Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework (PCREF)

The Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework (PCREF) Framework

PCREF – Forward Thinking Birmingham: Culturally Informed; Codesigned; YOU in Mind.

As NHS England's first anti-racism framework, the Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework (PCREF) has been designed to support NHS Mental Health Trusts and Service Providers, like us to improve services for people from diverse ethnic, racial and cultural backgrounds.

This brings much needed change to mental health care delivery and design for Children, Young People and Carers in our culturally rich city Birmingham.

NHS England » Patient and carer race equality framework

We welcome its introduction, having already made a commitment to reduce racial inequalities within BWC’s Health Inequalities Strategy. Our aim will be to drive forward transformational change, with sustainable roots; shifting cultures, perceptions and beliefs to create equitable systems at the foundation of care we deliver.

We have responded to the PCREF call to action, making the commitment to listen to, learn from and work with the Communities in Birmingham. There is also real commitment, from staff, at every level, across the Mental Health Division, to reduce racial inequalities, improve access, enhance the care journey and improve treatment outcomes for children, young people, families and carers. Change may well be overdue, but it is on the way

*Lyrics and music by Eudina J. Click the link to see the full video

What are the main features of the PCREF and priorities of the Mental Health Division?

Across the country, racialised communities frequently report a number of consistent barriers within mental health services. However, we recognize that racialised and ethnically and culturally diverse communities are not homogenous groups and have very different experiences in relation to mental health services. We aim to proactively explore these experiences in order to address inequalities, using the PCREF (borne out of the NHS England Advancing Mental Health Equalities Strategy), outlining core actions needed to bridge the gaps for communities.

Like many other Mental Health providers, we are examining service data about the children, young people and families/carers who access our service, as well as those who do not. The aim is to critically assess levels of access to care, experiences of treatment and treatment outcomes across the recorded ethnicities.

The PCREF is split into three core components:

Part 1: Legislative and regulatory obligations (Leadership and Governance)
Part 2: National Organisational Competencies
Part 3: The Patient and Carers Feedback Mechanism

PCREF diagram

Our Trust board will lead on establishing and monitoring plans of action to reduce health inequalities. The organisational competencies (Cultural awareness, Staff knowledge and awareness, Partnership working, Co-production, Workforce and Co-learning) support treatment pathways and specialist services to co-develop, innovation and improvement plans to address the needs of the minoritised children, young people and families. The PCREF supports the workforce in general to continue conversations about race and inequalities within Mental Health needs/care in Birmingham but, more importantly supports action within systems and adaptations within therapeutic approaches to address inequalities we see.

What does PCREF mean in practice?

Service users from racialised communities (and their families and carers) should feel more involved with the organisation, and see opportunities to work in partnership to develop and review local PCREF plans. They will also feel that their voice is being heard, including with the Trust Board of Directors.

Service users and patients will know that their experience is being listened to as the organisation will regularly look at data and review their feedback to help make continual improvements to services. They will know how to give feedback, and will feel comfortable and confident to do so.

Services and treatment will be better tailored to the needs of the community, improving access to evidence-based treatment in a way that is equitable, improving the overall treatment journey and overall outcomes. Most importantly we want Children, young people and Families/carers to feel confident that this service is culturally competent enough to meet their diverse needs.

The PCREF has three key aspects:

Leadership and governance

Our Trust board will lead on establishing and monitoring plans of action to reduce health inequalities.

Data

New data on improvements in reducing health inequalities will be published, as well as details on ethnicity in all existing data we collect.

Feedback

There will be visible and effective ways for our patients and carers to feedback (and feel comfortable and confident to do so), as well as clear processes to act and report on that feedback.

We recognise that people have different experiences depending on their race and background. We are more open about having conversations about race and inequalities, and will be working hard to come up with solutions to address racism and racial inequality.

Who is leading on developing the PCREF this service?

The leads of the oversight group leading the implementation of the PCREF for Children, Young People and Families/Carers are:

Dr Sheryllin McNeil, Consultant Clinical Psychologist. She is a member of the Health Inequalities Board BWC and Lead for PCREF in the Mental Health Division.

Dr Anne Crawford-Docherty, Divisional Director of Psychological Therapies - BWC MH Division

Nina Barbosa, Mental Health – Governance Lead and Co-Chair of BWC Inclusion, Diversity and Equality Group IDEA

Sapphia Edwards, PCREF Governance Facilitator

To contact the team email: bwc.pcref@nhs.net

Who else does it involve?

The PCREF is best embedded in partnership with local services, including community and voluntary organisations, patients, service users, carers and families. Our aim is to make sure we work together with diverse and minoritised communities to ensure we understand their needs and we are able to make the PCREF relevant to the communities we serve.

In order to do this, we are partnering and preparing to work with various Community, Academic and Mental Health organisations:

· Birmingham and Solihull PCREF team and Partners

· Acacia Acacia Family Support | Prenatal Depression and Postnatal Depression Support Services | Birmingham

· Association of Jamaican Nationals Association of Jamaican Nationals (Birmingham) UK – Charity, Jamaican Nationals, Charity, Nonprofit (ajn-birmingham.org)

· Birmingham Mind

· Catalyst4change BME Mental Health | West Midlands Hub | CATALYST 4 Change

· Nishkam Healthcare Trust Nishkam Healthcare Trust

· The Refugee and Migrant Centre

· University of Birmingham

· University of Warwick

PCREF news

Getting involved and sharing your experience

The PCREF was not designed to be delivered for you, but with you. So we’d like to invite you, our service users, carers, families, community and voluntary organisations, governors to share your ideas, experiences and thoughts on the PCREF and how you feel it should be implemented to make a difference to the experience of care for racialised groups.

We know that some may feel more comfortable sharing information, without disclosing who they are so an anonymous form has been created below.

Look out for further updates on this page, as the framework unfolds across the service, as well as updates on how we have used, learned from your feedback.

Share your experience and views anonymously