CNWL Improvement Academy collaborative: inpatient mental health wards share progress on improving therapeutic observation and engagement

On 16 June 2025, 18 inpatient mental health teams from across Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust came together for an in-person workshop to mark the halfway point of the Improvement Academy’s Therapeutic Observation and Engagement Collaborative.

Now six months into the 18-month programme, teams gathered to share their progress, reflect on learning, and explore opportunities to further improve how therapeutic observation and engagement are delivered on their wards. The day showcased a wide range of work, with presentations from Pine Ward, Thames Ward, Eastlake Ward, Colne Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), and Shannon PICU. Each team shared how they are using quality improvement (QI) methods to test and implement changes that support safer, more person-centred care.

Throughout the day, teams highlighted the importance of co-production with service users, better use of data to understand current practice, and creative approaches to strengthening therapeutic relationships during observation. Many teams are now moving into a phase of scaling up their successful ideas using the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle to test changes in a structured and measurable way.

One of the highlights of the event was a Lego® Serious Play® session, facilitated by CNWL’s QI team. This hands-on activity gave teams a creative and playful way to explore challenges and generate new ideas for improving observation and engagement on their wards. The process helped open up conversations, challenge assumptions, and build shared understanding across teams.

As the collaborative moves into its next phase, teams will be working more closely together, learning from each other’s successes and challenges, and continuing to build momentum for lasting improvement in observation and engagement practices.