The development and evaluation of training for NHS administration staff in handling difficult calls

The purpose of this service evaluation was to develop and evaluate training to support NHS mental health administration staff with handling difficult calls. A two-stage mixed method approach was used. Stage one (training development) used quantitative measures and consultation to underpin the training design. Stage two (training evaluation) qualitative feedback. Results from stage one indicated unanimous experience of distressing calls and request for training to support with verbal de-escalation, understanding of psychological distress, and process information for escalation. Results from stage two suggested the utility of discussion with peers, improved knowledge that was applicable to working practice, and improvements in confidence. The implications of the findings are discussed alongside limitations and suggested future directions. In particular, this service evaluation highlighted the potential usefulness of reflective practice spaces and specific mental health training for administration staff in NHS mental health settings. This is the first written article detailing the development and evaluation of training on handling distressing calls for NHS mental health administration staff.