11.02.13
CPA ‘letting down’ service users – MHF
Significant changes will be needed to make the Care Programme Approach (CPA) effective in supporting mental health services, a new report suggests.
The Mental Health Foundation (MHF), in partnership with the NSUN network for mental health, has identified issues with the Government’s measure to ensure community health services work well for service users.
The report highlights that recovery means different things to different service users, and this should be fully taken into account and that service users want health professionals to be warm and take a whole-person approach.
Currently the CPA can be too bound-up with risk issues and needs service users to be more involved in their care plans. The report also suggests that the Government must do more to address shortfalls in staffing and funding.
Dorothy Gould, project lead, said: “Good practice seems to be selective rather than the norm, still more so in the case of service users from marginalised communities. Whether the Approach, in its current form, is capable of altering the situation might itself be debated. Unless and until there is significant change, however, mental health service users will continue not infrequently to feel let down by the services on offer to them.”
Eva Cyhlarova, head of research at the Mental Health Foundation said: “Until service users’ views are fully taken into account and an holistic approach becomes the norm, it will continue to be difficult for people to achieve recovery.”
And Sarah Yiannoullou from NSUN added: “The Care Programme Approach (CPA) process should be an holistic approach that aids recovery. It should be used as effectively as possible to support this journey and help people to explore coping strategies and types of appropriate support and to think about their dreams and ambitions.
“This service user led research report highlights the importance of basic rights and values throughout the process and most importantly it emphasises the need to draw on an individual’s perception and description of recovery if the CPA is to promote it.”
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