THE TRIANGLE OF CARE - Carers Included: A Best Practice Guide in Acute Mental Health Care was launched at a reception in the House of Commons on July 28th. 

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

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 service users, 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 extensive resources to help people working with carers to involve them more effectively in acute care services. Its implication will greatly benefit staff, service users and carers themselves.

Over 1.5 million people care for someone with a mental illness in the UK. Carers are increasingly being recognised as vital partners in the provision of mental health and social care services. The publication has been welcomed by Care Services Minister Paul Burstow.

Carole Cochrane the Chief executive of The Princess Royal Trust for Carers commented:

"We welcome the Triangle of Care guide as an innovative way for staff working in psychiatric wards and acute care settings to work better with service users and their carers. Sadly, too often we see  carers’ own expertise being ignored by professionals, or carers being left unsupported in their caring role’ “In these uncertain economic times, staff must recognise the values of working in partnership with carers. We believe that this guide will help staff to develop and maintain respectful working relationships with carers, which will ultimately benefit everyone.”

With the increasing transfer of care from hospital to home settings the role played by carers is becoming more central. It is widely acknowledged that the work of carers saves the country around £87 billion pounds every year.

Paul Rooney, the National Acute Care programme Lead commented:

"Carers’ involvement can be essential to the treatment and recovery process when someone is in an acute episode. They are often integral to a service user’s support system and crucially, know how the person is when they are well, which is why it is so important that they are meaningfully involved, consulted and supported through care-planning and treatment".

The Triangle of Care is one of the practical outputs of the Acute Care Declaration. The Acute Care Declaration, launched in June 2009, is a call to action for key partners, providers and commissioners to work to ensure that “people with mental health problems, who are acutely ill, receive the services they need at the time of their greatest vulnerability”.  The Declaration is supported and endorsed by the NHS Confederation Mental Health Network, The Royal College of Nursing, The Royal College of Psychiatrists, The National Patient Safety Agency, Rethink and the Centre for Mental Health (formally The Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health). 

The Princess Royal Trust for Carers is the largest independent provider of carers support services, and continues to work tirelessly through their affiliated network, to ensure carers are recognised and offered appropriate support. You can find out more about their work at www.carers.org.uk

The full Triangle of Care pdf, including useful resources and best practice examples is available to download here.

Further examples of best practice can be found on this website by searching the tag cloud using the tag words triangle of care  or  best practice.