THE TRIANGLE OF CARE - Carers Included:

A Best Practice Guide in Acute Mental Health Care

Download the Guide here    .

This guide is the result of collaboration between The Princess Royal Trust for Carers (PRTC) and The National Mental Health Development Unit (NMHDU). The title refers to the essential 3-way relationship between professionals, people who use services, their carers and families.

The guide emphasises the need for better local strategic involvement of carers and families in the care-planning and treatment of people experiencing mental ill-health and calls for better partnership working between people who use services, their carers and providers of services in order to achieve the best possible outcomes.

The ‘Triangle of Care’ approach was developed by carers and staff to improve carer engagement in acute inpatient and home treatment services. The guide outlines key elements to achieve this. It contains examples of best practice and links to extensive resources to help people working with carers to involve them more effectively in acute care services. It will greatly benefit staff, people using services and carers themselves.

It was written by Alan Worthington, from Devon, who is Carer Advisor to the National Acute Care Programme and Paul Rooney, Lead of the National Acute Care Programme.

Alan has also written a guide to support friends and family when a loved one enters acute services: Hot Tips for Carers.

For more information see The National Mental Health Development Unit (NMHDU) or The Princess Royal Trust for Carers.