Making the CPA Work For You

The featured article is a Department of Health booklet about the Care Programme Approach designed for service users and entitled ‘Making the Care Programme Approach Work for You’ and freely available here.

The booklet is a useful resource for people wanting to learn more about the benefits they can derive from services and about the Care Programme Approach itself. At 40 pages long, it is useful to know that there is also a DVD on the same topic which is described in the document as being available from the Department of Health. Recent changes to the Care Programme Approach (which was initially rolled out in 1991) are described with the removal of the ‘Standard CPA’ but retention of the Enhanced Care Programme Approach. The booklet emphasise that the CPA is a process rather than a gateway to services. Indeed with the removal of the standard CPA, there is emphasis on a set of values and principles which should instruct the contact mental health services (including voluntary services) have with a person. The values are described as showing respect including strengths and qualities, respecting dignity, offering information about reasonable choices, equal opportunities, helping a person feel in control and respecting the views of other people who are important to the person. The principles are assessing needs with the person, developing a plan with the person, sharing responsibility with the person and reviewing the plan with the person. The principles and values form the central theme which is developed through the remainder of the booklet. There are a number of questions answered within the booklet including the role of the General Practitioner in the CPA, the properties of the care-coordinator role, the aspects of the assessment including spiritual needs. The sections on risk gives the reader a list of important questions about risk to ask themselves. There is also a section on needs and the reader is encouraged to use any self-assessment tools they may be aware of. The section on care plans includes details on how the reader can create their own care plan with a focus on direct payments and use of advocates together with the need to negotiate the care plan with the service provider and also recognising that such the service users ideal care plan might not be achievable in practice. There is then a discussion of how a person can have more control over their reviews as well as legal issues and CPA. This is a useful booklet which gives service users an outline of what CPA means for them as well as principles and values for services.

STT1

Disclaimer

The comments made here represent the opinions of the author and do not represent the profession or any body/organisation. The comments made here are not meant as a source of medical advice and those seeking medical advice are advised to consult with their own doctor. The author is not responsible for the contents of any external sites that are linked to in this blog.