You First - Special Relaunch Edition - Spring 2017 by Community Integrated Care

Spring Edition 2016

RELAUNCH ISSUE

The magazine for supporters of Community Integrated Care ®

FIRST

SO COMING

ON:

Hello Blackburn!

Our Marathon

Man M 8+9

! N O I T C A , A R E M LIGHTS, CA Stars on film

Miles of smiles for Jamie

WE RESPECT • WE ENABLE • WE ASPIRE • WE DELIVER • WE INCLUDE

CONTENTS

5 6 12 14 17

Major

Review To Improve

Milestones

We speak to our ever-growing team of Peer Reviewers

Making It Personal

Sewing the fabric of fuller lives with person-centred support

Best Foot Forward Middlesbrough FC and Community Integrated Care join forces

Here Comes Hollywood

Our Support Workers star in our brand new recruitment video!

How Project Sunshine will improve our Older People’s Services

REMEMisByoEurR

Email us youfirst@c-i-c.co.uk

Yammer us using the hashtag #youfirst Call us 0151 423 7278

Write to us! You First, Community Integrated Care, Old Market Court, Miners Way, Widnes, WA8 7SP

You First is the quarterly magazine for all colleagues and customers of Community Integrated Care. It is written by our Internal Communications Team, Danielle Chan and Siobhan Biggane, with the help of our guest contributors and is produced by our design partners, Words&Pictures.

Since our last issue of You First (can you believe it’s been nearly four years?) we’ve achieved so much within our charity. Let’s take a quick trip down memory lane…

A Fresh Start

You First d we ag m azine – an back ed fe need your like d u’ yo t ha w on … of e or to see m

The Big Change – September 2012 Our organisational development , programme reviewed our structure es, valu ed shar and skills ms, staff, syste ity. char our into life new t injec to

WELCOME Hello and welcome to our special relaunch edition of You First! Over the past few years we’ve received countless requests for the return of this magazine – it’s quite clearly a much-loved part of our charity – and so it’s my pleasure to be able to welcome back our old friend! There’s no mistaking that our sector is going through some tough times at the moment and we are all feeling the effects of this. Now more than ever, we need to be talking to our colleagues and customers,

listening to you, and most importantly – celebrating you! In what is a difficult climate, it’s important that we don’t lose sight of the achievements being made and the great things happening in our world. Together we are making incredible progress, leading to the very best lives possible for the people we support – our shared aim. I hope you enjoy this edition of You First and would love to hear your feedback.

Internal Communications Audit – March 2015 Over a quarter of colleagues took part in our first communications review. One of the biggest calls was for the return of You First… and it’s back! Turn to page 18 to find out more exciting changes we have planned.

Five Year Strategy – January 2013 One thing we know: if we think big, incredible goals can be reached. In 2013, we launched our strategy to become the UK’s Leading Health and Social Care Charity.

ber 2013 Rebrand – Decem p of ste ge hu the We took Group C CI m fro g din an rebr ted ra eg to Community Int what on ed us Care. We foc ity: ar ch a as t ar ap sets us ca le, ring pride in our peop with passion and our belief in the potential of everyone.

Awards Successes – October 2013 rd Collecting the Care Employer Awa rds Awa at the Great British Care kick-started an incredible awardwinning journey for Community es Integrated Care. Since then, colleagu 33 ing tand have picked up an outs awards for their amazing work!

25th Anniversary Confe rence and Awards – Novembe r 2013 We marked our quartercentury with an inspiring conference debating the key issues in social care, followed by a star-studded evenin g awards ceremony for our collea gues.

ice – June 2015 ad and The Vo re Th n de ol G The ally transformed projects have re nt rta po im e es Th e a deeply ing us to becom our charity, help here the voice organisation w person-centred everything ct support dire s e w le op pe e of th led us to employ ojects have enab ad we do. These pr and you can re for the first time e’ nc rie pe Ex Peer Reviewers by own ‘Experts ry ve r ou t ou ab more on page 5.

Project Sunshine – October 2015 Project Sunshine is our new approach to Older People’s Care, with the aim of transforming our older people’s care homes for the people who live there. Find out more on page 17.

Our Journey Continues...

Neil Matthewman, Chief Executive

Catherine Murray-Howard, Director of Business Development & Performance, Deputy CEO

John Heritage, Director of Operations

Karen Sheridan, Managing Director, Scotland

Martin McGuigan, Director of Quality & Innovation

Kerry Tanfield, HR Director

Andrew Sleigh, Chief Financial Officer

One of the most significant parts of our charity’s journey over the past few years has been the introduction of our incredible team of Peer Reviewers...

We’re a social bunch here at Community Integrated Care. That’s why there’s nothing we love more than celebrating our great people on our social media channels…

social! Our fantastic Whitby Drive team, Tyne & Wear received a lovely compliment from a student nurse, which was viewed almost 3,000 times on Twitter!

Our Peer rational Reviewers’ inspi ceived more re ge sa es Christmas M r it was on YouTube afte than 4,000 views liffe, r by Andrea Sutc shared on Twitte C. for CQ Chief Inspector

OUR Peer ReviewERS Yammer, our internal social network, is also a great place to get help, support and guidance from your colleagues!

One of our favourite stories in recent months came from Vocational Support Services, Liverpool, when they marked World Dignity Day by presenting local businesses with special certificates! Congratulations to Sarah Whittaker at Bluebell Park, Knowsley, who celebrated her 100th birthday alongside her two sisters!

Connect with us on social media...

Like us on Facebook Follow us on Instagram

Connect with us on LinkedIn

n just over a year, they’ve trained colleagues on The Golden Thread, filmed a special Christmas Message for the social care sector, won awards for their work, contributed to our organisational Involvement Strategy for the people we support… and not to mention changed people’s lives by auditing the quality of our services! James Brooks is one of our original Peer Reviewers, whose progress since 2014 is off the chart! This time last year, he’d never been on a train. Earlier this year, he flew to New York! He tells You First how much he loves being part of the team, and how he’s passing on the mantle to his new colleagues: “In 2014, I was over the moon when I was chosen to become a Peer Reviewer for Community Integrated Care. Little did I know how much my life would change in just 18 months! Having my dream job means the world to me – the fact that I get to help people is the icing on the cake. “This year, our team grew and we have eight new amazing Peer Reviewers. My colleagues Anne Marie Armstrong, Heidi Neville and Sushma Majithia and I are delighted to be working alongside them and sharing our experiences – and it’s our honour to introduce you to them!”

M we include

Erin “My job is such an exciting new adventure for me!”

Deb “I’m so happy that I get to help people change their lives for the better!”

Fraserburgh Ang “I really care about giving a voice to people who may not always be able to speak up for themselves!”

Edinburgh Peter “This is my opportunity to give back to the organisation that helped me so much when I really needed it.”

Laura “I can already feel myself becoming more confident – I’ve been going to meetings and speaking up, which is a huge step for me!”

Dan “I’ve learned so much – it just wouldn’t have be en possible without this amazing opportunity.”

Southport Liverpool

Karl “This job has really broadened my horizons. I finally feel like I have a career!”

London round our travelling a Joe “I love in their le see peop services to about m e th talk to homes and rt.” their suppo

get in touch

Fareham

We’d love to hear about the life-changing experiences enjoyed by the people we support. Email us at youfirst@c-i-c.co.uk

M TopTips WE ENABLE

d The best thing about Person-Centre ! ple sim Reviews? They’re so the Here’s Justine’s advice for getting very best from them…

l a n o pers

Get the people you support involved in deciding where and when the Review will be held.

The

touch

The team at Ritherup Lane during Brian’s Person-Centred Review

It’s a project that’s touched every level of our organisation, unanimously praised by colleagues, the people we support and professionals alike: The Golden Thread – Community Integrated Care’s approach to Personalisation. Shelagh Murphy, Quality Lead, tells us more… “When The Golden Thread launched, I knew it was going to be something really special. The project really struck a chord with colleagues eager to learn new ways of delivering the most person-centred support. “Partnering with Personalisation expert Helen Sanderson, we’ve introduced 12 Person-Centred Thinking Tools – all aimed at helping colleagues understand the true meaning of Personalisation. These tools, and the training that goes with them, are making Personalisation a way of life for our charity.

Frontline Leaders and Quality & Excellence Partners trained on Care and Support Planning

Use One-Page Profiles to remind yourself of eve rything the person likes, dislike s and what’s important to the m.

Ritherup Lane used visual boards to display Brian’s aspirations

”So far we’ve focused on developing new Care & Support Planning documents and have invested in great training for all frontline leaders. This enables colleagues to coproduce new Person-Centred Care & Support Plans with the people we support. These plans are just the start of our new approach to support planning! Moving away from traditional meetings and paperwork, which often excluded the people we support, we’re now using Person-Centred Thinking Tools which really involve the people we support, and we’re seeing fantastic results!”

1,800

Justine Hughes is a Service Leader in Cheshire. She was one of the first people to receive Person-Centred Review Training and has been busy putting this into practice… “We chose Brian, a gentleman we support at Ritherup Lane, as one of the first people to take part in a Person-Centred Review. Brian’s lived at Ritherup Lane for 14 years with his housemate and best friend, Colin. Sadly in 2014, Colin passed away, leaving a big hole in Brian’s life. We felt it was time to refresh Brian’s support goals to help him get his spark back. “Making sure Brian felt relaxed was so important. He chose to have his Review first thing in the morning at home, so that his mum and his beloved dog, Tina, could join us. “During the next few hours we learned so much about Brian; how much he values his alone time early in the day and how, when the team disturb this, it can have a negative impact on him. So we were able to build this quiet time into Brian’s support plan – a tiny change that’s made a big difference.

ssports Communication Pa e use ak M d! en fri are your ll wi help of everything that pport to su the person you view. Re e th engage with “Brian also has epilepsy, and was having seizures quite frequently. We identified that these were happening when he was tired, so looked at what might be causing this. One of Brian’s favourite hobbies is playing cards, which he would often do before bed. After we explained how it might affect his health, Brian started leaving his cards downstairs at night-time. Another small change that has led to a huge improvement in his wellbeing. “We also agreed some exciting goals for Brian: a Mediterranean cruise, which the team are supporting him to book, and as a huge theatre lover, Brian’s now aiming to see a new show every month! Above all, the most important fact we learned was that nobody knows Brian like Brian does!”

Train the Trainer Person-Centred Reviews! colleagues with Person-Centred Thinking Tools Training

trainers across the six regions delivering training to our staff teams!

360

people trained by the end of this year and more than 1,000 next year!

Have fun! Relaxed conversations = productive sessions!

Visit www.mygoldenthread.co.uk for more news and updates, and to download all of our Golden Thread Resources!

7,500 completed One-Page Profiles!

M we aspire

Like any other 22-year-old, Jamie Knox likes to look after himself. While most of us are satisfied with the odd trip to the gym, Jamie has gone one step (or 26,000 steps to be precise!) further, taking on the gruelling 13.1 mile stretch of Silverstone Half Marathon!

n a M n o h t a aM r r u O t e Me

Jamie Knox (centre) proudly holds his race medal alongside Support Workers Bretton Murray (left) and Mike Thomson (right)!

ap It’s a huge lealf f rom a 5k to a h marathon – but er Jamie’s focus nevshed faltered. He’s pu d the himself and uppen ante on every ru 8

hen Jamie joined Howden Hall, a h, specialist autism service in Edinburg ldn’t cou n mso Tho Support Worker Mike he’d have have possibly imagined the things r! late rs achieved four yea of beans and on “Jamie’s a great lad – always full e a fulfilled life, hav the go. We knew that for him to l his energy in nne cha to we needed to support him a positive way. struggles in social “Jamie’s autism means he often football difficult like situations – making team sports llenges, such as cha l ona for him. He really loves pers g to the gym goin y enjo he’d ght puzzles, so we thou without worrying where he could focus on himself about others.” feet. Mike It didn’t take Jamie long to find his – every time we y awa ight stra it to explains: “He took self that bit more went to the gym he’d challenge him it was for him fying and it was clear to see how satis ss. fitne and to increase his stamina m up, “We wanted to keep the momentu ity of sibil pos the ut abo ie Jam to d so we talke him wed entering a local 5k race. We sho n his face videos of people racing and whe – it was pot jack the hit lit up, we knew we’d ’!“ pted acce e lleng ‘cha of case a definitely

Bretton, Jamie and Mike stayed focused and positive for the 13.1 mile trip!

Team Community Integrated Care lined up alongside 7,000 other athletes to complete the Silverstone Half Marathon!

e trip into a to the limit. He turned the 350-mil with four on before Lond in There was a problem though: one k wee a nt spe holiday too – he ie was “Jam es: tinu con e Mik ! y lead bus a self legs and and after the race, so he kept him run a 5k to but , gym the in e strid his g hittin planning that too!” ning. This would he’d need to get used to road-run Jamie’s conquered a challenge that of dogs! With with us ng amo presented a barrier – Jamie’s fear rous entu adv t fill even the mos plete small nds lege re lots of support, Jamie started to com whe ng setti ic icon the in dread, there. If we lined up road runs, and slowly built up from of the Formula 1 were made. He nce sura reas use n the Whe . came across a dog, we’d etes athl r alongside 7,000 othe .” road. the on techniques to keep Jamie focused all it left he , starting gun fired – and the The . rain Race day soon arrived in July 2015 the in ning Run ts. star y The earl hit Jamie! g ythin Ever . gravity of what he was about to do pain, blisters and aching legs everyone se of sen le urab Mike tells You First: “When he saw eas was replaced by an imm the dly prou was al in their event t-shirts, you could see med that n whe achievement . He was adrenaline pumping through him k. nec his nd arou placed ple and mesmerised by the throngs of peo ! here osp totally thrived on the atm ie’s Watch our exclusive video of Jam “So when the opportunity to run the mie ie ic-ja Jam up, Journey by visiting bit.ly/c Silverstone Half Marathon came leap from a jumped at the chance. It’s a huge focus hasn’t 5k to a half marathon – but Jamie’s ed the upp and self him hed faltered. He’s pus he er; eith e alon not He’s run. y ever ante on ton, Bret ker, Wor roped me and another Support p whi to had we so , into running with him ourselves into shape too!” about Mike congratulates Jamie Was our Marathon Man worried at all! He t “No on a job very well done! what lay ahead? Mike laughs: me, but was knew it was the challenge of a lifeti hing himself counting down the days and pus

Mike and Jamie make some last-minute preparations!

burn Building bonshidpss in fooBtbalall cluckb to arrange regular

we include

What started out as a building site is quickly gathering pace…

Our Deputy CEO Catherine MurrayHoward with LNT’s Managing Director Christine Cooper

Not only will EachStep Blackburn change the lives of local people living with dementia, it will also bring much-needed regeneration to the area Neil Matthewman

Stepping into Blackburn! This summer, Community Integrated Care will open its doors to the Blackburn with Darwen community for the very first time. Bringing our unique EachStep brand of dementia care to the people of Lancashire, we will be supporting those living with the condition throughout each step of their journey. Let’s take a look at the story so far… 10

A visual impression of EachStep Blackburn

hree years ago, Blackburn Council launched a new strategy to modernise local care and support for older people, recognising the growing demand for more flexible services for people with dementia. After seeing the success of EachStep Blackley, council commissioners approached Community Integrated Care to work in partnership to develop a specialist dementia care service – and EachStep Blackburn was born.

tion Creating meaningful rela ential to ess o als is s with local group comes be t tha e vic ser a developing nity, mu a genuine hub of the com d vibrant an e ers div particularly one as the d, min in this h Wit as Blackburn. ed op vel de ve ha ep hSt team at Eac hip with an inspirational partners Asian th Sou One Voice – a local that we ure ens to , up community gro allytur cul d an ive lus inc deliver an o als y’ve appropriate service. The of s like the h formed alliances wit , Blackburn Blackburn Rovers, Age UK and College, and local carers s. up gro nity mu com Hughes, Head of Marketing John nity mu com e “Tru tells us more: ne of a sto ner cor the is ty connectivi seen ’ve service like EachStep. We hStep in Eac at this the importance of ted mit com ’re we d an Manchester, too. urn ckb Bla in ht rig this g to gettin ous fam n’s tow From working with the

with reminiscence sessions our to s, yer pla ary its legend y ker coo ing eiv rec fs che classes from local Indian restaurants, we’ve really drawn on the talents of local people.” The launch of EachStep Blackburn will by no means be the conclusion of this story, but the beginning of an exciting chapter in Community Integrated Care’s future – filled with community spirit, partnership working rt! and life-changing suppo at gre re mo Look out for Local student helping to of news in future editions promote the household naming competition You First.

Construction of the new £5 million development officially began in June 2015, and in recent months has quickly gathered pace. The development’s ‘topping out’ ceremony – marking the halfway point of its

build – took place in January. Our Chief Executive, Neil Matthewman, had the honour of placing the final roof tile on the service. He tells You First: “As the needs of people with dementia can change quickly, there’s a need for services that can change and adapt too. That’s why we are so proud to have developed this very special model of care, which offers a range of specialist support from one cutting-edge service, providing peace of mind to people living with dementia and their loved ones.“ He continues: “Not only will EachStep Blackburn change the lives of local people living with dementia, it will also bring much-needed regeneration to the area. The service is built on the site of the former Blackburn Royal Infirmary, an area that had been derelict for many years. We’ve brought significant investment to the area and created over 100 permanent jobs. EachStep will also offer many amenities for the local community too, including a café and beautiful landscaped gardens.”

CEO Neil Matthewman laying the final roof tile at EachStep Blackburn!

s of You First! Look out for more updates in future edition

New Places, New Faces!ed the people of Blackburn to help us name the households of

Stakeholders and partners came together for the first official dig at EachStep Blackburn!

t, we invit d In the spirit of community engagemen outstanding selection, our esteeme es – both past and present! From an hero l loca their EachStep Blackburn after ... judging panels chose the following back to his community – whether it’s disabilities, is always ready to give ning lear with man l loca a n, Gree Paul for those who are unable to! ring! helping to pick up litter, or shopping g in her 70s, never tires of voluntee d community hero – and despite bein and , War ld Wor nd Seco Hilary ‘Nan’ Goodall is an all-roun the ng duri East at age 95, had served in the Middle Fazal Hussain, who passed away n schoolchildren. kbur Blac and iers sold n Asia een betw played a vital role in building bridges ! First in the next edition of You More about our Blackburn Heroes 11

M we deliver

gue just yet – a Le r ie m re P e th might not be in FC h g u itiatives like ro in sb h le it d w d n A ! g Well, Mid eadin where they’re h ly e it n fi e d s t’ a d day service, se but th a -b m a h g in ip with our Bill their partnersh of our table... p to ly e it n fi e d ’re Tees Alive, they

s e’ve all got passion e u’r yo in life, whether or t ar at a dab hand e love nothing mor ur yo ing ry bu than ing e all have someth nose in a book. W . us e best in that brings out th t Alive – who suppor es Te at m tea The to rning disabilities 40 adults with lea d opportunities – an access training than anyone understand better bbies are for how important ho pport. the people they su kout for new and loo Always on the t their students to ge exciting activities for ck ba the hit ve ha m involved in, the tea ial loping a very spec ve de by t ne the of gh iddlesbrou partnership with M ove the pr im to ub Football Cl g health and wellbein y the le op pe the of support – while having fun too! Service Leader Andy Hood talks us through where it all began and what’s been achieved so far...

were approached “Back in 2014 we otball Club’s Fo by Middlesbrough part in some Foundation to take ining sessions for weekly football tra ort. Lots of our the people we supp d are massive an ty students love foo jumped at the ‘Boro fans, so we ed.” chance to get involv

(From left to right) Service Leader Andy Hood with Shaun Mackin from the MFCFoundation, Gavin Beatty, who is supported at Tees Alive, and Claire Streeter, MFC Foundation

Some of the club opportunities the ave have offered us h me been a d ream cots true for our studen

Andy Hood

p i h s r e n t r a p R E I M E R P A

The reaction from Tees Alive when joined by ‘Boro’s star players!

coaches making – plus the th wi t ou d rte sta said we “At first we at the Foundation which , ps m ca ng of their ini t tra weekly were the highligh absolutely nts de nued stu nti co the of all week – so we rely, we d now an s, ion ss se loved. Slowly but su with the e, nc de nfi co ership ir rtn watched the have a growing pa the for e lov d an rk teamwo with the club. ek they’d to game grow. All we “We’re really lucky to their eat gr a ed lop be counting down ve have de d an ion ss se g MFC nin Friday mor relationship with the atch at m big a rly their to ula up rtic ing gear Foundation – pa ator din or Co the end of the day! ion Social Inclus ly on re supports “We we Clare Streeter who few a t ge to ed Tees Alive os at supp everything we do s, new g din months of session fin and is always .” but everyone could us t or pp ways to su me of see how much Andy continues: “So b has progress the clu the the opportunities students en be offered us have were

e for a dream come tru ’ve ey our students. Th side ch pit been invited brough les idd M for one of , es m ga e m ho FC’s and ‘Boro’s captain d Grant Leadbitter an i m Di r pe goalkee even Konstantopoulos the joined in one of As training sessions! , ns fa ro ‘Bo lifelong have these experiences l ica been truly mag d for our students an l y’l the ing someth never forget.”

“Well – the sky is our limit really! We’re currently planning to join a local disability football league, which will be a massive step for the students. They’ll really thrive on the competition element – I’ve seen how competitive the Friday matches with the staff team can get!” says Andy. “We have a vision that whatever the people we support want to accomplish, we’ll help them get there and it just goes to show what can be achieved if you set goals and work creatively to achieve them. What we’ve done wouldn’t have been possible without working in partnership with such a fantastic football club – and we hope to see this continue for many years to come.”

Our film crew went behind the scenes at Tees Alive to capture the moment ‘Boro’s captain and goalkeeper surprised the team! Our video has had over 20,000 views on YouTube! Watch it at: bit.ly/cic-boro

Our premiere took place in the iconic venue of FACT cinema in Liverpool!

Behind the scenes of filming

A Career in Social Care Just Go For It!

ecruiting Support Workers with the right values, passion and commitment is so important in our charity, which is why our HR team have been busy rolling out a new approach to Support Worker recruitment, explains Siobhan. “Potential applicants are invited to attend special half-day events, where they’re introduced to a career at Community Integrated Care – taking part in interviews, group exercises and completing a One-Page Profile. This way we can decide on the day whether applicants are the right fit for us, and they can decide whether the role is right for them. “But we realised one important thing was missing: giving candidates a true sense of what life as a Support Worker is really like… and who better to do this than our Support Workers themselves!” With this in mind, Siobhan hit the road with video production agency Jack-All Productions, visiting each of our regions, to find out about careers in care through the eyes of our very own teams. Siobhan continues: “I soon discovered how committed our people are to ensuring that we get the right Support Workers on board, and they were so willing to come out of their comfort zones to film

Introducing You Can!

Stars in our services have been transformed into stars of the small screen, making their Hollywood (OK – maybe not Hollywood) debut in Community Integrated Care’s brand new recruitment video! Siobhan Biggane, Internal Communications & Engagement Officer, tells us more…

Our cast and crew got together for a very special celebration!

a video that would help us achieve that. “It all just confirmed what I knew – we have amazing people here at Community Integrated Care! I’m so proud of everyone who took part and helped us create something really special. The video will now be shown at the start of every recruitment event and I know that it will have a huge impact on everyone who sees it.”

If you’ve not yet seen the video but want to take a look, visit bit.ly/cic-recruit today (you might even spot some familiar faces!)

we aspire

Our Stars of the Small Screen! In February, we gave our stars the red carpet treatment at an exclusive screening of ‘Just Go For It!’. Our HR Director Kerry Tanfield took the opportunity to thank everyone for taking part, before the team went for a meal together to celebrate a job very well done!

Of course, recruiting the right people is only the beginning – helping our colleagues grow and develop is essential too! That’s why our Learning & Development Team have been working really hard to launch You Can! – Community Integrated Care’s brand new approach to performance and development! In the coming weeks you’ll be hearing more about You Can! from our Learning & Development Team, and look out in the next edition of You First for great case studies of how our new approach has been used!

A big thank you to our incredible cast…

Support Workers and Senior Support Workers Cortney Henry, Stuart Donnelly, Tracey Manton, Stuart Spurway, Sheila McCabe, Leanne Wilson, Frances Jones, Charmaine Emmerson, Carl Bucksey and Donna Yates – Service Leaders Andy Hood, Olly Bower and Ann Lynch – Home Manager Michelle Phillips and Team Leader Kelly Henderson.

Recommend a friend! Good people know good people! So if you work for Community Integrated Care and you know someone who’s perfect for a career in social care, why not recommend them to us and you rs. Find out could receive £100 Love2Shop vouche nager or more about this scheme from your Ma on the HR pages on Click. 15

y l i m fa Welcome to our

Wensley Street The First Week!

At the end of 2015, #TeamCentral received some fantastic news – they would be awarded a second service in Sheffield, the wonderful Wensley Street! Since the service joined us in January, the team have been working hard to support the 30 tenants with their transition from residential care to supported living. Mobilisation Manager Julie Clements has been keeping us updated on the first few weeks at Wensley Street… “The first week at Wensley Street was huge. The team got straight to work, planning 1-1 sessions with the tenants, including David, who visited a local snooker club to embark on a brand new hobby!” Sharon has been busy planning her trip to Disneyland since joining us!

Cypress Road in Wakefield

Earlier this year we welcomed on board Wensley Street in Sheffield!

“The people we support and their families got involved in recruiting new staff, meeting with candidates and asking lots of interesting questions. Everyone commented that it was an incredible experience, and they really valued being involved in this process for the first time.” Sounds like an incredibly busy time and the start of things to come! Look out for lots more great updates from Wensley Street in future editions of You First.

As well as our friends at We nsley Street, we’ve recently welcomed lots more services into the Community Integrated Care family too … Dalewood is a new sup ported living service for young adults wit h autism in Hampshire. Hulbert Road in Portsmout h is also an exciting new supported living service for adults with lea rning disabilities and autism. Clarence Gardens and Cyp ress Road are two respite service s in Wakefield, offering muchneeded short breaks for families of people with a range of care needs. Forrest Lodge is another addition to Team South, and is hom e to five people with learning disabi lities and sensory impairments. Marion Court in Gateshea d sees a gentleman with learning dis abilities and complex needs living happily in his own home.

We  Nurses! We love nurses. We really do. That’s why we’re delighted to launch our new Nurse Project, aimed at attracting, recognising, developing and retaining the very best nurses. To improve our offer for nurses, we’re going to be paying Annual NMC PIN Registration fees for

Jean enjoyed her trip to the hairdressers!

all of our permanent nurses. We’ll also be paying the annual subscription for the renowned sector publication Nursing Times for every nurse. Finally, we’re really excited to be planning our very first Nurses Development Day on 22nd April.

Look out for updates on Yammer and in the next edition of You First!

Following the launch of Project Sunshine back in October, our transformation programme for Older People’s Services continues to go from strength to strength. Here, Catherine Murray-Howard, Deputy CEO, tells You First more… “It’s hard to believe it’s been six months since we unveiled Project Sunshine to our Older People’s Service Managers. The launch event was such a jam-packed few days, with lots for everyone to take in, but I came away heartened by the energy, honesty and enthusiasm in the room. I just knew the message had hit home and that people had taken the Project to heart.” And that message was a simple one: a new dawn for Community Integrated Care’s Older People’s Services, putting the people we support centre stage. Focusing on three key areas – quality of care, improved environments and financial sustainability – the Project aims to completely transform our Older People’s Services.

Munches Park care home in Dalbeattie named as winners of the Project Sunshine Business Challenge, commended for their ambitious plan for their service

Project Sunshine meets The Golden Thread! Our Quality Team host a special event for all Home Managers, explaining what Personalisation means for Older People’s Services

Cath explains: “The Project is all about looking at things through fresh eyes, being honest with ourselves, challenging each other and making sure that at every turn we are delivering support we’d be happy for our loved ones to receive.” Keen to point out that the Project is very much a collaborative one, Cath continues: “Yes, we’re asking our Home Managers to take the lead on creating change, but as A thought-provoking role play from our Quality an organisation we are prepared to match Team gave delegates food for thought that commitment too. “We’ve appointed Joe Strain, formerly our Business Accountant, to become a dedicated Business Improvement Manager, working closely with Home Managers to help them transform their services. By the end of this year, we will have invested over £1.2 million into

Business Improvement Manager Joe Strain puts the team through their financial paces!

refurbishing some of our most tired care homes. We’re also undertaking a wholescale review of our catering offer to improve the dining experience for our residents.” Cath concludes: “Project Sunshine is about future-proofing our Older People’s Services, in what we know is an exceptionally difficult market. We must ensure that all of our services are delivering the very best care in the most beautiful environments possible, whilst remaining financially viable. We know that over the coming months there will be lots of exciting developments to report, but there will be some difficult decisions too. But, by working together to develop solutions to some of the challenges we face, we know that we can build services that we can all be proud of.”

Watch our Project Sunshine Launch Event Video at bit.ly/cic-sunshine

National Forum

Introducing

A selection of representatives from the Regional Forums will then come together to create the National GameChanger Forum. This will consist of 20 colleagues, who will reflect all of the role types that make up each of the Regional Forums. Regional Forums will agree between themselves who goes forward to the National Forum.

ICE Review

PROJECT

In 2015 we invited all colleagues to take part in a really important piece of work – our Internal Communications & Engagement Review

Empowering our Line Managers

Unlocking Employee Voice

• National and regional employee forums • I ntroduction of a staff suggestion scheme • E mail and Yammer accounts for everyone

Build Leadership trust and visibility

• • • •

A nnual corporate conference E xecutive Team roadshows ‘ Shift Swap’ scheme ‘ Welcome to Our World’ Tour (more below)

Create a positive and vibrant organisational culture

• • • •

You First magazine A nnual employee awards programme M onthly ‘Stars’ programme R egional newsletters

2 To see and hear from Senior Leaders more 3 More honesty and transparency 4 More respect and recognition 5 More face-to-face communications

So we’ve created a brand new internal communications strategy, responding to everything colleagues have asked for. To the right is a summary of the key themes of the strategy, with just a flavour of the new channels and activities we’ll be working on to make it happen! If you want to know more, we’ve produced a simple strategy overview which you can find on the Marketing pages of Click.

Sup Ser port vice s

National Forum

Discussing the burning issues that affect our people

tr Cen

Meetings every quarter A force that truly represents our organisation

As You First goes to press, our promotional campaign is about to get underway, encouraging all colleagues to nominate themselves for a place on the Forums. So in the next edition of You First we will be able to showcase our new GameChanger Staff Representatives!

WOW! 18

Nor

Sou

Eight regional forums One national forum

As a not-forprofit organisation, we don’t make large amounts of money on the services we provide, just a very small surplus to reinvest back into our charity

le‘s eop er P es Old Servic

The concept is simple...

FUTURE

Andrew Sleigh

Employee Forum Above everything else in our ICE review, colleagues called for greater influence within our charity. That’s why we are introducing the Community Integrated Care Employee Forum – GameChangers.

M anager away days C ommunication camps S uper Huddle team meetings M onthly e-bulletins R ound table events M anager briefing packs

1 To be listened to before decisions are made

• • • • • •

Sco tlan

The top calls for change were:

Each Regional Forum will meet once every quarter, with meetings

chaired by their• Regional Director Creating a W e will have three people full-time role it is (xxxx whose for Support Services). dedicated internal to improve communication with colleagues communications • We’ve created a 12-month internal communications function plan so colleagues know what to expect and when

G Ma reate & C nches r hes ter hire

We asked people to tell us what they believe really great communication looks like and almost a quarter of colleagues responded – making this the most significant piece of employee research we’ve ever carried out.

time of unprecedented The care sector is facing a g, rising running change. Reductions in fundin National GameChanger Forum members will be of the National Living responsible for reporting back to their Regional Forum costs and the introduction on the issued covered at the National Forum. r and our organisation Wage are putting our secto re, Cath This is to ensure that the voices of all colleagues are cant financial pressure. He nifi sig r de un equally heard, and that everyone is kept informed of O, and Chief Financial what is discussed and decided. Murray-Howard, Deputy CE u First about the er Andrew Sleigh talk to Yo fic Of terly, quar t mee also will m Foru nal Natio The how we s we face and, importantly, chaired by Kerry Tanfield, our HR Director challenge plan to navigate these…

Meet our new Trustees! We’re proud to welcome three new members to our Board of Trustees who will be helping us define our strategy for the next five years.

here’s no getting away from the fact that our sector has some difficult times ahead,” begins Andrew. “The money available to local councils for social care continues to decrease, while the number of people in need increases – something that is having a knock-on effect on all budgets and care providers. “As a not-for-profit organisation, we don’t make large amounts of money on the services we provide, just a very small surplus, only about 1% of our turnover to reinvest back into our charity, which is why the financial challenges we face are so significant. While we have good levels of reserve to get us through this difficult period, we know that in the coming months we’re going to have to talk frankly to colleagues at all levels of the organisation about how we become more agile, flexible and proactive to the changing demands of the sector. There will be some difficult decisions to be made, but we must ensure we have a sustainable base to allow us to continue delivering great support and improving lives for people we support.” Cath continues: “But, we really want people to know that it’s not all doom and gloom. That would be the worst message for people to take away.

“We are one of the largest charities in the UK and in recent years – through things like The Big Change and our Five-Year Strategy – we have made some great strides in improving the quality of our services, investing in leadership and growing our reputation, to ensure that we are in a strong position to get through these challenging times. “One of the reasons we are looking at improving engagement with colleagues is so that we are able to work together to share ideas on how we might save money, avoid increasing deficits and look at different ways to reward staff.” Cath concludes: “We’ve also created a new working group called Project Future, made up of people from both Support Services and our Operations teams, who will be looking at refreshing our strategy and finding ways around these challenges, by doing things like better controlling costs, redesigning services and more business growth. “We honestly believe that by working with colleagues and listening to you to shape the solutions, we will be able to come through this time a stronger, more successful organisation than ever.”

Got any ideas to contribute? Share them on Yammer using the hashtag #projectfuture

side

y erse

Also in the next edition of You First we introduce the Welcome to Our World (WOW!) Tour – which will see our Executive Team regularly visiting services across the country. If you want to open your doors and think you can make our ET say ‘WOW!’ drop us a line at youfirst@c-i-c.co.uk and we’ll make sure your service features in the schedule!

Rachael Wallach, Vice Chair and member of Nominations and Development Committees at Scope

Maria da Cunha, Director of People and Legal at British Airways

Peter Pritchard, Chief Operating Officer at Pets at Home

And finally...

A quick chat with

Spencers Villa... Since opening its door four years ago, Spencers Villa, a specialist autism service in Durham, has been universally praised by families and professionals. So, it was a proud day when this amazing team picked up a top care sector award for their work!

n a glittering ceremony in London in November, the team took home the Autistic Spectrum Services Award at the Laing Buisson Care Awards. This award recognises the fantastic work of the colleague team, who have supported Anthony, Paul and Gavin to live busy lives filled with fun, friendship and opportunity.

You First (YF) catches up with Senior Support Worker Chris Robson, and tenants Paul and Gavin, to find out what they’ve been up to recently… YF: Congratulations on your award! The team must have been thrilled? Chris: Everyone was delighted! We’ve supported the lads through major changes in their lives which hasn’t been without its challenges. To get a pat on the back for our work is an honour. YF: We know that you lead very busy lives – tell our readers what you’ve been up to. Gavin: I go to Waddington Street Centre to do a photography course – I love taking pictures of interesting things, such as statues. Paul spends a lot of time in the Durham Office and is learning lots of computer skills.

M WE RESPECT

YF: Wow, sounds like you have loads of passions! I’m sure you and your staff team are trying loads of new things in the future too… Paul: I’ve just started doing some horse grooming at my farm placement, which is really interesting – I like working with

Paul: My family love it because I’m always emailing them to tell them what I’m up to! I love playing music too – my favourite instrument is my keyboard. Our housemate Anthony goes to the disco every week as he loves to dance.

the animals so I’d like to do more of that. I’m looking into getting a music tutor too which is really exciting. Gavin: I’ve really enjoyed my photography course and would like to try some new ones, maybe cookery!

first@c-i-c.co.uk

r ‘And Finally…’ feature? Email you

ear in our regula Would you like your service to app