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Improving partnerships with families and carers in in‐patient mental health services for older people: a staff training programme and family liaison service
Author(s) -
Stanbridge Roger I.,
Burbach Frank R.,
Rapsey Estelle H.S.,
Leftwich Simon H.,
McIver Catherine C.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of family therapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.52
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1467-6427
pISSN - 0163-4445
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-6427.2012.00584.x
Subject(s) - general partnership , audit , service (business) , mental health , nursing , medicine , psychology , mental health service , training (meteorology) , medical education , family medicine , psychiatry , business , physics , accounting , finance , marketing , meteorology
In spite of policies advocating the involvement of families in the care of mental health service users in the UK , there are few examples of initiatives to develop staff confidence and skills in partnership working. This article describes a whole team training initiative and family liaison service to promote family inclusive working on in‐patient wards for older people in S omerset, UK . A three‐day staff‐training programme is described and training outcomes are reported. Staff report a substantial increase in confidence and family meetings held. A pre‐and post‐ training case note audit shows increased consideration of the needs of families. To further increase face to face meetings with families a family liaison service has been established, whereby a staff member with systemic family therapy training joins ward staff to hold family meetings as part of the assessment/admission process. Evaluation of this service has shown it to be effective with positive feedback from families and staff.