British Journal of Psychiatry feature's Torbay's approach to Mental Health Act Assessments
We're proud to share that Rob Manchester, Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) at Devon Partnership NHS Trust (DPT), and Torbay Mental Health Social Care Team Manager, has had his co-authored paper published in the British Journal of Psychiatry Advances.
A Suitable Manner? Seven Key Elements of a Dialogical Approach to the Mental Health Act Assessment, explores how open dialogue principles can transform the experience of Mental Health Act assessments for service users and practitioners.
The paper was co-authored by Rob and Dr Tom Cant, who used to work for DPT and who was the Principal Investigator for the ODDESSI trial at DPT. ODDESSI (Open Dialogue: Development and Evaluation of a Social Network Intervention for Severe Mental Illness) was a large-scale research project into crisis and continuing mental health care. Devon Partnership NHS Trust was one of five NHS organisations involved.
Drawing on insights from the 2018 independent review of the Mental Health Act 1983, the authors propose seven dialogical elements inspired by Open Dialogue.
This approach they argue, could improve experiences of being assessed, information gathered and ultimately give better longer-term outcomes.
The paper also reflects on the Devon 'Conversations across the Divide' initiative, which brought together people with lived experience of Mental Health Act assessments and those who conduct them. These conversations revealed the emotional and relational impact of assessments and underscored the need for more compassionate, collaborative approaches.
Rob and Tom's work highlights the importance of a dialogical approach-emphasising listening to the whole person, building trust, and engaging in transparent, jargon-free conversations.
Rob said: I am really pleased that this journal article about the dialogical and relational approach to MHA work has been published. It is great to have these ideas, which took root following co-produced training sessions between Devon AMHPs and people with lived experience, now recognised and accessible in the literature. I hope the paper proves to be a valuable resource and point of reference for AMHPs and medical colleagues alike.
"This approach is very much in development and will require on-going thought, conversation and training to refine it as a concept and a set of principles to work to."
Congratulations to Rob and Tom!