Integrated Mental Health Team (IMHT): Cannock, Rugeley and Great Haywood, based at Park House

Healthwatch Staffordshire conducted an Enter & View for the Integrated Mental Health Teams (IMHT) at Park House. IMTHs are part of the Community Mental Health Transformation. Their role is to deliver place-based care within neighbourhoods, to adults who experience a range of mental health problems. 

Their visit found the following strengths and needs: 

Strengths:

• Evidence of positive team leadership and management, that has created a supportive environment within which staff and partners operate. 
• Staff wellbeing has been prioritised by the Operational Neighbourhood Lead and the Advanced Nurse Practitioner; the leadership team - are to be commended for this, as staff morale and confidence – have greatly improved, in the past six months or over, since the new leadership team has taken over; team culture has improved, as well. 
• Staff all have a visible presence, as they are encouraged to work from the office base and see patients face-to-face.
• Robust buddy system within the IMHT team and good support right from the start through the Induction; then through continuous professional development (CPD). 
• Acknowledging and continuously trying to improve staff recruitment and retention.
• Serious Mental Health (SMI) pathways have been working well, with good relationships between the IHMT and the GP’s.
• Staff surveys have indicated a major improvement in their motivation levels, and how they perceive leadership to be supportive of their everyday work.
• Compliments from service users of positive experiences.
• Evidence of IMHT using a holistic approach, while also valuing early interventions pathways (EIP), and using the correct pathway for each individual case.

Areas for improvement:

• Staff report that they have issues with the reliability of the Wi-Fi system in some areas of the building, such as: meeting rooms or offices, which makes it problematic at times for professionals, to record into the appropriate systems.
• More staffing resources are needed to manage additional demands.
• To reduce caseloads, if possible, as it has proven rather difficult to have to cope with caseloads that can vary between 35 – 51/55 cases, for each IMHT professional or MPFT clinician. 
• To reduce the waiting list to a more manageable level, although waiting lists do vary: some patients do not have to wait that long, while others might 
  
  have to wait longer. 
• There is a recognised gap in neurodiversity, which is both a local issue, as well as a national problem, in terms of meeting the needs of patients with
  
  neurodivergent conditions (Autism, ADHD etc.); the team is aware of this and trying to address issues.