The Princess Royal Trust for Carers and the National Mental Health
Development Unit will today (28 July 2010) publish The Triangle of Care - Carers
Included: A Best Practice Guide in Acute Mental Health Care.
The guide emphasises the need for better local strategic involvement of
carers and families in the care planning and treatment of people with mental ill-health
and recommends better partnership working between service users and their carers,
and organisations.
The ‘Triangle of Care' approach was developed
by carers and staff to improve carer engagement in acute inpatient and home
treatment services. The guide outlines key elements to achieve this, examples
of best practice and extensive resources to help people working with carers to
involve them more effectively in acute care services. It recognises that this
will greatly benefit staff, service users and carers themselves.
Care
Services Minister Paul Burstow said:
"As a
society we are becoming more aware that mental health issues touch all of us.
One in four of us will experience some kind of mental illness in our lifetime
but the wider role of family and friends in helping to care for those affected
is still too easily over looked, especially when crisis situations arise.
"Caring can
be rewarding but it can also be challenging. This guide shows how
professionals, service users and carers can better work together to access the
support needed."
Carole Cochrane, Chief Executive at The Princess Royal Trust for Carers,
comments:
"We welcome the ‘Triangle of
Care' guide as an innovative way for staff working in psychiatric wards
and acute care settings to work better with services users and their carers.
"There are currently 1.5m carers in the UK who look after someone with
mental health problems, many of whom are also being treated in acute care
settings. Sadly, too often we see that carers' own expertise being ignored by
professionals, or carers being left unsupported in their caring role.
"In these uncertain economic times, staff must recognise the values of
working in partnership with carers. We believe that this guide will help staff
to develop and maintain respectful working relationships with carers, which
will ultimately benefit everyone."
The Triangle of Care - Carers Included: A Best Practice Guide in Acute
Mental Health, will be available in printed
form or as a downloadable PDF. The
document and all the resources and best practice examples will be available
from the NMHDU Acute Care programme website at www.acutecareprogramme.org.uk and
will also be placed on The Princess Royal Trust for Carers website www.carers.org.