The Clackmannanshire Integrated Mental Health Service (IMH), a joint partnership between NHS Forth Valley and Clackmannanshire Council, has retained Customer Service Excellence accreditation following a recent inspection.

The assessor was again impressed with the strong joint working arrangements the service has in place with other providers and partners, and also the high level of consultation and engagement that has led to further improvements and choices for service users.

The inspection report describes the whole concept of an integrated mental health service, together with the commitment of all in IMH, is impressive and delivers a service that provides a model of excellence. The assessor was impressed with all they witnessed and felt several aspects are worthy of highlighting. The report says that there is justified pride exuded by all in service delivery and the customer is at the heart of all the arrangements. Customer engagement is extensive and several outcomes are prominent, including flexibility of service provision to suit needs and preferences, and greater provision of choice.

The assessor reported that several processes are also worthy of note, which include Stress Control developments, Single Pathway Referrals and communication through the Annual Report. The report states that overall retention of CSE accreditation is richly deserved with four elements of compliance plus being retained and two new identified. Compliance plus is awarded where the assessor feels there is something that stands out, promotes good practice and could be used by other services.

Cllr Les Sharp, Convener of Health, Housing and Care said: “It is great to see the inspectors acknowledging and praising the hard work that the dedicated staff in the Integrated Mental Health team have put in to deliver this important service to our residents. The health and wellbeing of our community is an important priority. It is clear from the report that the team put the experience of their customers at the heart of the service, and I congratulate them on this achievement.”

Kathy O’Neill, NHS Forth Valley’s General Manager for Community Health Services, said: “We are delighted that the Service has retained this important accreditation. This is down to the hard work of the entire team who are committed to improving the care and treatment available to local people across Clackmannanshire.”