NSFT – A Warning from History: “Assertive Outreach was simply airbrushed out”

259 Comments / Campaigning, Community Crisis, Dangerous, NSFT - A Warning from History, NSFT Cuts, Press, Questions for the Board / By

Pinocchio Muppet

NSFT claims to the EDP:

Has the trust taken on board the concerns about the scrapping of the Assertive Outreach Team? If so what has been done?

“Following the integration of the assertive outreach function into our adult community teams we constantly review how best we can support those who have severe and enduring mental health problems.

“This has seen the introduction of the Flexible Assertive Community Treatment model (FACT) in our community services, which allows teams on the ground to increase, within hours, the support a patient receives if they appear to be escalating, to avoid a crisis and need for an admission.”

A former senior clinician at Norfolk & Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust responds:

The Assertive Outreach Team (AOT)

It is factually incorrect to suggest this function was integrated into community teams. The AOT was simply airbrushed out.

If you check the minutes of the Central Locality Management Meeting in the summer of 2012, I raised concerns that the transition plan had simply failed to mention the AOT at all. I pointed out the fact we would be in breach of the National Service Framework for the prevention of suicide risk not to have it as a minimum as functioning within a community team.

People from the AOT had made presentations and representations to those responsible, there was no reason why those responsible for changes were not aware of the risks they were running in simply abolishing this provision. I was advised to discuss my concerns at the clinical governance meeting that same day. I did but despite assurances the service was simply dismantled gradually by redeploying the staff elsewhere.

At no time was the AOT function integrated properly into existing community teams. Further the report points published by the EDP makes it clear that the FACT model as implemented is not going to meet the needs of AOT clients since it requires that the patients need to be escalating their behaviour and at risk of admission to enable additional support – AO should be aimed at severely unwell people who are under the radar, so to speak, to prevent and reduce the risks of escalation, what is actually described is more like a crisis intervention.

259 thoughts on “NSFT – A Warning from History: “Assertive Outreach was simply airbrushed out””

  1. meshugana

    It is only too obvious to the SUs and carers who used to receive support from the Assertive Outreach teams that they were dismantled, airbrushed out, and without informing those who depended on it.. Support now seems to be available only at times of impending or actual crisis. Carers have been forgotten. The Trinagle of Care will not reach the majority of carers who used to be a natural extention of the AOT.

  2. Terry skyrme

    I worked for the City Assertive Outreach Team for 4 years, then called the Intensive Support Team; it was a fantastic experience with superb team work, a true multidisciplinary team. The truth is NSFT began to run it down as soon as they became a Foundation Trust and the business model came to dominate. It was then easy to close it down completely without any regard for patients or their families once the radical redesign was introduced. Do people remember that the Trust claimed they were “enhancing” community services! Much rather they be honest and say we are cutting the service to the homeless and severely mentally ill because the government has cut our funding. We are going to hear the same kind of deceptive, euphemistic language when the next £36 million cuts are brought in. We should all join the fight to oppose these cuts. Our Campaign meetings are advertised on our website; all supporters welcome.

  3. gate io para nas?l yat?r?l?r

    Thank you very much for sharing. Your article was very helpful for me to build a paper on gate.io. After reading your article, I think the idea is very good and the creative techniques are also very innovative. However, I have some different opinions, and I will continue to follow your reply.

  4. gate io

    I may need your help. I’ve been doing research on gate io recently, and I’ve tried a lot of different things. Later, I read your article, and I think your way of writing has given me some innovative ideas, thank you very much.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top