Abstract
New Ways of Working is about developing new, enhanced and changed roles for mental health staff, and redesigning systems and processes to support staff to deliver effective, person-centred care in a way that is personally, financially and organisationally sustainable. It is about developing capable teams attuned to the needs of their users, supported by good systems (particularly information systems) and adequate resources, embedded within a values-driven organisational culture with leadership and effective team working modelled at all levels. New Ways of Working is what it says – new ways of working – rather than a single service model or structure that has to be adopted. It recognises that services catering for the different types of needs of service users across their lifespan and differing demographics and geography will need different configurations to manage their task most effectively. However, the underlying principles relating to using the skills of the workforce in the most productive way are common. It is about achieving cultural change; a shift in the way teams think about themselves, the skills of the individuals within them, and the reasons they are there. However, cultural change is difficult to achieve and it is difficult to measure the extent to which it has been achieved.
Highlights
New Ways of Working is producing some encouraging results, but it faces significant challenges
In mental health services psychiatrists themselves have driven forward changes to their role
Psychiatrists have come a long way in the past 4 or 5 years, and New Ways of Working has contributed to the improvement in their lot, alongside the new consultant contract and job planning, investment in mental health services and the rolling out of the national service frameworks
Summary
In mental health services psychiatrists themselves have driven forward changes to their role. Kennedy & Griffiths (2001) analysed the problems of working in the ‘traditional’ way, which resulted in burgeoning case-loads and seemingly limitless responsibility. In mental health services psychiatrists themselves have driven forward changes to their role. The College Research Unit found high levels of work-related dissatisfaction and burnout among psychiatrists (Pajak et al, 2003). Increasing demands for clinical governance came at the same time as a reduction in the service availability of doctors in training, and a period of intense organisational restructuring. Psychiatrists have come a long way in the past 4 or 5 years, and New Ways of Working has contributed to the improvement in their lot, alongside the new consultant contract and job planning, investment in mental health services and the rolling out of the national service frameworks. Multidisciplinary assessment can save clinical time as well as provide more consistent standards and high service user satisfaction
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