1. Acute Mental Health wards care for people who may be suffering from a spectrum of psychiatric illnesses; these may include illnesses as schizophrenias, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, depression and anxiety-related illnesses for example. The care carried out on the ward is treating the acute phases of a person’s illness. However as a team we do not only treat a person’s mental health but we also aim to ensure that all other fundamentals of care are also being met, and this is vital to good quality of care for adults and making their lives better (Welsh Assembly Government, 2003). Working as a healthcare support worker on the ward, it is true to say that you are a valued member of the team, regardless of recent literature by Vaughan (2011) commenting on how many pages of journals in healthcare are devoted to conflict which appears to be emerging between registered nurses and healthcare support workers. In another journal, however, McKenna (1995 cited in Keeney 2005 p.346) states that ‘Several studies have indicated that nurses favour the employment of HCAs’. ‘Raising the standards’ is a revised National Service Framework which looks at delivering adult mental health services in Wales. One of the standards outlined in the framework is ‘social inclusion, health promotion and talking stigma’, Raising the Standards (2005, p10). In this standard it highlights the need to promote social inclusion in people suffering with mental health problems in order for them to develop skills to minimise the effects of the mental health problems at potentially stressful times in their lives and prevent admission to hospital. It is hoped that by promoting social activities with the people on the ward, that this engagement and motivation will be continued when the clients are discharged from hospital and are reintegrated back into the community. People within a mental health setting can sometimes be left within institutional ward environment with limited stimulation. This can have several adverse effects: - boredom, reduced confidence, worsening of symptoms, depersonalisation, and loss of identity or role, Serendip (2008). We can stop this by working in partnership with the patients. We can develop structured, ‘meaningful’ programmes of activities that will restore self esteem and confidence and give our patients better prospects and hope in the future by making recovery permanent, Department of Health and Aging (2010). (Directory for Mental Health Services in Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan 2011) Accommodation support Advice and Information Advocacy Bereavement Black and Minority Ethnic Services Campaigning and Awareness Rising Carers, Family and Friends Counselling Children and Young People Development Drop in, Resource Centres and Day Services Education and Training Emergency Out of Hours Services 24 Hours Home Visits and Outreach Learning Disabilities Men Older People’s Mental Health Services Resources Respite Services for Carers Self Help Social Activities Substance Misuse Support Telephone Services and Help lines User and Carer Involvement Groups Valued Occupation (including Volunteering and Employment Opportunities) Welfare Rights Advice Women Process Develop client database of what’s useable, where and how to access it Facilitate meetings with the clients to promote information and encouragement Facilitate and establish active participation. Determine system of review and feedback Prior to implementation, plan and confirm agreement with the rest of the multidisciplinary team In recent years there have been a range of developments in nursing and clinical tasks which appears to have broadened the role of the healthcare support worker (Kessler & Heron 2010). With this in mind, the Welsh Assembly Government and NHS Wales (cited by The Royal College of Nursing 2011) launched a Code of Conduct for Health Care Support Workers (2011). In this Code it recognises the work that healthcare support workers carry out and also recognises that in order to improve quality of care for service users it guides healthcare support workers to ‘participate in and take responsibility for the personal development process’. In a UNISON Healthcare Support Worker Conference, Edwina Hart spoke about how Healthcare Support Workers are essential to the health and social care team in supporting patients (2010). She also spoke about the training and role of the Health Care Support Worker and how she planned to strengthen it. The Code of Conduct for Healthcare Support Workers also iterates that Healthcare Support Workers should be accountable for their actions and omissions; this is already included in the Code of Conduct for Registered Nurses (NMC 2008). The role of the Healthcare Support Worker will also involve the art of delegation, whether it is receiving delegated tasks from a registered nurse or delegating work themselves. According to the All Wales Guidelines for Delegation (2010 p.1) there are a number of reasons why delegation takes place, including the belief that, ‘service users receive timely and appropriate care and productivity is maximised’. Considering patient experience, as healthcare professionals we should be aiming to make this experience better for the person. In a survey by the Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection 2005, forty three percent of people surveyed said that they would have liked some information about support groups in the community but did not receive any. As a healthcare professional we can aim to ensure that this outcome is improved by being aware and able to provide this information to people when they are planning their discharge from hospital….. Introduction Recognising the Need Healthcare Support Worker Development Conclusion Image 2 Image 1 Image 3 All Wales Guidelines for Delegation 2010. Accessed on 10 th May 2011. Available at: http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sitesplus/documents/829/All%20Wales%20Guidelines%20for%20Delegation.pdf [online] Department of Health and Aging 2010. Evaluation of Support for Day to Day Living in the Community: a Structured Activity Programme. Accessed on 11 th May 2011. Available at: http://www.health.gov.au/internet/mentalhealth/publishing.nsf/Content/7665C87AA15ADD17CA2577B5007B77E2/$File/D2DL%20evaluation.pdf [online] Directory for Mental Health Services in Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan 2011. Cardiff and Vale Mental Health Development Project. Can also be accessed: www.cvmhdp.org [online] Edwina Hart, Health Minister 2010, Welsh Assembly Government. Accessed on 10 th May 2011. Available at: http://new.wales.gov.uk/newsroom/healthandsocialcare/2010/100325supportworkers/?lang=en [online] Fundamentals of Care [leaflet], 2003. Welsh Assembly Government. Accessed on 9 th May 2011. Available at: http://wales.gov.uk/docrepos/40382/dhss/guidance/leaflet-e.pdf?lang=en [online] Kessler I & Heron P 2010. NHS Modernisation and the Role of HCAs. British Journal of Healthcare Assistants. 4(7): 318-320. McKenna 1995, Francomb 1997, Rolfe et al. 1999, McKenna & Hasson 2002 cited in Keeney S; Hasson F; McKenna H; Gillen P 2005 Nurses', midwives' and patients' perceptions of trained health care assistants. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 50(4): 346. Nursing and Midwidery Council 2008, accessed 10 th May 2011 available at: http://www.nmc-uk.org/Publications/Standards/The-code/Introduction/ [online] Raising the Standards 2005. The Revised Adult Mental Health National Framework and Action Plan for Wales. Accessed on 11 th May 2011. Available at: http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sites3/Documents/438/Raising%20the%20Standard%20%28english%29.pdf [online] Serendip 2008. Mental Illness, Stigma and Institutionalisation. Accessed on 11 th May 2011. Available at: http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/node/3303 [online] Survey for User 2005. Mental Health Service. Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection. Accessed on 12 th May 2011. Available at: http://www.cqc.org.uk/_db/_documents/04019829.pdf [online] Vaughan P 2011 Time to pull together. British Journal of Healthcare Assistants. 5(1): 5 Welsh Assembly Government and NHS Wales cited on Royal College of Nursing 2011 accessed on 10 th May 2011 available at: http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sitesplus/documents/829/Final%20- %20NHS%20HSW%20Booklet%20ENG.pdf [online] Image 1:Noomizo. Accessed 13 th May 2011. Available at: http://www.noomizo.com/index.php/a-survivors-journey-toward-recovery/ [online] Image 2: The Anti Drinking Activity Website. Accessed on 13 th May 2011. Available at: http://freeactivity.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/fun.jpg [online]Image 3: Young Adult Health. accessed on 13 th May 2011. Available at: http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetails.aspx?p=240&np=298&id=2040 [online]