tasks. It’s no surprise St Magnus and St Martha’s are such showcases of best practice.
I love the autonomy we have, enabling quick and dynamic responses from me and the team as we ensure high standards across all departments and excellent quality care.
Hospital Director at St Magnus Hospital

More on mental disorders
The Royal College of Psychiatrists hosts a wealth of information on its website.
Just use the search bar here:
