Prevention of Future Deaths reports · 2017

Daniel Watson

Regulation 28 report to prevent future deaths, reference 2017-0370, written 18 Dec 2017. A coroner writes one of these when an inquest reveals a risk that could cause further deaths unless something changes.

Date of report18 Dec 2017
Reference2017-0370
DeceasedDaniel Watson
CoronerJohn Gittins
Coroner areaNorth Wales (East and Central)
CategoryMental Health related deaths · Community health care and emergency services related deaths
Sourcejudiciary.uk record · original PDF
Responses published2

The report

Text recovered by OCR from a scanned PDF. OCR is imperfect: check anything you rely on against the source PDF. Reproduced verbatim, including the scan's own layout.

John Adrian Gittins
Senior Coroner for North Wales (East and Central)

REGULATION 28 REPORT TO PREVENT FUTURE DEATHS

THIS REPORT IS BEING SENT TO:

BCUBB, Ysbyty Gwynedd, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2PW
Wrexham County Borough Council The Guildhall, Wrexham

CORONER

tam JOHN ADRIAN GITTINS, senior coroner, for the coroner area of North Wales (East
and Central)]

CORONER'S LEGAL POWERS

| make this report under paragraph 7, Schedule 5, of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009
and regulations 28 and 29 of the Coroners (Investigations) Regulations 2013.

INVESTIGATION and INQUEST

On the 8th of June 2017 | commenced an investigation into the death of Daniel Watson
(DOB 24.6.87, DOD 5.6.2017). The investigation concluded at the end of the inquest on
the 8 of December 2017 and | recorded a narrative conclusion in the following terms
“On the 5! of June 2017 the Deceased was verified dead at his home address as a
result of placing a ligature around his neck, however the evidence does not establish his
intention to the necessary legal standard.” The cause of death was 1(a) Hanging

CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE DEATH

The Deceased was known to the Flintshire and Wrexham Community Mental Health
Teams and had been allocated a social worker on the Wrexham Team on the 7' of
December 2016 following a request from his Consultant Psychiatrist following a lengthy
delay in the transfer of his care from Flintshire. Focus for his support was on his
social/housing needs and there was no evidence of any up to date care and treatment
plan nor any evidence of comprehensive risk formulation. During the early part of 2017 a
number of social factors resulted in an apparent decline in Daniel Watson’s mental
health and on the 5!" of June 2017 he was found hanged at his home.

CORONER’S CONCERNS

During the course of the inquest the evidence revealed matters giving rise to concern. In
my opinion there is a risk that future deaths will occur unless action is taken. In the
circumstances it is my statutory duty to report to you.

The MATTERS OF CONCERN are as follows :-

4. The Concerns Root Cause Analysis Investigation undertaken by BCUHB revealed a
multitude of care and service delivery problems and contributory factors in relation to
the care and treatment of the Deceased which cumulatively represented missed
opportunities to improve his mental health and the evidence given at the inquest by
the social worker and community psychiatric nurse demonstrated a complete lack of
understanding and empathy in relation to these issues.

2. That there needs to be a significant improvement in the training of staff within the
CMHT in relation to their understanding of risk assessment and potential escalation
of concerns towards a formal psychiatric assessment.

Coroner's Office, County Hall, Wynnstay Road, Ruthin, LL15 1YN
Tel 01824 708047 | Fax 01824 708048

ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN

In my opinion action should be taken to prevent future deaths and | believe your
organisations have the power to take such action.

YOUR RESPONSE

You are under a duty to respond to this report within 56 days of the date of this report,
namely by 5'" February 2018 |, the coroner, may extend the period.

Your response must contain details of action taken or proposed to be taken, setting out
the timetable for action. Otherwise you must explain why no action is proposed.

COPIES and PUBLICATION

| have sent a copy of my report to the Chief Coroner and to the following Interested
Person — The Family of the Deceased

lam also under a duty to send the Chief Coroner a copy of your response.

The Chief Coroner may publish either or both in a complete or redacted or summary
form. He may send a copy of this report to any person who he believes may find it useful
or of interest. You may make representations to me, the coroner, at the time of your
response, about the release or the publication of your response by the Chief Coroner.

Dated 18" December 2017

Signature
Senior Coroner for North Wales (East and Central)

Coroner's Office, County Hall, Wynnstay Road, Ruthin, LL15 1YN
Fel 01824 708047 { Fax 01824 708048

Responses

2 responses published against this report on judiciary.uk. A response is a body's written reply to the coroner's concerns; publication is at the discretion of the Chief Coroner's office, so an absent response does not mean nobody replied.

Response from University Health Board (PDF)
6 Heddfan AMHU,
oes G IG Bwrdd lechyd Prifysgol Ysbyty Maclor miscesam, Wrecsam,
ofp, pic | BetsiCadwaladr
0 N HS University Health Board Heddfan AMHU,
‘ Wrexham Maelor Hospital, Wrexham,
LL13 7TD
Mr. John Gittins Ein cyf / Our ref: INC 125498 — INQ2821
County ha North Wales Eich cyf / Your ref:
Wynnstay Road Ff6n / Telephone: 01745 586391
Denbighshire Gofynnwch am / Ask a
LL16 1YN for:
E-bost / Email: SE
Dyddiad / Date: 2"4 February 2018
Dear Mr Gittins

Re: Regulation 28 Response re Mr. Daniel Watson

| write in response to the Regulation 28 issued on 18" December 2017 as a result of the
Inquest into the death of Mr. Daniel Watson.

In relation to your first matter of concern in that the Concerns Root Cause Analysis
Investigation undertaken by BCUHB revealed a multitude of care and delivery problems
which cumulatively represented missed opportunities to improve the Deceased’s mental
health. As you are aware an action plan has been produced to improve on the service
delivery and this has been provided to you. In relation to evidence given at the Inquest by
the Community Psychiatric Nurse (CPN), | can confirm that the CPN was provided with an
initial debriefing session to reflect on the delivery of evidence provided at the Inquest.
Further debriefing and ongoing supervision will provide the opportunity for the CPN to
optimise learning and provide a focus on their understanding and empathy for their
continued professional development, which will be incorporated into their appraisal. An initial
focused session for the wider team’s learning will be held around awareness of empathy
towards families and transparency to the Coroner at Inquest

In relation to your second area of concern relating to a significant improvement in the training
of staff within the CMHT in relation to their understanding of risk assessment and potential
escalation of concerns to a formal Psychiatric Assessment. The Wales Applied Risk
Research Network (WARRN) Asking Difficult Questions and Formulating Risk (WARRN
ADQ) is a National Programme of training, endorsed by Welsh Government, in the
assessment, formulation and management of risk to self or others. One of the main aims of
WARRN is to drive forward a standardised and consistent approach to risk assessment and
formulation nationally, across services. The MHLD Division will continue to make available
the WARRN Accredited Programme for Care Coordinators and new training dates have
been confirmed for 2018 to be delivered through our group of specialised trainers. A copy
of the training dates is attached. | can also confirm the CPN has previously received WARRN
training in 2012.

Cyfeiriad Gohebiaeth ar gyfer y Cadeirydd a'r Prif Weithredwr / Correspondence address for Chairman and Chief Executive:
Swyddfa'r Gweithredwyr / Executives’ Office,
Ysbyty Gwynedd, Penrhosgarnedd

Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2PW Gwefan: www.pbc.cymru.nhs.uk / Web: www.bcu.wales.nhs.uk

Bwrdd lechyd Prifysgol
Betsi Cadwaladr
University Health Board

| can also confirm that the MHLD Division will have updated the MHLD Supervision
Guidance for Nurses and Support Workers Policy by the end of February 2018 to ensure
staff can discuss and reflect on cases in a structured and facilitated process. A copy of the
draft MHLD Supervision Guidance for Nurses and Support Workers Policy is attached.

Assurance regarding compliance with appraisals and training is provided to the Senior
Management Team on a monthly basis through the network teams performance report.
Additionally, the MHLD Division has committed to undertaking a bi annual audit of Care and
Treatment Plans using the Welsh Government recommended audit tool (see attached)
which will be reviewed biannually within the divisions Quality and Safety Group and reported
within our annual report on the local delivery of ‘Together for Mental Health’.

Yours sincerely

My,

Andy Roach
Cyfarwyddwr lechyd Meddwi ag Anabledd Dysgu
Director of Mental Health and Learning Disabilities
Response from Wrexham Borough Council (PDF)
Pennaeth Gofal Cymdeithasol i Oedolion / Cyfarwyddwr Gwasanaethau

Cymdeithasol dros dro VI
Head of Adult Social Care/Interim Director of Social Services
Charlotte Walton

Adeiladau’r Goron, 31 Stryt Caer, Wrecsam, LL13 8BG wrexham

Crown Buildings, 31 Chester Street, Wrexham, LL13 8BG COUNTY BOROUGH COUNCIL
Ff6n/Tel: 01978 292000 Ffacs/Fax: 01978 298029 BT Text Phone: 01978 292067 CYNGOR BWRDEISTREF SIROL
www.wrexham.gov.uk www.wrecsam.gov.uk wrecsam
John Gittins Eich Cyf/Your Ref

HM Coroner’s Office Ein Cyf/Our Ref CW/ASC

County Hall Dyddiad/Date 1 February 2018
Wynnstay Road Gofynner am/Ask for | Charlotte Walton
Denbighshire E-pesie- tel

LL15 1YN

Dear Mr Gittins

Re: Report for the prevention of future deaths — Inquest of Daniel Scott Watson

Thank you for your letter of 15" December 2017 regarding the Regulation 28 Report. The
response of Wrexham Adult Social Care is as follows:-

Wrexham Adult Social Care accepts the recommendations highlighted in the Regulation
28 Report. The Department has discussed this matter with its partner agency, Betsi
Cadwaladr University Health Board, with which it jointly provides the Community Mental
Health Team Service.

With respect to the evidence given at the inquest by the Social Worker involved showing a
lack of understanding of issues and a lack of empathy, the member of staff concerned is to
be given feedback and management supervision. The Mental Health and Learning
Disability Supervision Guidance for Nurses and Support Workers Policy is being
implemented by the BCU to improve discussion and reflection on cases in a structured
and facilitated process and will apply also to social workers employed by Adult Social Care
in the integrated team. A copy of this policy will be submitted by the BCU in its response.

With respect to the issue of significant improvement in training of staff in Community
Mental Health regarding risk assessment and escalation of concerns towards a formal
psychiatric assessment, the Mental Health Learning Disability Division uses the Wales
Applied Risk Research Network (WARRN) Asking Difficult Questions and Forumlating
Risk training programme. This is intended to provide a consistent and standard approach
to risk assessment. New training has been confirmed for 2018 and the staff that provided
care to Mr Watson have been booked onto the training. In addition the MHLD Division will
supplement the WARRN training with specific training on assessment of suicide. Adult
Social Care Social Workers within the integrated CMHT service will be included within
these training programmes.

continued/...

Rydym yn croesawu gohebiaeth yn Gymraeg.
Byddwn yn ymateb i unrhyw ohebiaeth yn Gymraeg ac ni fydd hyn yn arwain at unrhyw oedi.

We welcome correspondence in Welsh.
We will respond to any correspondence in Welsh and this will not lead to any delay.

/,..continued 2

I trust that you will find this response satsifactory. Please contact me if you have any
fruther queries.

Yours sincerely

a

Head of Adult Social Care/Interim Director of Social Services

Rydym yn croesawu gohebiaeth yn Gymraeg.
Byddwn yn ymateb i unrhyw ohebiaeth yn Gymraeg ac ni fydd hyn yn arwain at unrhyw oedi.

We welcome correspondence in Welsh.
We will respond to any correspondence in Welsh and this will not lead to any delay.

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