Psychiatric Intensive Care Advisory Service

What is PICAS?

The Psychiatric Intensive Care Advisory Service - PICAS - is run as a collaboration between the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ Centre for Quality Improvement and the National Association of Psychiatric Intensive Care Units.

It utilises experienced PICU/Low Secure Unit practitioners to respond to requests and works to improve the standard of care delivered within PICUs and Low Secure environments.

PICAS can:

• Advise on the improvements of physical environments of PICUs/Low Secure Units
• Perform independent reviews of PIC services
• Support, inform and shape PIC/Low Secure service improvement within organisations (this may be for a period of time following a review)
• Troubleshoot aspects of any PIC/Low Secure service and assist in supporting units experiencing complex issues
• Aid the development of local policies relating to PIC/Low Secure services
• Advise on commissioning of a new service (on a single basis or work with the organisation to completion)
• Provide workshops and practical guidance on development initiatives & project work aimed at meeting National Minimum Standards. These can be held in a Network setting if demand is present
• Assist with statutory inspections (e.g. Healthcare Commission visits) and report compilation following visits
• Give assistance with local and national policy advice
• Provide specific training and education and assist in the development and delivery of learning material
• Facilitate and help develop user involvement initiatives & engagement programmes
• Respond to any untoward incident that may occur within a particular service and give assistance with analysis of the incident from a clinical and systems wide approach
• Facilitate liaison with other services (e.g. criminal justice)
• Help develop and implement risk assessment tools

For more information about PICAS, please contact: