The Triangle of Care (ToC) is a framework for working together to support recovery, promote safety and maintain wellbeing of people using mental health services and their carers. Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust began delivery of the Triangle of Care in 2018, achieving a two-star accreditation (the maximum an organisation can achieve for mental health services). It has been able to retain the two-star accreditation by providing annual reports to demonstrate the progress being made.

The Triangle of Care annual report for 2024 has been submitted to the Carers Trust.

 Feedback from the Carers Trust is below:

“The Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust has made significant progress in implementing the Triangle of Care standards. ​ However, there are areas for improvement, particularly in ensuring consistent identification and support for carers, with a focus on young carers and racially marginalised carers, making carer awareness training mandatory, and enhancing the dissemination and effectiveness of support resources. ​ By addressing these recommendations, the Trust can further improve outcomes for carers, patients and staff. ​

Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust has demonstrated a strong commitment to involving and supporting carers through the Triangle of Care standards. “

Overall Observations:

 Challenges: We recognise that implementing the Triangle of Care standards can present a resource challenge, at a time of heightened budget focus. Ensuring that all staff receive comprehensive training, maintaining up-to-date records, and expanding support services require financial and staff resources. Additionally, this is not helped by high use of agency staff and turnover of substantive staff.

Achieving a culture change within your organisation is a gradual process that takes time. It involves shifting mindsets, embedding new practices, and fostering an environment where carers are consistently recognised and supported. While progress has been made, it is important to acknowledge that sustained effort and commitment are needed to fully embed these changes and achieve the desired outcomes.

We want to acknowledge that despite the challenging context, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust has truly risen to the occasion. In particular we would like to express our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to your Carers Champions for their dedication as well as Diane Hilson, Trust wide Carers Lead, for her hard work and commitment. We also want to acknowledge Diane’s invaluable support as Vice Chair of the London and South East TOC Regional Network.

 Strengths: The Trust has made significant progress in embedding the Triangle of Care standards, with some strong initiatives like the carer awareness training, dedicated carer champion roles and carers information and resources.

Di Hilson, Trust Carers Lead, who leads on the Triangle of Care across the Trust says;

“It’s not until you take time to write it all down into a report that you realise how much positive work is going on across our mental health services, and this achievement should be celebrated. However, the Triangle of Care is a way of working, it is a journey, and we require the ongoing commitment from our staff/services to continue to embed the standards into our daily practice.”

“We have retained our two-star accreditation for a further year, but we mustn’t become complacent and let this important work slip from our way of working. I would like to say a huge thank you to our teams that have contributed to this work over the past year and made a difference to the lives of carers across our communities.”

“Additionally, we need to continue to hear from our carers on their experiences accessing our services with their relatives. We need to know what is working well to keep doing this or what’s not working so well so that we can give this our attention. I encourage carers to complete our carers survey and let us have your feedback, it’s so important to this developmental work.”

You can access the carers survey

When accessing the IWGC platform via this link, scroll down to click on the carer, friend or family survey, then choose the service you are accessing with your relative to leave your feedback.