STOMP and Together Trust
STOMP is a national campaign focused on STopping Over Medication of People with a learning disability, autism or both with psychotropic medicines.
Together Trust is a signee of STOMP. We recognise that we must actively ensure that our culture, people, operational and organisational practices and strategies, take full account of STOMP to ensure that people, with autism and/or learning disabilities, in our care are not subject the over use of psychotropic medications.
What is STOMP?
Started in 2016, STOMP is a national NHS England work programme to stop the inappropriate prescription or overprescription of psychotropic medications.
The STOMP awareness programme has culminated in a series of pledges from health and social care providers, Royal Colleges and professional bodies.
You can watch this short film, made by NHS England, which features Ricky and Andy who were both over-prescribed medicine to control their behaviour. Hear about their journey to be given the right medicine and how they feel like themselves again, emphasising the importance of STOMP:
Together Trust's pledge
To honour this commitment, Together Trust will ensure that:
- We (the Trust) will sign up to the STOMP pledge for social care organisations.
- The Positive Behavioural Support Lead will lead governance activities centred upon gathering data about PRN medication that belongs to Psychotropic family and support employees to develop their skills to challenge prescribers through medication reviews and to reduce their administration through adopting proactive behavioural strategies.
- Managers for operational services will receive ongoing support and development to ensure that they support their teams to recognise, record and challenge any potential circumstances where the over prescribing of Psychotropic medicines is favoured in place of, or in isolation to, proactive behavioural strategies aimed at improving the quality of lives in our care with Autism or Learning Disabilities.
- That all Statements Of Purpose, welcome booklets, Prospectus’ or information supporting the placement of vulnerable children and adults will contain the Trusts position statement for STOMP.
- All Together Trust employees will receive training about STOMP and its ethos in their induction training and further explored in Medication (PRN protocol methodology) and Proact SCIP (chemical restraint).
- Information about STOMP is available to those cared for in accessible formats so as to ensure that every individual is aware of STOMP and seek support to receive a medication.
- STOMP posters will be displayed in appropriate Together Trusts properties and assets to ensure and maintain high levels of workforce awareness.
- Those we care for and their families will be alerted about any negative consequences resulting from prescribed medication and all efforts will be made to secure a medication review.
At no time will it be deemed appropriate for any team, manager, person or family member to withhold a prescribed medication, in an effort to ween an individual off a prescribed psychotropic, without the full permission and plan of the prescriber. To do so could cause great harm or severe withdrawal effects that may induce serious illness.