Carer Leads from across Thames Valley and Wessex Adult Secure Mental Health Provider Collaborative met last month to share what has been working well and to agree the next steps needed to improve support for carers of people in our secure services.

Why the team met

Carers are often an important part of someone’s recovery. In secure services, it can sometimes be harder to keep in touch and share information in the right way. This away day brought colleagues from the five partners – both trusts and independent providers – together to plan how to work more consistently across the network and learn from each other.

What was shared

Each partner shared the latest resources they use to support carers, such as information about visits, carer forums and support for young carers. Sharing these across the Provider Collaborative helps teams save time and build on what is already working well for the benefit of patients and carers.

Working together on carer awareness training

Conversation took place about carer awareness training for staff including the sharing of training that is already used. Together the team discussed how they will develop a shared approach across the network. This will include being clear about consent, reducing stigma, humanising the role of the carer, and listening to carers as partners in care.

Making it easier to meet carer standards

The team explored the standards set by the Quality Network and the Triangle of Care. This helped them compare the two, as a way of considering approaches to gathering evidence across the year. This will ensure the yearly reviews are more manageable and efficient.

An online tool used across the Provider Collaborative will further help bring these standards together, making it easier for teams to track and record information for annual reviews, record what they are doing and work more efficiently. This ensures a focus on actions that improve carer experience and reduces duplication in how work is recorded.

The standards will be developed into manageable sections by the team, who will ask for, and include, carers and staff feedback.

Planning for the future

Spending time together in person gave the team the opportunity to agree their focus on carer work across the collaborative. The topics will feed into a three-year plan, and include staff training, clearer routes to support, better help for carers, and involving carers in service improvement.

How this will help

The day was an important step in strengthening how teams work together and build shared approaches to supporting carers across the Provider Collaborative. It closed with a strong sense of shared purpose, leaving the team feeling:

• positive about working together
• reassured by a clearer understanding of each service
• energised by the opportunity to learn from one another

This work will help the collaborative give carers a more joined-up experience across services. It will also help staff feel clearer about how to involve carers and where to signpost them for support.