Step Forward Service - Information for significant others

Aims of our service

• To help our service users to understand and manage the difficulties they face
• To support our service users to understand how things became problematic and help them develop skills that will enable them to take positive steps forward
• To work within the community and alongside other services and support networks.

When are we open?

Monday to Friday, from 9am to 5pm (excluding bank holidays).

What can our service users expect

• If your significant other is appropriate for our service and consents to be seen by us, we will offer an initial assessment session
• They will be offered an assessment appointment with a member of the team which will last approximately 40 to 60 minutes
• If they have received an assessment with another Mersey Care service, they may be offered a briefer appointment to avoid them having to retell their story in full again
• Following the appointment, we will develop a care plan with them. During this we will agree what a successful outcome would look like, and how we might be able to support them to work towards this. We would also discuss what might happen if this was not achieved within an agreed timescale
• If your significant other agrees, we will try to involve you in their care as much as we can.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

When accessing mental health services, we are aware of the difficulties experienced by people from Black, Asian, mixed backgrounds and other minoritised ethnic groups, including refugees and those seeking asylum. We work closely with underrepresented communities to increase our knowledge and understanding of the challenges people face and adapt our service to reduce and overcome the barriers identified.

The support we offer is tailored to each individual and we aim to provide a culturally responsive service to meet the needs of people from various cultural and religious backgrounds. Through this, we hope to create a therapeutic setting of mutual trust and respect in which everyone feels heard, valued and understood. We are committed to improving our service and welcome your feedback.

What if we are not the right service?

Sometimes psychological therapy may not be the most appropriate option, or we may not be the most appropriate service to meet a person’s needs at that time. If this is the case, we will explain our reasons for this, and help to direct them to other services, support networks or interventions that we believe are more helpful.

The Triangle of Care

The Triangle of Care, initially launched in 2010, is a national agenda led by the Carers Trust which has highlighted the need for better involvement of carers and families in the care planning and treatment of people experiencing mental distress. At Step Forward we are committed to improving the support we offer to our service user’s friends, family and carers as we understand valuing and supporting significant others, will also ensure that our service users receive the best possible care.

If you would like to know more about the Triangle of Care, and how we measure our service against their recommended standards, or if you feel your experiences as a significant other could help us with this work, please contact Frank Chapman or Jane Humphreys via: StepForwardTeam@merseycare.nhs.uk or Frank.Chapman@merseycare.nhs.uk.

Sharing information

In keeping with Mersey Care’s commitment to the principles of Triangle of Care, information will be shared with the carer/family wherever possible. However, a service user’s wish to withhold information must be respected by staff, other than in some exceptional circumstances.

It is the responsibility of staff to discuss with the service user whether there is any information they wish to withhold and this should be recorded in the health notes. This decision should be reviewed regularly and recorded. The carer should be informed of the service user’s wishes regarding sharing information.

Patient confidentiality should not be used as a reason for staff not to listen to carers or family. The carer is also entitled to have any information they disclose, treated in confidence. Carers/family should also be given an opportunity to share information about the service user throughout their time with the team.

If the service user agrees to the carer/family being involved, they will be invited to relevant sessions.

Should the service user not agree to the sharing of information, staff will try to reduce any concerns they may have. They will find out if there is any information they are happy to share and will keep the carer/family updated on the situation. Regardless of whether the service user agrees to share information, carers and family are always entitled to offer information to staff; to be listened to; and to have their right to confidentiality respected.

There are some circumstances where staff can override a service user’s wish to withhold information. These are where:

• there is a risk of serious harm or crim
• it is a requirement of the law, for example, a court orde
• there is an emergenc
• there is a safeguarding risk.

Contact us

If you would like to contact us or if you would like more information regarding Step Forward, you can email: StepForwardTeam@merseycare.nhs.uk or phone: 0738 541 1137 (for Liverpool) and StepForwardSefton.Kirkby@merseycare.nhs.uk (for Sefton and Kirkby).

We are not able to respond on an urgent basis or outside of our core working hours which are Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Other useful contacts

Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)

PALS provides support, information and advice to service users, carers and their families to assist in resolving issues or concerns relating to the services of the Trust.

If you are unhappy with the service you have received you may wish to tell someone close to the cause of your concern for example, a doctor, nurse or any other member of staff who will try to resolve your concern as quickly as possible. If you are not keen to do this or your concerns remain unresolved you may find it helpful to seek advice from PALS.

Phone: 0800 328 2941 Email: PALS@merseycare.nhs.uk

If PALS cannot help you, they will give you useful advice about other avenue\s open to you or advice on the NHS complaints procedure.

Complaints

Staff in the Complaints Department can provide advice and assistance to service users and carers in relation to complaints and the formal process for investigation.

Phone: 0151 472 4002 or email: Complaints@merseycare.nhs.uk
Complaints Department, Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, V7 Building, Prescot, L34 1PJ.

Further sources of information

Urgent mental health support line: Freephone 0800 145 6570 (available 24/7).

Carers centres

• Liverpool Carers Centre, Local Solutions, phone: 0151 709 0990
• Sefton Carers Centre, phone: 0151 288 6060
• Knowsley Carers Centre, phone: 0151 549 1412
• Liverpool Barnardo’s Action with Young Carers, hone: 0151 228 4455
• Young Carers - Sefton Carers Centre, phone: 0151 288 6060
• Knowsley Young Carers Service, phone: 0151 443 5059

Age UK

• Liverpool and Sefton, phone: 0151 330 5678
• Knowsley, phone: 0300 003 1992

Carers UK
Phone: 0808 808 7777

NHS 111
If you have an urgent medical problem and you are not sure what to do, NHS 111 can help.

Citizens Advice Centres

• Liverpool, phone: 0344 848 7700
• Sefton, phone: 0344 493 0012
• Knowsley, phone: 0300 330 9008

Healthwatch

• Liverpool, phone: 0300 777 7007
• Sefton, phone: 0800 206 1304
• Knowsley, phone: 0151 449 3954

Social Services

• Liverpool Social Services Careline, phone: 0151 233 3800
• Sefton Social Services Careline, phone: 0151 928 5908
• Knowsley Social Services, phone: 0151 449 3954

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust
V7 Building, Kings Business Park
Prescot, L34 1PJ
Tel: 0151 473 0303