Safety and Equality in Mental Health Inpatient Services Phase II

The London Safety and Equality in Mental Health Inpatient Services (SEMHIS) Programme is now in its Phase II.  The programme builds on the London Safety in Mental Health Settings project which has been running since 2019. It also connects with the national programme of mental health transformation for inpatient services (Culture of Care programme)  and with the national improvement initiatives linked to the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework and the Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework.

Key achievements in the SEMHIS project over 2024 includes: 

  • A Trauma Informed Approaches Community of Practice for London successfully  launched in March 24  supported by a team of experts by experience and contributors who had been involved in  (SEMHIS) projects in collaboration with Psychological Professions Network (PPN).  

  • SEMHIS Addressing Inequalities workstream delivered a 12-month quality improvement collaborative with at least one inpatient unit from each CSG trust with involvement of Trust QI leads and experts by experience. Addressing Inequalities Conference  took place in July 2024 hosted by South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust  attended by participating London Mental Health Trusts. 

  • SEMHIS Therapeutic Observations Quality Improvement Collaborative - 17 Mental Health Wards across London on Quality Improvement Projects on Enhanced Observations delivering a coproduced training package for participating ward teams. We want to evaluate  the impact of this new approach focused on unstructured engagement activity.   

  • Our LEAG members have developed a tool to measure Co-production success (12 key areas), we've created an online survey and a results template.  

  • Launched London wide Relational Security Facilitators Community of Practice (Sept 24)  

  • We have delivered a leadership programme to 40 ward and divisional level leaders in mental health settings codesigned and co-delivered with lived experience partners and past participants. 

Next phase 2025 

  • Build on the success of SEMHIS and LEAG – support the Culture of Care program, Enhanced Care QI collaborative and advancing mental health equalities programs within London. 

  • Continuing development and strengthening of coproduction with service users, carers and frontline staff – building on our existing lived experience advisory group (LEAG) 

  • Using QI approach and building on existing or emerging good practice within Safety Leadership programme participants in London 

  • Sharing of learning and practice through the continuing development of the Community of Practice – events and comms/newsletter and CSG/FutureNHS site