Case studies

Auchinlea promotes participation - project Implementation and outcomes

Letters went out to about 30 selected service-users inviting them to attend the first advance statement information session. The target group was drawn from people who were part of the continuing care caseload. The planning team assumed that only half to a third of those invited would actually turn up at the group meeting. The invitations and related letters were printed on pink paper so that it would be easy to identify them among the other documents in service users' case notes. Copies were sent to GPs, RMOs and key workers. The letters described the meeting as an 'informal presentation' and, as an added attraction, they included an invitation to join the team for a sandwich lunch.

On the day, ten people attended the session.

• Listen to the team talking about how they actually went about communicating with service-users on the day

Since that first session in December 2006, the CMHT has organised five further group meetings, each of which has attracted between six and ten attendees. All the meetings have followed the same initial format: presentations, questions and informal discussions over lunch.

Outcomes and further work

The early outcomes from the project have been positive:

Approximately 160 invitations have gone out with 50 people attending one of six meetings. At least 20 people have prepared advance statements as a result of their attendance at a meeting

• Listen to the team talking about the positive outcomes of the project

The success of the has inspired the team to offer similar group sessions to carers and family members, many of whom have shown an interest in finding out more about the concept of the Named Person. There are also plans to embed this model of information sharing within many other client groups in the Greater Easterhouse area.