The Integrated Trigger Tool

The tool is based on a bespoke set of core indicators, carefully selected with significant input from senior operational and clinical mental health experts, to help concisely describe a particular situation relating to care at your Trust. The indicators are grouped into four domains reflecting different areas of care quality:

1. People — Staffing:

Appropriate staffing plays a huge role in the delivery of safe and effective care. This goes beyond overall numbers and incorporates the knowledge, skills, experience, and mix of staff required to look after frequently complex and challenging patients.

2. People — Service Users:

People should have a positive experience of care, which should be responsive to a patient’s personal needs.

3. Care and Treatment:

Services should, as far as possible, be based on evidence-based and nationally agreed best practice which ensures care is delivered in a safe environment and that patients are protected against abuse and improper treatment.

4. Harms:

Service users should not be exposed to any unnecessary risks during their treatment, or harmed by the care which they receive.

The data used to populate the tool is requested for a statistically meaningful period of time, to not only describe the current situation but also monitor changes over time and assess whether a particular area is improving, deteriorating or remaining stable.

Users of the tool will be able to see at a glance the current and historic performance level of any service, ward or team, which of these are outliers, and any significant changes over time. Detailed commentary and observations are also provided against each of the indicators and domains to aid context and interpretation. Access to the tool is web-based, with access being granted to the secure website via a password-protected lock screen to an approved set of users.

Trigger Tool End User Platform

The outputs of the tool (charts, tables, and commentary) can be downloaded as a report in a PDF format, suitable for use at a Board, Committee, or at a local quality/safety huddle.

The tool allows ‘Touch Of a Button’ insights which can be triangulated with other intelligence:

Our Extensive and Rounded Credentials

Niche offers a unique blend of the most senior mental health investigatory professionals in the country combined with top-level data science tools and techniques honed by delivering analytical solutions in mental health for the last three decades.

• We have been the leading suppliers of independent mental health homicide investigations for the last decade. We have a wealth of knowledge on what works well and how to spot early warning signals when care may be compromised. We have delivered over 150 high-profile mental health care and treatment reviews and so our knowledge of the mental health system is unparalleled.
• Mental health modelling and data analytics are our core expertise. We have delivered modelling-led assignments across all mental health care pathways ranging from individual services within trusts to whole system ICB projects.
• We have delivered ‘deep dives’ into very high-profile mental health services recently using techniques outlined here. These involve utilising our investigatory and data science teams in comprehensive, intelligence-led, and sensitive cases with successful engagement being made between multiple parties.

Next Steps

We would be delighted to have a detailed conversation with you to understand your needs and how we could help. We could show you the work we have undertaken elsewhere, appropriately anonymised, to give you a sense of our approach and how we could work together to improve mental health safety within your services.