Joining forces to help NSFT staff to ‘Listen’
Service users and clinicians in east Suffolk joined forces to create a suite of new resources to further improve the care available to people reaching crisis point.
The ‘Listen’ project has seen people with first-hand experience of our services work alongside clinical staff to develop posters and badges which act as a reminder for anyone working with someone in a high state of distress. They carry the acronym LISTEN:
Listen and look
Involve and inform
Share understanding
Time and availability
Empathise, encourage and evaluate
Next steps in treatment
A crisis planning document has also been created, which brings together a wide range of information about each individual and their care needs and medication, as well as their preferences around interventions. It also gives them the chance to share other information, such as financial details and who they would like to look after their pets in a crisis.
The badges and posters have been shared with teams across the Trust, while credit card-sized reminders were handed out to all staff during inductions.
The tools have been developed as part of an ongoing drive to involve local people in the design of mental health services and place them at the heart of the care they receive.
Please feel free to download the poster and share it across your organisation if you think it might be useful for the people you work with.