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Evaluation of 10 Essential Shared Capabilities and Realising Recovery training

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Wednesday, 05 May 2010
An independent evaluation of the 10 Essential Shared Capabilities (10 ESC) and Realising Recovery training has been published.

These materials were developed to support mental health nurses and allied workers to develop values-based and recovery-focused practice. They were created as a result of recommendations made in Rights, Relationships and Recovery - the report of the Review of Mental Health Nursing in Scotland.

10 ESC training was developed by NHS Education for Scotland (NES) and was based on an existing package. Realising Recovery was designed to complement 10 ESC training, with more detailed input on recovery-focused practice. Realising Recovery was developed jointly by the Scottish Recovery Network and NES.

The evaluation, led by Dr Colin Macduff and colleagues at Robert Gordon University, used interviews, focus groups, surveys and case studies to explore views on the learning materials, and assess how the training impacted on values and practice. It also considered the experiences of people who trained as trainers and examined how effective the roll out was in different areas.

Findings from the evaluation show strong evidence that both sets of learning materials were highly valued as a basis for learning. The appointment of voluntary organisations (Health in Mind and Penumbra) to lead the training for trainers, was widely welcomed and very positively evaluated - in particular their inclusion of trainers with lived experience of mental health issues and recovery.

Describing the ‘reach’ of both sets of materials, the report notes that 10 ESC training was more widely disseminated than Realising Recovery, with more than 2000 people having participated. The evaluation also identifies considerable variation between geographical areas on levels of implementation and impact, with some making significant progress and others being less successful.  In detailing factors that have helped and hindered successful roll out, the report highlights the importance of leadership, having a clear strategy, involving service users and carers and non-health partners, and linking the training with other service development initiatives like the Scottish Recovery Indicator (SRI).

While findings regarding the impact of the training draw from a proportionately small sample, they do indicate that the training played an important role in raising awareness of a range of issues relating to values in mental health practice. The majority of respondents reported that the training also had positive impacts on aspects of their individual practice, notably service user involvement in assessment and planning care.  For some, the main impact was to reaffirm their belief that their practice was already recovery-focused and values-based.

In concluding the report, the researchers describe the ambition and historical significance of this initiative and suggest this be borne in mind when considering findings in relation to dissemination and impact:

“..the core materials have been but one part of a government policy initiative which has sought, through a variety of related structures and processes, to inculcate a core set of values and concepts to Scottish mental health nursing and allied workers. As such, it is essential to note the inherent ambition and historical significance of such an enterprise. Put simply, this has never been tried before in Scottish mental health nursing, and there is also little international precedent.”

The report makes a number of recommendations and NES and SRN are considering how to take these forward these in partnership with colleagues.

Commenting on the report Susanne Forrest, Programme Director at NES said:

“We welcome the comprehensive report Robert Gordon University have prepared for us. It gives us valuable learning with significance far beyond education and training, highlighting some of the complexities of translating values-based and recovery-focused practices. I am delighted to confirm that we will continue to work with SRN to support the further development of recovery-focused practice and learning”

One part of this commitment that has already been progressed is the establishment of a new joint NES/SRN educational post to support the roll out of recovery education and the SRI. This will enable SRN and NES to continue to provide national support to this agenda and Samantha McEwan took up post on 1 April 2010.

To download the report summary, click here
To download the full report, click here

Related links

Realising Recovery training materials
NES mental health webpages
Scottish Recovery Indicator website
 
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