Publications (29) View all
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Article: Variations in structures, processes and outcomes of community mental health teams for older people: a systematic review of the literature.
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ABSTRACT: In the UK and elsewhere, specialist community mental health teams (CMHTs) are central to the provision of comprehensive services for older people with mental ill health. Recent guidance documents suggest a core set of attributes that such teams should encompass. This article reports on a systematic literature review undertaken to collate existing evidence regarding the structures and processes of CMHTs for older people and to evaluate evidence linking approaches to effectiveness. Relevant publications were identified via systematic searches, both electronic and manual. Searches were limited to the UK for descriptions of organisation and practice but included international literature where comparisons between different CMHT arrangements were evaluated. Empirical, peer-reviewed studies from 1989 onward were included, extended to non peer-reviewed nationally or regionally representative reports, published after 1998, for the descriptive element. Forty-five studies met inclusion criteria of which seven provided comparative outcome data. All but one were UK based. The most robust evidence related to research conducted in exemplar teams. Limited evidence was found regarding the effectiveness of many of the core attributes recommended in policy directives although their presence was reported in much of the literature. The contrast between presentation and evaluation of attributes is stark. Whilst some gaps can be filled from related fields, further research is required that moves beyond description to evaluation of the impact of team design on service user outcomes in order to inform future policy directives and practice guidance. A framework for an evidence-based model of CMHTs for older people is provided.Aging and Mental Health 02/2012; 16(7):861-73. · 1.37 Impact Factor -
Article: An evaluation of the use of self-assessment for the provision of community equipment and adaptations in English local authorities
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ABSTRACT: Introduction: The Government plans to transform adult social care in England. Future services will place more emphasis on prevention and enablement, and promoting personalisation and choice. Self-assessment is one possible facilitator of this agenda. However, little is known about its utility in social care. This evaluation examined how eight local authorities employed self-assessment in the provision of community equipment and adaptations, and explored the implications for service delivery. Method: A multiple case study was employed, using a mixed methods approach. This drew on internal documents, management interviews, and service user and administrative records. Findings: Self-assessment was primarily used to facilitate service access. Although the authorities differed in the way in which they operationalised self-assessment, professional staff were almost always involved. The differences between people receiving self and traditional assessments were modest, but the people undertaking self-assessments in preventative services formed a particularly healthy subgroup. There was little consensus about the items suitable for provision through self-assessment. Conclusion: The concept of self-assessment was variously interpreted and not all its possible uses were explored. Nevertheless, the evaluation suggested that self-assessment can facilitate access to community equipment and adaptations and has the potential to extend the population traditionally served by social care services, thereby addressing the preventative agenda.British Journal of Occupational Therapy 01/2011; 74(3):119-128. -
Article: The Pursuit of Integration in the Assessment of Older People with Health and Social Care Needs
British Journal of Social Work 01/2011; 41:467-485. · 1.19 Impact Factor -
Article: 'We need to talk': communication betweeen primary care trusts and other health and social care agencies following the introduction of the Single Assessment Process for older people in England
Primary Health Care Research & Development 01/2010; 11:61-71. -
Article: Comprehensive assessment of older people with complex care needs: the multi-disciplinarity of the Single Assessment Process in England
Ageing and Society 01/2010; 30:1115-1134. · 1.16 Impact Factor
