Guidance for using the Mental Health Feedback Tool

Introduction

This tool has been developed to capture the service/care experience of patients in community and inpatient Mental Health settings. So far used in the context of Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership Trust’s ‘Equal Partners’ Strategy, it is intended to drive forward a culture of real, meaningful involvement and listening to feedback from patients, carers, staff and the public.

The purpose of the tool is to gain information and insight to:

• Improve services provided• Influence how services are delivered• Share best practice

In development, the tool has been through several iterations, each time revising it to make it simpler and easier for patients to complete.

There are two versions of the Mental Health Feedback Tool catering for different groups of people with mental health needs at different stages of their pathway:

• Mental Health Patients in the Community• Inpatients in Acute Mental Health Units

The Community Tool contains the Friends and Family question in full followed by 14 questions covering a broad spectrum of care delivery. The friends and family question is not included in the Acute Inpatient Tool due to conflict with other organisational processes to fulfil friends and family requirements.

The Acute Inpatient Tool needed to be shorter, concise and very clear to take into account that people in an acute mental health inpatient setting may be experiencing considerable distress and find it hard to cope with a large number of questions and indeed more complex questions.

Both forms use smiley faces to enable people to give feedback. During the tool development, people said they found this more helpful and that the pictorial indicator made it easier to connect with a response.

The tool is used before people are discharged from the service. Patient Advocates are used to collect the information.

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Patient Advocates

• Patient Advocates are members of staff who do not work directly in the service where the real-time survey is conducted. Patients said they felt comfortable with this.

• The Patient Advocate role has been effective as it gives the patient a sense of impartiality, confidentiality

and an opportunity to be honest and open. • Patient Advocates support people to speak their mind and give their true views confidently and without fear

of judgement. • Patient Advocates are able to build relationships and encourage and support patients to share their

experience. From this, patient stories emerge which can be shared as good practice and as a platform for service improvement at both service and strategic levels.

• Patient Advocates are able to ensure that a positive approach to the feedback is developed and are able to

feed back issues early so that services are improved quickly. • Patient Advocates need a good knowledge of the organisation and its supporting services so that they can

correctly signpost patients to other services or agencies when necessary.

Preparation

The visits are planned in advance. It helps to build trust if patients know beforehand they will be asked questions about their care.

Guidance to support staff Find a quiet place to talk, with as few distractions as possible. 1. Ensure that communication is clear; break information down into smaller chunks so the person is not

overloaded. Allow them time to think about what you have said. Keep your language simple and avoid jargon.

2. Watch the person – they may tell you things by their body language and facial expressions.

3. Take your time and don’t rush your communication. Allow time for the person to think and to answer the question.

4. Use gestures and facial expressions to reinforce what you are saying.

5. Be aware of and respect their personal space. This will vary from one individual to another.

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Ward name: Date:

Gender: Male / Female Patient / Carer / Other:

Clinical services discussed:

Your age: 16 – 17 18 – 34 34 – 49 50 – 65 66+

Friends and Family Test

How likely are you to recommend our service to friends and family if theyneeded similar care or treatment?

Extremely likely Likely Neither likely or unlikely

Unlikely Extremely unlikely Don’t know

What is the main reason for the answers you have chosen?

For use withCommunity Mental Health Patients

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1

Do you know who your CareCo-ordinatoror Lead Professional is?

Yes Not sure No

Comments

2

How well does your

Care

Co-ordinator or Lead

Professional organise

your care?

Very well Reasonably well

Not very well

Don’t know / can’t

rememberComments

3Do you have a care

plan?

Definitely Unsure No

Don’t know / can’t say Comments

4

Were your views

listened to in deciding

what is in your Care

Plan?

Definitely To some extent Not at all

Don’t know / can’t say Comments

5

Do you receive

enough advice and

support to manage

your condition?

Definitely To some extent Not at all

Don’t know / can’t say Comments

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6Does your Care Plan

cover what to do in

a crisis?

Definitely To some extent Not at all

Don’t know / can’t say Comments

7Have you had a

review of your Care

Plan?

Yes Not sure No

Can’t remember Comments

8

Do you know how

to get help for ‘Out

of Hours’ - evenings

and weekends?

Definitely Not sure No

Comments

9

How well was the

purpose of the

medication and side

effects explained to

you?

Very well Reasonably well

Not very well

Not explained Comments

10Have you found

talking therapy

helpful?

Definitely To some extent

Not very helpful

Don’t know / can’t say Comments

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11

Have you been

asked about your

physical health

needs by MH

services in the last

12 months?

Definitely To some extent Not at all

Don’t know / can’t say /

sees GP regularly

Comments

12Do the staff treat

you with dignity

and respect?

Yes always Sometimes Not at all

Don’t know / can’t say Comments

13How involved are

you in your care

and treatment?

Always involved

Sometimes involved

Never involved

Don’t know / can’t say Comments

14

If you have spoken

to staff about any

issues or concerns

how would you rate

their response?

Excellent Good Not good

Haven’t spoken to

themComments

This survey is confidential, thank you for taking part

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Ward name: Date: Male / Female

For use withAcute Mental Health Inpatients

1 How safe do you feel on the ward?

2 How good is the food?

3 How involved are you in your care and treatment?

4 How well do staff explain the purpose of medication?

5 What rating would you give ward activities?

6 How much care is taken with any physical problems you may have?

7 How would you rate your 1:1 time with staff?

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Comments:

1 How safe do you feel on the ward? Comments

2 How good is the food? Comments

3 How involved are you in your care and treatment? Comments

4 How well do staff explain the purpose of medication? Comments

5 What rating would you give ward activities? Comments

6 How much care is taken with any physical problems you may have? Comments

7 How would you rate your 1:1 time with staff? Comments

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