SIM feasibility in London
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A feasibility assessment of Serenity Integrated Mentoring (SIM) implementation in London, England
IRAS ID
246939
Contact name
Peter Fonagy
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Joint Research Office
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Funder reference, 52AZ95/VTC/UCL2
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 4 days
Research summary
The number of detentions made under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983, 5,300 a year in London alone, is of concern to emergency public health services and for the NHS. In 2013, a new model of care called Serenity Integrated Mentoring (SIM) was introduced on the Isle of Wight. The programme creates a partnership between mental health and police workers, to allow them to guide and support people who have repeated, frequent problems with managing their mental health in a crisis. In 2016, SIM was determined to be ready for national scaling across the NHS. Three teams are already live in the Isle of Wight, Surrey, and the Netherlands, with 15 more teams currently in the process of being established across England, and one in Minnesota, USA.
The purpose of the present study is to determine whether a) introducing SIM in London is feasible, given that its urban, ethnically diverse environment is different from the Isle of Wight, and b) whether it would be possible to carry out a randomised control trial to determine the effectiveness of SIM in the near future.
The study compares matched sites: two sites where SIM is being introduced (Islington and Greenwich), and another site which provides management as usual (Haringey). The study will assess the size of the problem in London, the feasibility of implementing SIM in an urban context, and the immediate impact of SIM (by comparing service use at baseline and 9 month follow up, including s136 detentions, police and ambulance deployment, emergency department visits, and mental health bed occupancy). Qualitative interviews will be carried out with professionals, service users and their carers in order to evaluate their experiences with SIM and identify potential barriers and facilitators to implementation. Economic analyses will be carried out to assess financial burden on services.
REC name
London - Surrey Borders Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/LO/1546
Date of REC Opinion
12 Oct 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion