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Processing people! The purpose and pitfalls of case management supervision provided for psychological wellbeing practitioners, working within Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) Services: A thematic analysis

Painter, Alexandra

Processing people! The purpose and pitfalls of case management supervision provided for psychological wellbeing practitioners, working within Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) Services: A thematic analysis Thumbnail


Authors

Alexandra Painter



Abstract

The spread of Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services in the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK required a new role called a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP). The PWP role was envisioned as a frontline position requiring substantially less training than practitioner psychologists, to deliver brief evidence based therapy techniques. PWPs partake in what is called Case Management Supervision (CMS), designed in order to support their unique role. The aim of this qualitative study is to provide insights into how PWPs understand this support mechanism, by exploring their impressions of the role and function of IAPT Case Management Supervision. Data was collected by conducting semi-structured interviews with eight PWPs. Interviews were recorded and transcribed and Thematic Analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) was used to identify recurring patterns of meaning, or themes, in the data. Three main themes were identified by the researcher including: ‘Part of the IAPT Machine’, ‘Pitfalls of CMS’, and ‘Serving a Purpose’. These themes illustrate expectations of, struggles with and implicit realisations about the role that CMS has within the broader remit of IAPT services. The findings of this study are discussed in relation to existing literature, current developments and personal observations about the PWP role, whilst also corresponding, more broadly, to the social and political positioning of IAPT services.

Citation

Painter, A. Processing people! The purpose and pitfalls of case management supervision provided for psychological wellbeing practitioners, working within Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) Services: A thematic analysis. (Thesis). University of the West of England. Retrieved from https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/859047

Thesis Type Thesis
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Public URL https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/859047
Award Date Oct 5, 2018

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