I <3 Puzzles

In February of last year I began work with Rajinder Nagra seconded from Barnardo’s to National CAMH’s.  She was scoping a tool, as it was it called then. The tool was to be built online and was to provide a means for commissioners to find out young people’s views on mental health services and specifically what they wanted from them. At some conference or other she had been told about me, beavering away in Leeds and we met at the West Yorkshire Playhouse over lunch.

I can remember looking through the compiled scope and asking a very simple question – do you know what this looks like?

The answer was. No.

I also asked if she wanted cake. The answer to that was yes.

And so we talked some more. And eventually I came to offer a bit of my time to help visualise some of the concepts for the group. Because behind this work was a large group of individuals meeting regularly to bring the project into being. None of which had ever worked in the medium of online service development. I mean, how many really can say they have in the NHS?

I formulated a couple of questions and a design plan.

The questions were:

why would the young people give their views of mental health services to commissioners?

and, in terms of sustainability do you understand the role of the technical team in the service design?

The basis of these questions have come to be fundamental in all my design work and support. Because the answers are straightforward but in asking them they change the focus of understanding of anyone beginning to work with Health and online developments.

In this case the answers were –

because the commissioners will respond with an understanding of the responsibility that they have undertaken by asking these questions. They will use the tool to provide evidence of how they have listened to the views, needs and feelings of the young people and applied them in real world mental health service design.

and, the technical team will come to be an integrated part of the service delivery – they will at procurement, evidence their commitment and skills in service user involvement as part of their technical design offer.  In this case, the understanding of the approved provider was so deep and mental health focused they have taken over the service as a non profit venture – particularly in light of changing NHS landscape.

And so, Puzzled Out is online. I think they’ve done a good job, my involvement was small and whilst it definitely shifted the thinking – the openness to that thinking was already there. I don’t say this lightly, but I’m impressed with what they have done since. Because looking through it, I can see how the basis of ensuring that what is put in by the young people, is rewarded by the commissioners by returning the commitment. It has a good, constant and effective feedback loop. And it’s as close to innovative as I have seen for a National Healthcare project – embedded within the NHS infrastructure but operating independently. No mean feat. As I and many will know.

I hope you can pass on to services, young people and commissioners who will find it effective.

as an addendum – this work was undertaken when the role of the commissioner was defined in a very different way to what it may become. And, I can’t help but feel – the methodology behind this project could prove to be a very effective way to work between service users and commissioners, across the board.