About the network

The Quality Network for Older Adults Mental Health Services, (previously AIMS-OP), works with inpatient services.

We help them to improve the quality of the care they provide through peer review and accreditation processes.

We use a process of peer and self-review to support our members in improving the quality of their services.

We review them against standards for older age wards (4th edition) which are a framework to assess the quality of services.

We offer a variety of membership options including both developmental options and accreditation.

All membership options include:

  • A report specific to your ward
  • The opportunity to be a peer reviewer on organised visits to other services
  • Reduced rates at our Annual Forum and Special Interests Days
  • Annual report of how members are meeting the standards
  • Regular newsletters of what innovative practice is happening in other older age services
  • Being part of the email discussion group

We offer a variety of membership options:

Developmental

This membership’s best for:

  • Services who want to focus on the specific areas of the standards that are most useful to them
  • New members of the network who’ve not had experience with the standards before
  • Services who feel unable to go through the accreditation process
  • Services who want to prepare for accreditation in the future

What’s involved?

  • You’ll self-review your service against the standards over a three month period
  • A peer review team will visit your service for one day and help you identify your areas of achievements and ways to improve your service
  • You’ll receive a report of finds from the review day

How much is it?

£2000 + VAT per year

Accreditation

This membership’s best for:

  • Services who meet a set standard to achieve accreditation

What’s involved?

  • You’ll self-review your service against the standards over a three month period. This will include completion of patient, carer, staff and referred questionnaires and a health record audit
  • You’ll self-review your service against the standards over a three month period. This will include completion of patient, carer, staff and referral/partner agency questionnaires and a health record audit
  • Your draft report will be discussed by the accreditation committee who will decide if your service can be accredited
  • Once awarded, accreditation lasts up to three years subject to terms and conditions

How much is it?

£2310 + VAT per year

Associate

This membership’s best for:

  • Services who want to take advantage of the benefits of membership but may have financial constraints
  • Services undergoing reconfiguration or have a mixed function
  • Services outside of the UK

What’s involved?

You’ll complete a self-review against the standards. You’ll then receive an individualised report based on your reported performance against standards, benchmarking data and action planning templates.

How much is it?

£500 + VAT per year (membership option is available for one year only as preparation for developmental membership).

Please complete and return our joining form.

If you have any questions about Quality Network for Older Adults Mental Health Services please contact the Project Team:

Sarah Paget
Programme Manager
Email: sarah.paget@rcpsych.ac.uk
Tel: 020 3701 2675

Rob Low
Project Worker
Email: robert.low@rcpsych.ac.uk
Tel: 020 3701 2679

Get in contact to receive further information regarding a career in psychiatry