Recovering Ordinary Lives

1. Recovering Ordinary Lives

2. Introduction • Background drivers to the British strategy Recovering Ordinary Lives. The strategy for occupational therapy in mental health services 2007-2017 (College of Occupational Therapists 2006) • Aims of the strategy • Development of the strategy • Structure,content and implementation of the strategy

3. Background drivers • The need to raise the profile of occupational therapy in mental health and develop professional leadership. • Promotion of occupation and its relationship to mental health and well being. • Changes in UK policy drivers - emphasis on social inclusion, recovery, service user involvement, health promotion, employment. • New Ways of Working For Everyone (CSIP/NIMHE 2007) Government driven service redesign which challenges traditional roles and encourages cross boundary working e.g new roles under the Mental Health Act (Carr 2007).

4. Aims of the strategy • To create a vision for the delivery of mental health occupational therapy services for the next ten years. • To produce a guiding document through a collaborative approach. • To identify who is responsible for identified actions in the document.

5. Stages of the project • A representative steering group was established by COT –service user, adult, older adult, child and adolescent, acute, community. • A literature review was conducted by Jennifer Creek, COT Officer about policy framework and current scope of practice. • COT commissioned the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health (SCMH)to carry out a consultation process with occupational therapists, service users and carers. • Creation of final three documents available at www.cot.co.uk • Launched December 2006 with HRH the Princess Royal.

6. Consultation process • Four focus groups of occupational therapists were held at the COT annual conference 2005 to establish priorities for services. • Postal questionnaire sent to occupational therapists, service users and carers – 581 responses. Web based forum for on-line responses. • Telephone interviews with the chairs of the relevant COT Specialist Sections. • SCMH conducted three focus groups with Highland User Group (HUG) from Scotland, Carers Group, Black and Minority Ethnic Users Group.

7. Trilogy of documents • Literature review – looks at definitions, policy context, evidence base, role of occupational therapy, generic versus profession specific working, social inclusion/recovery versus crisis/compulsion services. • Results from service user and carer focus groups –positives and negatives. • A vision for the next ten years (2007-2017) - vision, five main themes with key messages, milestones to be measured at 2010, 2013, 2017.

8. The Vision • By 2017, mental health service provision in the UK will be better for the active role and inspirational leadership provided by the cultural heritage and identity of occupational therapy, which at its core is social in nature and belief. It will therefore deliver the kind of care that service users want, need and deserve.

9. Five themed findings • Valuing Occupation • Added value of occupational therapy • Occupational Therapy Leadership • Education and Training • Workforce development

10. For each theme, key messages for six groups • Occupational therapy practitioners – 19 key messages • Occupational therapy managers –25 key messages • College of Occupational therapists – 16 key messages • Occupational therapy educators –16 key messages • Commissioners of mental health services – 8 key messages • Occupational therapy researchers- 2 key messages

11. Examples of key messages • Valuing occupation -a key message for practitioners: Using occupational language, explain with confidence the meaning of occupation and its relationship to recovery and wellbeing to service users, carers, colleagues and service commissioners. • The added value of occupational therapy –a key message for managers: Build pathways of care that highlight what service users can expect of their intervention.

12. Examples of key messages • Occupational therapy leadership –a key message for COT: Secure representation on government working parties, committees and other groups that develop or influence policy in the field of mental health. • Occupational therapy education and training –a key message for educators: Identify the potential to expand practitioner contributions to the curriculum so that mental health education is grounded in current best practice.

13. Examples of key messages • Occupational therapy workforce development –a key message for commissioners: Take an overview of of the skills mix across services and consider where occupational therapists might have the most impact in meeting user needs.

14. Implementation of the strategy • Delivering the strategy and New Ways of Working via 17 road shows around the UK to 800 occupational therapists, nurses, medics, psychologists, service users. Workshops concentrate on developing local action plans for implementation. • Developing a self assessment toolkit to monitoring and measuring implementation of key messages and milestones. • Developing a leadership toolkit to assist mental health occupational therapists to gain leadership skills • One day conference to share use of the strategy.

15. Summary • Background to Recovering Ordinary Lives and the development process • The service user vision statement • Five main themes with key messages for different groups • Implementation plans

16. References Carr J (2007) The introduction of new roles under the Mental Health Act 2007. Mental health occupational therapy. 12 (3) 99-100. College of Occupational Therapists (2006) Recovering ordinary lives: The strategy for occupational therapy in mental health services, a vision for the next ten years. London: COT. CSIP/NIMHE (2007b) Mental health: New ways of working for everyone, developing and sustaining a capable and flexible workforce. London: Department of Health. Recovering Ordinary Lives is available at www.cot.co.uk/public/publications/new/intro.php Further information about New Ways of working is available at www.newwaysofworking.org.uk