In the Zone - GM Mental Health Trust

Over the past few weeks, we’ve be running a series of articles to highlight the great work of each team, which will allow them to talk about their successes, what makes the HF great and give them a space to talk about their key achievements.

This time it's our colleagues from the GM Mental Health Trust, who work across all zones, to take centre stage.

Team members: Adam Clayton – Service Manager, Jade Elliott – DDP/Manager, Caroline Hoult – psychiatrist, Patrick Horgan – psychiatrist, Victoria Court - DDP, Andrea Cain - DDP.

What is your team’s top 3 biggest achievements?

1. The fact that we are still needed as a team and a service proves that we add value to GM Housing First. The fact the team exists now we are through the pilot phase, and it is recognised as a valuable asset is a big achievement and is making a positive impact.

2. The fact that our team and service continues to evolve and develop. We have introduced additional roles to support the delivery from our learning, such as Psychiatry, which enhances our offer and ability to meet individual needs. Additionally, with the psychology offer, reflective practice helps housing colleagues manage the heavy load they carry and is also of benefit to the people receiving the service.

3. Our relationship with Pennine Care has been established and continues to blossom. We are able to share case notes, which is a massive help to all concerned. This reduces silo working and can remove the need to ask people to take part in multiple, repetitive assessments.

What makes your team unique?

Our relationship with the Central Team allows us to create meaningful KPIs to ensure we remain a person-centred service.

Tell us something interesting/surprising about your team?

We have been able to run a pilot within a pilot by helping to get people access to the Chapman Barker Unit, which supports adults over the age of 18 who have an alcohol and/or drug dependence and who require a medically-managed admission to the 36-bed inpatient unit, who might otherwise have not had access to that service and we have been able to get some positive outcomes.

What thing as a team are you most proud of?

We're proud about the impact we have had. As part of the Greater Manchester partnership, we are unique among the other regional pilots as the health offer we provide is fully integrated whilst maintaining delivery within GMMH as an NHS Trust. The partnership provides a pioneering offer to the people who need it most and we have been recognised nationally by being invited to speak all over the UK.

What piece of advice/best practice would you give to other teams working in the multiple disadvantage space?

Get used to being comfortably uncomfortable and try and manage what can often feel like chaos – but don’t do this on your own! The people we work who can have complex backgrounds, so we try and provide support to the person, colleagues and each other. Given the nature of the programme, as it’s been borne out of a test and learn pilot, we won’t always get things right so we need to keep learning and keep being innovative to help people now and in the future.

Sum up your team in three words?

Dynamic/Enthusiastic/Caring.