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Department of Health (2001) Mental Health Policy Implementation Guide
The table below gives details of suggested staffing levels and skill mix for a team with a caseload of 20 to 30 service users at any one time.
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Designated named workers: Key skills: • High energy level • Team player • Ability creatively to engage service users • Understanding of needs of service users, including specific needs related to cultural background/age/gender etc • Able to co-ordinate care and provide broad range of interventions |
Total 14 per team Team leader plus up to 13 others Designated named workers include: CPNs ASW OT Psychologists Support workers including service users Appropriate mix of staff is needed to ensure that all the interventions listed can be provided within the team |
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Medical staff • Active members of the team • 24 hour access to senior psychiatrists able to do home visits is vital |
• Involvement from both consultant and middle grade psychiatrists • Level of psychiatric input to be determined by local need and service configuration |
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Specialist skills • These skills should be available within the team either by employing a fully qualified practitioner or by training other team members • External supervision, support and training needed for 'non specialists' providing these interventions |
• OT/OT skills • Psychologist/psychology skills • ASW/strong links to social services and ability to undertake thorough assessment and activate services as needed |
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Support workers • People with health, social care or appropriate life experience or personal experience of mental health problems/treatment |
• Number of support workers to be determined by the team • Support workers to reflect the demography of the local population |
| Programme support |
• 1 wte administrative assistant • IT, audit and evaluation support may also be needed |
(p.20-21)