Table 2 Details of the simulation training courses participants attended
Simulation course | Professions of non-clinical participants | Course overview | Course learning objectives | Example scenario |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Police and ambulance service – mental health awareness | Police officers | This course aims to equip police and ambulance staff with the skills required to support people with mental health needs, as they often present initially to these professions | - Improved confidence, knowledge and skills in recognising, assessing and managing people with mental health conditions - Enhanced understanding of the role of human factors in supporting people with mental health conditions - Increased communication and collaboration skills with multi-disciplinary professionals | A police officer has been called to investigate disturbances at a property reported by a neighbour, where they are required to risk assess someone with suicidal ideation |
Managing mental health situations for non-clinical staff | Administrators | This course aims to support non-clinical staff to develop skills that may help them manage challenging situations in the workplace | - Improved interactions with service users and family members, reflecting on their experiences - Enhanced confidence when communicating with distressed and agitated service users and relatives - Increased understanding of how to manage difficult conversations with colleagues | You receive a phone call from a 30-year-old female known to your team who reports that she is distressed and contemplating suicide |
Primary care navigator skills | Administrators (primary care) | This course aims to support pre-identified non-clinical staff assume the role of primary care navigators to help coordinate patients’ care | - Improved confidence to interact with service users and family members and liaising with professionals - Enhanced confidence when communicating with distressed and agitated service users and carers - Increased ability to empathise with and reflect on service users’ experiences | A carer of his frail elderly mother arrives in the surgery unhappy with the care his mother is receiving, subsequently reporting that he has ‘sacked’ her carers |
Mental health workshop for primary care administrators | Administrators (primary care) | This course aims to develop the skills and understanding required to support people with mental health conditions in primary care | - Improved understanding of human factors in supporting people with mental health needs - Enhanced knowledge and recognition of common mental health conditions - Increased confidence in approaching and providing support to distressed and agitated patients | An elderly patient with dementia has arrived at the surgery confused and worried about where he is and why he is there, as he becomes increasingly anxious |
Mental health awareness for probation officers | Probation officers | This course aims to build probation workers’ ability to working with people experiencing mental health conditions across a variety of situations | - Improved skills to manage difficult situations and engagement with service users - Increased collaboration and communication skills with statutory, community and health services - Enhanced use of human factors skills in supporting people with mental health needs | Home visit to see a 35-year-old male recently released from prison following breach of a suspended sentence order for drunk driving, raising safeguarding concerns relating to his pregnant girlfriend |
Early intervention and prevention in children’s health | Administrators and support workers | This course aims to support those working with young people and families in primary care to intervene early in mental illness and promote wellbeing | - Improved recognition of risks and signs of mental illness in young people - Enhanced confidence in risk assessing and intervening in mental health needs - Increased skills in working with mental and physical health, emotional distress, and families and carers | Tanya, a 15-year-old school girl, is struggling with somatic symptoms and depression related to cyber-bullying noted by her school nurse; however, her mother is dismissive of the problems |
‘Starting the conversation’: end of life care | Support workers and social workers | This course aims to empower health and social care staff to start end of life care conversations and advanced care planning at the right time for patients and families | - Improved communication skills with people with dementia and their carers about sensitive issues - Enhanced knowledge of best practice in having early conversations about end of life decisions and planning - Increased confidence in having these conversations and addressing various needs across the care pathway | Peggy has vascular dementia following a stroke. You are asked to have a planning conversation with Peggy in her home with her main carer and foster daughter Carol |
Perinatal mental health | Social workers | This course aims to bring together professionals from all settings of health and social care that may support mothers, babies and families with mental health needs during the perinatal period | - Improved confidence, knowledge and skills in assessing and managing perinatal mental illness - Greater confidence in undertaking comprehensive risk assessments of perinatal mental illness Enhanced understanding of collaborating with the range of agencies involved in perinatal health | A mother, her baby and partner are on the obstetric ward about medical complications at birth, with the mother becoming increasingly agitated and showing signs of postpartum psychosis |
Opportunistic interventions for alcohol and drugs | Social workers | This course aims to support healthcare staff to provide service users with brief interventions for alcohol and drug use when the opportunity arises | - Improved ability to screen for and identify harmful use of substances - Enhanced ability to deliver a brief intervention in a sensitive and non-judgemental way - Increased knowledge of alcohol and substance abuse, local services and resources | A woman in her 50s has presented to Accident & Emergency with a head laceration and has now been cleared for discharge, the team suspect that she has been intoxicated and screening has indicated hazardous drinking |