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. Page 1

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. Page 2

Ward name: Date: Gender: Male / Female Patient / Carer / Other: Clinical services discussed: Your age: 16 – – – – Friends and Family Test How likely are you to recommend our service to friends and family if they needed similar care or treatment? Extremely likelyLikely Neither likely or unlikely UnlikelyExtremely unlikelyDon’t know What is the main reason for the answers you have chosen? For use with Community Mental Health Patients Page 3

1 Do you know who your Care Co-ordinator or Lead Professional is? YesNot sureNo 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 remember Comments 3 Do you have a care plan? DefinitelyUnsureNo 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 Page 4

6 Does your Care Plan cover what to do in a crisis? Definitely To some extent Not at all Don’t know / can’t say Comments 7 Have you had a review of your Care Plan? YesNot sureNo Can’t remember Comments 8 Do you know how to get help for ‘Out of Hours’ - evenings and weekends? DefinitelyNot sureNo 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 10 Have you found talking therapy helpful? Definitely To some extent Not very helpful Don’t know / can’t say Comments Page 5

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 12 Do the staff treat you with dignity and respect? Yes alwaysSometimesNot at all Don’t know / can’t say Comments 13 How 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? ExcellentGoodNot good Haven’t spoken to them Comments This survey is confidential, thank you for taking part Page 6

Ward name: Date: Male / Female For use with Acute 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? Page 7

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 Page 8