If you have been approached to take part in the study and you decide you are interested in finding out more, a researcher will be in contact to give you some further information and the opportunity to ask questions about what taking part in the study will involve.
If after speaking with the the research team you decide you would like to take part, they will arrange a time to meet in person and will ask you to complete some questionnaires. This should take between one and two hours to complete, but can be longer if you would like more time. A £10 shopping voucher will be given as a "thank you" for taking part.
Following the completion of the questionnaires, you will be notified by telephone or letter (whichever you prefer) whether your GP surgery is receiving the PARTNERS Service. This is important as it will let you know if you are going to continue receiving your current care, or whether you will start to see a Care Partner from the new PARTNERS service.
After about 10 months, the researchers will be in contact with you again to repeat the questionnaires you did at the start of the study in a session that will last 45 minutes to one hour. This will enable us to see how things have changed over this period. Another £10 shopping voucher will also be provided to say "thank you" for taking part.
At the end of the study if you are receiving the PARTNERS Service, your specialist mental health professional will work with you, your GP, your mental health team (if you have one) and people close to you, to ensure a smooth transition back to usual care. They will help you work on a plan to follow to help continue any progress you have been making.
It is important to emphasise that if you decide to take part in the research study, but then change your mind and want to withdraw it is not a problem at all. You can leave the study at any time. The information you provide us with will be used to assess whether the PARTNERS Service is effective or not. Any information you provide will be kept safe and secure. All study outputs will anonymise information provided; no individual will be identifiable in any report produced.
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