Abstract
Accessible summaryWhat is known on the subject? There is consistent evidence that service users and carers feel marginalized in the process of mental health care planning.Mental health professionals have identified ongoing training needs in relation to involving service users and carers in care planning.There is limited research on the acceptability of training packages for mental health professionals which involve service users and carers as co‐facilitators. What does this paper add to existing knowledge? A co‐produced and co‐delivered training package on service user‐ and carer‐involved care planning was acceptable to mental health professionals.Aspects of the training that were particularly valued were the co‐production model, small group discussion and the opportunity for reflective practice.The organizational context of care planning may need more consideration in future training models. What are the implications for practice? Mental health nurses using co‐production models of delivering training to other mental health professionals can be confident that such initiatives will be warmly welcomed, acceptable and engaging.On the basis of the results reported here, we encourage mental health nurses to use co‐production approaches more often.Further research will show how clinically effective this training is in improving outcomes for service users and carers. BackgroundThere is limited evidence for the acceptability of training for mental health professionals on service user‐ and carer‐involved care planning.AimTo investigate the acceptability of a co‐delivered, two‐day training intervention on service user‐ and carer‐involved care planning.MethodsCommunity mental health professionals were invited to complete the Training Acceptability Rating Scale post‐training. Responses to the quantitative items were summarized using descriptive statistics (Miles, 2013), and qualitative responses were coded using content analysis (Weber, 1990).ResultsOf 350 trainees, 310 completed the questionnaire. The trainees rated the training favourably (median overall TARS scores = 56/63; median ‘acceptability’ score = 34/36; median ‘perceived impact’ score = 22/27). There were six qualitative themes: the value of the co‐production model; time to reflect on practice; delivery preferences; comprehensiveness of content; need to consider organizational context; and emotional response.DiscussionThe training was found to be acceptable and comprehensive with participants valuing the co‐production model. Individual differences were apparent in terms of delivery preferences and emotional reactions. There may be a need to further address the organizational context of care planning in future training.Implications for practiceMental health nurses should use co‐production models of continuing professional development training that involve service users and carers as co‐facilitators.
Highlights
There is limited evidence for the acceptability of training for mental health professionals on service user- and carer-involved care planning
Whilst staff are primarily concerned with the outcome of care planning, service users are more concerned with the process of care planning, and the user– clinician relationship (Bee et al 2015a, Grundy et al 2015, Simpson et al 2016)
Post-registration, continuing professional development (CPD) training for mental health professionals has rarely been formally evaluated; it has been unclear what clinicians value about such training packages (Bee et al 2015b)
Summary
There is limited evidence for the acceptability of training for mental health professionals on service user- and carer-involved care planning. Aim: To investigate the acceptability of a co-delivered, two-day training intervention on service user- and carer-involved care planning. Methods: Community mental health professionals were invited to complete the Training Acceptability Rating Scale post-training. Responses to the quantitative items were summarized using descriptive statistics (Miles, 2013), and qualitative responses were coded using content analysis (Weber, 1990). Substantial evidence suggests that service users are sufficiently motivated to collaborate in the care planning process, poor information exchange and insufficient opportunities for shared decision-making pose major barriers to this (Bee et al 2015a). Lack of service user involvement occurs in both inpatient and community settings (Healthcare Commission 2008a,b, CQC 2009) and across different care trajectories and professional roles (Bee et al 2008, Goss et al 2008)
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