Editorial

Pages2-3
DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1108/17556228200800009
Published date01 June 2008
Date01 June 2008
AuthorCharlie Brooker,Alison Brabban
Subject MatterHealth & social care
2
Editorial
Measuring success and beyond
In 2005 a scoping review of evaluated psychosocial
interventions (PSI) training for work with people with
serious mental health problems was published (Brooker &
Brabban, 2005). Using systematic review methodology,
Kirkpatrick’s (1967) framework was used to structure 37
papers, which met the inclusion criteria, into four
different types of outcome:
trainee’s reaction to training
learning
behaviour change (implementation)
benefits to service users.
In addition, the focus and level of training was
differentiated to allow for short in-service training,
undergraduate and postgraduate training in family
interventions, specific individual interventions (such as
CBT and family work) and generic training to be reviewed
independently.The review concluded that PSI training has
anumber of benefits for trainees including changes in
knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and skills, and a positive
impact on service users and carers, but that a wide range of
factors determine whether or not successful learning is
transferred to the real-life clinical setting. The ‘boosters’ to
implementation were consistently reported as the need to
obtain a critical mass of trained staff within teams, access
to high quality supervision, having enough time to do the
work, possessing sufficient skills to apply the interventions
flexibly, and organisational ownership and support.
Anumber of the papers selected for this edition of The
Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice
build on these themes. Other topics considered are the
extent to which PSI training continues to be funded
nationally, and an innovative way to build PSI training
into existing pre-qualifying programmes for nurses.
The first paper has surveyed the extent to which
university accredited PSI training is currently available
across England (Mairs & Arkle, 2008). The authors
conclude that significant investment still continues to be
made in PSI programmes, but that this is heavily weighted
to the north of England. Perhaps more worryingly,
although around 50% of courses claimed to assess
competencies, veryfew respondents could identify the
instruments used. Seventy-five per cent of programmes
could not identify their mechanisms for clinical
supervision. The survey findings also pointed to a lack of
user/carer involvement and a poor focus on black and
minority groups.
The second national survey that is reported examines
the extent to which early intervention (EI) teams for
psychosis are constituted by practitioners who have been
PSI trained (Brabban & Kelly,2008). This is crucial as the
policy implementation guide for EI states that it is an
essential requirement. The response rate was just under
50% with higher responses in the South West, North West,
and North East and Yorkshire regions. The mean
percentage of PSI trained staff in EI teams ranged from
26% (East) to 76% (South West). The type of PSI training
undertaken reflected local provision. So, for example, the
investment on family work training in the South West and
West Midlands was apparent from the returns. Clearly, EI
teams operation in parts of the country where PSI training
is not available will find it difficult to recruit PSI trained
staff. The authors question whether traditional training in
family work is useful for clinical work with younger
people, however, where the focus might well have been
traditionally on service users with longer-term conditions.
The study by Burbach and Stanbridge (2008) describes
the successful implementation of a strategy to enhance
working partnerships with carers and families in the
Somerset Partnership Trust. Many lessons could be learnt
from their experiences. The Trust have established four
specialist family interventions teams who can address
complex needs of families across the patch. However, in
addition, they provide workshops to the wider workforce
within the Trust to help change attitudes to working with
families and provide staff with the skills to meet basic
family needs. Burbach and Stanbridge demonstrate that it
Charlie Brooker
Professor of Criminal Justice and Mental Health, University of Lincoln
Alison Brabban
Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys Mental Health Trust/University of Durham
The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice Volume 3 Issue 2 June 2008 © Pavilion Journals (Brighton) Ltd

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