Cygnet Health Care was established in 1988 and went on to develop a comprehensive range of services to support individuals with autism, learning disabilities and other mental health needs. The company has built a solid reputation for its innovative services and outstanding outcomes for its service users.
Dr Tony Romero, Cygnet Health Care CEO, is committed to improving the quality of life for individuals supported by Cygnet. This article will look at Cygnet Health Care’s STOMP pledge, which stands for stopping the over-medication of adults and young people with autism, a learning disability or both.
STOMP is a health campaign that was launched with the mission of improving people’s quality of life by supporting care providers to ensure that psychotropic medication is prescribed for the right reasons and in the right amount.
Key objectives of STOMP include:
- Ensuring that doctors and other health professionals involve care users, their families and support staff in decisions about medication
- Encouraging care users to have regular check-up appointments to review their medication
- Raising awareness about practical ways of providing support, including through the administration of non-drug therapies, to reduce the need for medication
On an average day in England, Public Health England estimates that between 30,000 and 35,000 people with autism, a learning disability or both are prescribed psychotropic medication without proper clinical justification. Although these medications are appropriate for some people, helping them to stay safe and well, sometimes there are other effective ways of helping people so they need less medication or no medication at all.
Partnering with other sector stakeholders, NHS England developed the STOMP pledge to encourage health care providers to prescribe non-drug therapies where appropriate to reduce and improve the use of psychotropic medication. The pledge also helps to ensure that service users, their families and staff are fully involved and informed in decisions about medication.
Cygnet Health Care’s commitment to the STOMP pledge is driven by the organisation’s aim to improve the quality of life of the people in its care. Cygnet Health Care is committed to providing its staff with education and training to ensure that service users only receive psychotropic medicines for the right reasons and in the appropriate quantity.
Cygnet Health Care provides a comprehensive range of mental health care services, including secure and acute care services, supporting service users with specialised treatments for various fields of mental health, including eating disorders, personality disorders, mental health recovery and rehabilitation, autism spectrum disorders, neuropsychiatric, learning disabilities, deafness and mental health, and older adults.
Operating a nationwide network of mental health services, including a range of highly specialised services for individuals with autism spectrum disorder or a personality disorder and deaf service users, Cygnet Health Care was founded with the purpose of making a positive difference to the lives of the people it serves, their loved ones and all of its employees.
Cygnet Health Care’s vision is to provide high quality, sustainable specialist services while ensuring that service users feel safe and supported. The organisation’s mission is to work together to create a positive culture of inclusivity, openness and honesty, delivering safe and compassionate quality care to service users while ensuring that staff enjoy a rewarding and fulfilling workplace environment.
