Aims, Objectives and

Methods:
Therefore, the aim of the SIP has been to
increase EI practitioners knowledge and
condence of personalisation in relation to the
PB process.
The objectives for this enquiry-led project have
been to discover what practitioners think the
barriers are in relation to the process and then
to work out what intervention would help
improve their knowledge and condence.
To achieve these objectives, I undertook a focus
group with 4 participants from the EI team and
thematically analysed the transcript using an
adaptation of Braun and Clarkes (2006) six-
stage model.
Service Improvement/
Changes:
The ndings from the focus group informed the
development of a two-fold intervention:
A weekly, face to face, PB support session and
the creation of a support plan document.
The support plan document supports service
users, carers, family and practitioners to spend
their PB. This is required to support the service
user to take more control, where appropriate,
help practitioners ask appropriate questions
in line with the personalisation agenda and be
clear and accessible.
By emailing participants with questions
around the impact of the support sessions
and support plan, I perceived that the SIP has
begun to improve practitioners knowledge and
condence around the PB process.
Improvement has been slow which is still an
achievement in such a complex area of practice.
From a wider perspective, I believe the SIP has
also raised the prole of personalisation and
supported integration of health and social care
within the EI team.
References:
Braun, V. and Clarke, V., 2006. Using thematic analysis in
psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3, pp. 77-
101.
Brewis, R., 2007. A Voice of Choice: Self directed support by
people with mental health problems. A Discussion Paper.
In Control. Available from: http://www.in-control.org.uk/
media/6235/a%20voice%20and%20a%20choice%20.pdf
[Accessed 14.01.14].
Series, L and Clements, L., 2013. Putting the cart before the
horse: resource allocation systems and community care.
Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law. 35 (2), pp. 207-226.
Skills for Care. 2011. Capable, Condent and Skilled: A
Workforce Development Strategy for people working,
supporting, and caring in adult social care. Leeds: Skills for
Care.
Supporting social work and health practitioners to improve
services one setting and one service provider at a time.
The National Centre for
Post-Qualifying Social Work
(NCPQSW)
Professional education at the National Centre
for Post-Qualifying Social Work is centred
on a commitment, passion and dedication to
develop healthcare and social work practice.
We believe that by improving the quality of
services through partnering with practitioners
and employers across the health and social
care arena we make a vital contribution to
society in general and vulnerable people in
particular.
Over 10,000 practitioners have successfully
undertaken our programmes since the year
2000 and we have won a total of 9 prestigious
teaching awards during this time.
Visit us at: www.ncpqsw.com
Context and rationale:
I am a social worker, currently seconded
to an Early Intervention for Psychosis
(EI) Team.
Mental health services are provided by a
local health Trust.
Social workers are employed by the
local authority work within the Trusts
community team.
In 2011, the Trust undertook a
substantial redesign of community
services. This redesign did not consider
social care resource and consequently
social care employees set up a strategy
group to plan the future of social work
within adult mental health.
The group found a strong commitment
to maintain integration with health
and not disintegrate as has happened
with other authorities. One of the main
outcomes has been for social workers
to promote the social care agenda, in
particular the personalisation agenda.
I aimed to improve how the EI team
implement the personalisation agenda,
Improving the
implementation of the
personalisation agenda
Author: Amy Manning
Bath and North East Somerset Council
especially in relation to Personal
Budgets (PBs) and with a view to re-
establishing the role of social work
in mental health services (see Brewis
2007).
Identied Problem:
The manager of the EI team (also see
Series and Clements 2013) identied
a gap in the teams knowledge and
condence in undertaking PBs.
I had also identied this issue working
alongside health colleagues.
The PSIP literature review found
that mental health services continue
to lag behind in progressing the PB
agenda compared to adult social care
counterparts e.g. see Skills for Care.
This literature suggests that care co-
ordinators have an important role to
play in improving PB process, whilst
acknowledging that some barriers to
successful implementation are beyond
their control.
For more information, please visit us at www.ncpqsw.com or phone 01202 964765
Service
Improvement
Projects
The improvement of services, for the people we
serve, is at the heart of professional practice. This
is why we have designed a Masters degree to
include a focus on service improvement.
The Service Improvement journey at BU is
split into two Masters degree level units:
PSIP and SIP.
PSIP stands for Preparing for your Service
Improvement Project. Successful completion of
PSIP is a pre-requisite for moving on to the SIP
unit. It allows practitioners to develop a service
improvement proposal over a period of about 5
months and is primarily about THINKING.
SIP stands for Service Improvement Project
and is primarily about DOING or implementing
the proposal in practice. This poster is based on a
SIP completed in 2014.