The 3 Keys Pilot Impact Study – a Co-production Project
Summary
Background
The project has co-production at its heart. Via a series of workshops, we are working
towards developing a pilot study to explore the impact of a co-produced service
improvement intervention based on the principles of the 3 Keys to mental health
assessment (DH, 2008). This document is a good practice publication that was coproduced by service users, cares and clinicians to guide assessment in mental
health. It identifies three areas of good practice in mental health assessment which,
when combined, are more likely to bring positive experiences to mental health
service users and those working with them. The 3 keys are as follows:



Active participation of service users and carers
Multidiscplinary approach
Recognition of strengths, resiliencies and aspirations
This pilot study aims to develop and assess the impact of an intervention based in
the 3 Keys approach. This is very much initially a scoping study as a basis for further
roll-out (subject to future funding).
Aims and objectives
Aim
To pilot a development framework for a co-produced local service improvement
intervention based on the 3 keys approach to assessment in mental health
The principle objectives of the pilot study are



to facilitate the co-production by local staff, service users and carers of a
training intervention based on the 3 Keys approach (described above).
to support implementation of the intervention
to assess its impact from the perspectives of service users, carers and staff
The pilot study will have the further objectives of



Establishing a basis for testing the replicability of the co-production
methodology across different local contexts subject to further funding
Building local capacity among service users, carers and staff to support
ongoing service improvement and sustainability of interventions
Exploring the process of service users and staff acting as co-producers. For
example what infrastructure and staff expertise does this require, what are
the barriers and what is needed for this to be a sustainable approach
across a wider spread of mental health services.
The pilot study is the second phase of a three phase programme



Phase 1 – local modelling
Phase 2 –pilot study
Phase 3 – future development
Further details of the three phases and how they fit together are summarised in the
Figure below.
The pilot study itself (phase 2) is subdivided into four stages, 1) baseline data
collection and community engagement, 2) co-production through the 3 keys
framework of a service improvement intervention, 3) implementation of the
intervention (including data collection), 4) evaluation and analysis (see below)
Progress to date
Initial planning and design meetings began in December 2011 and we have now
completed a number of co-production workshops. These produced a number of
proposals for an intervention that have been explored further using focus groups.
The focus groups suggested that developing processes of peer support might be an
appropriate intervention. However logistically this might go beyond our available
resource.
Currently we are looking at ways of exploring this and ossible alternative
interventions further
The team
Work has been co-ordinated and managed via a core team consisting of
practitioners, service users and academics.
Core Organising team
Lu Duhig – carer and 3 Keys
Bill Fulford – values-based practice and 3 Keys
Julie Hankin - psychiatrist and (at the time) service improvement lead
Joanna Hicks – co-production
Justine Keeble – service user researcher
Martin Hember – EI team member
Nicky Kehoe – EI team member
Service users
A group of 7 service users have been regularly attending and contributing to the
project.
Service providers
Owing to restructuring within AWP, gaining on-going input from a specified team
at AWP has been a challenge. But we now have a well-established relationship
with the EI (Early Intervention) team in Bristol
Funding
The project was initially funded by the Department of Health via the University of
Central Lancashire. In order to continue the project, funding has been gained
from the Laces Trust.
4 facilitated Co-production workshops over a 3 month period
1.Prequel – introduction to co-production and group forming
2.Initiation – agreement on desired intervention, actions for implementation and outcome measures
3.Review – monitor progress against plan
4. Final review and assess outcome
Baseline data collection and community engagement
Phase 3 – future development - would need to seek further funding based on phase 2
Possible full stepped wedge trial across remaining teams
Qualitative evaluation of process and analysis
Phase 1 – local modelling –
Defining the intervention
Initial 2 staff workshops (complete)
SU and carer workshop and co-development workshop
Formation of collaborative core research group with service user forum representative and
carer representative
Pilot study