What’s the project?
The Advance Choice Document Implementation (ACDI) project is run jointly by King’s College London and South London and Maudsley NHS Trust (SLaM).
Advance Choice Documents (ACDs) allow mental health service users to make their treatment preferences clear. The ACDI project is evaluating the impact of their use in routine clinical practice, including its impact on the rates of detentions under the Mental Health Act (MHA). As the MHA 2025 places duties on NHS organisations to help people make ACDs, the project’s findings have nationwide relevance.
To explore how to apply ACDs in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, before evaluating their impact, the ACDI project team are running focus groups with people who have experience using CAMHS, their caregivers, and CAMHS staff. This is to understand the barriers and facilitators for ACD implementation in CAMHS, and to learn what adaptations are needed to the current ACD resources and procedures.
Find out more
The team are asking for you to attend a focus group that will last for 1hr–1hr 30mins, with a break in the middle. You will have the option of attending the focus group remotely (via MS Teams) or in-person.
During the focus group the research team will explain what ACDs are; the current process for completing them; who is involved (staff and caregivers/supporters); and reasons why ACDs are being used.
The researchers will then facilitate a discussion, where you and the other participants can discuss:
- What you think of the current process of completing an ACD
- How you think this process could be improved
- The ways an ACD can be accessed
- How the can mental healthcare providers ensure the requests written in ACDs are followed by staff
- When and how people review their ACD
- What you think of the document currently being used in South London and Maudsley NHS Trust
- Must be based in the UK
- Aged 16-25 years
- Have experienced being detained under the Mental Health Act within Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
- Stable internet connection if joining the focus group online
You will be paid £20 for attending a focus group and travel costs will be reimbursed within London. Refreshments will be provided for those attending in-person.
If you are interested in this opportunity, please email [email protected] with brief answers to the following questions:
- What is your name?
- What is your preferred contact (email/phone)? Please provide if not email.
- Have you experienced being detained under the Mental Health Act within Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
- Sometimes after talking about topics like mental health, people feel they need a little extra support or someone to chat to. What support do you currently have in place (e.g. supportive friends, family, health professionals or mental health charities)? Is there anything that the ACDI team could do to support you or make your involvement experience better?
You are welcome to send your responses in audio or video format if preferred. If you need any help completing your expression of interest, you can get in touch with Jonathan at [email protected]
Sunday 31st May 2026
Please note that the McPin Foundation regularly promotes opportunities on behalf of other institutions; we are not responsible for the continuation or contents of further correspondence with any project partners where we are not listed as the project main point of contact.
