Project Definition

• The project will utilise the experience and skills within the NIMHE Mental Health Act 2007 Implementation team and the DRE programme in an innovative and systematically robust way to contribute to achieving the aims of the programme in an innovative and systematically robust way to contribute to achieving the aims of the DRE programme. Of particular relevance are the 12 DRE characteristics.

• The work also builds on the resources of the recent NIMHE programmes in values based practice including developing work based on: 1) training materials developed to support the implementation of the Act and 2) the findings of a stakeholder consultation on assessment in mental health and social care

• The work will be underpinned by the Delivering Race quality programme, the values- based practice model and the DH service improvement guidance and The Three Keys to a Shared Approach

• The Three Keys to a Shared Approach is about people who provide services in mental health and social care working in partnership with service users and carers to find a strong voice that will help them be understood

• The Project will run in three phases from November 2008 to March 2010

Project objectives

Phase 1- Awareness raising

• To train Community Development workers in Mental Health legislation including the Mental Health Act 1983 and the amendments contained n the Mental Health Act 2007

• To enable CDWs to cascade the training to their colleagues and key stakeholders in the BME communities to aid development of a more culturally sensitive service

• To enable CDWs to give information and increase local knowledge about mental health legislation

• To identify the link with the CDW action plans for improving knowledge and give them confidence in implementing the changes contained in the Mental Health Act 2007

• To raise awareness in BME communities about the MHA 2007 and its implications for service users

• To raise awareness of Community Advocacy provision of the new Act and its implications for the support they provide to service users and carers

• To promote joint working between the legislation and DRE workstreams

• To identify Champions who will carry forward the complex work in phase two

Phase 2- Implementation and intervention

• To develop- with the ‘Champions'- interventions that align the Shared vision/ 3 keys (in particular the strengths element) and community engagement (through CDWs) approaches with the health and social care assessment process when under mental health legislation is being considered

• To help ‘Champions'to identify requirements for training and development in supporting change in practice for organisations

• To support organisation to initiate training for staff to develop competencies which support the project aim

• To establish effective dialogue with key stakeholders to help ensure they understand the key issues

• To develop an evaluation too for assessing the effectiveness of the project

Phase 3- Evaluation and Dissemination

• To use the evaluation results to disseminate examples of good practice based on the key characteristics of a culturally sensitive service

• To use the training materials and approaches developed in stage 2 to roll out the training to all CDWs nationally

• To prepare a detailed project report to disseminate the information to all key stakeholders
  

The National Mental Health Development Unit (NMHDU) is the agency charged with supporting the implementation of mental health policy in England by the Department of Health in collaboration with the NHS, Local Authorities and other major stakeholders.