New ways of working: embedding an integrated intervention approach at Raglan House
17 March, 2025
The multidisciplinary team at Raglan House, has been developing an integrated intervention approach to enhance care for service users with severe and enduring mental illnesses.
The multidisciplinary team at Raglan House, a high-dependency inpatient rehabilitation service for women in Birmingham, has been developing an integrated intervention approach to enhance care for service users with severe and enduring mental illnesses. Through collaborative needs-based assessments and group interventions, the team is working to deliver more effective, holistic support.
The power of multidisciplinary teamwork
Research shows that multidisciplinary team working leads to better outcomes for individuals with long-term mental health conditions. By bringing together different professional skills, expertise and perspectives, the team at Raglan House is delivering comprehensive, person-centred interventions.
This approach ensures continuity of care, a broader skill set to meet complex needs and a shared understanding of service users’ experiences.
At Raglan House, this way of working has enabled professionals to collaborate in designing and delivering therapy-led interventions. Service users benefit from a seamless experience, where all aspects of their mental, physical and social wellbeing are addressed.
Groups focus on key areas such as managing emotions, social skills, healthy relationships and mindfulness, with each discipline contributing their unique expertise.
Understanding individual needs
The team carried out a collaborative needs-based assessment to build a complete picture of each service user. This included their environment, social support system, past experiences, education and physical health. By considering how these factors interact, the team developed tailored interventions that directly address individual needs.
Each group session was carefully planned in pre-scheduled meetings, where professionals worked together to align their knowledge with shared goals. This collaborative approach ensured sessions were structured yet flexible, allowing for adjustments based on real-time feedback from service users.
Positive service user feedback
Service users have responded positively to this integrated approach, appreciating the involvement of different professionals in group interventions. Their feedback highlights the benefits:
- Greater engagement: Service users enjoyed interacting with professionals in a more relaxed setting, making sessions feel more inclusive.
- Deeper understanding: Role-play exercises, with staff involvement, helped service users process and apply key skills.
- Stronger relationships: Seeing clinicians in an informal environment helped break down barriers and encouraged open discussions.
Five key takeaways
- Multidisciplinary teamwork improves care – Bringing together different professionals ensures a holistic approach to supporting women with severe and enduring mental illnesses.
- Needs-based assessments enhance personalisation – Understanding each service user’s background, environment and health allows for tailored interventions that address their specific challenges.
- Integrated interventions boost engagement – Service users value sessions that involve a range of professionals, helping them feel more supported and understood.
- Collaborative planning leads to flexibility – Pre-scheduled meetings allow the team to align expertise while keeping interventions adaptable to real-time feedback.
- Positive feedback supports long-term change – Service users appreciate the relaxed, inclusive approach, strengthening their engagement and encouraging open discussions.
Looking ahead
The success of this approach has reinforced the value of integrated multidisciplinary teamwork. The team at Raglan House is committed to continuing this way of working, ensuring that interventions remain flexible, need-specific and shaped by both professional expertise and service user feedback.
This is a summary of an article first published in OTnews, in March 2023. Read it in full at OTnews. Reference: Zaraf S, Malik T, Meghee F (2023) New ways of working, OTnews 31(5): 32-34.