Crisis Care Concordat:Evaluation

Karen James, Research ManagerSusanne Gibson, Senior Researcher

About usA specialist mental health research charity, established in April 2013, with an experienced team of mental health researchers

Our vision: a transformed mental health system in which research and services are shaped by the lived experience of people affected by mental health problems

• Conducting research and evaluation• Supporting people to get involved in research• Providing consultation and advice

Evaluation aims• Assess the progress and impact of rolling out the local

Declarations/Action Plans • Understand the success factors for local areas to sign up and

embed agreements made through local Declarations into their working practices and protocols, as well as the major challenges and obstacles.

• Produce learning and recommendations for how local partners can effectively work together to improve the experience of people in mental health crisis in each and every locality.

Evaluation methods

Interviews with local

and national stakeholders

Observations in 4

areas

Analysis of declaratio

ns and action plans

2014:• Observations of meetings & events

(n=8)• Survey of service user & carer

experiences of crisis care (n=603)• Analysis of nationally available data

2015:• Interviews with stakeholders in 4

local areas (n=12)• Interviews with members of national

Steering group (n=6)• Analysis of local action plans (n=32)• Follow up survey • Round 2 analysis of nationally

available data

SurveySent to 379 people who completed the survey last year

Repeat of last year’s questions:• Nature of contact with services• Experiences of:

– Accessing support– Staff knowledge and skills– Staff attitudes– Access to advocacy

195 responses (48 carer; 142 service user) so far (51% response rate)

Survey

Experi

enced a m

ental hea

lth cr

isis

Did not exp

erience

a men

tal healt

h crisis

Cared fo

r someo

ne who ex

perienced a m

ental h

ealth

crisis

Cared fo

r someo

ne who did not e

xperie

nce a m

ental

health

crisis

0%5%

10%15%20%25%30%35%40%45%

Participants’ experiences in the last year...

Interview questions

• The key people/organisations involved in developing and implementing the action plan

• The main challenges and how they were overcome• The main achievements• Further work and implementation

Interview themes

4 main themes

• Partnership working• Achievements and challenges• Service user and carer experience• The future of crisis care

Partnership working• The benefits of partnership working

– improved service delivery– opening up conversations – increasing understanding – learning from others– holding each other to account

• The challenges of partnership working – difficulties engaging organisations– negotiating shared funding and resourcing– negotiating cultural/organisational differences

The future of crisis care• Hopes and fears for crisis care

– maintaining momentum– funding– continued commitment of all partners

• Changing the culture of crisis care – (further) extending access to children and young people– eligibility for crisis care – “Everyone should be able to ask for help”

• Debating crisis care – the role of prevention and recovery– parity of esteem and the role of A&E– whose responsibility is crisis care?

Thank you

http://www.crisiscareconcordat.org.uk/resources/

susannegibson@mcpin.org

www.mcpin.org