National Specification for psychological therapies and interventions - national implementation guide 3: psychology operational plan

1. Introduction

The Introduction of the plan should ‘set the scene’ for the rest of the document through briefly describing the ‘starting point’, setting out in broad terms what the Operational Plan is ‘aiming to achieve’, and identifying who ‘stands behind’ the plan and has accountability for its delivery. The areas that should be covered are:

• The broad purpose of the Operational Plan document in the context of the current strategic intent for the Psychology Service and its current overall performance.
• Where psychological services are positioned in the Board for governance, leadership and reporting.
• A brief overview of the overall Psychology Service’s current scope and main challenges (including escalation status if relevant), and recent initiatives to improve performance including any significant changes and achievements.
• The high-level objectives intended to be achieved by the Operational Plan:
  • Short-term: Within 1 year.
  • Medium-term: Within 3 years.
  • Longer-term: Beyond 3 years.
• A short overview of the Operational Plan’s structure and key contents.
• Who has reviewed and approved the Operational Plan at Psychology, Mental Health, HSCP, and NHS Board levels.