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BSA

Today Blue Stream Academy's Healthcare & Lifestyle Magazine Winter 2019 • Issue 04

The Birth of Blue Stream Academy Page 04

Robotic Carers for Lonely Seniors

Dr Alessandro Di Nuovo - Page 10

Look Who’s Talking: Primary Care Networks Dr Neil Paul - Page 18

Issue 04 Front Cover

OFFER

18 months for the price of 12! BSA Today is the exciting Healthcare & Lifestyle magazine from Blue Stream Academy. Blue Stream Academy is the UK’s leading provider of online training for GP Practices, Nursing & Care Homes, Hospices and Urgent Care Centres. Our mission is to standardise healthcare training to ensure consistent delivery of quality care, through better staff education and development. Providing over 70 hours of eLearning, Blue Stream Academy’s suite of interactive training modules is easy to use, cost-effective and in line with CQC guidelines – our modules are also RCGP accredited and CPD certified. If you have any comments, suggestions or ideas, please contact our editor Brady Braddock via email: brady@bluestreamacademy.com. Alternatively, you can write to us at the address below: Blue Stream Academy Suites 11, 12 & 16 Riverside Business Centre Foundry Lane Milford Derbyshire DE56 0RN

Due to the amazing success of our previous ‘18 months for the price of 12 months’ offer, we have decided to extend it until 31st December 2019 for all new customers. Now, all new customers will receive use of any of our eLearning suites for 18 months, whilst only paying for 12 months (plus VAT).

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BSA Today | Issue 04

contents

From the Editor's Desk...

Ihe festive season is almost upon us as BSA Today celebrates its fourth issue! We’ve had the pleasure of attending lots of amazing healthcare exhibitions and it’s been lovely to chat with so many of you and listen to your wonderful feedback and suggestions.

18 Look Who’s Talking

Dr Neil Paul provides an interesting insight into primary care networks (PCNs) in our ‘Look Who’s Talking’ feature.

In this issue, we discover why eLearning has fast become the nation’s preferred choice of training and we take a captivating look at how the Blue Stream Academy story began. We also explore the implications of technology and how robotic carers could interact with lonely senior citizens in the not-so-distant future. In our ‘Look Who’s Talking’ feature, Dr Neil Paul discusses this issue’s hot topic, primary care networks, and we hear from our regular columnist Dr Jeff Foster as he investigates the symptoms and causes of seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Focusing on health and well-being, Jo ‘Happiness’ Howarth also

The Birth of Blue Stream Academy: Home of eLearning

To celebrate our fourth issue, we look back at where it all began and reveal exactly what sets us apart from other eLearning training providers.

eLearning: Moving Forward

A View to the Future: Robotic Carers for Lonely Seniors

12 15

Software developer Lewis Morley talks about how technology is advancing and what this means for future eLearning platforms.

Dr Alessandro Di Nuovo investigates how robotic carers could interact with lonely senior citizens using smart interactive technologies.

Yuletide Blues: ’Tis the Season

We welcome back our regular columnist, Dr Jeff Foster, who examines the symptoms and causes of seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

The Happiness Club: Tools and Techniques to Dispel That Stress!

Jo ‘Happiness’ Howarth shows us how to dispel stress, anxiety and depression using her recommended life-changing tools and techniques.

Look Who’s Talking

Animal Magic

GP and IT Guru, Dr Neil Paul, provides a fascinating insight into primary care networks (PCNs). We take a heart-warming look at how animal-assisted therapy can reduce anxiety, release stress and encourage social interaction amongst care home residents. www.bluestreamacademy.com

shares her seven top tips and techniques to help dispel stress and gain inner happiness. Plus, we have our ever-popular lifestyle section, with its delicious recipes, competition and puzzles. With all this and more, there’s plenty to keep you informed and entertained as the nights draw in and the temperature drops. On behalf of Team BSA, we would like to wish you laughter, joy and peace over the winter months as we bid farewell to 2019 and look forward to a happy and prosperous New Year!

Brady Braddock Editor

New Year's Resolutions: The Good, Bad and Ugly

Winter Warmers

Super Six Skydive: We Did It!

Sally Hart explores the positive and negative impacts that New Year’s resolutions can have on our mental and physical well-being.

Our delicious food and drink recipes are perfect for cosy winter nights curled up on the sofa or celebrating with your loved ones over the festive season. Life begins at the end of your comfort zone! The BSA ‘Super Six’ talk about our charity skydive supporting Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice.

28 Ask Abi

Our resident agony aunt Abi answers a question about a common dispute between an employee with a poor work ethic and the management team.

29 #TeamBSA and @BlueStreamNews

Find out about the latest news and events from Blue Stream HQ as we continue leading the way for eLearning in healthcare.

30 BSA Today’s Photography Competition

Have you taken a fantastic photo recently? Why not enter our photography competition? The winner will receive £100 and a framed copy – a perfect gift for friends or family.

31 Puzzle Corner

Have you got a spare 10 minutes? Just for fun, see if you can solve this issue’s Sudoku puzzle or try our new word search feature.

The Birth of Blue Stream Academy: Home of eLearning Think about what mandatory training involves. First of all you need to find a suitable course, make sure thereâ€™s available spaces and check the date. How will staff members get there? Who will cover their shifts? And how much does all this cost?!

t Blue Stream Academy we recognised these issues and began to develop a solution for healthcare organisations that would make some of their compliance requirements a little easier.

to log on to their training profile from anywhere with an internet connection, effectively turning the world into a classroom.

Blue Stream Academy was founded in 2012 with a small experienced team who were versed in providing healthcare training. The key aim was to provide GP practices with a training solution that would save them time and money without compromising on quality of care. It began by creating a system that provided all staff members in a GP practice with relevant and required training, along with a Management of Information System (MIS) to track training and compliance. We worked with local GP practices, who still use our system today, to find out what they would like to see on the system and if they had any specific requirements. The practice managers requested a training solution that would allow staff to complete training without the practice having to close. The system we developed allows any staff member

Following our success within the GP sector, we realised that other healthcare organisations were facing the same training and reporting issues, so we decided to develop solutions for nursing and care homes, urgent care providers, hospices and dentists. A key facet of Blue Stream Academyâ€™s success is our sales and customer support team; a bubbly, friendly group of individuals who are focused on

Healthcare professionals also made suggestions about features and specific modules that would be beneficial to them. Ultimately, Blue Stream Academy created a system for practice managers that was developed by practice managers.

helping each person they speak with. Our team members are experts on the eLearning suite and the MIS, so no problem is too big or too small. They provide solutions to customer queries over the phone, by email or our new live chat feature via our website. They are the main port of call for all our users, and their helpful and friendly manner is an integral part of our excellent retention rates of 96%. We regularly attend many healthcare exhibitions and conferences up and down the country to interact with people who use our system. Of course, these events are a great way to establish new relationships, but they’re also important to nurture existing relationships and gain valuable insight and feedback. Our software developers are constantly working on new features and updates to ensure that the entire system is tailored precisely for evolving healthcare requirements. Our powerful MIS is what sets us apart from the competition. Managers love the reporting features that allow an administrator to set up training profiles, view training deadlines, attach trackable policies and – using our revolutionary

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training matrix – examine a complete overview of their staff’s knowledge and compliance. Our brand-new HR system and, from early 2020, a bolt-on payroll system within the MIS, are a sign that Blue Stream Academy listens to the needs of our customers and delivers. Unlike other HR systems, which offer paid-for extras, everything from leave requests to staff rotas are included in the package. Also, document management allows a manager to upload contracts, performance reviews, appraisals, DBS checks, and ‘right to work’ checks and sends the manager reminders to review these. We are proud to be the only ISO 27001 accredited provider of eLearning, compliance reporting, HR, bookkeeping and policy management in the UK healthcare industry.

place to give you the utmost confidence that your data is kept securely. In today’s digital age, when data breaches are a regular occurrence, why risk your organisation’s and users’ data with a company that hasn’t been audited or accredited? Our content development team is a talented group who are constantly bouncing ideas across the office, sharing design ideas and working closely to develop brilliant new eLearning content that’s tailored to our users’ needs.

“

...Blue Stream Academy created a system for practice managers that was developed by practice managers.

Our recent accreditation audited by the British Standards Institution (BSI) demonstrates our commitment to data security and continuous improvement. We have policies and procedures in

We understand that legislation and guidance are always changing and adapting, as is the nature of the healthcare landscape. We therefore ensure we review our existing modules regularly so that users are getting the most up-to-date information possible. When developing modules, we search for subject matter experts to guide the content to be sure that our users are getting the most relevant information for that topic. In addition, all of our modules are accredited by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) so our users can be confident that our training has been quality assured and independently assessed. This ensures it is a consistent and high-quality resource that will reduce risk and save time and money. Thanks to our extensive experience in security and network design, we do not need to rely on third parties as we pride ourselves on our inhouse development. We also have the technical expertise to manage our own servers and, as a result, we can offer greater resilience. Also, in the unlikely event of any issues, we have full control over remediation, the development process, and the security of our code. It also means we can be more flexible in order to meet the needs of our users.

So, where is Blue Stream Academy now? Our team continues to grow, and though that means the office tea round has got a lot bigger, there are also more hands on deck to answer your queries, develop new features, and create excellent eLearning modules for our users. We’re committed to continue developing what we have built in order to deliver original eLearning content, create tailored reports, and expand on the innovative features that are already available. Our system is built around you and our development will always be centred on the needs of our users, because they are the reason the system exists

Fun Fact: Our Mr Pose badges have become a huge hit over the past few years. They are awarded by managers to staff as a reward for achieving key mandatory training milestones. Each badge – bronze, silver and gold – represents a certain amount of CPD hours completed by a trainee. Please keep a look out for our newest edition to the Blue Stream Academy badge family, ‘Blue Mr Pose’. In 2020, we celebrate the launch of our new BSA Ambassadors scheme with our exclusive Blue Mr Pose badges. More information to follow in our next issue.

Here is our new exhibition stand which can be found at healthcare events across the UK. If you see us please feel free to pop over and say hello!

new

Introducing our HMRC Recognised UK Payroll and Auto Enrolment System

Offering seamless integration with our HR and eLearning system, let Blue Stream Academy power your training, workforce and payroll systems together.

Features

Our feature-rich system offers fantastic value for money and was designed with the help of our end users.

Real Time Information (RTI)

Our vast experience in the healthcare sector and role as guardians of sensitive data demonstrate how seriously we approach data security.

payroll migration

As a result we are fully ISO 27001 accredited and audited by BSI who have recognised our commitment to continuous improvement and best practice.

loan calculations

Switching to Blue Stream Academy is easy thanks to our support for mid-year payroll migration and our helpful team of support agents are on hand to guide you whenever you need it.

So why not join the thousands of organisations who rely on Blue Stream Academy for their training and workforce management needs, today!

Phone:

01773 822549

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• HMRC reporting via

• Pensions • Auto Enrolment • P45 / P60 reporting • Support for mid-year

• Benefits in Kind PAYE reporting • Student / postgraduate ...and much more!

Article by Lewis Morley

eLearning: Moving Forward

Extensive studies support the claim that eLearning is a more cost-effective and efficient way to ensure the continued professional development of employees. The ability to improve effectiveness at a fraction of the cost makes it an appealing alternative to traditional face-to-face methods, especially for larger organisations.

vidence of this claim was identified by a 9-year survey of research literature in training, conducted by the American Psychological Association Division of Educational Psychology, which was published in Training and Retraining in 2000. The survey concluded: ‘Learners learn more using computerbased instruction than they do with conventional ways of teaching, as measured by higher post-treatment test scores.’ Due to its adaptability, its lack of restriction, and the capacity to make instant changes across the board, eLearning enables organisations to ensure that all staff, regardless of location, can access consistent content. This ensures that common methodology and ideals are followed, reinforcing corporate identity. Technology is continuing to advance at a rapid rate, with things that were merely fantasy a few years ago now becoming a reality. Now more than ever, people are using ‘learning styles’ to adjust learning content to better suit the user, as everyone learns in a different way. Therefore, content must not be locked into a single learning style (such as lots of text and reading). Ideally, learning content should have a fine balance between interactive elements and detailed information allowing users of all learning styles to enjoy and engage with it. A large

number of upcoming technological advancements are becoming available to use in any eLearning content. Increased participation through interactivity with well-designed eLearning programmes leads to higher levels of cognitive engagement, resulting in better retention of information. First, there are interactive videos. These allow you to record real-life footage of the module content (e.g. office safety). When users go through the video, at certain points they get to decide what to do next and the video plays out the consequence. Think of the hazard perception test on a driving theory exam, but with even more user interactivity. This allows people to become fully immersed in the learning content and get a deeper understanding of the information.

learning experience and complement educational text-based eLearning. However, there are some barriers to virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) learning. Firstly, the set up of the headset and subsequent equipment can be time consuming, expensive and requires a certain level of expertise to set up. VR and AR training are also unsuitable for a group training environment, unless the device is shared amongst users. The technology most likely to be used within eLearning is interactive reality, using a camera or mouse to interact with the digital world. These elements tie in perfectly with our existing eLearning format that offers an engaging way to keep the user interested. An example of this can be found within our Fire Safety module.

Next is the big drive in gamification and rewards. Instant gratification and reward are incredibly popular with many of the younger generation as much focus is on the next 10-minute hit rather than on longer delayed rewards. This could very easily be used in an eLearning environment, to provide users with small rewards for completing certain tasks (e.g. passing a test first time with a score of 100%).

However, screen readers are not limited to those with disabilities; they can be used by people who prefer to listen to content rather than read, similar to how audiobooks are becoming a preferred way to enjoy books. eLearning has been providing a more effective and efficient way to learn for years, and with the future of technology rapidly developing, this is a great time for eLearning platforms to flourish and advance even further, becoming a staple in every organisationâ€™s training

In terms of accessibility and user comfort, big strides have been made in the screen reader software that is used on PCs. This allows people who have disabilities to use the eLearning content without compromising on the knowledge they are receiving.

Augmented reality, virtual reality and interactive reality are three different areas of technology that work within the same realm, effectively allowing the user to manipulate a digital space. Augmented technology can provide an engaging

So, Why Choose eLearning?

Cost Effective

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Faster, Mobile & Flexible

Environmentally Friendly

Active Learning

Monitoring & Evaluating

07 09

A View to the Future: Robotic Carers for Lonely Seniors

When we dream about the future, we imagine plenty of friendly robots taking good care of our personal needs: our robotic cars will tell us the news while driving via the fastest route; our robotic butlers will cook for us and look after our household needs, and the robotic nurses will meticulously care for us day and night.

C Dr Alessandro Di Nuovo Dr Alessandro Di Nuovo is a Leader in Computational Intelligence and Robotics at Sheffield Hallam University, where he is the Leader of Technological and Digital Innovations in the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre, a world-renowned centre for research and innovation in healthcare. He is also on the executive board of Sheffield Robotics. He was awarded a PhD in Informatics Engineering from the University of Catania (Italy) for studies on Computational Intelligence for Design Optimisation of Embedded Computer Systems.

oming back to today’s reality, robotics is a broad field covering different aspects of creating and using robots, from familiar technologies like automated vacuum cleaners and smart appliances to more advanced robots that look like humans or animals. Robots can operate with varying levels of autonomy by making use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technologies. A wide range of robotic technologies can be used in social care to provide physical, social and cognitive assistance, and several studies report positive impacts on users’ mobility, mental health and cognitive skills. In their labs, researchers are developing some advanced robotic solutions that they believe could support care providers by automating (mainly menial) tasks. Robots can free up time for caregivers, enabling them to focus on delivering a better service for care recipients.

Meanwhile, more advanced robots can help to reduce loneliness and isolation by facilitating connectivity with friends and family, and even simulating social interaction. Robots providing physical assistance have been shown to increase users’ autonomy and dignity by assisting with tasks like feeding, washing and walking, and they are being developed to support physiotherapy.

“

...robotic technologies can be used in social care by providing physical, social and cognitive assistance... studies report positive impact on users' mobility. Prototypes of robotic toilets have also been developed that can raise, tilt and recognise the user and adjust settings according to the user’s preferences. Novel opportunities are provided by socially assistive robots, which include

those that aid daily living activities (e.g. by reminding users when to take their medicine) and those that detect and prevent falls. This can also include robots designed to provide companionship and assist with loneliness and social engagement, monitor and improve wellbeing, or help educate preschool children. The Japanese government already supports introducing robots in care homes to solve the country’s dramatic ageing population problem. In the UK too, robotics and automation have been suggested as novel instruments to help improve the quality of social care and manage increasing pressures on health and social care services. A pilot conducted by Hampshire County Council found that using Amazon Echo did result in a reduction in users’ self-reported feelings of isolation and loneliness 1. At the same time, there are concerns that the quality of care provided may diminish if robots do indeed replace humans. These concerns have been somewhat amplified by the media, often pointing out the potential job losses that could occur. In reality, while much has been written about the development and use of robotics in social care, it is still relatively new and, currently, there is limited evidence of such technology being used in this sector outside some small-scale trials. Many of the robots developed for social care appear to still be at the conceptual or design phase and, at the moment, there are technical limitations to the tasks that they can undertake. However, this may change in the not-so-distant future with the increasing adoption of technology in social care and with further investment in robotics research. So far, most of the research studies about robots in social care have focused only on evaluating how well the technology functions, without really considering the deeper socio-economic impact. Crucially, increasing the use of robotics in social care will mean that current staff will require training to be able to work alongside this technology. Many suggest that there may be more jobs in other sectors, such as for those with skills in robotics (including data analysts and programmers), but these skills are already in very high demand and it is unclear how the new positions can be filled. www.bluestreamacademy.com

Ethical issues have been raised: the degree to which robots could prevent people from engaging in risky behaviours, such as smoking; the extent to which robots could persuade users to do something if they did not wish to, such as taking scheduled medication; and the potential for users to become dependent on robots, undermining their ability to do things for themselves and reducing independence.

1 https://www.local.gov.uk/hampshire-county-councilpushing-boundaries-using-amazon-echo 2 https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/ news/attitudes-towards-impact-digitisation-andautomation-daily-life 3 https://www.local.gov.uk/sites/default/files/ documents/IoW%20final%20deliverable%20FINAL%20 for%20publication.pdf

Other challenges in the use of robotics in social care include privacy, security and legal and regulatory concerns. However, these are like those we currently face when using smartphones and computers, and they can be addressed by applying similar solutions. For example, robots capable of processing personal data are subject to regulation under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which requires ‘privacy by design’, whereby data protection safeguards are built into technology early on. Finally, there is a mixed attitude among the public. In a recent survey 2, while 68% of respondents agreed that robots are beneficial because they can help people, only 26% said they’d be comfortable with a robot providing help and companionship for them if they were in hospital or care. This negative attitude is shaped by people's previous experience and expectations, and it may be indicated by their attitudes to computers and related technologies more generally. Interestingly, a project by the Isle of Wight council suggested that robots were perceived more positively when they were designed to operate alongside people or with human input, because they are less likely to replace human caregivers 3. In conclusion, researchers and service providers must address public anxiety and make it clear that robots are designed to assist workers in social care, not replace them. Indeed, before social robots can be fully integrated into practices and care homes on a wider scale, most robotics researchers strongly recommend carefully balancing the care benefits against the ethical costs. As long as humans remain in full control to prevent any negative outcome, robots might well be the future of care

clock regardless of the time of year and directly fighting our biological urges, which are actually trying to get us to shut down and hibernate until spring? Seasonal Affective Disorder The Royal College of Psychiatry states that 3% of the UK population have some form of significant winter depression. However, while many medical resources are quick to highlight the similarities between SAD and general depression, there are in fact several differences between the two conditions. Both depression and SAD patients tend to suffer with the following:

Yuletide Blues: 'Tis The Season

Most of us have heard of the medical condition seasonal affective disorder (or SAD) or, more informally, the winter blues. But while its existence may now seem obvious, the ‘official’ origin of SAD only dates back to the late 1970s.

t this time, the American researcher Herb Kern (based at the National Institute of Mental Health in Maryland) used himself as a guinea pig, convinced that his own depression was made worse in the winter months than in the summer.

Dr Jeff Foster www.drjefffoster.co.uk Dr Jeff Foster is a GP with an interest in Men's Health. If you have any questions on men's health, please contact Dr Foster at contact@drjefffoster.co.uk

Kern (and two other researchers, Alfred Lewy and Sanford Markey) came up with the hypothesis that the longer nights of winter increased levels of melatonin, which had the effect of triggering or exacerbating Kern’s depression. To confirm this idea, they set up a simple light box to shine light into Kern’s eyes twice a day, and within a week Kern had reported his symptoms improving. From this point on, not only was the condition of SAD recognised, but so was one of its most commonly used treatments. Since the 1970s, awareness and diagnosis of SAD have increased dramatically. Even so, could we be more prone to depression in winter because we spend our time working in offices, maintaining the same social

• • • • • •

low mood lack of interest and enjoyment in life, work, and hobbies decreased energy not wanting to socialise being grumpy or more irritable decreased interest in sex.

Patients with depression also tend to have disturbed sleep patterns (difficulty getting to sleep, staying asleep or waking early) and often have a reduced appetite. The opposite is seen in SAD, where patients often only want to be awake during daylight hours. In addition, SAD patients often have an increased appetite, generally craving higher calorie foods. Although the symptoms of increased sleep and increased appetite are not always seen in SAD, they can be important symptoms that help differentiate between SAD and general depression. Interestingly, SAD does tend to follow other types of depression in terms of patient demographics. It is most common in women of childbearing age, and it is about three times more common in women than in men. SAD is rarely seen in children; it also becomes less common in older adults, where the prevalence becomes the same in both sexes. Pathophysiology There is no accepted reason why some people develop SAD. The common hypothesis is that a lack of daylight

promotes disturbances in melatonin production, which, in some way, results in the exacerbation or triggering of a depressive state. It has been suggested that some people are more prone to SAD because they are less responsive to light, and that spending too much time indoors triggers their condition. Other theories include the idea that all humans still function via an evolutionary biological clock, which tries to get us to become more sedate and lethargic in winter, so as to conserve energy in the cold weather when food is scarce. The ‘phase-shift hypothesis’ suggests that the later sunrises in winter cause a delay in our internal biological rhythms, so that they are no longer in tune with when we go to sleep and when we wake up. Many people tend to have moods that follow a circadian rhythm: we wake feeling irritable and become cheerful during the day, before our mood declines again overnight. If our circadian rhythm becomes misaligned with the actual time of day, our low mood may be more prominent in the daytime. Treatment of SAD Because there is no accepted theory on why some people develop SAD, treatment tends to follow the same principles as for general depression, with a few significant differences. Light Therapy Despite the apparent success of light therapy in treating Herb Kern’s SAD, and subsequent promotion and selling of light boxes in SAD therapy, the evidence for this form of treatment is inconclusive. Standard light therapy is usually used for 30 minutes to an hour each day. It is considered to be most beneficial when used early in the day, and some researchers have found

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that the improvement in symptoms is rapid. Interestingly, a Cochrane review from 2018 found that no studies have provided any good quality evidence for the successful treatment of SAD with light therapy. Medication Seasonal use of antidepressants remains a major treatment choice for SAD. The principles of antidepressant use in SAD follow that of antidepressant use in generalised depression. Medication is designed to reduce feelings of tiredness and improve mood. Importantly, unlike light therapy, a Cochrane review from March 2019 demonstrated a reduction in clinical symptoms in some patients who took specific forms of antidepressants. The majority of SAD patients, however, still demonstrate limited success from medication. Talking Therapies Adjunctive psychotherapy may increase adherence to lifestyle measures and medication and reduce distress. In general, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is recommended as a first choice for supportive treatment of SAD. It is worth noting that access to CBT can be difficult, and the therapy itself often takes months to be effective. Lifestyle One of the treatment options in SAD that is often poorly addressed is lifestyle management. In particular, it is important to stress to patients with SAD that they should spend quantifiable time outside, improve their diet and exercise where possible, and make a conscious effort to socialise. It is these lifestyle measures that are so often

skirted over as ‘understood’, or too hard to address fully in a standard 10-minute primary care consultation. However, by effecting real change in a patient's day-to-day activity, it can have significant benefits in reducing the symptoms of SAD. Unfortunately, no studies have compared the different forms of treatment for SAD. It is concerning, however, that despite there being only anecdotal evidence for the success of light therapy, it is still widely promoted in medical information resources and is widely sold as a treatment option. Overall, the treatment of SAD has to be based on the individual patient and a mutual discussion about their preferences for certain types of therapy alongside the associated risks and benefits. Summary Overall, theories on the development of SAD suggest that this disease is one we have made for ourselves: a consequence of our artificial, computerdriven work and social environments. Significantly, the pathophysiology and treatment of SAD have progressed very little since its discovery in the 1970s. Perhaps we need to approach SAD rather as we deal with the treatment of obesity or type 2 diabetes; that is, to think of it more as a consequence of the social networks and lifestyles we have constructed for ourselves. In the meantime, while we are searching for a solution to this problem, maybe we should all think of owning a light box

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The Happiness Club: Tools and Techniques to Dispel That Stress!

We’d all like to be happy, wouldn’t we? In fact, everything we do in life is in order to move ourselves closer to happiness. Whatever that thing is, that thing that is missing in your life, what you actually want, in the having of that thing, is to be happier.

hello, my name is Jo Howarth. I run a company called The Happiness Club and I teach people how to be happier, because I fully believe that happiness is the most important thing in life. In this article, I share with you my seven top tips for harnessing your inner happiness. I hope you enjoy them and put them into practice.

1. Put Yourself First

The simple fact is that if you don’t look after yourself, you can’t look after anyone else. You have to start by prioritising your own well-being. It sounds selfish. It feels selfish. But it is totally necessary. You are the only person who is absolutely guaranteed to be with you every single day of your life, from now until the end, so you have to become your own priority. And once you start looking after yourself you will have more energy, headspace and love to share with those around you. It’s a win-win.

2. Stop Making Assumptions

Assumptions. We make hundreds and hundreds of them every day. Some of them are necessary to move us forward and get things done, but a lot of them are unnecessary and potentially damaging. We assume we know what someone else is thinking or feeling, largely in relation to ourselves. We assume we know why someone else is doing whatever they’re doing, largely in relation to ourselves. And we respond accordingly. But our assumptions are not always correct. Sometimes the reason behind someone else’s behaviour has nothing to do with us and our response is entirely inappropriate. Making the effort to communicate effectively, to check with the other person what is actually going on, can save a lot of hurt and heartache in the long run. www.bluestreamacademy.com

Jo 'Happiness' Howarth www.thehappinessclub.co.uk Jo Howarth is a bestselling author and an inspirational speaker. She is an uplifter, an inspirer, a helper and the founder of The Happiness Club. You can reach Jo at jo@thehappinessclub.co.uk

3. Spend Time With Yourself

As I said before, you are the most important person in your own life. But how much time do you spend just with yourself? How much time do you spend checking in with your own thoughts, your own feelings, your own life? I am going to challenge you to start spending one minute every day – just one – sitting somewhere comfortable, closing your eyes and just checking in with you. It will do you the world of good.

Other examples of self-care that are easy to do can include:

• • • •

Going for a walk during your lunchbreak Aiming to eat a well-balanced diet Doing yoga Engaging with a non-work hobby.

4. Put It In Perspective

Don’t we love a drama?! Don’t we, though? And we blow things out of all proportion because we allow ourselves to get carried away by that drama. It makes life more interesting, but can make life harder too. Next time you feel yourself getting pulled into the drama of something, ask yourself this question: Will any of this matter in five years time? You’ll find, more often than not, that the answer to that question is no. And if the answer is no, why on earth are you allowing yourself to get so wound up about it all now? If it won’t matter in five years, I promise it doesn’t matter now.

5. Let It Go

It’s not just the best song in 'Frozen', it’s one of the wisest things you can learn how to do. Let. It. Go. Whatever ‘it’ is, learn how to release the negative emotions around it on a regular basis. Otherwise, that negative energy will stay inside you, causing all kinds of physical, mental and emotional trouble. Those long, slow breaths will help you release it, as will all kinds of other tools – from hypnosis to meditation, from yoga to EFT (emotional freedom techniques).

6. Appreciate The Hell Out Of It

Appreciation, appreciation, appreciation. There is nothing quite like it for soothing your soul and lifting your spirit. Taking five minutes every day to reflect on all the things you have in your life to appreciate, and all the things you can appreciate from that day itself, has the power to turn even the day from hell on its head. Do it before you go to sleep and you will get better quality, more restful and rejuvenating sleep into the bargain.

7. Breathe

A simple one. Learn how to breathe properly. Learn how to use your breath to bring you back in line with yourself. Lovely, long, slow, deep breaths in and out on a regular basis will calm you down and keep you calm, even in the craziest situations.

• Breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth, let your breath flow

as down into your belly as comfortable

• Breathe in gently and regularly, counting steadily from 1 to 5

• Then, without pausing or holding your breath, let it flow out gently, counting

from 1 to 5 again, if you find this helpful

• Keep doing this for 3-5 minutes, or until you feel calm and relaxed.

The Happiness Club is an online membership club that offers daily support, to help with issues such as stress, anxiety, depression, being overwhelmed, low self-esteem, lack of confidence and so on. The Club can help you to:

• Reduce your stress levels so you can work better

• Take control of your thoughts, feelings and actions so

you can enjoy day-to-day life

• Feel more calm and positive so that your relationships

at work and home improve

• See your life through a new lens so that you spend

more of your day feeling happy and content

• Never find yourself in a situation where you’re about

to lose it with someone!

The Happiness Club is an affordable way for you to change your way of thinking and have a fresh lease on life. For less than the cost of your daily cup of tea or coffee, you get access to me whenever you need it, as well as my daily message that reveals to you yet another way to find happiness. Members also get 24/7 access to a team of counsellors and therapists for help with their mental well-being when they need it most. More information can be found online at www.thehappinessclub.co.uk

DO YOU WANT TO GROW

Your Business? ADVERTISE HERE!

Phone: 01773 822549 • brady@bluestreamacademy.com

www.bluestreamacademy.com

Look Who’s Talking: Primary Care Networks

Primary care networks (PCNs) are the current hottest game in town, but not everyone knows about these huge changes to healthcare delivery. This week I was stunned to meet a GP who actually hadn’t heard of them at all, as most should have! However, it turns out he was from Scotland where for once they are not the ‘guinea pigs’ so I will forgive him. Although most GPs should know what they are, I suspect a lot of people in primary care and the wider world are not yet aware of them.

n case you don’t know what a PCN is, let me explain. Every GP practice in the country has been offered the opportunity through a DES (direct enhanced service – extra money for doing something) to form a PCN.

Dr Neil Paul www.drneilpaul.blog Dr Neil Paul is a GP partner in Sandbach where he delivers 5 clinical sessions and runs a clinical research team. He is a PCN clinical director, a GP Federation Executive, and a board member of CCICP (a community services provider), as well as a shadow board member on the Cheshire East ICP. He runs a company supporting other PCNs and GP Federations called Howbeck Healthcare and also runs CheshireGPed which puts on evening educational meetings for GPs in the area.

The idea is based on the National Association of Primary Care (NAPC) primary care home model, which states that health services should be delivered to populations of around 30,000–50,000 people. This is the ideal size for having enough of most conditions to make doing something worthwhile, without being so big as to make it difficult to manage. Ideally, PCNs should be geographically co-located and form natural populations. This enables place-based care, which is the other buzz term we are hearing a lot. This is the basis for forming integrated care partnerships (ICPs), which are the bodies that need to think in these delivery units. An ICP is another reorganisation in which all the providers in an area – including acute, community and primary care – are

put in a room, given a set amount of money and told to get on with it. The idea is that they will do a better job of it than the old commissioner/provider split. It’s all based on the accountable care model made popular in the States, and there are lots of publications from organisations like the King’s Fund that provide information about it. In my opinion ICPs are a good idea; it seems to work in the States. However, once formed, they seem to take two to three years to really start delivering results. This is partly because at first they concentrate too much on secondary care and not enough on primary care and the screening, public health agenda. So far, more than a thousand PCNs have been set up, which goes to show you can do anything if you incentivise it with money, and fewer than ten practices have refused. How happy the PCNs are about forming, and whether they are delivering anything significant, other than the bare minimum that is in the DES contract, remains to be seen.

The PCN DES itself appears to have been written by committee, with various ideas in mind. There is no doubt that practice resilience is one of them. Practices have been saying for ages that they are falling over, and they are struggling to recruit. Perhaps forcing practices to work together breaks down the barriers and encourages them to help each other and be open about their problems, especially if they are being asked to reach collective targets. Of course, some old rivalries are hard to break, and I’m sure it’s not all plain sailing. Another idea is to promote new staff and new staff types in practice, and the DES certainly brings a lot of money into primary care to do this. It’s actually done in quite a clever way. By only paying for 70%, it encourages practices to have skin in the game. Simply being given staff might not get them to engage; do you engage more with something you pay for? By limiting the spend to new types of staff, the DES encourages practices to skill-mix, to evolve and to experiment. Many practices are change-resistant, and this perhaps breaks that resistance. The pharmacist in practice scheme certainly helped to do that with pharmacists. It also achieves this by taking a baseline of staff, which minimises potential gaming, making sure practices don’t just pocket the money and that it is genuinely spent on new staff. Some might say another idea behind the DES is to force mergers, and some mergers are happening. Locally, whole towns are forming one super-practice. From a resilience point of view, perhaps bigger is better. Some say this is to make it easy for practices to be privatised. I’m not convinced, as all the evidence shows that private organisations aren’t interested in getting into the NHS. However, other NHS bodies, such as trusts, might be keen; and, indeed, some are taking over practices. This doesn’t always go smoothly, and a couple of trusts I’ve spoken to have told me it’s a lot of hard work for little gain. Many practices don’t want to merge, though some are happy to start thinking about sharing back office and outsourcing services. This ‘working at scale’ agenda seems to be one of the big drivers behind the DES, and the reason behind it is an attempt to level up primary care delivery, service levels and quality.

www.bluestreamacademy.com

In an ICP world, all providers sit around the table and share out the money. From people who have done this, we know you should invest in primary care and not secondary care. It is oversimplistic to say that this is because prevention is better than cure. If primary care is disparate, not joined up and (even worse) variable in quality, why would you give it any funding or contracts? Joining up practices by giving them collective targets to achieve is definitely part of the game. This makes them self-regulate performance due to peer pressure and drives a levelling up. Practices merging clearly need to join up everything, as you can’t have different parts of one practice working in different ways. Practices that aren’t merging but are trying to work clinically in a more uniform way are (or should be) concentrating on pathways, protocols, formularies and common training. They need to spend a lot of time putting clinicians in a room to discuss topics and their different ways of dealing with them. Joining up the front end is hard; often, people come from different backgrounds and like the way they do things, and without the impetus of a merger they may resist change. However, there is a feeling that joining up the back end could be easier, and there seems to be less resistance to outsourcing or collectivising the back office, perhaps off-site. Again, working on common protocols and procedures is the answer. There is a huge role for training companies to deliver standard training and assessments across a PCN to help this levelling up and to drive standardisation and harmonisation. There is also a role for them to help evaluate the differences and perhaps to project-manage the implementation: sometimes, just having a training package isn’t enough. Hopefully, now you know a bit more about PCNs and why practices are forming them. Some want to merge, and others want to work together – either front of house or back office. Some are doing it to be part of an ICP and represent their areas, and some are doing it for the money and the new staff (that is, to survive). Next time, I plan to talk more about some of the things a PCN might be up to

Article by Chris Guest, Lifestyle & Events Manager at Majesticare

Animal Magic Pets are far more than just furry companions, each complete with their own quirky personalities and unique characteristics. On an emotional level, owning a pet can reduce depression, stress and anxiety. Research suggests that pet owners require fewer GP visits and are less prone to heart disease.

alenheim House Care Home, based in Melksham, Wiltshire, is one of eight luxury care homes owned by Majesticare Ltd, who are keen to incorporate animals into residents’ daily activities. This reflects the key values of the company: heart, creativity, family, happiness and trust. Bailey is a 6-month-old French bulldog named after Peter Bailey, a renowned artist and former resident of Blenheim House. Bailey regularly visits all three floors of the home to provide friendship and fun to those who may miss their own pets, having transitioned into residential care. She has a puppy care plan, keeping her active and rested when needed. This includes weekly puppy training classes involving the residents, something that they and Bailey both relish!

Chris Guest, Blenheim House’s Lifestyle and Events Manager, looks after Bailey outside her ‘working hours’ and says: ‘Bailey is a wonderful addition to Blenheim House, as therapy dogs are becoming more prevalent in care homes. We are really proud that she is able to provide so much joy and relaxation to our residents and we’re also keen to include her in inter-generational projects we have with local schools. It’s a fantastic way to provide that extra magic moment to people’s life.’

Chris is also pleased to announce that Bailey became the face of a community safety campaign led by Chippenham Town Council throughout October, helping to deliver messages of community, cohesion and well-being. Bailey is not the only animal that Blenheim House encounters; the activities team regularly welcomes wildlife experiences to keep residents entertained. ‘We have visitors coming to talk about local wildlife and the local area, this helps our residents feel more like part of the community,’ says Chris. They also have regular visits by zoo outreach workers, who bring in all sorts of creatures including reptiles, insects and owls. ‘It’s a wonderful way to keep residents stimulated,’ says Chris, ‘and it creates a lovely buzz around the home when they share their stories of meeting a snake or holding a tarantula!’ Blenheim House regularly welcomes a Pets as Therapy (PAT) dog to meet residents while Bailey is resting, and guide dog networks are invited to hold fundraisers at open day events. Once a week, the activities team also takes residents on a visit to Wiltshire Equine Centre to learn about and pet horses. ‘Offering such depth in activities gives our residents the options and ability to shape their daily life,’ Chris says. ‘We expose them to new experiences, or maybe something from when they were younger, that can trigger warm memories and happiness. It’s a great job to have, and I’m honoured to work for such a forward-thinking and caring company. Seeing residents happy, active and stimulated is my priority'

www.bluestreamacademy.com

Bailey, the French Bulldog

New Year's Resolutions: The Good, Bad and Ugly

The beginning of the year is symbolic of optimism and hope, as we anticipate the lighter days to come. It is the perfect time for a fresh start, which is perhaps why so many people create New Year's resolutions. The most common intentions are health-related – such as losing weight, giving up smoking or getting more exercise – so surely that means resolutions are good for our health? Not necessarily...

my Cuddy, a social psychologist at Harvard Business School, argues that resolutions can do more harm than good, especially when we set unreasonable goals that are destined to fail. Sadly, most resolutions do fail; in a study of more than three thousand people who made New Year’s resolutions, only 12% actually reached their goal by the end of the year. Failure Can Affect How We Feel Missing those goals we set for ourselves can leave us in a worse state than we were in before. We still have those extra pounds or bad habits, but we now also criticise ourselves as weak or lacking in willpower. This creates yet more anxiety and stress. The resulting low self-esteem can even lead to further unhealthy action, perhaps driving the urge to drink more or binge in an effort to feel better. To avoid this downward spiral, we need to put any failure down to the strategy adopted rather than to our own innate qualities.

Understanding Why We Fail To Keep Resolutions Cuddy attributes failure to several factors. First of all, most of us create resolutions in absolute terms, such as vowing to visit the gym three times a week. So, if a week goes by when this is not possible, we have absolutely failed in our resolve. Worse, our resolutions are often based on addressing things we dislike about ourselves, such as being overweight or having bad habits. Cuddy argues that these negative emotions can be demotivating, especially if we focus on an unrealistic outcome rather than the process. Willpower Isn't Something We Can Rely On For some time, psychologists have been saying that willpower is like a muscle that can be strengthened (and overtired), but recent studies show it is a far more unreliable resource than that. Psychologist Carol Dweck, and her colleagues at Stanford University, have shown that signs of ego depletion (running out of willpower) were seen

Sally Hart Sally Hart works as a consultant helping companies to reward their employees, covering everything from strategy design to implementation, including benchmarking, policy development, performance management, training, and communication. Having qualified as a management accountant, her background is in finance, which can be a great help when it comes to working to a budget. More recently, she studied Applied Positive Psychology at Bucks University, and she enjoys writing about performance, psychology, and health.

only in test subjects who believed willpower to be a limited resource. If willpower can be lost because of self-defeating thoughts, perhaps it is more like an emotion that ebbs and flows; to succeed, we need to learn to ride its waves. Success May Reflect Our General Response To Expectations In her book The Four Tendencies, Gretchen Rubin sets out a framework to help understand why we act the way we do. Rubin argues that we each have an inclination to meet, or resist, inner and outer expectations. For example, an ‘obliger’ is someone who strives to meet others’ expectations before their own. This tendency will show up in someone who can always meet an external deadline yet struggles to follow through on their own plans. For an obliger, the key to sticking to a personal resolution may be to become accountable to others, such as by committing to raise money for charity. Rubin goes on to describe a ‘questioner’ as someone who tends to resist outer expectations but can easily meet their own. A questioner is more likely to stick to something if they have decided for themselves what to do and how to do it; what others think is of little relevance.

• Reward yourself for each step taken in the right direction. This helps to associate achievement with pleasurable feelings. • Have appropriate support in place, particularly if you want to tackle an addiction. • Don’t give up at the first slip. Remember that establishing new patterns of behaviour takes time. Reframe mistakes as simply a need to tweak the plan.

“

...those who set New Year's resolutions are ten times more likely to actually change their behaviour than people who don't make any yearly goals at all.

How Health Professionals Can Help January is a great time to promote specific health programmes, as take-up will be at a peak. Health practices can also highlight relevant external support organisations, making sure that any posters and leaflets on display are up to date. Be prepared to recommend phone apps that can support healthy choices. As well as having practical resources available, consider how your organisation can provide emotional support to those who are trying to make changes. Health professionals are in a great position to coach patients towards success.

Rubin depicts ‘upholders’ as those who automatically do the right thing for others and for themselves; they are rather good at resolutions. Perversely, a ‘rebel’ will resist all expectations, even their own. Rebellious types may need to trick themselves into working towards their goals, but they are most likely to resist making any resolutions at all! If we can set New Year’s resolutions in line with our natural tendencies, we stand a much better chance of success. Making Resolutions Can Still Bring About Positive Change The good news is that while many of us do fail, psychologists have found that those who set New Year’s resolutions are ten times more likely to actually change their behaviour than people who don’t set any yearly goals at all. So it is definitely worth trying!

Resolve To Be Kind To Yourself A resolution is simply a promise to oneself, so make it a promise you can keep. A resolution can also be defined as a solution to a difficulty or problem. Maybe there is something in your

life that you need to address. Now is a great time to start

Here are some tips on keeping resolutions as given by the experts: • Make just one achievable goal. Working on a single change helps to focus energy and avoid being overwhelmed. • Phrase your objective in positive language. Aim to ‘be free from the need to smoke’, rather than talking about ‘giving up’. • Prepare a clear plan of action. Cuddy advocates "self-nudging," a process of constantly setting small goals in lieu of large ones. www.bluestreamacademy.com

Winter Warmers

t’s that festive time of year again as the shimmer of fireworks and fairy lights reflect in our windows, so why not treat yourself, family or friends to one of our delicious recipes to enjoy by the fire? We’ve created a range of recipes from seasonal winter warmers to festive party treats and tipples, ideal for indulging in over the winter months!

Brie & Cranberry Twists Prep: 15min Cook: 10min Ready in: 25min Makes: 18

1. Preheat your oven to 200ºC fan / gas mark 7. 2. Take 12 sheets ready-made filo pastry and melt

100g butter. Layer two of the sheets on your worktop in a landscape orientation, and brush with some of the melted butter.

3. Slice 250g brie into 18 chunky fingers. Space three of

the fingers evenly along the bottom edge of the filo sheets. Top each finger with 1tsp cranberry sauce and sprinkle over a few chopped walnuts.

4. Roll the filo from bottom to top, cut into three even

parcels and twist to seal. Brush the top of each parcel with melted butter and sprinkle with poppy seeds.

5. Repeat to create 15 more twists and place evenly across two or three baking trays. Bake each tray for 10 minutes and serve.

Entertain guests with these tasty brie and cranberry twists, perfect for any group no matter how large or small!

Vegan Beetroot & Red Onion Tarte Tatin Prep: 10min Cook: 1 hour 20min Ready in: 1 hour 30min Serves: 6

1. Preheat your oven to 180ºC fan / gas mark 6. 2. Mix together 400g beetroot and 1 red onion (both cut into

wedges) with 2tbsp olive oil, 2tbsp rice wine vinegar, 2tbsp soft brown sugar and 2 star anise – season well with salt and black pepper.

3. Heat 1tbsp olive oil in a large ovenproof non-stick frying pan, and nestle in the veg so that they cover the surface of the base of the pan. Cover with foil and cook in the oven for 45 minutes.

4. Roll out a 500g vegan puff pastry onto a well-floured surface to

around 0.5cm thick and cut out a circle the same size as your frying pan.

5. Remove the pan from the oven, take off the foil and shake the pan

to create an even layer for the pastry to sit on. Add the pastry top, tucking in the edges so they are touching the bottom of the pan. Return to the oven for 35 minutes or until the pastry has puffed up or is a deep golden brown.

Slide a knife around the edge of the tart, place a plate over the top and flip the pan over so that the pastry topping is sitting on the plate. Top with the zest of 1 orange and a sprinkle of sea salt and serve.

A festive vegan treat for the whole family!

Ham (or Salmon), Mushroom & Spinach Frittata Prep: 10min Cook: 10min Ready in: 20min Serves: 2

1. Heat 1tsp oil in a deep frying pan on a medium-high heat, and tip in 80g sliced chestnut mushrooms to fry for 2 minutes or until softened.

Stir in 50g diced ham (or smoked salmon) and 80g spinach. Cook for a further minute or until the spinach has wilted. Season well with cracked black pepper and pinch of salt.

3. Reduce the heat and pour over 4 beaten eggs. Leave to cook undisturbed for 3 minutes until the eggs are mostly set.

4. Sprinkle over 1tbsp grated cheddar and put under the grill for a

further 2 minutes or until fully set. Serve warm or refrigerate for lunch. Suitable to keep for two days.

Enjoy as a warming tea or cold for a quick and easy lunch â€“ perfect for preparing in advance and enjoying over a couple of busy days. Sloe Gin Fizz Ready in: 5min Serves: 1

1. Fill your choice of glass (a highball works well) with ice. 2. Pour over 50ml of sloe gin (or a fruity non-alcoholic

alternative), a squeeze of lemon juice, and 1tsp of sugar syrup.

Top up with cream soda and garnish with 1 blackberry and a sprig of fresh mint â€“ enjoy!

Super Six Skydive: We Did It!

BSA Today Editor, Brady Braddock, talks about the fantastic skydive supporting Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice.

hace your fears, live your dreams: a mantra uttered by many but followed by few. On Sunday 22nd September, six of us from Blue Stream Academy, aka the BSA Super Six, did something extraordinary for an amazing cause. We faced our fears, geared up and ascended into the sky. We chose to raise money for Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice, a charity that cares for children and young adults whose lives are sadly just too short. The hospice is a home from home for families facing the toughest of times, with a comfy lounge and beautiful gardens. They provide plenty of activities for children, including soft play, arts and crafts, and music therapy. And they’re always cooking up mouth-watering meals and tasty treats for families.

With our charity chosen, my colleague Natalie suggested a skydive as a fundraising idea.Eyebrows were raised throughout the office, but a select few bravely put their names forward. It’s perfectly natural to feel a bit nervous when you find yourself peering down from a great height. Now imagine facing that fear headon and leaping out of a small aircraft with only a parachute and an instructor you met just a few hours earlier as your lifeline. In the eventful build-up to our skydive, our colleagues and local businesses rallied round to support us to reach our initial fundraising target of £1,200. We organised a car boot sale, a bake sale and a wonderful charity auction evening at a local restaurant. Matthew Sheridan, Bluebell Wood’s corporate fundraiser, attended the event, which was a nice touch. On the day of the event we arrived at Skydive Hibaldstow with no preconceived ideas, aside from what we’d found on a few YouTube clips and a quick Google search.

We've raised

£3,000! 26

“

The skydive for Bluebell Wood Children's Hospice was the best experience I've ever had, and I'm very grateful for the opportunity to have both helped a charity and jump out of a plane!

Emily

Feelings of excitement and fear of the unknown were etched across our faces. But we embrace challenges here at Blue Stream Academy, however big or small, and this skydive was no different. Skydive Hibaldstow are the experts in tandem skydiving, charity skydive jumps and skydiving courses in the UK. The dropzone offers stress-free skydiving for first timers. So our fears were quickly put to rest by their highly trained staff, who were friendly, professional and informative.

The freefall was incredible; we reached speeds of over 120mph before the parachute opened and things suddenly became a lot calmer. As you glide through the sky absorbing the breath-taking views of the beautiful English countryside, you truly appreciate how amazing skydiving is. After a few minutes, we approached the airfield for our landing. We were told to lift our legs as high as possible as we glided towards the safety of Mother Earth.

We were shown an instructional video, given a safety talk and then asked if we had any questions. Then it was time for an interview. After a quick hug from our family and friends, we met our tandem instructors, got suited up and headed towards the plane.

Skydiving is such a special activity – it really is the perfect way to build team spirit and lifelong friendships. We all agreed how much we had enjoyed it and how proud we were to be part of such a worthwhile achievement

Our instructors performed numerous safety checks as the aircraft taxied down the runway. It took us roughly fifteen minutes to reach an altitude of 15,000 feet, almost three miles up in the air.

Doing the skydive was truly an incredible experience! It felt good to face fears knowing how much we have helped Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice and the children they support. Courteney

All of a sudden, the instructor sitting at the front of the plane opened the door to reveal the clouds. The view was simply wonderful.

“

From left to right: Courteney, Natalie, Brady, Emily, Lewis and John

www.bluestreamacademy.com

Ask Abi...

B Q

lue Stream Academy team member, Abi, is here to answer your questions and give advice to our readers. Feel free to contact Abi via email: bsatoday@bluestreamacademy.com!

Dear Abi,

I wondered if you could help me. We have an employee in our practice who has been with us for around two years and has excelled in everything we have asked of them so far. They have had a great attitude towards work, and always helped others out when they have needed it. However, recently, this individual’s attitude has changed. They turn up to work late in the mornings, overstay their morning and lunch breaks and don’t put their full effort into daily tasks – they’re often found on their mobile phone during work hours. How do I broach the subject in the correct manner and get the individual back on the right track?

Dear Reader,

Thanks for your letter. I understand how frustrating it can be when someone who usually does well is underperforming. To approach these issues in the correct way, I’d suggest taking the following steps:

Invite the individual to a one-to-one meeting to discuss the matter. Make the employee aware of the consequences should they continue their behaviour and enquire about why their mood has altered. Try to find the root cause of their change in attitude. If this is something that can be sorted out through work, discuss the options to remedy this.

Hopefully, that will get the employee back on the right path. But if their behaviour continues to affect their performance, follow your organisation’s disciplinary policy in a professional manner until the matter has been resolved.

I hope this helps!

Abi

Thank you.

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#TeamBSA

he office is alive with festive cheer as we reflect on a wonderful 2019 and look forward to a happy and prosperous new year. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our wonderful customers, both past and present, for their continued support.

Meet the Team

We are thrilled to welcome lots of new members to our team as our business continues to grow and develop. We have lots of exciting plans for 2020 including further fundraising efforts, competitions, offers and giveaways (if there’s a special charity or cause that you’d like to suggest, please feel free to get in touch). We pride ourselves on being a voice for healthcare professionals at BSA Today and covering the real issues that are important to our readers. Please keep a look out for our next issue, due to land in early 2020.

@BlueStreamNews

Hi, I'm Emily Mackrell and I joined Blue Stream Academy in October 2016. I am the National Trainer and my job is to ensure System Administrators know how to set up and use the Management of Information System to benefit them within their organisations. I train System Administrators online via our complimentary webinar platform. Helping our customers learn the system is what I enjoy about working at Blue Stream Academy along with my colleagues I work with and the snacks we feast on together. Outside of work I enjoy going to the cinema, dining out with friends and spending time with my cat.

www.bluestreamacademy.com

ince our last issue, we have been working hard on updating our Management of Information and HR systems with a range of new and exciting features.

We are also very excited for the release of our integrated payroll feature, which is due to be launched in early 2020.

Over the last few months, we have released new modules on Stroke Awareness and Positive Behaviour Support. Blue Stream Academy are proud to announce our new collection of Mental Health eLearning modules. These modules will cover the following topics: • Depression Awareness • Stress Awareness • Anxiety Awareness

• Eating Disorders Awareness

• Suicide Awareness We have also released a Mental Health Awareness module, which will briefly cover topics such as types of mental health disorders, who is affected, what affects mental health, and advice and support.

BSA Today's Photography Competition

ie are excited to announce the featured photo as the winner of the Blue Stream Academy Winter Photography Competition. Congratulations to Evie Daniels from Derbyshire! Evie submitted this stunning photograph, taken within the Peak District National Park, that clearly represents the theme set in the last issue of ‘Black and White’. Read Evie’s comments for more details on where this brilliant photograph was taken! The theme for next issue's photography competition is ‘Wildlife’. Submit your photo for your chance to win and get your entry printed in the next issue of BSA Today! You will also win a framed A4 print of your photo along with £100 in prize money. To enter, simply email your entry to bsatoday@bluestreamacademy. com with the subject line ‘BSA Today Issue 05 Photography Competition’. The deadline for this competition is 20th Dec 2019, and we’ll announce the winner in Issue 05 of BSA Today. The successful photo chosen by our resident photographer will win the prizes! Terms & Conditions apply and can be found online at www.bluestreamacademy.com

Other Amazing Entries

Here are some of the other amazing entries we recieved. Remember to submit your photographs (with a description of the image) to be in with a chance of winning £100!

£100!

"I'm fortunate to live in an area surrounded by such natural outstanding beauty. I regulary like to get out and about exploring the surrounding areas.I took this photo from one of the ledges at Winnats Pass in Hope Valley, having previously driven through the thick fog, I wanted to see what it looked like from above and was impressed with the view."

- Evie Daniels, winner.

Puzzle Corner

The puzzles here are for a bit of fun - but if you would like to win £100, why not enter our photography competition?

Last Issue's Answers

The Leaves That Don't Fall Riddle’s answer is A library or bookshop!

Sudoku Answer from Issue 03 below: 9

www.bluestreamacademy.com

ihe theme for this puzzle is ‘All Things Blue Stream’ or, more specifically, key words that are important to our industry. See if you can decipher each question and then find the hidden words within the word search below. Answers to follow in our next issue. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.

All Things Blue Stream...

'Wildlife'...

is the subject of the competition on page 30.

These requirements for healthcare organisations are made easier with Blue Stream Academy’s eLearning solutions (10) In the Blue Stream Academy system this profile is accessible from any location with an internet connection (8) Following its success in the GP sector, Blue Stream Academy started to provide solutions for other healthcare organisations including… (8) Which rate is 96% at Blue Stream Academy? (9) This bolt-on system for the new Blue Stream Academy HR system will be available from early 2020 (7) Blue Stream Academy’s ISO 27001 accreditation demonstrates its commitment to this important factor in relation to your data (8) The RCGP provides this for Blue Stream Academy’s modules (13) With eLearning you can improve this element in your organisation at a fraction of the cost (13) What type of reality technology is most likely to be used in eLearning and can be found in Blue Stream Academy’s Fire Safety module? (11) Well-designed eLearning programmes can lead to higher levels of this type of engagement (9) eLearning enables organisations to ensure that all staff, across multiple locations, have access to this type of content (10) The newest eLearning modules released by Blue Stream Academy include awareness of this serious, life-threatening condition. (6)

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