To explore the design, development, and implementation of a peer-led community café to support people in mental health crisis from the perspectives of key stakeholders in Ireland.
Qualitative descriptive study.
Twelve individuals representing the Community Café Operations Team and Senior Healthcare Management took part in a stakeholder convening or individual interview between February and July 2023 in Ireland. Data was analysed using Burnard's thematic content analysis framework, and findings were mapped onto the RE-AIM framework. This process was supported by the involvement of a person with lived experience who had previously utilised the Community Café as a customer.
Key findings identified in relation to the design, development and implementation of the Community Café included: person centredness, co-production, alternative service provision (out-of-hours), staff supports, challenges affecting sustainability, and governance issues.
Close collaboration among healthcare services, practitioners, service users and community partners is essential in developing mental health services, prioritising co-production and person-centred service delivery. Key components include out-of-hours service provision, staff support, sustainability, and governance. By addressing these areas, healthcare systems can better meet the needs of service users on their recovery journey.
The findings generate new knowledge to inform the development of community and crisis cafes, improve service user outcomes, and support recovery. The results provide valuable insights into key stakeholder perspectives guiding the design, development, and implementation of peer-led community cafes, highlighting best practices to shape future initiatives.
The study provides valuable insights for policy makers, service developers, and care recipients by highlighting lessons learned from designing, developing, and implementing a peer-led Community Café. It showcases best practice in co-producing a peer-led service to address both service user and service needs.
We used the COREQ guidelines for reporting qualitative studies.
The study design was co-created with the Community Café Operations team, who contributed to the methods, interview schedule, and interpretation of findings. One team member (D.B.) worked in the Community Café, and a customer with lived experience of mental health difficulties helped contextualise and interpret the results.
To gain an understanding of the experiences of mentors and mentees engaging in a national mentoring programme within nursing and midwifery in Ireland.
A two-phased convergent parallel mixed methods study was undertaken.
The first phase was a quantitative non-experimental descriptive study using an online survey with mentors (n = 12) and mentees (n = 6). The second phase was a qualitative descriptive study and involved focus group discussions with mentors (n = 5). No mentees took part in the focus group discussions. There was a disproportionate representation of mentors versus mentees in the total sample across both phases of this study. Data were collected between December 2023 and April 2024.
Mentorship has a positive impact on professional growth, job satisfaction and career development for both mentors and mentees in nursing and midwifery professions. Significant challenges to effective nursing and midwifery mentorship include time constraints, irregular work patterns and a need for additional managerial and structural support. Areas identified for improvement in programme implementation include clearly defined roles, dedicated time and space for mentorship meetings and tailored support systems to address cultural diversity.
This study highlights the significant benefits of a national formal mentorship programme; however, substantial barriers continue to underscore the need for strategic improvements. Addressing these challenges through clearer role definitions, dedicated protected mentorship time and culturally responsive support systems may enhance mentorship programme effectiveness and ensure long-term sustainability.
None.