The hospital’s Psychology team have implemented a systematic approach to co-completing HCR20s, which aims to promote service user participation and involvement from a minimum of three disciplines. The results have been published in the current issue of the Quality Network for Forensic Mental Health Services Newsletter.
In brief, in 2015 the team found that most HCR20s tended to be completed by a single clinician. Also, service user involvement was low. Following implementation of the new process in 2015, audits in 2016 and 2017 have shown that service users have been involved in 66% and 69% of all HCR20 assessments, respectively.
Assessments conducted without service user involvement were primarily due to the service user declining to participate. In addition, 96% of assessments have involved three or more members of the MDT and this involvement was distributed across disciplines including nursing, medical and social work.
While service user involvement has recently increased to 69%, psychologists at Bierley wanted to find out if service users experienced their involvement as meaningful and also understand the barriers to collaboration.
Together with the University of York, they have undertaken a study to gain an in-depth understanding of service users’ experience of participating in their HCR20 assessments. These findings will be shared soon and will inform any changes to practice that support meaningful service user involvement in their HCR20 risk assessments.
For further details view Fleur Currie and Sophie Walsh-Harrington’s (Assistant Psychologists) article in the current issue of the Quality Network for Forensic Mental Health Services Newsletter.
Cygnet Hospital Bierley provides a range of low secure, specialist and psychiatric intensive care services for men and women, including a specialist personality disorder service for women.