Mental health and addiction quality improvement programme update – October 2020

Kia ora and welcome to this monthly update from the mental health and addiction (MHA) quality improvement programme | Whakapai i ngā mahi hauora hinengaro waranga hoki. It has continued to be a busy time for the programme, and for the project teams working in district health boards (DHBs).

We greatly appreciate the ongoing support and commitment to the programme; particularly against the background of changing COVID-19 alert levels, and the related extra stresses and pressures.

In this update:

• Mid-programme evaluation
• Focus on Zero seclusion
• Over 70 participants in Quality in Action workshops
• Addressing implicit bias e-learning resource
• Ngā Poutama consumer, family and whānau experience survey
• In brief: Connecting care; Learning from adverse events

Mid-programme evaluation

An independent evaluation of the MHA quality improvement programme, at its midpoint, has been carried out by Francis Health and Kahui Consulting in 2020. A summary of findings is available here.

The evaluation identified a number of areas where stakeholders felt the programme was working well, including the focus on involving frontline staff in quality improvement, having respected leaders on the programme team, and useful regional and national collaboration and sharing. The five priority areas selected as improvement projects were endorsed.

Areas of improvement suggested in the evaluation included:

• the programme being more responsive to sector feedback with reference to the Ngā Poutama consumer, family and whānau survey, and the naming of the Zero seclusion project
• more clarity around programme governance and the purpose and role of the consumer and Māori advisory groups, and the stakeholder group
• clearer messaging about when projects end and how success is measured
• clearer communication channels.

The programme is carefully considering the evaluation findings, and how to make changes in response to suggested areas of improvement.

Focus on Zero seclusion

The Zero seclusion project has been underway since early 2017, and there have been a number of successes, as well as some challenges. Heading into 2021, we are looking to re-energise efforts towards eliminating seclusion in New Zealand, with a particular focus on reducing seclusion rates for Māori and Pacific consumers.

We will also be sharing consumers’ stories of their experiences of seclusion, and successful approaches by DHBs to reduce and eliminate seclusion.

Other focuses include:

• the role of implicit bias in seclusion
• the formation of a ‘champions’ group
• supra-regional away days for Zero seclusion project teams in November
• webinars, starting in November, for staff working in inpatient settings, in partnership with Te Pou.

More information will be available soon, on the mental health and addiction pages of the Commission’s website.

Over 70 participants in Quality in Action workshops

Over 70 people from DHB mental health services and non-governmental organisations took part in the first of four online Quality in Action workshops. Participants gathered in small groups where possible (due to COVID restrictions) to learn how to apply experience-based co-design in projects.

Feedback from the participants included that they liked the opportunity to network and interact with other colleagues, and having access to the regional support team. Areas for improvement included the technology, having more information before the sessions, and ‘zoom fatigue’.

Addressing implicit bias e-learning resource

An online learning resource on addressing implicit bias is being developed by the MHA quality improvement programme, in partnership with Capital & Coast DHB. A project design group made up of six DHBs is meeting fortnightly.

The purpose of the resource is to raise the awareness of implicit biases and practices in the MHA sector with a broader goal to reduce seclusion and other restrictive practices. It is expected to be available for testing online in November 2020.

Ngā Poutama consumer, family and whānau experience survey

The findings of the Ngā Poutama consumer, family and whānau experience survey are available here.

The first national survey of its kind, Ngā Poutama was completed by people recently discharged from DHB-provided inpatient or community MHA services. The survey found many people felt they were treated with respect and things were well explained to them; but that their cultural and spiritual needs were not always met.

It provides a snapshot of consumer, family and whānau experiences, which can be used to help providers improve the quality of MHA services. It complements the findings of the Ngā Poutama staff survey, which was conducted in August 2018 and focused on the quality and safety culture of these services.

In brief

• The final Connecting care learning sessions for this project will be held on 21 and 22 October by Zoom. Following the learning session, project teams will be invited to complete a survey monkey about their Connecting care projects and readiness to complete/close their project.
• Planning is underway for learning session four, for the Learning from adverse events and consumer, family and whānau experience project. DHB project teams will present on their progress at the session, which is on 4 and 5 November.

Te tautoko i a koe i tō haerenga whakapiki kounga
Supporting you on your quality improvement journey.