Quality standard

Quality statement 6: Keyworking – psychosocial interventions

Quality statement

People in drug treatment are offered appropriate psychosocial interventions by their keyworker.

Rationale

Psychosocial interventions can improve the therapeutic relationship between the keyworker and the person with the drug use disorder. This can help to improve motivation, participation in treatment, the likelihood of recovery and prevention of relapse.

Quality measure

Structure: Evidence of local arrangements to ensure people in drug treatment are offered appropriate psychosocial interventions by their keyworker.

Process: Proportion of people in drug treatment who receive appropriate psychosocial interventions from their keyworker.

Numerator – the number of people in the denominator receiving appropriate psychosocial interventions from their keyworker.

Denominator – the number of people in drug treatment.

What the quality statement means for different audiences

Service providers ensure systems are in place for people in drug treatment to be offered appropriate psychosocial interventions by their keyworker.

Keyworkers offer people in drug treatment appropriate psychosocial interventions.

Commissioners ensure they commission services that offer people in drug treatment appropriate psychosocial interventions from their keyworker.

People in drug treatment are offered psychosocial support by their keyworker, which may involve 'talking therapies' to help increase motivation and prevent relapse, and creating visual 'maps' to help support their treatment.

Source guidance

Drug misuse and dependence: UK guidelines on clinical management. Department of Health and Social Care (2007), sections 3.3.2 and 4.2.1, and paragraphs 4.3.1.4 to 4.3.1.6

Data source

Structure: Local data collection.

Process: Local data collection. The National Drug Treatment Monitoring System collects data on all clients receiving specialist treatment for their problematic use of drugs; data on a range of psychosocial interventions are collected.

Definitions of terms used in this quality statement

Psychosocial interventions need to be appropriate to the service user's needs and circumstances. The Department of Health and Social Care's Drug misuse and dependence: UK guidelines on clinical management lists relevant interventions which can be offered by the keyworker. These include:

  • motivational interviewing

  • relapse prevention

  • goal setting and problem solving

  • brief motivational interventions

  • recovery planning.

All of the above can be supported through the use of mapping techniques.

Drug misuse and dependence: UK guidelines on clinical management defines a keyworker as a key individual or clinician, for example a doctor, nurse or voluntary sector drugs worker who is in regular contact with the service user. If the person has complex needs it is important that the keyworker is a single named individual.