For a long time neonatal care has had one significant difference from it's sisters in maternity and paediatric services; the absence of families from the care-giving area. There’s a long history of how this has come about, some evidence about infection prevention being the main rationale being given, but the fact is that it’s about control and power. In maternity services the control and the power is rarely removed from the mother. She will deliver her baby and largely remain the primary care-giver for that baby forthe first few months. In paediatrics the parents have established control and the power. For children with chronic illness or disease the parents usually hold more information, skill and expertise than the health care providers s ...

NaomiI joined the world of healthcare as a therapeutic radiographer in 2000 and this was the beginning of my passion for creating better services for patients and their families. From my first attempts of just trying to ‘make things better’, I have studied quality improvement as part of patient safety officer training and post-graduate leadership qualifications. I’ve applied my knowledge, skills and experience in various sectors of healthcare, predominantly in radiology services and patient pathways which pass through diagnostic services (a lot!). I am currently a QI Practice Manager, developing ways of working and training opportunities.  I’m a proud AHP and advocate of expanding the possibilities of each profession. I co-developed AHP fut ...

Values-based practice (VBP) is a set of skills, principles and knowledge. VBP has been a key part of the changes to training in adult mental health, particularly in the recovery programme and person-centred care. VBP gives a structure to the practice of shared decision making, in particular, the need to consider both values and evidence when engaged in making decisions with children, young people, carers and the wider system.Values are about what matters or is important to us. The Report of the Commission for Values-based CAMHS describes what people really want from services (RCPsych 2016).In clinical encounters, children, young people and parents wanted better relationships that were more collaborative, non-judgemental and focused on self- ...