Resources

We have a range of resources which explore the work of the network and good practices within adult community mental health services.
Our resources include reports, newsletters and information about the network’s standards which are reviewed and updated periodically. 

The third edition of standards for community mental health services (ACOMHS) were published in October 2024.

We believe that it is important our standards reflect the issues that make a difference to the experience of the person using the service. For this reason, the standards follow a pathway through care and include how the service communicates with people accessing the service, their carers and other agencies.

Since community mental health services differ widely in their configuration and the models used, these standards focus on the function of a team in order to make them as widely accessible as possible.

The full set of standards and criteria is aspirational, and it is unlikely that any service would meet all of them. Therefore, each standard is categorised at one of two levels:

  • Type 1: criteria relating to patient safety, rights, dignity, the law and fundamentals of care, including the provision of evidence-based care and treatment;
  • Type 2: criteria that a service would be expected to meet

Overarching principles

The overarching principles that have guided the development of our standards are that:

  • People with mental health problems should receive timely assessment and treatment which is focussed on their individual needs and recovery goals.
  • People with mental health problems and their carers should receive a service that is person-centred and takes into account their unique and changing personal, psychosocial and physical needs.

How the standards are developed

The standards are developed in consultation with experts in the field and combine information from a variety of sources such as:

CCQI Core Standards

The standards must incorporate the College Centre for Quality Improvement (CCQI) Core Standards. These are developed by our expert advisory groups, and have been refined in consultation with front-line staff, service users, carers, other interested groups such as national charities and professional bodies.

National requirements

We recognise that services are under increased pressure to demonstrate that they comply with national policies and guidelines. For this reason, our standards incorporate requirements and recommendations set out nationally.

The standards are in line with NHS England's Community Mental Health Framework for Adults & Older Adults, which is being rolled out to teams in the coming years.

'Good practice principle’

We know that those who work in the field have the most comprehensive understanding of the issues and challenges that they face in providing high-quality care. For this reason, we consult with representatives from relevant disciplines to establish an expert consensus on what constitutes best quality care.

Research and other guidelines

We want our standards to reflect the most up to date published research and guidance on best practice. By incorporating these into our standards we hope that this will in turn help services to ensure they are continuing to maintain the highest level of care.

The first  ACOMHS National Thematic Report (2016-2021) was published in 2022.

What does the report contain?

The report highlights some of the most commonly unmet ACOMHS standards, explores why these are often unmet at the point of peer review and contains recommendations to meet these standards and improve practice in these areas. There are six themes the commonly unmet standards fall into;

  • Patient and Carer Involvement 
  • Carer Support
  • Physical Health 
  • Frequency of Systems in Place 
  • Training and Additional Staffing 
  • Provision of Information

The Project Team have included suggestions for good practice and copies of matrix tools for processes such as recording training. 

Who created the report?

The ACOMHS Project Team have created this report in conjunction with the network’s carer and patient representatives and a group of members who provided insight around the identified themes and good practice in these areas. Responses and discussions around themes are contained within the report and have been incorporated into the recommendations. 

How should the report be used? 

The report can be used by ACOMHS member services who are new to the network, services who are accredited or those who are beginning the process of re-accreditation, to review the commonly unmet standards at the point of peer review and utilise the recommendations and resources provided to support quality improvement in these areas.

For non-members working within or interested in community mental health services, the report can be used as a reflective tool, to invite discussion and generate ideas for improving processes and practices within community mental health services.

We encourage services to share the report and discuss the recommendations with their whole team and colleagues in their wider network. 

If you have any questions about any of the information contained within the National Thematic Report, please contact us.

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