Since 2014 we have been working together with South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) on the Four Steps to Safety programme, when we were jointly funded £500,000 by the Health Foundation
The programme is changing the conversations we are having with people who use our services and carers as well as creating a more collaborative way of working together. We have made an amazing start and there will be still greater benefits as we continue to test and modify our interventions.
To date we have introduced the Four Steps to Safety Programme into 17 of our 20 inpatient wards with implementation in the final three wards in 2017.
The programme has an overall aim of reducing violence and aggression on our wards. We have learnt that people who use our services are reporting greater feelings of engagement with staff which is leading to them feeling safer on our wards.