Specialist home treatment for older adults

A new team for service users with mental health difficulties

Overview of the Project

The need for an out-of-hours alternative to inpatient admission within older adult services was highlighted by service users, carers and staff in a review of the integrated care pathway in 2010 Shortening inpatient stay can reduce adverse impact on independent functioning and in turn, risk of admission to care homes Home treatment is a service area that represents an opportunity to meet the productivity challenge currently facing the NHS Ward refurbishment released funds to finance a home treatment team for one year to gatekeep inpatient beds and facilitate early discharge from the ward

To embed distributed leadership in the current project and model this approach within the organisation To work closely with the new team to ensure quality, recovery focused practice and support staff well-being and team performance

Results
Following extensive liaison with stakeholders the project was agreed and the service became operational during May 2012 The team provides crisis assessment, home treatment and ongoing referral for service users and carers Clinician feedback about the team has highlighted timely response and consistent communication as key strengths A service user and carer participation group will incorporate feedback as the service develops Systems for quantitative data collection and analysis are established Wider appreciation for the project was reported following a presentation at an Academic Health Sciences older adults conference focused on evidence-based practice and innovation

Leadership Challenges
To build a strong and supportive coalition of clinicians and managers able to present a robust case for change To engage stakeholders within and outside the organisation in the development and evaluation of the new service To acknowledge and work with the multiple influences on the new service e.g., the psychological effects of change resulting from service cuts

Contact Information Dr Alice Mills Clinical Psychologist and Outcomes Lead alice.mills@slam.nhs.uk 02032280900