Search results
1 – 10 of over 66000Angela Newton, Anne Beales, Daniela A. Collins and Thurstine Basset
This paper outlines the concept of service user leadership and both describes and reflects on an accredited training programme that enables mental health service users to take a…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper outlines the concept of service user leadership and both describes and reflects on an accredited training programme that enables mental health service users to take a leadership role.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors argue for a service user leadership approach and the training programme is reviewed by previous participants
Findings
Service users can take on a leadership role if they are given suitable and relevant training and development opportunities. Service user led training can be transformational.
Practical implications
Commissioners of mental health services should consider how to support service user leadership programmes, which can reach places and achieve outcomes that traditional mental health services are unable to attain.
Originality/value
The concept of service user leadership is relatively new and the training programme described in this paper is both original and highly valued by participants with many significant outcomes.
Details
Keywords
The training of future mental health professionals offers one avenue of change to improve service user and carer involvement in mental health services. This study looked at…
Abstract
The training of future mental health professionals offers one avenue of change to improve service user and carer involvement in mental health services. This study looked at experiences of trainees on the University of Surrey's Clinical Psychology Doctorate programme in involving service users and carers on training placements. Twenty trainees completed a self‐report semistructured questionnaire providing qualitative data that were analysed using thematic analysis. A number of benefits of service user and carer involvement in training were identified as well as practical considerations, including factors that might facilitate or limit such involvement on training placements. It is intended that the findings will prove useful to others involved with the training of mental health professionals.
Details
Keywords
Virginia Minogue and Anne-Laure Donskoy
The purpose of this paper is to outline the development of a training package for service users and carers with an interest in NHS health and social care research. It demonstrates…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to outline the development of a training package for service users and carers with an interest in NHS health and social care research. It demonstrates how the developers used their unique experience and expertise as service users and carers to inform their work.
Design/methodology/approach
Service users and carers, NHS Research and Development Forum working group members, supported by health professionals, identified a need for research training that was tailored to other service user and carer needs. After reviewing existing provision and drawing on their training and support experience, they developed a training package. Sessions from the training package were piloted, which evaluated positively. In trying to achieve programme accreditation and training roll-out beyond the pilots, the group encountered several challenges.
Findings
The training package development group formed good working relationships and a co-production model that proved sustainable. However, challenges were difficult to overcome owing to external factors and financial constraints.
Practical implications
Lessons learnt by the team are useful for other service users and carer groups working with health service professionals. Training for service users and carers should be designed to meet their needs; quality and consistency are also important. The relationships between service user and carer groups, and professionals are important to understanding joint working. Recognising and addressing challenges at the outset can help develop strategies to overcome challenges and ensure project success.
Originality/value
The training package was developed by service users and carers for other service users and carers. Their unique health research experience underpinned the group’s values and training development.
Details
Keywords
Laura Lea, Sue Holttum, Anne Cooke and Linda Riley
The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of service user involvement in mental health training but little is known about what staff, trainees and service users…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of service user involvement in mental health training but little is known about what staff, trainees and service users themselves want to achieve.
Design/methodology/approach
Three separate focus groups were held with service users, training staff and trainees associated with a clinical psychology training programme. Thematic analysis was used to identify aims for involvement.
Findings
All groups wanted to ensure that future professionals “remained human” in the way they relate to people who use services. Service user and carer involvement was seen as a way of achieving this and mitigating the problem of “them and us thinking”. The authors found that groups had some aims in common and others that were unique. Service users highlighted the aim of achieving equality with mental health professionals as an outcome of their involvement in teaching.
Research limitations/implications
The samples were small and from one programme.
Practical implications
Common aims can be highlighted to foster collaborative working. However, the findings suggest that service users and carers, staff and trainees may also have different priorities for learning. These need to be recognised and addressed by mental health educators.
Originality/value
This was the first study to explore in depth the differing aims of different stakeholder groups for service user involvement. Clarification of aims is a vital first step in developing any future measure of the impact of service user involvement on mental health practice.
Details
Keywords
With service user led training becoming more popular in the training of mental health workers, little attention seems to have been paid to how the trainers themselves experience…
Abstract
With service user led training becoming more popular in the training of mental health workers, little attention seems to have been paid to how the trainers themselves experience this and the effect it has on them. Here Shaun Johnson, who has worked as the facilitator of a service user led training organisation and is a service user trainer himself, gives an overview of the issues and difficulties faced by service user trainers and how their lives could be made so much easier if unintentionally created problems could be avoided.
David Palmer, Lucy Williams, Sue White, Charity Chenga, Verusca Calabria, Dawn Branch, Sue Arundal, Linda Storer, Chris Ash, Claire Cuthill, Haile Bezuayehu and Eleni Hatzidimitriadou
In 2008, Mind in Bexley received a research development grant from the Big Lottery Fund and a training grant from Bexley Care Trust to empower service users to participate and…
Abstract
In 2008, Mind in Bexley received a research development grant from the Big Lottery Fund and a training grant from Bexley Care Trust to empower service users to participate and contribute to a pilot research project. The project aims were to work with, develop, train and support service users as researchers, in order to record the narratives of service users who have common experiences of mental health distress and treatment. The research development project set up an advisory group, created and developed a partnership with the University of Kent and provided workshops and training sessions to explore some of the principles of research and ethics. In addition, the group undertook a preliminary literature review, developed and refined a research questionnaire and piloted interviews with six service users. Many issues were raised and lessons learned during the planning and conduct of the project. This paper discusses the process and reflects on aspects of the project's design and delivery. In addition, this paper highlights some of the difficulties in undertaking service user research and suggests recommendations as to how to overcome some of these complex issues.
Details
Keywords
Gail Miller, Brodie Paterson, Richard Benson and Paul Rogers
Traditional methods of addressing workplace violence have relied almost solely on reactive measures. Methods of de‐escalation, strategies to calm the already distressed person…
Abstract
Traditional methods of addressing workplace violence have relied almost solely on reactive measures. Methods of de‐escalation, strategies to calm the already distressed person down by means of positive communication, or responding to an actual or potential act of violence by means of physical control have formed the focus of training initiatives provided for staff. This approach has suggested an acceptance of the premise that violence in certain services is an inevitable problem that must be managed. This paper proposes that many incidents can be prevented and outlines the emerging evidence to support a structured, holistic approach. Additionally, it provides an overview of the recent policy agenda, the evidence base and examples of some recent and ongoing development work that attempts to change practice.
Details
Keywords
Fides Katharina Schreur, Laura Lea and Louise Goodbody
– The purpose of this paper is to build a theoretical model of how and what clinical psychologists learn from service user and carer involvement in their training.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to build a theoretical model of how and what clinical psychologists learn from service user and carer involvement in their training.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative research design was adopted, and verbatim transcripts of semi-structured interviews conducted with 12 clinical psychologists were analysed using grounded theory methodology.
Findings
Findings indicated that clinical psychologists learned from service user and carer involvement in a variety of ways and a preliminary model was proposed, encompassing four main categories: “mechanisms of learning”, “relational and contextual factors facilitating learning”, “relational and contextual factors hindering learning” and “impact”.
Research limitations/implications
Further research is required to establish to what extent the current findings may be transferrable to learning from service user and carer involvement in the context of educating professionals from other disciplines. Additionally, participants had limited experiences of carer involvement, and more research in this area specifically would be useful.
Practical implications
This study advocates for service user and carer involvement in clinical psychology training, and specific recommendations are discussed, including service user perspectives.
Originality/value
Service user and carer involvement has become mandatory in Health Care Professional Council-approved training programmes for mental health professionals, yet if and how learning occurs is poorly understood in this context. This study makes an important contribution in evaluating outcomes of service user and carer involvement in clinical psychology training by advancing theoretical understanding of the learning processes involved. The authors are unaware of similar work.
Details
Keywords
Hannah Prytherch, Laura Lea and Matthew Richardson
The purpose of this paper is to examine service-users’ experiences of mentoring trainee clinical psychologists as part of an involvement initiative on a doctoral training course.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine service-users’ experiences of mentoring trainee clinical psychologists as part of an involvement initiative on a doctoral training course.
Design/methodology/approach
Seven service-users were paired with trainee clinical psychologists. Pairs met for one hour monthly over six months. Meetings were unstructured, lacked a formal agenda and were not evaluated academically. All seven mentors were interviewed. They were asked about positive and negative experiences, as well as about the support provided. Transcripts were subject to thematic analysis and themes were reviewed by mentors in a follow-up meeting.
Findings
Overall, the results demonstrate that service-users can be involved in training in a way that they find meaningful and contribute to their recovery. Seven themes were identified: giving hope and optimism; making a difference; personal and professional development; the process; practicalities/logistics; support (positives); and support (areas for improvement).
Practical implications
The importance of designing involvement initiatives in a way which implicitly supports service-user values was highlighted. Recommendations for designing effective support structures are given. The authors were also involved in the scheme which could have introduced bias.
Originality/value
The research exploring service-users’ experiences of involvement in training health professionals is limited. This was the first study to explore in depth service-users’ perspectives of involvement in a scheme such as the mentoring scheme. If initiatives are to seriously embrace the values of the service-user movement then seeking service-users’ perspectives is vital.
Details
Keywords
Meadhbh Campbell and Charlotte Wilson
The purpose of this paper is to explore mental health service users’ experiences of involvement in a clinical psychology course.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore mental health service users’ experiences of involvement in a clinical psychology course.
Design/methodology/approach
Five participants were recruited from a service user and carer group aligned to a university professional clinical psychology course. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and data were analysed using an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA).
Findings
Four superordinate themes, group processes, advocating, transforming and power, were drawn from the data, with ten subthemes emerging capturing experiences on the personal, professional and group levels.
Research limitations/implications
The study is not generalisable and has a small number of participants. However, many of the themes have resonance with existing literature.
Practical implications
Service user initiatives need to consider the personal and contextual issues that service users may have experienced prior to their involvement. The needs of service user initiatives may change over time. Such initiatives must evolve in conjunction with the personal and political journeys of participants.
Originality/value
Few studies have explored the experiences of mental health service users in clinical psychology training using a robust methodology. The current study suggests that eliciting these experiences highlights factors that facilitate involvement as well as the barriers.
Details