Carer Views in Risk Assessments
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A pilot feasibility study to examine the use of carer views to inform risk assessments in mental health
IRAS ID
163750
Contact name
Tracy Flanagan
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Humber NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
A pilot feasibility study to examine the use of carer views to inform risk assessments in mental health.
Current literature and local research suggests carer engagement in risk assessment is inadequate. Evidence suggests this leads to decreased carer satisfaction and disengagement with professionals and services. Failure to effectively share information around risk increases carer stress, burden and isolation.
The study is funded by the Hull Clinical Commissioning Group and aims to increase the involvement and level of contribution that carers can make in the assessment of risk for service users across the Humber NHS Foundation Trust and the wider community of services regionally.
Participants will be recruited from 2 adult mental health admission and assessment inpatient units with Humber NHS Foundation Trust. Carers, of service users who have capacity and give consent to their taking part, will be invited for interview within 3 to 7 days of the admission and asked to identify their main concerns regarding risk. Those not eligible will be contacted and offered support ‘as usual’ although not for the purposes of risk assessment.
The project will seek to ascertain how carers can inform risk assessments in mental health and support the development of successful carer engagement strategies to improve service delivery and improve outcomes. Whilst it will be conducted with carers of service users admitted to inpatient settings, findings relating to involving carers in risk assessment are transferable to other inpatient/residential settings (mental health and health/social care, across the life span), and to community settings, again across the life span and across mental and physical health, and social care settings.
As part of the pilot study a range of outcome measures will be examined to determine what the main outcome measure would be in any future research.REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - South Yorkshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/YH/0033
Date of REC Opinion
4 Mar 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion