|
|
|
CRITERIA AND DATA |
|
1. HUMAN Whatever the technical expertise to be delivered, our overall approach must have an authentic, sensible and human touch. |
80% of any successful organisation or person is due to human interpersonal skill, ordinary good practice or "emotional intelligence" (Goleman 1995 & 1998), not specialist knowledge. Especially for mental health, the expertise of "caring professions" must be framed by human values, a non-mystifying approach where clients tell their stories and feel their own understanding is sought on the way to solutions. Efficacious use of time and personnel is a universal requirement. Humanity and efficiency need to be balanced. Either may require more or less time, people or other resources. By definition, at this Tier 3 level, referrers will have tried simpler briefer forms of help. To assess and help families but allow them to tell their often difficult and complex stories to their own satisfaction - and for staff to gather a satisfactory multifactorial formulation about them - requires a standard first appointment of 1.5-2hrs and 1hr for follow-ups. Inter-professional functioning too works better with enough time taken, a human touch and without mystification. |
1. Audit length of 1st and follow-up appointments etc offered to client and agencies 2. User confirmation and feedback (client and agencies) |
|
2. INVOLVING USERS We will include and empower individuals and their families and other agencies to manage their own lives and jobs. |
The "user" is not a simple concept in mental health with children. The prime concern should be the welfare of the child or adolescent. But the prime "user" is usually adult - parents or professionals. Families of a referred child are involved in appointments conjointly and separately in a negotiated and flexible way. This engages the collective strengths of the functioning family unit and helps with the often several problems of members of the widened user group. It allows the child's problems to be understood in context. Referring and other agencies involved are proactively contacted for liaison and meetings about particular and general discussion and planning. |
1. User feedback 2. Case contact sheets 3. Audit quantity and quality of phoning & other interagency work (meetings, correspondence) |
|
3. INFORMING & WELCOMING Users and agencies will be clearly informed and contact welcomed. |
To be fully ready to engage and use the service, clients and referrers need direct and clear information about what to expect especially before first contact. They need to feel in control of the process, welcomed into a comfortable setting that secures trust and engagement, and able to ask and negotiate plans. Staff in other agencies need clear information, guidance and approachability about the service and its use. |
1. User feedback 2. Audit information leaflets availability and use 3. Audit responsiveness to referrals and phone calls. |
|
4. KEYWORKING Each case will be allocated a CFC keyworker as the most effective way to achieve the complex task. |
Keyworking facilitates the complex task of integrated working with a child and family, and of coordinating accountably any multidisciplinary and multiagency plan in each case, including the internal and external administration and possible convening of case liaison and meetings. |
1. Show 100% keyworker in active database & files 2. Audit effective process and outcome of keywork with user & interagency feedback |
|
5. INDIVIDUALISED ASSESSMENT & PLANNING For every case and at every stage, before and in direct contact, assessments and plans will be tailored for the particular people and their presenting predicament. |
Each case is carefully considered throughout on its own merits. Referrers and others involved may be contacted to ensure that referrals and appointments are appropriately and effectively set up. The family together and/or individually are involved in face to face discussion to agree proposed plans for help. Team multidisciplinary and interagency working further inform and support individualised assessment and planning. Generalised categorical approaches (ie labelled disorders and treatments) may or may not need to be added into this planning. |
1. Team screening sheets 2. 1st appointment audit list 3. User feedback |
|
6. MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAMWORKING From allocation onwards, skilled, effective and multidisciplinary teams will be resourced and readily available to assist the keyworker and their casework whenever needed. |
Problems of child and adolescent mental health are widely known to be multifactorially caused. The problems are helped by individuals and groups involved drawing on their own resources be they clients or professionals - or hindered by their weaknesses. Especially for complex problems not sorted by simpler measures before our Tier 3 services, the dedicated multidisciplinary and team approach integrates a focused formulation that identifies the right amount and kind of extra expert help required from within the team, as well as authoritatively coordinating an effective multiagency framework for cases and services in general. |
1. Show 100% of routine cases allocated at team meeting 2. Show 95% non-emergency cases live team screened 3. Show weekly range of team meetings & team functioning assessments |
|
7. RANGE OF TREATMENTS Within the flexibly integrated family-systems and team approach, a range of modes of working and specific treatment approaches must be available and their appropriate use supported. |
To go with the wide range of problems and disorders referred to a welfare state service, a wide range of up-to-date specific treatments needs to be resourced and available from qualified and experienced staff within or readily accessed by the service. These specific modes should also inform the ordinary clinical work of all team members. This may be more implicit (eg general individual, couple or family modes of work; sharing knowledge, literature and course learning) or more explicit (eg by direct provision, or supervision, teaching and training each other in specific modes). |
1. Identify staff professions, interests, courses and qualifications 2. Case contact sheets (to show range) & audit cases receiving treatments listed as available. |
|
8. INTERAGENCY WORKING Staff must understand the importance of working positively with other agencies both for particular clients as well as in general service provision and development. |
A CFC team is one of a large "team of agencies" serving a district population. The causes and solutions of problems are multifactorial. Agencies involved (and their managers) should try to understand how their role, services, perspective and contribution in general and in particular cases, teams up together with those of other agencies. CFC's multidisciplinary and teamworking skills can be a key coordinating factor. |
1. Develop and audit ring-fenced proportion and relevance of interagency work & meetings, 2. Show ADHD Guidelines, info leaflets. 3. Audit Case Consultations. |
|
9. DATA FOR ALL There will be integrated case records & a standard database for all CFC services that efficiently serves the needs of staff, managers, clients and external agencies. |
At the core of the administration of any well integrated organisation is written and computerised information that is integrated, safe, useful and reliably accessible. All CFC teams use integrated multi-disciplinary casefiles and are switched on to and constantly use the same home-grown database that supports and informs all routine front office and internal administration, ensuring uniformity with adaptability, and serving prompt and accurate client and external enquiries, while automatically collecting management and other data. |
1. Description of casenotes and database, functions, standards & confidentiality 2. Audit case files to show 100% jobs done and accuracy (98%) 3. Audit ring-fenced desk time |
|
10. STAFF DEVELOPMENT & MORALE Staff must feel valued and supported in their work, their teams, their professions, and their development. |
To attract and keep good staff, and to model what we value for clients and other agencies, staff need to be well qualified, selected, and further trained and supported so that their talents and energies are fully liberated to the benefit of the service and its clients and referring agencies. ...... Created 2000; Revised September 2001 NC - CFC : ML1 2TJ ...... |
1. Team involvement in service meetings & staff appointments (eg the secretary test) 2. Show CPD and training available and useD, PDPlans 3. Team functioning audit |
nick.child@virgin.net