This document is the result of a working group who had a shared commitment and concern for the lives of people living in long-stay psychiatric wards. The group wishes to acknowledge that for some people a psychiatric hospital will continue to be their home and that the service they receive should be accorded due priority and importance. The wish is also to draw attention to the complex task of providing "a home" for people with long-term mental health problems. The document is for all staff working on long-stay wards and for their managers. It is written though for nurses providing direct care for residents. The ideas are based in the practical day-to-day lives on staff working on long stay wards.