Quality standard

Quality statement 3: Involving carers in care planning

Quality statement 3: Involving carers in care planning

Quality statement

Carers of adults with bipolar disorder are involved in care planning, decision making and information sharing about the person as agreed in the care plan.

Rationale

Carers of people with bipolar disorder should be involved at every stage of care provision if the person with bipolar disorder agrees to it. It is particularly important for adults with bipolar disorder and their carers to plan for periods of crisis during times of wellbeing. Adults with bipolar disorder should be encouraged to make advance statements specifying who should receive information and who should make decisions on their behalf if they are unable to.

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

Evidence of local arrangements to ensure that carers are involved in care planning, decision‑making and information sharing about the adult with bipolar disorder as agreed in the care plan.

Data source: No routinely collected national data for this measure has been identified. Data can be collected from information recorded locally by healthcare professionals and provider organisations, for example audit of local policies and procedures.

Process

a) Proportion of adults with bipolar disorder whose care plan includes statements on information sharing with carers.

Numerator – the number in the denominator whose care plan includes statements on information sharing with carers.

Denominator – the number of adults with bipolar disorder with an identified carer.

Data source: No routinely collected national data for this measure has been identified. Data can be collected from information recorded locally by healthcare professionals and provider organisations, for example from care plans.

b) Proportion of adults with bipolar disorder whose care plan includes statements on decision‑making by carers.

Numerator – the number in the denominator whose care plan includes statements on decision‑making by carers.

Denominator – the number of adults with bipolar disorder with an identified carer.

Data source: No routinely collected national data for this measure has been identified. Data can be collected from information recorded locally by healthcare professionals and provider organisations, for example from care plans.

Outcome

Carers' satisfaction with services.

Data source: NHS Digital Personal social services survey of adult carers in England.

What the quality statement means for different audiences

Service providers (such as community health services and mental health services) ensure that systems are in place for carers of adults with bipolar disorder to be involved in care planning, decision‑making and information sharing about the adult with bipolar disorder as agreed within the care plan.

Health and social care practitioners ensure that they are aware of the role of carers and involve them in care planning, decision‑making and information sharing about the adult with bipolar disorder as agreed within the care plan.

Commissioners ensure that local arrangements are in place to encourage adults with bipolar disorder to make advanced statements within their care plans on involving carers in care planning, decision‑making and information sharing about them.

Carers of adults with bipolar disorder (who may be family members, partners or friends) are involved in care planning, decision‑making and information sharing about the adult with bipolar disorder, which should be agreed with the person and included in their care plan. This is particularly important at the time of crisis when information should be given to carers who may need to make decisions on behalf of the adult with bipolar disorder if they are unable to.

Source guidance

Definitions of terms used in this quality statement

Carers

People who provide unpaid support to a partner, family member, friend or neighbour who is ill, struggling or disabled. [NICE's guideline on bipolar disorder, terms used in this guideline]

Equality and diversity considerations

The workforce across agencies should, as far as possible, reflect the local community. Health and social care practitioners should have training to ensure that they have a good understanding of the culture of families they are working with. Interpreters should be provided if no practitioner is available who speaks a language in which the carers can communicate easily.