Self Assessment Tool
The Legislation Programme developed a Self Assessment Tool (the origional 'SAT'), to support organisational governance. It helped organisations providing services under the Act to prepare for a timely and effective implementation of the new legislation.
The SAT enabled providers and commissioning bodies to ‘benchmark’ their systems and processes necessary to support effective implementation of the Act.
The SAT placed particular emphasis on:
- Collection, analysis and use of data to improve services
- Delivery of the Act within an ethical framework
- Engagement of service users in planning, delivery and monitoring
Over seventy organisations used the SAT. Many have taken their results through Board meetings or shared their findings within meetings of their Regional Implementation networks. The Healthcare Commission recognised the self assessments as evidence self assurance for core standards.
The final summary report on returns by NHS mental health service providers using the SAT has now been published. The SAT set out 44 standards, against which organisations were asked to assess themselves as:
- Green – fully meets the standard
- Amber – making progress but further action required
- Red – does not meet the standard
From the 59 returns submitted, the overall traffic light position was:
- Green 51% (1347)
- Amber 33% (861)
- Red 14% (380)
- Blank 2% (52)
Regional leads are working with their local providers on analysing returns and agreeing action plans.
The SAT was used to provide a model for a second version ('ISAT' or Implementation Self Assessment Tool)that focuses specifically on those actions necessary to implement the changes set out in the new legislation.
The final summary report can be downloaded here.