Service user and carer experience of the mental health home treatment service

Healthwatch Worcestershire undertook research on service user and carer experiences of the Mental Health Home Treatment Service. They spoke to 55 people, including 49 former service users and six carers, whose experiences related to the first year of the redesigned service between February 2017 and January 2018. 

The report found that experiences were generally positive. Many service users felt involved in planning their care, knew who to contact if they became unwell again and praised the support they received from Home Treatment staff. Several described the service as life-saving, highlighting responsive support, compassionate staff and the benefits of receiving treatment at home rather than being admitted to hospital. However, some people reported that care plans did not fully meet their needs, wanted more frequent visits, more continuity of staff and greater psychological or medical input. Concerns were also raised about transitions out of the service, lack of follow-up and poor awareness of how to make a complaint.

Carers were also positive about the service overall and valued having access to support and advice during times of crisis. However, many reported a lack of involvement in care planning, uncertainty about what was expected of them and limited information about support available for carers. Most were unaware of carers’ services such as Worcestershire Association of Carers, and many said they would have benefitted from clearer information, better communication and named points of contact. Both service users and carers highlighted concerns about continuity between the Home Treatment Service and community mental health teams, with some describing gaps in support when care was transferred. 

Healthwatch Worcestershire concluded that the Home Treatment Service was helping many people effectively and delivering positive outcomes, but identified opportunities for improvement. Recommendations included increasing service user and carer involvement in care planning, providing clearer information about medication and support services, improving continuity of staff, introducing a shared discharge summary, ensuring all service users and carers understand how to make complaints, and strengthening links with carers’ organisations and peer support services.