Service Improvement Stories:  Comments on Using the CSIP Workload & Capacity Framework

My involvement with the CSIP Workload & Capacity Framework project has produced surprising results.  As part of a small learning disabilities service within a bigger mental health directorate in Shropshire my initial expectations about being involved in this pilot project were limited, not to say sceptical, nonetheless we signed up and duly met with Nick Adams (CSIP West Midlands Acute Lead) who explained the rationale for this framework.  As it turned out, this was the very framework that we needed to try to explain to our Commissioners and others how the specific needs of profound and multiply impaired clients could impact upon the amount of staff input required and how this could vary from one client to another.  In short, this provides a rational and quantitative tool for describing client's needs in terms of staffing levels - both clinical and non-clinical. 

The project has been very supportive and Nick has made himself readily available to explain, amend and listen.  As a result support, we have structured meetings with Commissioners in order to better explore, quantify and discuss how we can reconcile the commissioning strategy and provider capacity within the local context.  Our Commissioners have proved very receptive to this approach to "intelligent commissioning" and we have established a much better understanding as a result of this support. 

Mary Davies
In-patient Services Manager, Learning Disability Services, Shropshire County PCT

June 2007

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email: nick.adams@wmrdc.org.uk