The Care Programme Approach (CPA) aims to make sure that people with mental health difficulties get the help and support they need. This is done by establishing the care needs of each user and developing a care plan which sets out what should be done and who is involved.
Needs can include things such as housing, benefits, finding and returning to work, finding a day centre for the service user to visit, or treatment. Services to meet needs might be provided by mental health services, but they might also be provided by other services, when the role of mental health workers will be to help service users get access to what ever it is they need.
The New CPA Guidelines
The Department of Health has issued new guidelines describing how the CPA process should work for everyone in contact with specialist mental health services. The changes started in October 08 with the transition from the old system of Enhanced and Standard CPA to the new system of CPA and Lead Professional Care.
You can click on the link below to open the Government Booklet for service users and carers describing the Care Programme Approach: Making the CPA work for you.
Making the CPA work for you (booklet)
If you have difficulty reading this, you can apply to the Department of Health for one copy of a free DVD: Making the CPA work for you. To order, please telephone 08701 555 455 or email: www.orderline.dh.gov.uk quoting product number 287804.
CNWL CPA Policy
The first phase of these changes is a new Trust CPA Policy which came into effect on 1 April 09 after lengthy consultation.
This is a core policy covering all aspects of CPA in a single document, replacing three previous CPA policies. We would like to thank everyone who took the time and trouble to comment on draft documents. All the comments were very helpful and many have been incorporated in the final document. A summary of all the comments received with responses will be issued shortly and placed on this website.
You can see the new CPA Policy by clicking on this link: CNWL CPA Policy
Policy Contents
The policy sets out:
- CPA arrangements for people with complex characteristics, who are at higher risk, or need support from multiple agencies
- Lead Professional Care arrangements for people with more straightforward support needs
- Details of the values underpinning CPA, including statements on involving service users and carers, social inclusion, the recovery approach, personalisation and self-directed care, safety and positive risk taking and staffing arrangements to help services and teams support Care Co-ordinators, lead professionals and the CPA process
- Standards users and carers can expect
- The CPA process, from referral to assessment, care planning, transfer and discharge. Refocusing this process means putting more emphasis on day to day partnership working between service users, carers and professionals and less emphasis on formal review meetings. Draft care plans should be developed in the period leading up to a review meeting. The point of a review meeting is just to finalise the care plan.
- Arrangements for integration between CPA and other care frameworks for children and young people, adult social care, older adults, people with learning disabilities and people in the criminal justice system
- Training and other support arrangements
The document includes hyperlinks to national guidance and other Trust policies, making it easier to access some of the very wide range of advice and information which is now available on the Internet.
Next Steps
The next phases of work on CPA are more detailed operational guidance on specific issues and revised forms to support the process and reduce some of the bureaucracy involved.
CPA Forms
The Trust is now consulting on a set of draft forms to replace the current documents. Copies of the forms, together with a Consultation Document explaining the background and suggesting some questions to consider, can be accessed here:
The Trust is in the process of implementing a new clinical database called JADE. This is currently used in Harrow, Hillingdon and Addictions & Offender Care and is being extended to the rest of the Trust in stages. The new forms will rely on Jade to speed up the process of completing forms by copying information from one place to another. As a result the new forms will not be fully introduced until JADE is in use Trustwide.
In the meantime we are consulting widely to make sure the forms are fit for purpose and setting up pilot projects in individual teams to test drive the forms.
Details of how to submit comments are on the Consultation Document - we are asking for comments by Friday 16 October.
Operational Guidance and Background Detail Appendices
A series of Appendices to the main policy will set out detailed background information and detailed operational guidance on CPA and the way it applies in specific service groups. These will be issued for consultation in stages between July and September 09. Copies will be placed on this website along with consultation details as they are issued.
Review Arrangements
A Trustwide CPA audit is planned for September –October 09, when there will also be another round of consultation on the policy. The policy is due for formal review in November 09, taking account of comments submitted and results of the audit.
If you have comments on the policy or any other aspect of CPA please contact
John Duguid, Acting CPA Compliance Manager,
CNWL NHS Foundation Trust
Greater London House
Hampstead Road
London NW1 7QY
Email: john.duguid@nhs.net