Northern Healthcare, a company which provides mental health recovery services across the North of England, have recently adopted the GRiST risk assessment service following an introductory training workshop.
Established in 2013, Northern Healthcare now provide residential recovery services in over six locations for those with diagnosed mental health conditions or learning disabilities. Residential units offer a safe and positive environment where service users can work through their personal recovery plan and rebuild their skills, ready to re-enter society.
Northern provide 24-hour clinical support to their residents as they complete a unique recovery path which focuses on occupational therapy, preparing them to manage and maintain their own recovery. In addition, residents are encouraged and supported to engage with community resources such as vocational training and social opportunities, building up their skills and integrating with their communities.
Risk management is a priority for Northern Healthcare, which is why they have adopted GRiST into their suite of risk assessment tools. GRiST is a secure, web-based assessment platform which covers five risk areas: suicide, self harm, harm to others, self neglect, and vulnerability. A comprehensive report is produced after each assessment, and practitioners can easily view the assessment history for a service user. GRiST also facilitates the production of a risk formulation, which helps clinicians and service users to understand their risks, factors which affect their risks, and factors protecting against them. The risk formulation can then be used to develop a risk management plan which addresses the short- and long-term factors affecting risk, helping the service user to stay safe and become more independent.
Northern Healthcare join a large number of NHS services, charities and businesses as users of GRiST.