Quality standard

Quality statement 7: Staff supervision

Quality statement 7: Staff supervision

Quality statement

Mental health professionals supporting people with borderline or antisocial personality disorder have an agreed level and frequency of supervision.

Rationale

Some mental health professionals may find working with people with borderline or antisocial personality disorder challenging. People with personality disorder can experience difficulties in communication, building trusting relationships and respecting boundaries. This can be stressful for staff and may sometimes result in negative attitudes. Mental health professionals have a varied remit when supporting people with borderline or antisocial personality disorder. This means that the level and frequency of support and supervision that mental health professionals receive from their managers needs to be tailored to their role and individual needs.

Quality measures

The following measures can be used to assess the quality of care or service provision specified in the statement. They are examples of how the statement can be measured, and can be adapted and used flexibly.

Structure

a) Evidence of local arrangements to ensure that mental health professionals supporting people with borderline or antisocial personality disorder have an agreed level and frequency of supervision.

Data source: Data can be collected from information recorded locally by healthcare professionals and provider organisations.

b) Evidence of local arrangements to ensure that the level and frequency of supervision of mental health professionals supporting people with borderline or antisocial personality disorder is monitored.

Data source: Data can be collected from information recorded locally by healthcare professionals and provider organisations, for example from care protocols.

Process

Proportion of mental health professionals supporting people with borderline or antisocial personality disorder who have an agreed level and frequency of supervision.

Nominator – number in the denominator who have an agreed level and frequency of supervision.

Denominator – number of mental health professionals supporting people with borderline or antisocial personality disorder.

Data source: Data can be collected from information recorded locally by healthcare professionals and provider organisations, for example from patient records.

Outcome

a) Staff retention among mental health professionals.

Data source: Data can be collected from information recorded locally by healthcare professionals and provider organisations, for example from staff employment records.

b) Job satisfaction among mental health professionals.

Data source: NHS Outcomes Framework and NHS Staff Survey.

What the quality statement means for different audiences

Service providers (mental health trusts) ensure that mental health professionals supporting people with borderline or antisocial personality disorder have an agreed level and frequency of supervision with their managers. This is recorded and reflects the individual professional's needs.

Mental health professionals supporting people with borderline or antisocial personality disorder have an agreed level and frequency of supervision with their managers. This is recorded and reflects the individual professional's needs.

Commissioners commission services that ensure that mental health professionals supporting people with borderline or antisocial personality disorder have an agreed level and frequency of supervision with their managers. This is recorded and reflects the individual professional's needs.

People with borderline or antisocial personality disorder are supported by mental health professionals who are supervised by their managers to make sure they provide a good level of care.

Definitions of terms used in this quality statement

Staff supervision

Staff supervision can be focused on monitoring performance, supporting the individual professional or a mix of both these objectives. Staff supervision should:

  • make use of direct observation (for example, recordings of sessions) and routine outcome measures

  • support adherence to the specific intervention

  • promote general therapeutic consistency and reliability

  • counter negative attitudes among staff.

[Adapted from NICE's guideline on antisocial personality disorder]