Editorial
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/17556228200700001 |
| Pages | 2-2 |
| Published date | 01 June 2007 |
| Date | 01 June 2007 |
| Author | Peter Ryan |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care |
2
Editorial
This edition of the Journal contains a diverse array of
workforce issues. The article by Blakemore and Baguley
demonstrates convincingly the role of mental health factors
and mental health interventions in long-term medical
conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
(COPD). As they demonstrate, there is clear evidence of
between 30–50% of COPD sufferers experiencing relatively
high levels of anxiety and depression. This is a big primary
workforce challenge. It illustrates one important example of
the need and opportunities available for widening access to
primary mental health care for people living with long-term
medical conditions such as COPD. Through the strategic
implementation of new workforce roles such as community
matrons, case managers, and the graduate primary care
mental health workers, primary care commissioners and
providers have a potential workforce through which
proactive steps can be taken to improve the health and well-
being of people with long-term medical conditions, where
various forms of reactive mental health difficulties are
concomitants of experiencing these medical conditions. The
ADAPT pilot site in Bury NHS Trust is beginning to show the
benefits of a stepped care self-management model, which
bodes well for the future, and which may well prove to be a
model for developments elsewhere.
Using a qualitative case study methodology,Haswell
and Bailey report on the evaluation of a scheme to promote
‘high level’ service user involvement in the care delivered
by a mental health trust. The role of service users as paid
scheme co-ordinators and volunteer representatives
highlights the contribution that people who use mental
health services can play in influencing service delivery
when employed in relevant and appropriate roles within a
mental health organisation. The significance of the article,
apart from being a well-conducted example of qualitative
research, is in showing that a service user representative
scheme is veryhighly rated by the variety of stakeholders
involved, and could provide a much wider framework for
service user representation in many different trust
environments. The key ingredients of success appeared to
be: the integrity and impartiality of the representatives
themselves, and working with service users as equal
partners in strategic service development. While it has been
disappointing that STR workers have not embraced service
users in the numbers originally anticipated, service user
roles such as those outlined in this paper may provide a
more powerful lever for service users to exercise influence.
Green and Wood’s article reports on a multi-
professional training programme for forensic staff from a
variety of backgrounds: ‘Professional Practice in Secure
Environments’, which was recently cited as an example of
good practice in From Values to Action (NIMHE, 2006). It
draws from forensic practitioners of all disciplines, and has
received very positive endorsement from commissioners,
managers, academics and the staff themselves, all of whom
reported that the development of a ‘common language for
practice’ was the key success factor.This points to the use
of a training process to achieve important ‘hidden effects’
in terms of developing a coherent framework of custom
and practice with which staff from a variety of
backgrounds can converse on a basis of parity.
Miller, Paterson and Rogers review violence reduction
strategies in mental health and criminal justice. They
strongly endorse the move away from control and restraint
procedures as the major means to control violence on a
reactive ‘after the event’ measure. They review the rather
weak evidence base for such reactive programmes, which
are strongly critiqued as relying almost solely on reactive
measures, and which accept the premise that violence in
certain services is an inevitable problem that must be
managed. Their paper proposes that many incidents can be
prevented and outlines the emerging evidence to support
astructured, holistic approach. This more proactive
approach is described as the ‘Safer Services’ model, and is
based on a systems-wide initiative on the core principles of
trust and communication.
Finally,David Rushforth’spaper gives an overview of
the development of the graduate primary mental health
care worker (GPCMHW) both in terms of the origins and
early development of the role, and key issues in
commissioning. The paper also provides some reflections
on progress and obstacles in the development of this new
workforce role. The paper closes with some views as to the
future developments that might impinge upon the impact
of the GPCMHW, with particular reference to the work of
the new pilot sites (Doncaster and Newham) designed to
field test ways to improve access to psychological
therapies. Clearly, in the future, this could well prove to
be a major new direction for the work of the GPCMHW.
Reference
NIMHE (2006) From Values to Action: The Chief Nursing Officer’s
Review of Mental Health Nursing. London: HMSO.
Peter Ryan
Editor, The Journal of Mental Health Workforce Development
The Journal of Mental Health Workforce Development Volume 2 Issue 1 June 2007 © Pavilion Journals (Brighton) Ltd
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