Workforce Development: A Systematic Approach to Involving Service Users and Other Stakeholders
| Published date | 01 June 2003 |
| Date | 01 June 2003 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/13619322200300014 |
| Pages | 13-16 |
| Author | Carey Bamber,Mick McKeown |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care |
Workforce Development:
A Systematic Approach to
Involving Service Users and
Other Stakeholders
Carey Bamber
Service Development Manager
NIMHE North West Development Centre
Mick McKeown
Principal Lecturer, Faculty of Health
University of Central Lancashire
Focus on…
Introduction
In this article Carey Bamber, herself a survivor worker, and
Mick McKeown, a university lecturer and researcher, argue
that comprehensive workforce planning should incorporate
the requirements of the voluntary sector and focus more
clearly on meeting the needs of service users. This means
systematically and meaningfully involving such individuals
in all aspects of the relevant training agenda. Such
development must take place within a more recovery
orientated context, as well as addressing issues of
employment within mental health services and the relevant
education of service users and carers. The views expressed in
this article are personal, and do not necessarily reflect the
views of the National Institute for Mental Health England
or the University of Central Lancashire.
Recent developments in mental health
In recent years, significant developments in mental
health policy and practice coupled with on-going
concern over the recruitment, training and retention of
the mental health workforce have led to a more
systematic approach to planning the mental health
workforce of the future and addressing the training
needs of the current workforce. In the north-west,
thanks to the commitment of the workforce
development confederations, this process has included
users and carers.
For many, the experience of mental health care has
led to the assertion that services have routinely failed
to address the social context of their lives, being too
narrowly focused on clinical outcomes such as a
reduction in symptoms. In contrast, users would
commonly identify different definitions of their
‘wellness’ such as the opportunity to participate in
meaningful work, leisure and social activities. Early
indications of the choices made by mental health
service users receiving direct payments demonstrate
that people appear to have a preference for social and
community-focused activity. The vast majority of this
takes place away from traditional services, allowing
users to develop very personal notions of their own
recovery. Progressive services attempt to build on such
concerns in the context of therapeutic alliances.
For users and carers alike, many so-called
therapeutic interventions have failed to take account
of an individual’s goals and aspirations and often
mental health workers have not themselves been
equipped with the relevant practical skills. For
example, many people require support in dealing with
benefits and debt, help in securing work, and a focus
on personal recovery that is more systematic and
holistic than mere symptom reduction. Furthermore,
users and carers repeatedly comment on the need to
address attitudinal issues at both structural and
individual levels.
However, this complex state of affairs cannot be
solved by training alone; certain aspects point to the
The Mental Health Review Volume 8 Issue 2 June 2003 ©Pavilion Publishing (Brighton) 2003 13
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