QNIC Member Feedback

The QNIC team are always keen to collect feedback from our member services, and we do this in a number of ways. Attendees at all of our major events are asked to evaluate the content of the programme, and both host teams and reviewers are asked to comment on the peer review process. (Links to feedback forms from reviews are provided below). A summary of this year’s feedback will be submitted on this page in the summer 2011.

Earlier this cycle we contacted all services to evaluate how QNIC has helped their teams over the years that they have been members. This was split into three key areas:

1.       How has QNIC helped services?

• It provides regularly updated national service standards for tier 4 CAMHS.
• It has helped us to focus on the quality of services and to learn from the experiences of similar services.
• Having the back up of QNIC’s recommendations has empowered us as clinicians to put our points across and be listened to by management.
• It has allowed commissioners to be assured that they are purchasing a service of quality.

2.       Where hasn’t QNIC been able to help?

• Staff recruitment, retainment and training.
• Finance – although the standards are useful to be able to try and hold the minimum skill mix and number of staff when being pressurised to achieve ‘efficiency savings’.
• Quality of food.
• Physical structure is still a challenge and most of the wards are not suitable for young people to stay in and does not have suitable outdoor areas for young people.

3.       What can QNIC help with in the future?

• To develop information/training/support regarding CQC inspection/self evaluation especially in the area of evidence gathering and with regard to the standard of co-operating with other providers.
• Work with other teams/services such as Outpatient CAMHS, Crisis intervention teams (QNIC’s sister project the Quality Network for Community CAMHS have just revised their standards to now include Crisis intervention teams).
• Service user involvement along with patient and family satisfaction (3 service users have recently been recruited to work with the project team).
• I think the accreditation process will help services to improve their standards, however, in the current financial climate when trusts are watching every penny, it may prevent whole scale large developments but may identify changes in practice that improve the experiences of young people (If you would like to take part in the 2^nd phase of the accreditation process please email qnic@cru.rcpsych.ac.uk).

The team are also keen to evaluate the first phase of accreditation which is being run this cycle, and will be contacting everyone that has been involved in the summer 2011 to provide us with feedback on this process.