Small changes make big difference to mental health services, study finds

Small and inexpensive changes to working practices and training for staff can transform services for families affected by parental mental ill health, according to a report by the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE).

The evaluation looked at how 10 local areas have implemented SCIE’s Think Child, Think Parent, Think Family guide, which advises professionals on how to support the children of parents with mental health problems.

The report found that making minimal changes to established ways of working could help workers overcome barriers to providing whole-family support.

For example, one local area used of the Common Assessment Framework to identify and address the needs of whole families, instead of only children. Another area created a “think family” knowledge and skills framework for staff.

Other successful strategies included improving screening and access to services by developing arrangements to cross-reference electronic databases for children’s social care and adult mental health services – which is not currently possible.

Local areas that entrenched a think family approach in a range of organisational policies and procedures were also found to improve services for families, as were those that focused on spreading the think family approach through workforce development.

SCIE’s deputy chief executive Amanda Edwards said: “The evaluation illustrates just how much can be done locally to make services better fit the needs of parents with mental health issues.”

She added: “This need not cost a lot – even small changes to working practices and training can make a difference.”