Welcome to the National Thorn website

This site is currently maintained by
the School of Nursing and Midwifery,
Queen's University Belfast

DATE OF NEXT MEETING

February 2012 (Date TBC)

University of Greenwich, Maritime Campus

Room: Queen Mary 159 (QM159) (TBC)

 Fiona Martin
Queen's University Belfast
Chair (Acting)
Thorn Steering Group
f.martin@qub.ac.uk

WHAT IS THORN?

THORN as a model of best practice for working with people with a diagnosis of a severe mental illness has been in existence for nearly twenty years.  The THORN course has become the model around which training for mental health professionals working with individuals with a diagnosis of severe mental illness is based.  The success of THORN is its ongoing responsiveness to contemporary models of mental health care which ensures that the curriculum is aligned with current health and social care policy.  The outcomes and competences expected through successful completion of a THORN course reflect current mental health strategies for all four countries of the United Kingdom:

•  New Horizons, A new vision for mental health and well-being for England (2009)
• Delivering the Bamford Vision: Action Plan for mental illness and learning disabilities services for N. Ireland (2009)
• Delivering for Mental Health, the mental health delivery plan for Scotland (2006)
• Raising the Standard, the revised NSF for Mental Health for Wales (2005)

The client focused approach of the THORN model is the necessary framework to ensure the successful achievement of the four principles, outlined in the Future Vision Coalition Report (2009), designated as priorities for mental health policy in the next decade.  The Future Vision Report (2009) entails significant changes in policy, backed by high level government support for: greater integration, treatment which has support for recovery at its centre, promotion of mental well-being and social inclusion for people experiencing mental illness and their families/communities.  THORN can ensure that these outcomes are embedded in training for mental health practitioners and in organisational policy.