Psychological therapies and interventions specification: consultation analysis

Glossary

Accessible: information which is accessible should be available in easy read formats, different languages and adjusted to meet different communication needs.

Advocacy: makes sure that people know and better understand their rights, their situation, and systems. Independent advocates help people to speak up for themselves and speak for those who need it. An independent advocate is someone who helps build confidence and empowers people to assert themselves and express their needs, wishes and desires. Collective advocacy happens when groups of people with a shared agenda, identity or experience come together to influence legislation, policy, or services.

Carer: is someone of any age who looks after or supports a family member, partner, friend, or neighbour in need of help because they are ill, frail, have a disability or are vulnerable in some way. A carer does not have to live with the person being cared for and can be unpaid.

Enhanced practice: describes therapies or interventions delivered by staff with additional skills developed through short training courses in psychological interventions and a role to provide them within protected time in their post or role. This workforce will provide psychological assessment and treatments that have proven effectiveness as indicated in the Scottish Psychological Therapies Matrix. Enhanced Practice staff also offer supervision and training to others. For example, cognitive rehabilitation for someone with dementia delivered by a nurse in a social care setting.

Evidence-based therapy: is about combining the professional's skills and judgements with the available research to provide a tailored treatment plan. The effectiveness of treatment is based on scientific evidence with the goal of providing people with treatments that have solid research support for their effectiveness.

Formulation: is a joint effort between the person accessing care and the professional delivering care to summarise the person’s difficulties, to explain why they may be happening and to make sense of them. It may include past difficulties and experiences if these are relevant to the present. It acknowledges the person’s strengths and resources. It also helps the professional to decide how to support the person to feel better and recover by thinking about how the whole system of support can help the person feel better.

Human rights: are based on the principle of respect for the individual and they are the rights and freedoms that belong to every person, at every age. They are set out in international human rights treaties and are enshrined in UK law by the Human Rights Act 1998.

Informed practice: is psychological care delivered by all staff across the health, social care and third sector workforce who are involved in providing care to the public. This workforce will have knowledge and skills in recognising psychological issues. For example, a support worker identifying distress through a trauma-informed conversation with an in-patient who has cancer and informing the ward nurse.

Membership body: is an organisation that allows people or entities to subscribe.

Primary care: provides the first point of contact in the healthcare system, acting as the ‘front door’ of the NHS. Primary care includes general practice, community pharmacy, dental, and optometry (eye health) services.

Professional body: is an organisation with individual members practicing a profession or occupation in which the organisation maintains an oversight of the knowledge, skills, conduct and practice of that profession or occupation.

Protected characteristics: include age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.

Psychological assessment: is the specific tools that are used by appropriately trained staff to assess someone’s mental, cognitive, and psychological health (for example, a cognitive assessment of someone with a learning disability using formal assessment tools).

Psychological therapies and interventions: is the term used for the application of psychological techniques that help people to improve their health by helping them understand their strengths and difficulties, make changes to their thinking, behaviour, and relationships to reduce distress, treat mental health difficulties, and improve wellbeing (for example, a neuropsychological assessment following brain injury which helps guide a treatment plan).

Psychological treatment: is the evidence-based therapies and techniques used to help people with their psychological health and wellbeing.

Public sector: includes organisations that are responsible for providing public services including education, emergency services, healthcare, and housing, and typically have a direct relationship with the Scottish Government or Scottish Parliament

Quality improvement: is about giving the people closest to issues affecting care and quality, the time, permission, skills, and resources they need to solve them. It involves a systematic and coordinated approach to solving a problem using specific methods and tools with the aim of bringing about a measurable improvement.

Secondary care: includes planned or elective care - usually in a hospital; urgent and emergency care, including 999 and 111 services,ambulance services,hospital emergency departments, and out-of-hours GP services; and mental health care.

Skilled practice: is care delivered by staff with additional skills in using psychological approaches and who would generally provide them as part of their routine care. This workforce will have skills to deliver psychologically based education courses and have skills in developing good communication and listening skills. For example, a nurse providing support and education about anxiety and sleep in conversations with adults seen in a general practice.

Social care: includes all forms of personal and practical support for children, young people and adults who need extra support. It describes services and other types of help, including care homes and supporting unpaid carers to help them continue in their caring role.

Specialist practice: is the assessments, treatments and interventions delivered by staff with specific specialist recognised training in psychological theories and therapies as a core remit of their role. This workforce will have formal training in all levels of the Roth and Pilling Competency Framework (2015) with expertise in at least one psychological therapy. Specialist Practice staff also offer supervision and training to others. For example, delivery of trauma focussed Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for people who have a diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and depression. Professionals trained in enhanced and specialist practice also contribute to wider public sector services through education, training, supervision, consultation, research, evaluation, and organisational support.

Tertiary care: is highly specialist treatment, such as: neurosurgery, transplants, plastic surgery, and secure forensic mental health services.

Third sector: this includes voluntary and community organisations (for example, registered charities and other organisations such as associations, self-help groups and community groups, social enterprises).

Trauma-informed practice: is a model that is grounded in and directed by a complete understanding of how trauma exposure affects people's neurological, biological, psychological, and social development. It involves understanding the prevalence and impacts of trauma, recognising when someone may be affected, and responding in ways that does no harm and supports recovery and resilience. Five key principles underlie trauma-informed practice these are: safety, trust, choice, collaboration, and empowerment. Further information and training support for trauma-informed practice is available via the National Trauma Training Programme website.