When someone is referred to our mental health services they will be assessed by a member of our staff. Following assessment and taking into account their individual needs we will decide on an appropriate care cluster for that person and this will then determine their pathway of care.
Care clusters
Care clusters are a framework for planning and organising mental health services and the care and support that can be provided for individuals.
In mental health there are 21 clusters that cover a range of diagnosis and needs. Each person will be assessed based on their symptoms and individual need.
Nationally in mental health clustering, the presentations are broadly categorised into:
- Emotional difficulties – for example depression, anxiety etc.
- Psychosis – for example Bi-Polar, Schizophrenia etc.
- Memory difficulties – for example Alzheimer’s
Dependent on your treatment and outcomes you might move into different clusters throughout your journey of recovery.
We have produced a short description of the different clusters which gives a brief overview of each of the categories.
Care packages
Once a service user has been allocated a cluster, their care coordinator will talk through what interventions are available to them. This is referred to as a care package.
We are currently working together with staff, service users and carers to develop the packages of care that we would be able to offer.
For more information about clustering or care packages please see the leaflet below.
