Realising Potential: An Action Plan for Allied Health Professionals in Mental Health

Appendix 1 How we got here: the process

A National AHP Mental Health Action Group (see Appendix 2) was established in January 2009 with membership from NHS boards, professional bodies, service users, carers and education. To engage local services, each NHS board representative was invited to establish local AHP meetings to ensure coordinated service provision and sharing of good practice. Nine NHS boards have set up an integrated local forum.

A national think-tank day was organised for all AHPs in Scotland in September 2009 to debate and focus on the national action plan. This provided evidence of strong support from the AHP community for the work and the change agenda to be progressed.

Scoping visits were completed in 2009 in all 14 NHS boards and the special board providing clinical services. These visits highlighted examples of good practice and the added value of the AHP, but identified the need for greater involvement in prevention, early intervention and the development of a national vision for AHPs.

Focus groups with service users and carers were carried out in December 2009/January 2010 to gain invaluable insights into their experience of AHPs. Quotes from service users are incorporated in the document.

At the end of 2009, exemplars of good practice were sought from the AHP professions in Scotland and the response was very positive. These will be collated and made available as a resource.

The action plan presents a supporting DVD. The DVD links policy to practice through demonstrating service users' lived experience of mental illness and how their stories shape AHPs' practice.

A national conference for service users, carers, professional bodies, AHPs, AHP managers and service managers took place on 24 March 2010, with over 200 participants. Scenes from the DVD and recommendations were shared at the conference.