Community meetings at the Coborn Centre
With Richard Vivian (Lead Nurse) and Ceinwen Rikkers (People Participation Worker)
The Coborn centre have been part of the Patient safety and Observation programme. As well as testing change ideas to improve patient safety and therapeutic observations, they have been implementing the Safety Bundle. One aspect of this bundle is the Community Meeting. We spoke to Richard Vivian (Lead Nurse & Service Manager) and Ceinwen Rikkers (People Participation Worker) to find out more about Community Meetings at the Coborn Centre.
What are Community Meetings?
Community meetings are a space for young people and staff to talk about ward related matters. Topics are agreed and discussed on each meeting. These vary around what is going well, not so well, and things that need actioning. Safety is an important part of these discussions. Staff and young people engage in discussions related to what it means to feel safe.
How often are they held?
These are routinely held twice a week on each ward. In serious situations, such as instances of violence or contraband on the ward, then an additional meeting will be arranged, where support will be called upon by the the whole of the senior MDT.
Who attends?
Our Community meetings are well attended, and have been part of the ward routine since Coborn opened. All available staff and young people are expected to take part. Involvement of young people in community meetings is essential. They often take the role of co-chairing or taking minutes.
Why are they held and how do these contribute to ensuring safety?
Community meetings provide a therapeutic space for young people to talk about things that are concerning them. Encouraging them to bring things that worry them to the meeting gives us an opportunity to deal with potential problems there and then, before they escalate. We have also found that young people really benefit from hearing about the impact that their behaviour may have on others, as well as enabling them to identify and respond to the feelings of others. For staff, it is an effective way for staff to quickly become aware of what is occurring on the ward.
Community meetings continue to be an important part of ensuring safety on the ward. We regularly review how our meetings are organised, to ensure this continues.
