DWMH NHS Trust
Client Background
Dudley and Walsall Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust aims to deliver high-quality and flexible mental health services to enable people to achieve recovery. The populations of Dudley and Walsall are very diverse, so equality and diversity are central to everything they do. The trust is committed to treating everyone with respect, dignity, fairness and understanding.
Challenge
A patient from a non English speaking community, who had been suffering from a serious and prolonged mental health condition, was in hospital at Dudley and Walsall NHS Trust. Staff and other interpreters were unable to assist, as her aggressive and abusive behaviour would not allow people to engage with her to receive treatment she needed.
Mental health is a level of psychological well being. It is the:
“psychological state of someone who is functioning at a satisfactory level of emotional and behavioural adjustment.”
Mental health is an issue that affects us all, in many different ways. It could be a traumatic incident in childhood has led to trust issues, a stressful job leading to volatile or increased temper or a negative experience leading to a serious dent in confidence. All of this can have a detrimental effect on our mental health
Objective
To ensure patient care and to move the patient from mentally unstable to stable.
Five Star Steps
Five Star Languages has been supporting the NHS for over 35 years providing language services nationally. In partnership with Dudley and Walsall Mental Health, Five Star were brought in and immediately took a bespoke approach; matching a specialist interpreter who had previous mental health experience and was well acquainted with the religious and cultural aspects of the individual. The interpreter, both professional and experienced, was able to:
1) Put the patient at ease by listening to really understand
2) Show patience, empathy and compassion
3) Be respectful of the patients issues and challenges
Our aim is always about supporting the community, from the patient, the organisation, to the interpreter, working towards always feeding back into the community. This success story was only made possible with the trust and confidence built through communication between the service professionals and the interpreter and their willingness to work as a team for the support of the individual
Ameet, Five Star Languages
Latest outcome of effective mental health treatment.
Over extended periods these important steps enabled an open, trusting and effective relationship, where the patient was able to communicate, allowing them to access the professionals she needed to provide appropriate treatment.
With the combined support of her interpreter and service professionals, the communication improved over time and ultimately the individual was discharged home and was able to engage with her wider community.
She is now married with a small child and is in control of her mental wellbeing.
