Japanese garden mural at Linn Dara Approved Centre.

Working with the young people in this centre left such an impression on me. I have such an appreciation for this place and all who work here. The goal was to give the young people in this isolation unit a calm space to be present while they go through their assessment, treatment, and/or rehabilitation.

Linn Dara CAMHS provides both specialist community and inpatient based services for children and adolescents up to 18 years old, with moderate to severe mental health difficulties.
The service has 24 acute inpatient beds (Approved Centre) based on the Cherry Orchard Campus in Dublin 10.

Oak Unit is a 2-bedded high dependency unit within the Linn Dara Approved Centre. It provides those young persons, who are experiencing mental health difficulties and increased care needs, a low stimulus area where staff can engage and deliver effective care and treatment as part of an individual care plan.

The external courtyard space in Oak was reviewed and redesigned to make it a more tranquil and inviting space. The bespoke design was influenced by ideas generated by young people and staff, and represents the evolution of calm over four seasons in a Japanese garden.