Lousia Ovington independent investigation report ... - NHS North East

The policy changes were driven by the roll out of new services and the joint working
arrangements which were being established at a period when mental health services
were undergoing possibly the biggest change since the closure of the asylums in
the 1970s and 1980s. The policies defined quite clearly how the new teams should
operate.
The investigation panel has been able to obtain from several mental health providers
copies of their policy and procedure documentation. The ability to gather all the
policies which would have been in place during Louisa Ovington’s passage through the
services was impeded by the frequent organisational changes which had taken place.
Many of the original policies could not be retrieved and had been replaced by new
ones written for the new trusts.
The following have been provided:
CHAPTER 7 – PROVISION OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
• Newcastle City Health Trust – CPA policy (August 1997).
• Newcastle City Health Trust – Observation policy and guidelines (October 1996).
• Joint policy and procedures for Hartlepool & East Durham NHS Trust and
Hartlepool Social Services – CPA (May 1997).
• Hartlepool Community Care NHS Trust – CPA (Undated).
• Tees and North East Yorkshire NHS Trust – Care co-ordination (December 2000).
• Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust – Cleveland Diversion Team
(July 2009).
• Tees and North East Yorkshire NHS Trust & Durham Social Services – Easington
CMHT (Undated).
• Easington assertive outreach team (Undated).
• Easington crisis resolution service (Working Draft 1January 2004).
• County Durham and Darlington Public Protection strategy (Undated).
Although it was not possible to track down all the policies the panel was generally
satisfied with the explanation that was given regarding the merging of policies as a
result of organisational change. (The only one outstanding which the panel would
have been interested to look at was that which outlined arrangements for risk
management, but no copies were submitted for our consideration).
As mentioned elsewhere in this report, the CPA is central to ensuring that care is
effectively provided and coordinated and that it reaches the people in the right place
with the right intervention at the right time.
CPA policies appear to have been in place in the relevant areas at the appropriate
times. Each area had the services of a CPA manager who was charged with the
responsibility of ensuring that CPA was delivered throughout the local mental health
services in accordance with Department of Health guidelines.
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