CWP Life - Spring/Summer 2023

MAGAZINE

SPRING 2023

THIS EDITION • Employment service named best in UK • New Mother and Baby Unit • One year of Provider Collaboratives • New roles for community mental health

www.cwp.nhs.uk

Imagining the Future Welcome to our latest edition of CWP Life.

Since our last publication we have started our journey of transformation and improvement working together with you – our colleagues, people who access our services, partners and communities. There are lots of successes for you to read about – so we hope you enjoy this edition.

Now in 2023 our aspiration is to continue to be an organisation that engages with all of those we work alongside, constantly driving improvement and thinking innovatively in supporting our communities and partners in making this happen. We would therefore like to introduce you to ‘Imagining the Future’, our five-year strategy and the next step in our journey to build on the past whilst facing the present challenges we have.

Our strategy has been developed within an ever-changing public sector landscape. Since the national NHS Long Term Plan was published in 2019, we have been working across a wider set of partnerships to lead, support and enable the development of Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) and collaboration at place in support of local communities.

This is a vehicle for NHS organisations like ourselves to work with local councils and other key stakeholders to take collective responsibility for improving the health and wellbeing of the population, co-ordinating services together and managing resources collectively.

As our name suggests, we have long valued the importance of working in partnership. Therefore, we believe that we are in a strong position to meet the objectives set out in this strategy and the overall long-term plan for the NHS and to support wider care-systems, places and communities.

But our work doesn’t stop here – our plans will continue to be shaped and improved by your experiences. To read more about this strategy visit www.cwp.nhs.uk/ITF Each of us have a voice that matters, and we encourage you to engage in open and honest conversations and be involved in numerous engagement plans across CWP. We are here to listen to you. By working together and supporting each other, we can all contribute to making CWP a great place.

Isla Wilson - Chair and Tim Welch - CEO

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Life-saving Wirral initiative nominated for national award A special partnership, the first of its kind in the UK, between CWP and Wirral-based suicide prevention charity, The Martin Gallier Project, was recognised by the prestigious Health Service Journal (HSJ) Partnership Awards.

80% of people referred have engaged in treatment and support and of those, there has been a 73% reduction in re-attendance at emergency departments.

The project supports people who have attended Arrowe Park accident and emergency (A&E) in Wirral with suicidal thoughts or have attempted to take their own lives. People experiencing crisis attending A&E or calling the CWP 24/7 Crisis Line will be assessed by specialist mental health practitioners and, if appropriate, be referred to The Martin Gallier Project. Within 24 hours an experienced suicide prevention specialist from the project will be in touch to offer one-to-one support.

“ Working with The Martin Gallier Project in this way means we can offer enhanced support to people and their families following a mental health crisis and reduce the risk of a reoccurrence.

Nominated in the ‘Best Mental Health Partnership’ category the initiative has already started to make a significant difference to people struggling with their mental health.

Sean Boyle, clinical director for crisis urgent care, says:

“Working closely with clinical teams, The Project aims to resolve nonclinical issues that are exacerbating a person’s mental health. I’d like to thank everybody involved and I’m delighted for the partnership to be recognised by the HSJ.” Sean Boyle, clinical director for crisis urgent care

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Suicide prevention strategy launch Health and care partners from across Cheshire and Merseyside came together to launch the suicide prevention strategy for the region.

Hosted by the Champs public health collaborative, the strategy was launched at a special event in Warrington.

Attendees came together from across the NHS, public health, voluntary community and social enterprise sectors to network, learn and listen to the accounts of mental health experts and those with lived experience of mental health services.

Tim Welch, CWP chief executive, gave an address at the start of the event as the senior responsible officer for mental health in Cheshire and Merseyside.

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He said: “In both my roles I am acutely aware of the importance of ensuring the right mental health and wellbeing support for people in crisis. That it is provided at the right time and we have to work with partners to resolve the causes of poor mental health. We know that there are challenges going forward, but together we can work collaboratively to improve services.”

In addition, Wirral Crisis Café, Compañeros, shared details of how their service has helped so many local people experiencing mental health problems.

To watch the event and learn more about the strategy visit Champs website at: champspublichealth.com/suicide-prevention

Mental Health Intensive Support Team triumph “ In the absence of family, they are like my second family” These are the words of a service user who wished to pay tribute to the CWP Mental Health Intensive Support Team (MHIST) – a new service recently shortlisted for three national awards.

Employment support service named as best in the country Cheshire’s Individual Placement and Support Service (IPS) has been listed as ‘exemplary’ following a recent review - the highest scoring service in the country.

The IPS service aims to help people with severe mental health difficulties get into employment, and is run

by CWP in partnership with Standguide, a national organisation who provide employment related services, focusing on improving wellbeing, training, and supporting people with health-related challenges. The service sits within NHS services and can be accessed through specialist community mental health nurses and other professionals.

Louise Jordan, NHS IPS operations manager, said:

“ Employment specialists work in direct partnership with clinicians to ensure full support is given to every person wanting to achieve paid employment and vocational goals.

Paid employment is fundamental to lots of people’s recovery, and we’re delighted that working together has helped more people achieve their employment goals.”

Despite being one of the smallest of 70 IPS services within England, the IPS partnership has achieved the highest Fidelity score ever recorded by an IPS service in the country with 119 out of the 125 maximum points.

The team has also been awarded the ‘Quality Mark’ as a mark of recognition.

Working across Cheshire and Wirral, the community rehabilitation team initially focused on supporting people receiving care in specialist placements, far away from home to move back into their community. More recently the team have used their skills and expertise to support people accessing acute care services – aiming to compassionately care for their needs to ensure they can return to living back in the community.

Lucy Mahon, clinical lead, occupational therapy, said:

“ We can work really closely and intensively with people. Service users and their families get to know the practitioners and work on the goals that are important to them.”

Nominated for HSJ Patient Safety, Royal College of Psychiatrist and Positive Practice in Mental Health awards, the team has gone from strength-to-strength.

Louise Gill, head of clinical service said: “It’s empowering to work for the service because these are people who may have not have had hope for themselves, and we’re able to instil that hope back, and have had positive outcomes so far.”

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Greener NHS CWP’s Green Plan aims to support the wider NHS goal of becoming the first health service in the world with net zero greenhouse gas emissions.

In support, the Trust has launched its first ever Green Network to bring together staff members who share a passion for protecting the environment. Annette Ros, chair of the Green Network, said:

“ Since the Green Network launched, we have identified some initial areas for improvement, particularly in relation to travel, education, food, and green spaces. However, another area of focus is raising awareness of the network among staff and to empower them to make small steps to support big changes.”

There are nine key ‘areas of focus’ described in the Trust’s Green Plan. Each area has an operational lead and monitor its delivery to meet the national targets: • The NHS Carbon Footprint (the emissions we control directly) to reach net zero by 2040 • The NHS Carbon Footprint Plus (emissions we can influence) to reach net zero by 2045 Actions to combat climate change, done in the right way, has the potential to improve health and health equity and this is a fundamental focus of the delivery of the Green Plan.

There are lots of green achievements and initiatives already underway at CWP including: • net zero e-learning for all staff available via the intranet Virtual Academy • all NHS procurements now include a minimum 10% net zero and social value weighting and for all contracts above £5 million per year • proposal for the implementation of electric vehicle charging infrastructure to support hybrid and e-vehicles across Trust sites • A staff travel survey is underway to learn how staff currently travel to and from work, team preferences and identify what the trust can do to help make this more sustainable.

Small things everyone can do to reduce your carbon footprint: l Reduce: You don’t have to be vegan, and you don’t have to give up your car or holidays, but eating less dairy and meat, driving less and flying less are some of the most important things you can do to reduce your carbon footprint. l Reuse: Thinking about how we can safely reuse and repurpose everyday items. l Recycle: Most people already recycle.

Now the challenge is to recycle more and make best use of the recycling facilities available.

For more information, visit: www.cwp.nhs.uk 6

Wirral Poppy Factory pilot praised A report recently praised a ground-breaking programme in Wirral that has given GPs and mental health teams the opportunity to prescribe career coaching for ex-Forces patients.

As a Veteran Aware Trust, the programme forms a part of CWP’s commitment to improve the lives of everyone in our communities. Employment is vital to people’s feeling of social inclusion.

The specialist service is delivered by employment consultants embedded within CWP in partnership with The Poppy Factory - a national charity that supports veterans across the UK. The team is based at the Stein Centre in Wirral and aims to support veterans with physical and mental health conditions to find work.

To learn more about being CWP being Veteran Aware please visit www.cwp.nhs.uk

CWP chief executive, Tim Welch, said: “ The experience of NHS workers is very different to those who have served in the Armed Forces. Having an employment consultant from The Poppy Factory within one of our adult mental health teams in Wirral has created a deeper understanding of the veteran experience and has been an invaluable opportunity to share learning more widely across CWP.”

Deirdre Mills, chief executive of The Poppy Factory, said:

“ There has been positive feedback from the clinicians, who recognise the clear benefits and impact of our partnership. Best of all, there has been very positive feedback from the veterans themselves.”

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Right care, at the right time, in the right place “ We are here when you need us, not when it suits us.

We are here when you are awake and when you think everyone else is asleep”.

These are the words of Maria Townsend, a clinical lead who works for the CWP First Response Service.

However, they are not just the views of one person. They demonstrate the culture of a service that has grown following the launch of the 24/7 mental health crisis line in April 2020.

Crucially, the CWP service is all-age and open to anyone - which sets it apart from many similar services across the country.

Sue Jenkins, First Response operational lead, explains: “ Ever since we launched the crisis line our aim has been to provide the best, most caring and efficient service possible, whilst looking at ways to bring all urgent care functions together. We needed to ensure that we strengthened our responsiveness to people whether they call us, attend A&E or are seen by Ambulance or Police colleagues.”

Since the launch of the crisis line, the service has taken over 150,000 calls from young and old experiencing severe mental health challenges.

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“ In response we have now launched the new First Response Service - a 24/7, community-based team who provide rapid assessment to people experiencing a crisis or mental distress. The service joins the 24/7 crisis line with NHS 111, the North West Ambulance Service, Police as well as CWP’s own Crisis Resolution Home Treatment Teams, Liaison Psychiatry, Street Triage, Criminal Justice Liaison and the Hospital Alcohol Liaison Service”.

The service works alongside four crisis cafes to support people in the best place for them: • Birkenhead, Wirral • Chester, Cheshire West • Crewe, Cheshire East • Macclesfield, Cheshire East Log on to: www.cwp.nhs.uk/crisis for locations and opening times.

Sue continues:

Louise states:

“ In practice this means First Responders will react 24/7, 365 days a year to urgent requests for mental health assessment in the community and within A&E. They are able to determine the next best step for someone who is in need of urgent mental health attention or in crisis.

If a call comes in, our call handlers firstly take down details of the call whilst establishing the safety of the caller. Following triage, they can then refer to a robust directory of services to best care for the individuals needs and if required, can more readily refer into specialist secondary NHS care .”

“ If anyone feels they are isolated in coping with their mental health – whatever their age – they should know that they are not alone. A helpful team of call handlers, backed up by a wider team of experts in their field are on hand to provide support. We are here when you need us.”

Louise Smith, team manager for CWP’s Children and Young People Crisis Line and Urgent Support Team, says: “ This approach is just as important for children and their families as it is for adults. When a young person is experiencing severe mental health issues it is a traumatic experience for both themselves and their loved ones. It is vitally important that responsive, compassionate support is provided as efficiently and safely as possible.”

The next stage... an Integrated Urgent Response Centre

CWP is excited to announce its plans for a new Integrated Response Centre in West Cheshire.

Located on the Countess of Chester Health Park, the new centre will provide a base for the First Response Service.

Look out for more information in the next edition of CWP Life.

The value of joining with wider urgent response services is undeniable as Maria Townsend explains: “ The value of the all-age First Response Service is huge.

Once a person calls the service, they are speaking to the same qualified staff that they would have been doing had they gone to A&E but in an environment that they’ve chosen for themselves. If someone needs urgent care, we can respond to that appropriately with our Crisis Home Treatment specialists, as well as having those direct links to inpatient services if needed.”

“By working together more seamlessly, the wider service is flexible enough to provide the right care, at the right time, in the right place.”

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New roles making a difference for mental health The Cheshire and Wirral Community Wellbeing Alliance is a group of organisations working together to transform community mental health services. CWP is the host organisation for the Alliance but wider NHS partners, local authorities, charities and organisations from the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector have all signed up to deliver new and joined up ways to support people with complex mental health needs.

Expanding the mental health workforce

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A key area for the Alliance is growing the mental health workforce. New mental health practitioners based in local GP practices will support people at an earlier stage, aiming to offer early intervention and prevent further deterioration of their mental health. Combined with support from other local organisations, the aim is to help address the wider social factors that can worsen mental health symptoms.

“ I’ve felt services have blamed alcohol for everything. After the meetings we have had, I feel validated and can contextualise how alcohol affects my emotions.

I feel more able to access the support I need.”

Service user

Tracie Haskell, CWP nurse consultant and clinical lead, explains: “ The needs of communities, in particular in areas where there are health inequalities, are greater than ever before. This is combined with growing concerns about the social determinants of health. “ We know that by looking at population data, mental health is one of the most prevalent long-term conditions locally. By creating new specialist mental health roles with Primary Care Networks (groups of local GPs) we want to shift the focus from only treating people when they become very poorly, to getting help at an earlier stage, in their local area. “ For me, one of the greatest benefits is improved patient experience. We know from talking to people how isolating it can feel when there isn’t a suitable service to meet their needs and we’re working together to change this.”

Making conversations count Lucy Campbell, is a new advanced clinical practitioner for CHAW (Chelford, Handforth, Alderley Edge and Wilmslow area). She explains: “ As a prescribing mental health practitioner, I am able to support people with a wide range of mental health problems. At CHAW we work as a multi-disciplinary team, using the skills of care-coordinators and social prescribers. I am in a privileged position to be the facilitator of excellent mental health care. It is often people’s first mental health conversation and I am passionate about making these conversations count and making a difference in people’s lives at the onset.

“ I wasn’t expecting the call when you rang me - you feel like my mental health angel” Service user Dr Tom Hunsley,CHAW clinical director and GP, says: “ The new roles provide GPs with additional support for difficult cases that would otherwise been referred to secondary care resulting in long waits for the patient.

This early intervention allows patients to feel engaged and supported at the earliest opportunity, with clear action plans in place to help them with their mental health now, not in several weeks or months’ time.”

“ Although this way of working is new, we’ve already The new roles support the aims of the NHS Long Term started to see the benefits. Patients are now having one Plan, including closer working between physical and assessment with their GP and if they need specialist mental health. Currently there are over 30 new mental mental health support, they will have a timely review health practitioners across Cheshire and Wirral, with with myself or my colleagues, meaning people have a more joining all the time. better experience, can supported more locally, and often not needing a referral into secondary mental health For more information, visit: www.cwp.nhs.uk/alliance services.”

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New unit set to transform mental health experience for new and expectant parents A brand-new specialist mental health unit to support new and expectant parents across Cheshire, Merseyside and North Wales has been announced as part of Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week (1st – 7th May).

“ For women with family and partners this can also make maintaining contact with the new baby challenging and it is particularly difficult for any siblings who are separated from their mother at the same time as accepting the new baby into their lives.”

Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CWP) in partnership with Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCHUB), NHS England and NHS Wales are working together on a proposal to transform training centre, Churton House on the Countess of Chester Health Park into a specialist eight bedded unit to support perinatal mothers, babies and their families.

It is estimated that one in four women experience mental health problems in pregnancy and during the 24 months after giving birth. The consequences of not accessing high-quality perinatal mental health care are estimated to cost the NHS and social care £1.2 billion per year.

The proposed unit will work alongside the existing regional Community Perinatal Mental Health Services who care for over 2,000 women in the community every year.

Sarah Hull, CWP operational lead for Perinatal Mental Health Services, says: “ The time around pregnancy and the early days of parenting is such a special time, but it can also make some women vulnerable to new or relapses of existing mental health problems.” “ If admission to hospital is required, previously local women have had to travel to other specialist units or face being separated from their baby, which can create further issues with bonding and attachment.

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The new unit will support new and expectant mothers in a therapeutic environment which has been purposefully designed for people experiencing maternal mental health difficulties, such as post-natal depression, psychosis or a relapse of an existing mental health condition.

Plans include a nursery, sensory room and multiple lounges to support quiet time and family visits. Having access to outside space is central to the plans with two garden areas and a walking pram loop, with families set to benefit from being based on the edge of the Countess Country Park.

The unit is set to open in 2024.

Sophie’s Story Sophie currently works as a peer support worker for the Cheshire and Merseyside perinatal mental health team but prior to this she accessed the perinatal team’s support during pregnancy and after her baby was born.

“My biggest hope is that more mother and baby units are made available locally”

Her route into the service mirrors many mothers who have found support and solace from the specialist service. Sophie was referred by her GP and was able to access a wide range of therapeutic support in her community. This included compassion-focussed therapy groups and baby massage.

However, Sophie admits that she held a fear of being told she needed an admission to a mother and baby unit. She says: “ One of the biggest fears I had was that I would be deemed not well enough to cope and would have to be transferred to a mother and baby unit quite far away from where I live. I had all kinds of worries, such as would my husband be able to come and visit me to whether my baby would be taken away from me. On reflection, I didn’t really know enough about mother and baby units but they really are supportive, therapeutic places.”

S ophie adds, “They offer interventions, they can really help with bonding, they never remove the baby from the mother and it’s a space where you can build the relationship with your child without the external stresses.” “ My biggest hope is that more mother and baby units are made available locally. I just hope that if a mum needs to go into a mother and baby unit, then at least she will have that local support network with her family and friends that she can still access.”

Find out more about Sophie’s journey through perinatal services at: www.cwp.nhs.uk/sophie

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Outstanding career opportunities at CWP Over the last few years CWP has been raising awareness of the wide range of career opportunities on offer – from nursing and medical roles to allied health professions, social work and psychology – to help recruit more skilled, experienced staff who share the Trust values.

Have you considered working at CWP? Staff from across the organisation speak out about their career journeys with #TeamCWP, the development opportunities they’ve been given since joining and why they chose CWP as a place to work.

Maxine Jones, senior psychological wellbeing practitioner and Step 2 lead “ Before I stared working in the Cheshire Wellbeing Hub Talking Therapies team, I was actually working in education. I decided to retrain to work in mental health after accessing support from CWP’s Talking Therapies services myself in 2015, as the team really helped me when I was struggling with anxiety and depression after the birth of my son. “ Having the personal experience helps me to look at things from both the patient and professional angle – sometimes you can phrase things in a slightly different way and people can relate to the things you say a bit better. “ CWP places a lot of value on lived experience so if you’re interested in working in mental health and have accessed services yourself, there are lots of opportunities available.”

Shirley Birch, clinical lead “ I started working at CWP back in 2005 as cleaner on one of the wards at the Stein Centre in Wirral. I wanted to move to a caring role, so I became a care assistant and was then supported by CWP to complete my registered nurse training. I’m now working as a clinical lead on Meadowbank Ward at Springview Hospital. “ In my current role, I work closely with our more junior staff who are new to nursing and I really enjoy being a role model for them. The ward is like a family and we really support each other. CWP is a great organisation to work for - they encourage you to do your best and to go even further if you can. I never would have thought taking a job as a cleaner could develop into a nursing leadership role but here we are!”

Clifford Mukumbira, team manager “ I’m a qualified social worker by background but I’m now working as a team manager in the learning disabilities team in Leasow, Wirral. I started working at CWP in 2018 as a social worker and was given the opportunity to take on a leadership role, supporting the other social workers and care navigators within the team. I love working with people, so I jumped at the opportunity. The thing I enjoy most about my job is working with my team to support them to achieve their personal goals. CWP is a brilliant organisation – they provide opportunities and training to support staff to progress, develop and to fulfil their career aspirations.”

You can watch Maxine, Shirley and Clifford’s stories as videos at: www.careers.cwp.nhs.uk/staff-stories 14

Giving you time to care, space to think and opportunity to grow

At Cheshire and Wirral Partnership, we believe in giving our staff the time to care, the space to think and the opportunity to grow.

At Cheshire and Wirral Partnership, we believe in giving our staff the time to care, the space to think and the opportunity to grow.

Staff development is important to us and we are passionate about working with our staff to create opportunities for you to develop within your role and beyond.

We are proud to be the only NHS Trust across Cheshire and Wirral and the only mental and community health services Trust in the North West to be rated Outstanding for Caring overall by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

We have a range of opportunities for staff across different profession and services, including nursing, allied health professions, medical, psychology, pharmacy, corporate, administrative, and clinical support roles.

To find out more about careers at CWP, visit: www.careers.cwp.nhs.uk

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Level Up and EmpowerED - one year on The innovative models for designing and delivering specialised mental health services across Cheshire and Merseyside have officially been live for one year.

The partnerships, that are made up of a variety of NHS and independent sector providers, recently held a reflection event in Warrington Conference Centre to give an opportunity to everyone involved to come together and plan for the future. Health professionals and experts by experiences share their views on the difference Provider Collaboratives make.

What are provider collaboratives?

NHS-led Provider Collaboratives mark a fresh era for specialised mental health with a new way of planning and providing specialist mental health, learning disability and autism services. They aim to deliver care closer to home, invest in community services and drive improvements in patient outcomes and experience.

Level Up, Cheshire and Merseyside, Young People and Families Provider Collaborative Level Up is focused on ensuring that all services across Cheshire and Merseyside providing Tier 4 Children and Adolescent Mental Specialist Health Services are working closely together to provide the best possible care to young people who access the services and their carers/families.

Dr Fiona Pender, Level Up strategic clinical advisor, said: “ Over the last 12 months Level Up has made significant strides in improving not just the services, but the system that underpins the care that young people receive in Cheshire and Merseyside.

Level Up has recently launched the Complex Needs Escalation and Support Tool Training, and the Cheshire and Merseyside gateway meetings.”

“ These two initiatives will coordinate a multi-agency response to young people and their families to get the most appropriate support and interventions, reducing the risk of admission to a hospital.” “ It is our priority to continue to ensure people who have used services, our experts by experience, voices are heard, and they continue to get the opportunity to help us shape services across Cheshire and Merseyside”.

Georgia, who talked about her journey at the event, explained: “ As an expert by experience I feel my views and comments are listened to and taken on board. It feels empowering to be moulding our services for the future to get the best outcomes possible”.

Learn more about Level Up on our website: www.levelupcm.nhs.uk

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EmpowerED, Adult Eating Disorders North West Provider Collaborative EmpowerED, Adult Eating Disorders Provider Collaborative North West is committed to driving improvements across the eating disorders patient pathway and working with experts by experience to ensure people who access eating disorder services are empowered to play a full and active role in their development.

Duncan Campbell, head of clinical care for EmpowerED said:

On the day delegates heard from clinical leads, BEAT, the UK’s leading eating disorders charity, and experts by experience.

“ We use data, research, and clinical knowledge to work towards our goals, but we need to have the voice of our experts by experience to really focus our work.”

“ We’re really excited that we’re one year in now, and the reflection event gave us the opportunity to take stock of the achievements of the last twelve months and helped us plan for the future.”

“ Our experts by experience will challenge and guide us, and the reflection event was the perfect opportunity to link NHS professionals, independent professionals, charities, and experts by experience together with the sole purpose of improving care for people with eating disorders”.

What our EmpowerED experts by experience said: “It was of course a very rewarding and insightful experience knowing that positive change may be on the horizon and I am lucky enough to be playing a small part in that.”

“Fantastic to be talking, thinking, problem solving as part of a team! A space to be ‘curious’ and empower real change around approaches to eating disorders. I’ve come away feeling optimistic and excited to see change for the better within the North West. An ‘Empowering’ day!”

Learn more about EmpowerED on our website: www.empowerednw.nhs.uk 17

A ‘whole-school’ approach to mental wellbeing Mental health support teams (MHSTs) in Cheshire and Wirral are part of a new service designed to help meet the mental health and wellbeing needs of children and young people in education settings.

With dedicated educational mental health practitioners (EMHPs) based within schools, the teams provide direct support to young people for a range of mild to moderate mental and emotional health difficulties.

But the service isn’t just about providing one-to-one support. A big part of the MHST ethos is about working in partnership with the school to develop a ‘wholeschool’ approach to mental wellbeing. This includes promoting a healthier, happier school community for everyone – from pupils and parents to teachers and other school staff.

CWP MHSTs recently worked with local schools to host a best practice event, showcasing examples of some of the great work being undertaken across the footprint.

For more information about our Mental Health Support Teams in Cheshire and Wirral or to read more best practice case studies, visit the MyMind website: www.mymind.org.uk 18

Flying Pigs support group Little Bollington Primary School in Altrincham noticed there were a small group of girls with some with traits of autism, as well as others who were very quiet.

The group struggled to communicate their feelings both at home and at school and lacked the confidence to speak up in class.

A support group was established, which focused on mindful activities like colouring and listening to music whilst also giving the children a safe space to explore their feelings and positive experiences both in and out of school.

One of the activities involved asking other children to write something about the girls that attended the group, which was then collated, put into envelopes for each child and given out during the next session. One of the girls who received an envelope said: “It made me think people care about me and like me more than I thought they did. It made me so happy and smiley!”

The group members developed strong friendships with each other and felt able to open-up about feelings, worries, fears and home life. The girls are now more confident in speaking up, asking for help and questioning the actions of others, and are even able to support their peers to do the same.

Each day starts with a meet and greet and a slice of toast, which is provided in partnership with local shops and Greggs. The school timetable includes range of multi-sensory activities to start the day and throughout the school there are allocated ‘safe spaces’, which have different names including Rainbow Bay. There are also designated spaces for intervention, including de-escalation.

Parklands Primary School Parklands Primary School in Ellesmere Port is committed to supporting children with mental health difficulties or those who have had difficult life experiences. The school is in one of the top 10% most deprived areas in the country, with 60% of pupils being known to social care at some point in their lives.

There are visual prompts for emotional literacy and sensory circuits are used throughout the school alongside a fish tank, which is used as a calming tool. The school has applied for grants to help fund these small but impactful initiatives to improve wellbeing across the school community.

As a result, pupils are more able to engage with learning and access any further support they need, such as support from the MHST or art therapy.

The aim was to raise awareness of the conditions, dispel some of the myths and reduce stigma surrounding neurodiversity. The need for the assemblies was highlighted after some of the children has been heard referring to other neurodiverse children as ‘naughty’ and ‘rude’.

Our inclusive school Acorns Primary School in Ellesmere Port developed a series of assemblies to highlight ‘unseen’ disabilities, including autism, ADHD and dyslexia.

Classes then worked on the topic together and talked about how they can support other children in their class who may have these conditions. The result was a better understanding of neurodiversity and more open conversations about these conditions across the school community, with pupils who have autism, ADHD and dyslexia feeling more comfortable to talk about how it makes them feel, without putting them under any pressure to speak about it if they don’t wish to.

“ We know that children and young people’s emotional health and wellbeing plays a significant role in their cognitive development and learning, and it’s really encouraging how many schools across Cheshire and Wirral are working with our MHSTs to apply wholeschool approach principles in the promotion of mental health and wellbeing for their children and young people, parents and staff.”

Robert Lupton, MHST clinical lead 19

Living Well Service driving to meet wellbeing needs A mobile health and wellbeing service aimed at improving health outcomes, CWP’s Living Well Service is proving to be invaluable to the local community.

Formally launched in summer 2022, the service identifies areas where health outcomes are poorer, or engagement with other services is lower. It then works alongside communities to provide vital health and wellbeing support that best meets their needs.

The service’s launch grew from the successful roving COVID-19 vaccination campaign in Cheshire, commissioned by the Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care System (ICS) it covers all nine PLACE areas, aligned to local authorities.

Operating as a drop-in service on specially designed clinic buses, Living Well provides a broad range of physical health checks including blood pressure and pulse checks, cholesterol checks and blood glucose and BMI checks, as well as a direct referral into Talking Therapies. and COVID-19 vaccinations.

The service can also connect people with other local services such as help with finances, social care, diet and lifestyle.

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CWP director of operations, Suzanne Edwards, explains: “The Living Well Service is built on the principles of listening to under-served communities and meeting their needs by bringing the right services to them. The way this service has been embraced by local people, as well as partners across the health and care system has been fantastic.”

Jayne Wood, director of vaccine and testing operations, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, said: “Cheshire and Merseyside is the country’s second largest ICS, with 33% of people living in the most deprived 20% of neighbourhoods in England. This service has demonstrated superb partnership working and is an excellent example of system-wide working.

Ensuring services are shaped by the needs of our population is so important and this is at the heart of Living Well Service’s vision.”

The Living Well Service has gone from serving a population of just under one million people across Cheshire to serving to a population of 2.7million.

The Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care System

Partnership in action The success of the service has not gone unnoticed with a site visit from Professor Dame Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency, and national award recognition by scooping ‘highly commended’ at the recently Health Service Journal, Partnership Awards in the ‘Estates Optimisation Project of the Year’ category.

Since mobilising the health screening and mental wellbeing offer across Cheshire and Merseyside in June 2022, the Living Well Service has delivered 340 clinics in identified under-served communities, providing: • Over 10,000 COVID-19 vaccines • Over 370 first doses

Suzanne Edwards said:

• Over 340 second doses

“ The service would not be possible without the excellent links we have with our partners from across the region and we are proud of our integrated approach to improve outcomes for local communities.”

• Over 7,000 physical individual health tests (Cholesterol, Blood Pressure, BMI, Glucose, Pulse check) • Over 400 referrals to primary care for action

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Conference paves the way for international culture change Hundreds of people came together for the 2023 conference of the Centre for Autism, NeuroDevelopmental Disorders, and Intellectual Disability (CANDDID) to listen to national and international experts talk about Autism and Neurodevelopmental Conditions: advances in our understanding and management.

CANDDID, based in Chester, and hosted by CWP brings together, education, training and research in the fields of neurodevelopmental disorders and intellectual disabilities.

Speakers covered a wide range of topics, including avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder and autistic children, diagnostic and treatment pitfalls in adult ADHD management, and principles for prescribing in autistic people.

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Multi-disciplinary approach

Dr Hanne Marit Bjorgass MD, PHD, from Stavanger University Hospital said:

The conference highlighted the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to understanding and managing autism and neurodevelopmental conditions.

“ This is my first CANDDID conference and I feel I’ve learnt so much, it’s been really good to speak to people with a lot of practical experience. I’m taking a lot of knowledge back home and hope to put it into practice.”

CANDDID were also delighted to welcome international speakers Dr. Oddbjørn Hove, PhD, Dr. Hanne Marit Bjørgass, MD, PhD, and Anette Våga Ball, who presented on the innovative topic of ‘MindMe: Using Cognitive Accessibility Features to Empower Digital Self-Report in Children and Young People with Cognitive Challenges’.

The conference provided valuable insights into the latest advances in understanding and managing autism and neurodevelopmental disorders, fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing among professionals in the field.

Dr Catriona Stewart, OBE, FRSA, said: “ I’ve had interesting conversations and made contacts with people I’m hoping to stay in touch with. I feel very encouraged about the work that’s going on, the attitude, the passion and the commitment.”

Professor Sujeet Jaydeokar, Chair of CANDDID, said: “ Thank you to everyone who attended this year’s conference. I hope its provided delegates with valuable knowledge and expertise, allowing them to share best practice that will improve outcomes both nationally and internationally for individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders and intellectual disabilities.”

For more information about CANDDID, its initiatives, and future events, please visit: www.canddid.nhs.uk

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Boost for CWP Community Mental Health Services With the impact of the pandemic impact still being felt and a cost-of-living crisis, the NHS Confederation has stated that people with existing mental health problems are being hit the hardest.

Against this backdrop, CWP has been recognised as an overall top performer following the publication of results from the Care Quality Commission (CQC), following a survey of mental health community services.

In particular, the Trust came second nationally for results in ‘crisis care’ and ‘reviewing care’ categories, which look at access to appropriate help and support in a crisis and regular opportunities to review care and treatment plans. The Trust also scored third nationally for “overall views of care and services”.

“ The report, based on the views of local people, shows CWP achieving a ‘top five’ position nationally in eight of the 12 areas covered in the survey”.

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“ These results are particularly pleasing because they are based on what people who access CWP services think about their care. I’d like to thank the amazing efforts of our teams who have worked throughout the challenges presented over the last couple of years by the pandemic, to ensure people receive the best possible care and experience. “ The CWP 24/7 urgent mental health crisis line was launched in 2020 and to date has received over 140,00 calls. It is really pleasing to know that this service is working well for people and can be seen in the survey results. We are continually seeking ways to improve our services and we will take all the feedback on board to provide an even better quality of service going forward. “ Community mental health services are going through an exciting transformation with the development of the Community Wellbeing Alliance. This is a new partnership which is looking at how we work more closely with organisations in the voluntary, housing, employment and social care sectors to provide a more holistic community mental health offer which is reflective of people’s needs. “ We all know that when we experience pressures in other areas of our lives, whether that be in relationships, employment, financial or physical health concerns that these impact our mental health and vice-versa. As an NHS organisation, it is important that we recognise this and empower people in their recovery.”

The eight areas where CWP appeared in the national ‘top five’ performers: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1. Health and social care workers consideration by staff for how mental health needs impact different areas of peoples’ lives.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2. Organising care - knowing who is leading on organising care and support.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------3. Planning care - effective joint planning of care decisions.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------4. Reviewing care - facilitating regular reviews to discuss how care/treatment is working.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------5. Crisis care - getting quick access to help in a crisis and receiving the right level of quality care and support.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------6. Support and wellbeing - providing support with physical health (i.e. an injury, disability or chronic condition such as diabetes).

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------7. Overall views of care and services - access to care and being treated with dignity and respect.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------8. Overall experience - when thinking about all community mental health experiences.

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Tim Welch, CWP chief executive 53 Trusts took part in the survey Read more about the Community Wellbeing Alliance on page 10.

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10 stars for CWP staff in the Cavell Star Awards

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An impressive ten members of staff at CWP have been awarded Cavell Stars throughout the last 12 months, showing their dedication in going above and beyond their essential duties.

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Deputy head of clinical services, Helen Cunningham, was awarded a Cavell Star for her care and compassion towards her colleagues and said: “ Dealing with the pandemic had been the most challenging part of my career and to know that my colleagues had felt supported by me meant so much.”

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The Cavell Star Awards are given to nurses, nursing associates, healthcare assistants and midwives who show exceptional care to their patients and families, and their colleagues.

Quality assurance and improvement practitioner, Andrea Tuck, was also one of the remarkable winners of a Cavell Star award. Consultant nurse, Caroline Jones, explained why Andrea is such a worthy winner:

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“ There are regular unpredictable pressures and challenges for Andrea, however she delivers with patient safety and workforce wellbeing at the heart of everything she does”. “ We can’t provide high standards of care if we aren’t looking after one another. Andrea’s compassionate and thoughtful approach enables our teams and services to feel supported and be the best that they can be.”

Queen’s Nurses Other members of staff who have been given a Cavell Star award:

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------------------------------------------------------------------------Tracey Gibson First response operative ------------------------------------------------------------------------Danielle Hopkins Clinical case manager ------------------------------------------------------------------------Diana Astbury Advanced nurse specialist ------------------------------------------------------------------------Emma Lea District nurse - team leader ------------------------------------------------------------------------Kim Brown Nursing associate ------------------------------------------------------------------------Sue McGuigan Nurse co-ordinator ------------------------------------------------------------------------Anita Price District nurse - team leader ------------------------------------------------------------------------Maureen Phillips Nurse specialist -------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nurse consultant, Caroline Jones, modern matron Sarah Ellison, and community specialist nurse, Jacqueline Eeles have also been awarded the title of Queens Nurse, a title given to nurses who have demonstrated commitment to high standards of patient care, learning and leadership.

Congratulations to all three!

New Fellow of the College of Mental Health Pharmacy Congratulations to Jennifer Southern, senior clinical pharmacist, who has been appointed as a Fellow of the College of Mental Health Pharmacy.

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Going the Extra Mile Awards Congratulations to the CWP stars: H The Starting Well 0-19 Immunisation team, who delivered an unprecedented amount of vaccinations over the last year in response to the school vaccination programme.

H Sarah Fox, staff nurse at Silk Ward, Macclesfield for supporting staff when needed, being approachable, and for going the extra mile by volunteering for additional jobs to help out.

H Amelia Davies-Yates, eating disorder physical health lead for the Children, Young People and Families Care Group, for their commitment and person-centred care towards families across Cheshire.

H Margaret Bennet, clinical support worker at Saddlebridge Recovery Centre, for being a role model on their ward, making additional effort to decorate for special occasions, and for going above and beyond for patients, such as supporting them with passport and universal credit applications.

H The Community Health Support team, for going above and beyond in supporting the system to ensure patient flow from hospital back into the community.

H The Learning Disability Child and Adolescent Mental Health team, for working hard to reduce waiting times for service users.

H Martyn Hockless, IT trainer, for delivering a huge number of training sessions and guides that support staff with new technology.

H Kamila Sacewiz, administrator at Delamere Resource Centre, who translated for an appointment where the translation company cancelled last minute.

H Mollie Baldwin, front of house assistant at Delamere Resource Centre, who has evidenced her drive to support the staff by helping to put new processes into place within the centre.

H Mike Freeman, maintenance technician, for taking the time to colour match and hand-paint flowers onto a wall in Ancora House.

H Yvonne Walters, clinical lead for Chester Community Mental Health Team, for dedicating time to support their team in a personal and professional capacity.

H The Stein Centre switchboard team, for acting so diligently and showing such care after someone called the switchboard after taking an overdose.

The team worked tirelessly after hours until they were advised than an ambulance was close and the person was safe.

H Alan Williams, Vicky Kinsella and Kathy Bracegirdle, assistant practitioners, for taking a proactive role in prevention strategies to improve the health and wellbeing of patients.