FOI Request
- Disclosure ID
- FOI 02869
- Request Date
- December 17, 2018
- Subject
- IAPT Services
- Description
Does the local IAPT service policy stipulate that clinicians (low/high intensity workers/telephone triage) should routinely ask clients (or prospective clients) if they have experienced trauma or other adverse life experiences? When trauma is assessed, are structured / standardised tools (eg questionnaire measures) used to assess trauma exposure and post-traumatic symptoms? When trauma is disclosed (at any point in assessment/ treatment), how is it recorded in the clients’ notes? Is there a local policy for a standard way in which this should be recorded? (E.g. description within case notes, inclusion in formulation, trauma questionnaire, ICD code) Is the above information audited at a service level?
- Response
Yes – questions are built in to our triage assessment document (Welcome calls) used by all clinicians when carrying out initial telephone assessment Yes – clinicians use the Impact of Events Scale (IAPT recommended scale for measurement of PTSD), usually by CBT therapists, but occasionally by PWPs to aid accurate assessment. Yes – we use the IAPTUS problem descriptor to indicate that a client meets the criteria for PTSD. We also use other methods built into IAPTUS to let other clinicians know when searching waiting lists that a client has been assessed as having experienced trauma. Formal audit isn’t carried out but, all Welcome calls carried out by PWPs are taken to supervision to ensure the client has been correctly assessed and the most appropriate therapy is being offered. At this point further checking takes place and if necessary an assessment by a CBT therapist may be requested to clarify the nature of the trauma and most appropriate therapy. We have several reports set up on IAPTUS relating to PTSD, so we can assess the proportion of cases coming through, which tends to be 25 – 30 % of our referrals that are allocated for a Step 3 treatment, i.e. CBT or EMDR.