Care Programme Approach
Care Programme
Approach (CPA)
Care Programme Approach
Introduction
This guide aims to make it easier to understand how the Care
Programme Approach (CPA) works and gives you some ideas
for getting the most from your CPA.
Who is CPA for?
Those service users whose care needs require one of the
following:
support from more than one staff member
longer term care
CPA is not required for service users whose care is of relatively
short duration or provided by one professional.
Why have a CPA?
CPA is the way of making sure services are planned, delivered
and reviewed in a co-ordinated way around the needs of our
the mental health service users. It aims to ensure that everyone
supporting a service user knows what helps during the times of
distress and what they need to do to support recovery.
What is a care co-ordinator?
A care co-ordinator is a mental healthcare professional (mental
health nurse, occupational therapist, social worker or
psychologist) who takes overall responsibility for ensuring that
your needs are assessed, your care is planned and those plans
are carried out.
A care plan will be agreed at a CPA review meeting which you
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A guide for patients and carers
will be invited to. Your care co-ordinator should work with you
in drawing up the plans and should ensure you are provided
with a copy of your care plan.
What is the CPA?
The four main elements of the CPA are:
1. An assessment of your
mental and physical health and social care needs
safety and risk issues
2. A care co-ordinator is appointed to keep in close
contact with the service user, carer(s) and other
professionals who contribute to the CPA and who will
monitor and co-ordinate care.
3. A written care plan. This is a document that has
identified the mental and physical health needs and social
care support required to meet those needs. It should be
(preferably) jointly agreed with members of the multi-
disciplinary team, the GP, the service user, any carer(s) and
other relevant agencies.
4. Regular review and monitoring of the service user’s
needs and their progress against the care plan with agreed
changes where necessary.
How does the CPA work?
CPA is a process for identifying what your health and social
needs are and arranging the best way of meeting them.
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Care Programme Approach
The aim of this is to make sure you do not lose contact with
professionals and that your care is properly planned and
co-ordinated.
Sometimes this will involve meetings with all the professionals
and people who support you. Other times it will mean having
contact with your care co-ordinator.
What is a CPA review meeting?
At least once every six months your care co-ordinator will
arrange a CPA review meeting to discuss your needs and draw
up or review your care plan. This may include inviting all the
people involved in your care to meet together with you to
agree your care.
However if you do not feel comfortable with this, you may
request your care co-ordinator to arrange a smaller meeting.
Your care co-ordinator can then have a conversation with any
other people involved in your care before the meeting and
bring their views along.
Prepare for the review by thinking about:
what are the difficulties you are having at the moment
the type of things you find supportive and would like in
your care plan
the support that would help if you were in a crisis
whether you would like to make an advance statement (see
page 7)
identify what is going well
list the things you would like to talk about or the questions
you would like to ask.
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A guide for patients and carers
What should be in a care plan:
the details for all those involved in your care
contact details of your care co-ordinator and who to contact
out of office hours
the arrangements for your mental health care including,
where appropriate, any prescription medication or talking
treatments
the arrangements for your physical health care and who will
provide it
the factors that might indicate you are becoming unwell and
what to do if they should occur
an assessment of your safety needs and the best way to
manage them (this may include risks to your safety or the
safety of others as well as the risks of disengaging from
treatment)
The care plan should include plans to address any other needs
you have including possibly:
accommodation
employment
education or training
income
social and leisure
parenting and family
culture and faith
gender or sexuality
The care plan should also include the date of the next CPA
review.
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Care Programme Approach
Who makes decisions?
Decisions at CPA review should be made jointly. Where
agreement cannot be reached, the person chairing the
meeting may have the final say. The chair is usually your care
co-ordinator or psychiatrist.
Advocacy
You may wish to have an advocate accompany you to help you
say what you need to say or speak on your behalf. An advocate
may be a member of your family or a friend or you may wish
to have an independent person who works as an advocate.
Your care co-ordinator or a member of staff can advise you
how to contact your local advocacy service.
What happens if things change?
First of all you need to discuss the changes with your care co-
ordinator, and then at your next CPA review meeting.
Depending on the nature of the change, your care plan may be
altered or your need for CPA changed.
What if I no longer require CPA?
Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust is committed to
providing high quality care to all its patients whether they
require CPA or not. Not requiring CPA usually means your care
can be provided by one professional or may be of relatively
short duration.
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A guide for patients and carers
What happens if I am in hospital?
If you are not already on CPA you will be placed on it while
you are in hospital. A CPA meeting should take place before
you are discharged from hospital. CPA will be continued after
your discharge from hospital if it is thought to be necessary.
Where does my carer fit into all of this?
With your agreement carers should be invited to CPA review
meetings including those prior to discharge from hospital.
They should also receive a copy of the care plan.
Where a carer provides support they are entitled to an
assessment of their own health and social needs and a care
plan to address those needs.
What is an advance statement?
This is a statement made in advance to say how you would like
to be treated should you become ill. It should be recorded on
your care plan if you have made one and say where the
statement can be found.
What if I have more questions?
Your care co-ordinator should be able to help if you need any
further information.
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Care Programme Approach
Concerns and complaints
We aim to provide you with a high quality service at all times.
However, if you have any concerns, complaints or comments
about your experience of our service then please tell a
member of the team or contact the PALS and complaints
team on the freephone 0800 328 7971.
Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust
Trust Headquarters
Warneford Hospital
Warneford Lane
Headington
Oxford
OX3 7JX
Switchboard 01865 901 000
Email enquiries@[Link]
Website [Link]
This service is provided by our Adult Directorate.
AM 010.14
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