Multi Action Rapid Response Service (MARRS)
Evaluation of a mental health crisis response service for children and young people. This project is now closed.
Project
overview
- MARRS is a joint health and social care crisis response service set up in Cornwall to intervene intensively with children with acute mental health difficulties at the first point of crisis.
- An evaluation of the service was carried out by the Partnership with a view to sharing learning and supporting the spread of quality care for mental health across the Peninsula.
Partners involved
- Cornwall Foundation Partnership Trust joined forces with Cornwall Council in early 2023 to provide the new service.
- Health Innovation South West supported these organisations to evaluate the service by developing a Theory of Change to show the anticipated impacts of MARRS and carrying out a mixed-methods evaluation of the MARRS service model.
Project
detail
Our region has the highest levels of anxiety in the country amongst children and young people under the age of 18 (9.8% versus 7.2% nationally).
Rates of children and young people presenting in mental health crisis in emergency departments and in community settings has been steadily increasing over the last ten years across England, particularly in Cornwall. Poor access to service provision and long waiting times particularly in rural and coastal areas are compounding the challenge.
The new Multi Action Rapid Response Service (MARRS) replaced the existing mental health crisis service and is jointly delivered by health and social care to help these children and young people to holistically address all aspects of their crisis, while keeping them at home where possible, reducing the need for mental health act admissions and helping children and young people spend less time in crisis or distress and more time in stable mental health.
The MARRS evaluation report is still being drafted. The plan is to share the findings within and across the region once the evaluation is complete.
Impact from this work
- The theory of change for the service can be used by the MARRS team to share how their service worked.
- Quantitative analysis carried out on the routine data enabled the team to interrogate, for the first time, the referral sources, reasons for referrals, and the extent of joint case-working between Cornwall Partnership Foundation Trust and Cornwall Council. The MARRS team are using this analysis to reflect on and improve their service.
- Voice of the users was captured through the routinely collected experience of service questionnaires from young people and parents. The findings are being used to incorporate the voice of parents and young people in continuously improving the service.
- Voice of the staff was captured to surface impacts, effectiveness, barriers and challenges of the service.
