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Responding to requests for help from current case load
Target
Service users and carers are all given a contact phone number for the CRT, and:
a) Phone calls from service users or carers using the CRT are answered in person by a clinician able to give advice.
b) The CRT achieves for at least 90% of calls a response time of 1 hour or less for response by a CRT clinician able to give advice.
c) The CRT achieves for at least 90% of calls a response time of 20 minutes or less for response by a CRT clinician able to give advice.
d) The CRT schedules additional same-day home visits where needed in response to enrolled service users' and families' requests for help.
Why this is important
CRT Treatment involves leaving acutely ill service users at home alone or with family. CRTs therefore rely on service users and families to flag up if a crisis is becoming unmanageable, and to ensure safety the CRT needs to be able to respond promptly. This was identified as a high priority for CRTs in the development work for the CRT fidelity scale.
In the video below, service users and carers discuss the importance of being able to speak to professionals quickly, and Danni Lamb, CORE Study Deputy Programme Manager, describes how teams who achieved highly on this item responded to help from clients on their case load and their carers.
Ways of doing this well
Responding quickly
Giving a leaflet with CRT contact numbers to service users and family members at first meeting. This information should also be available on the website.
As with Item 2, an experienced clinician answering the phones in person is an effective way of providing quick and responsive help.
Contingency planning at shift planning - for instance factoring in a spare hour for one clinician to be able to respond if someone calls.
Examples of good practice
In our fidelity review survey of 75 crisis teams in 2014, the following teams achieved excellent model fidelity, and can be contacted for advice about how they achieved this:
- South Tyneside Initial Response Team, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust
- Hastings CRT, Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- Eastbourne CRT, Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- Swale and Medway CRHTT, Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust
- Manchester North, Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust
- Mid Surrey (Epsom) HTT, Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- Wolverhampton CRHTT, Black Country Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- Chertsey HTT, Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust