Increasing Access to Work for Longer Term Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) clients: the impact of a work-placement training intervention

ISRCTN	ISRCTN31813289
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN31813289
Protocol serial number	RDC01737
Sponsor	NHS R&D Regional Programme Register - Department of Health (UK)
Funder	NHS Executive London (UK)

Submission date: 23/01/2004
Registration date: 23/01/2004
Last edited: 25/11/2010

Recruitment status: No longer recruiting
Overall study status: Completed
Condition category: Mental and Behavioural Disorders

Prospectively registered

Protocol

Statistical analysis plan

Results

Individual participant data

Plain English summary of protocol

Not provided at time of registration

Contact information

Prof Tom Burns
Scientific

St George's Hospital Medical School
Jenner Wing
Cranmer Terrace
London
SW17 0RE
United Kingdom

Phone	+44 (0)20 8682 6725
Email	tburns@sghms.ac.uk

Study information

Primary study design	Interventional
Study design	Randomised controlled trial
Secondary study design	Randomised controlled trial
Scientific title
Study objectives	Structured daily activity, and paid work in particular, have been shown to have significant impact on the outcome of ensuring psychotic disorders. This study will examine the impact of a dedicated 'work placement co-ordinator' on the access to work opportunities of 1000 patients currently in the care of secondary mental health services in two inner London Boroughs. The intervention will be compared to standard care using random allocation between 10 sector teams. The intervention consists of a training package on work placement for the team members and on-going team access to a vocational counsellor for advice. Outcome will be measured by improvements in individual patient activity at one year. Patient predictors of response to the intervention will be sought. Improvement in work activity is of direct benefit to individual patients in terms of self esteem and in stemming clinical and social deterioration. It has also been shown to reduce carer burden, thereby addressing the NHS's commitment to the needs of families and carers. Work activity may also reduce relapse rate in the longer term and may save on inpatient bed pressure. The establishment of even a small number of patients in paid employment represents enormous savings in social security transfer payments. A simple generalisable model for work placement in the NHS will be developed.
Ethics approval(s)	Not provided at time of registration
Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied	Schizophrenia and other psychoses
Intervention	1. Patients in the intervention group will receive three seminars and information packs covering local employment opportunities over the three succeeding weeks. There is no further scheduled contact of the CMHT with the work co-ordinator but team staff will be encouraged to seek advice on a case by case basis. 2. Control - no intervention i.e. standard care
Intervention type	Other
Primary outcome measure(s)	Outcome will be assessed by recording the vocational status of all study subjects on an individual patient basis at one-year. Vocational status will be measured using 6 categories: 1. Unemployed/inactive 2. Other ata/education related activity 3. Education 4. Sheltered work 5. Voluntary work 6. Open employment. These 6 categories are comprehensive and clearly defined, but not mutually exclusive as part-time occupation is registered. An individual patient may be involved in, for example, education (3) and sheltered work (4) simultaneously. In these cases both activities will be recorded. Where there has been a change in vocational status, duration of employment activity will be recorded, and random interviews will check the accuracy of outcome data. Client attitude and satisfaction will be measured in a sample of patients who obtained work/occupation, concerning their participation in the daily activity. The views of clients who did receive the intervention will be compared to matched case controls of those who returned to work/occupation in the control group.
Key secondary outcome measure(s)	Not provided at time of registration
Completion date	02/05/2001

Eligibility

Participant type(s)	Patient
Age group	Adult
Sex	All
Target sample size at registration	1000
Key inclusion criteria	1. Have been in contact with the CMHT for at least one year 2. Have been out of work/education for at least one year
Key exclusion criteria	1. Men over 65 2. Women over 60
Date of first enrolment	02/05/2000
Date of final enrolment	02/05/2001

Locations

Countries of recruitment

United Kingdom
England

Study participating centre

St George's Hospital Medical School

London
SW17 0RE
United Kingdom

Results and Publications

Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share	No
IPD sharing plan summary	Not provided at time of registration
IPD sharing plan

Study outputs

Output type	Details	Date created	Date added	Peer reviewed?	Patient-facing?
Results article	results	01/08/2003		Yes	No