Newcross Journal Issue 1 - Spring 2015

THE

Spring ISSUE

NEWCROSS ALL THE LATEST NEWS AND VIEWS FOR NEWCROSS CUSTOMERS

Issue 1 Spring 2015

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Safer Hands Our commitment to quality through person centred training

Newsbrief A full roundup of Healthcare Industry News

Digital Trends

How eHealth is transforming lives

Quality Counts

What is quality and why is it important?

Ask Lena!

www.newcrosshealthcare.com

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JOURNAL

Client extranet Have you ever wondered if there is an easier way to manage the care you’re buying? Are you managing care for multiple clients and would like a more co-ordinated approach? We’ve got the perfect solution for both of these common problems in the form of our client extranet.

From this online login area you can: • Manage your finances by viewing invoices, seeing your latest statements and also evaluating spend by cost-centre/location • View your usage of hours • Request quotes for new shifts • Download staff profiles of staff members who are attending your shifts • Read all care notes made (notes uploaded every 24 hours) We can set up user profiles for you to allow different members of your team access to different parts of the account, so you can be in complete control of who views the information stored.

Find out more about this service from your local branch.

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Welcome

Spring 2015 www.newcrosshealthcare.com

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Contents

Welcome to the first edition of our new customer magazine, Newcross Journal.

The quality of our services, staff and care that we provide are what sets Newcross Healthcare apart from other healthcare providers. We want to ensure we provide you with the best customer experience when you work with us.

Newcross Journal is about improving that experience. We want to inform you about the latest healthcare news, advise you on updates on our products and services, let you get to know our staff better and perhaps inspire you during a well earned tea break!

We will be publishing Newcross Journal quarterly, so please get in touch if there is anything more you would like to know about our work or see in our summer issue.

Enjoy!

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Stephen Pattrick CEO

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Michelle Pattrick, RN, MD

Newsbrief A full roundup of healthcare industry news Why choose Newcross?

Our history and benefits Complex Care A personal journey Safer Hands Our commitment to quality Advancing Technology How eHealth is transforming lives Quality Counts: Ask Lena!

Investors in People - Why it matters to us Motivation Theory Nurchat The vibrant social media community for healthcare professionals Charity: More than a day job, supporting others is our passion Food and Drink The Final Word Ebola: Media Sensationalism Versus Infection Rates

Head of Marketing and Communications Claire Barrow claire.barrow@newcrosshealthcare.com

Marketing Executive Sophia Sheridan sophia.sheridan@newcrosshealthcare.com

Graphic Designer Alex Hall alex.hall@newcrosshealthcare.com

Digital Marketing and Advertising Manager Sarah Gill sarah.gill@newcrosshealthcare.com

Communications Officer Chris Atkinson christopher.atkinson@newcrosshealthcare.com

T: 01803 867800 E: communications@newcrosshealthcare.com

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newsbrief Newcross Healthcare wins major Scottish vote of confidence Newcross Healthcare have been awarded a contract with Capability Scotland from April 1st 2015, covering the southern, mid and eastern regions of the country.

The successful tender is set to further accelerate the national, marketleading company’s growth and create a considerable number of job opportunities for healthcare professionals in the process.

Newcross Healthcare were successful in winning the tender in recognition of its quality employees, in particular nursing staff and services. Capability Scotland are key advocates of promoting human and civil rights for individuals with disabilities.

The organisation are a major provider of education, employment and care services for disabled children and adults across Scotland, directly supporting over 1000 people from 29 of the 32 Scottish local authorities.

Geoff White, Operations Director said “We have had an exceptional working relationship with Capability Scotland for over 9 years, the tender win is testament to our joint aims to deliver the highest quality care, we look forward to building our relationship with this key organisation further and the benefits it will bring to local employment.”

Calls for competency framework for Learning Disability Training Following concerns over learning disability training, there have been calls for a new competency framework for nursing staff working in health and social care settings. The call for the framework follows a report from the Learning and Disabilities Nursing Academic Network and the Council of Deans of Health entitled, ‘Learning Disabilities – Meeting the Educational Needs of Nursing Students.’

The report noted pre-registration nurse training programmes across all fields of practice were extremely busy and full. This has had the knock on consequence of impacting the level of priority given to learning disability issues.

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The report made several recommendations including people with learning disabilities, their families and carers being involved in all aspects of curriculum design and delivery, as well as Universities offering a range of activities, including clinical simulation, as a way to deliver learning disability education.

Professor Jessica Corner, chair of the Council of Deans of Health, added: “Although this report is focused on the fields of nursing, this is an issue for all health and social care professionals. Our hope is that this will be a first step in a wider debate about education across the professions.”

Spring 2015

Zero Suicide initiative launched

by Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg 2015 saw the launch of the ‘Zero Suicide’ campaign by Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg. Bringing together leading clinicians, policy makers and campaign groups to discuss the future of MH services in England, the conference vowed to tackle one of the leading causes of death for men under 50.

“This isn’t about blame. It is doing more in every area of our society to ensure that people don’t get to that point where they believe taking their own life is their only option.”

The ‘Zero Suicide’ campaign aims to work in close collaboration with GPs and specialist providers to change how people in NHS care are treated, with the ultimate goal that no one is forgotten when they move or leave services.

Keeping in touch with patients, having a personal safety plan in place and bringing safety systems in line with treatment for physical health are just some of the initiatives, as well as joining all services up to avoid patients falling through cracks.

Almost 4700 people died by suicide in 2013 in England, 78% of whom were male, with suicide remaining one of the biggest killers for men under the age of 50.

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newsbrief

Dementia research funding boost

Technology offers solution to global nurse shortage

One year after the G8 group of countries pledged to find a cure, dementia treatment received a £15million boost from the Government as part of the National Dementia Strategy. The scheme aims to invest in a range of innovative research projects by bringing together investors from the private, public and philanthropic sectors.

Prime Minister, David Cameron has said “Dementia is one of the greatest enemies of humanity and we must all play our part defeating it.”

Meanwhile, The University of Sussex in joint partnership with The Alzheimer’s Society are undertaking extensive gene research, whilst Plymouth University received a £7000 grant from Alzheimer’s charity, BRACE to research proteins associated with Lewy bodies and their role in the development of dementia and Parkinson’s.

It is believed that Lewy bodies account for up to 30% of all cases of dementia and the results into the proteins alpha-synuclein and beta-synuclein are hoped to give greater understanding into the mechanism of using one protein to inhibit the other as a way to develop treatment therapies for patients.

News bites Over 2 million pensioners struggle with the most basic day-to-day tasks

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A review commissioned by the World Health Organisation (WHO) has revealed that e-learning has the potential to help relieve the nursing & health professional shortage, which currently stands at a global deficit of 7.2 million personnel. Tested by Imperial College London, the eLearning experiment demonstrated that the electronic method was likely to be as effective as more traditional training methods for healthcare professionals.

teaching. However the authors of the study warned that due to the practical skills required by healthcare professionals, a combination of teaching methods would be necessary to deliver effective training.

Dr Erica Wheeler, Technical Officer in the Department of Health Workforce in the World Health Organization, said: “This report was commissioned by WHO to ensure that there is robust evidence to support the increase in the numbers of health workers being trained.

There is also a need for the provision of guidance on what methods are most suitable and effective for different pedagogical approaches”

A total of 108 studies were used to draw results, showing students acquired knowledge and skills through online and offline eLearning as well as, or better than they do through traditional

Dehydration common amongst care home residents New research has concluded that patients admitted to hospital from care homes are commonly dehydrated on admission and appear to experience significantly greater risk of dying in hospital.

65 and older, admitted to a London Hospital Trust throughout the period January 2011-December 2013, the research revealed that patients from care homes are at a five to ten times greater risk of dehydration compared to patients living in their own homes.

The research from the University of Oxford, Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine was published recently in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine.

Reviewing over 20,000 patients aged

Professor David Stuckler, from the University of Oxford said “Are care home residents choosing to drink less than they should? Or… Are care home staff not offering enough water?”

News bites

News bites

£5.5 billion benefits for older adults go unclaimed each year

1.6 million pensioners live below the Poverty Line

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News bites 5 million elderly people say TV is their main form of company

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Feature

Why choose Newcross Healthcare Solutions are a national company providing highly trained, compassionate healthcare staff to individual, private and public clients. Founded in 1996 in Torquay by Stephen and Michelle Pattrick, the company has grown year on year due to its’ successful formula of employing the best possible staff to really meet it’s clients needs.

Newcross founded

by Michelle and Stephen Pattrick

1996

Launch of our revolutionary online booking system

2000

2003

Achieves Investors in People recognition

Services One of the main reasons clients choose Newcross is the wide range of services we have on offer, from 24 hour support to bespoke care packages.

Home care We pride ourselves on offering person centred home care that can be depended on, care that helps the individual lead the life that they want, full of independence and peace of mind. Our highly trained employees are carefully selected for their skill set, experience and most importantly, their compassion and drive to provide the highest standards of quality care.

Complex Care We provide unique care packages, tailored to the needs of the individual. If you have complex or

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Awarded Fire Mark Award by Royal Sun Alliance

2006

2007

Celebrates 10-year anniversary and launches a home-based intensive care paediatric service

specialist nursing requirements, this can be vital. We have clinical teams with specialist knowledge located in our branches throughout the UK who can offer comprehensive packages on an individual basis for a range of needs including:

requirements and needs. Our healthcare workers are an increasingly important part of the care sector, and an integral part of our team who benefit from access to specialist courses and training seminars, together with NVQ Levels 2&3 in Care.

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24 hour support We are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week all year round, offering support when it is needed. Our central support team, located in Bristol, assist the Newcross network of branches and answer any phone call made outside of our branch hours (9:00 – 5:30); we will always have someone available to help. Not only are our lines open 24/7 but we also offer regional support with local knowledge to best answer any request a client or employee raises, no matter where in the country the call comes from.

palliative care ventilator management renal care head injury rehabilitation chemotherapy management neuro-degenerative conditions taking bloods.

Establishment We cover a large selection of establishments from nursing homes to hospitals, and from community centres to specialist clinics. Each receiving dedicated healthcare staff suited for each establishment’s

Spring 2015

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Newcross?

The people in the office were efficient, caring and friendly

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Launched Supported Living Service and offset its carbon footprint by working with co2balance.com

2008

Achieved ISO 27001 (internet security) accreditation

2012

2013

ISO 14001 accreditation achieved. iPhone and Android apps launched Staff Every member of the Newcross team understands how they support the standards of quality care we provide. Our employees make all the difference in the lives of our clients, be it from the office on the phone or in person on a home visit, it’s this personal approach and commitment to helping people that we look for in all our staff members.

Our rigorous recruitment process ensures we only employ truly compassionate people who in their approach show they genuinely care for our clients. Our top priority is to ensure that the individual we are caring for receives the best service we can offer.

Newcross applicants are considered for their aptitude and suitability through a six-stage process, which means for those successful individuals, newcrosshealthcare.com

2014

2015

Newcross opened its 30th branch and accredited with Investors in People Standard for the fourth time

Each member of staff at Newcross understands how they contribute to the first class service we are committed to providing. The Newcross Team Pledge is a list of 10 statements that each and every staff member in the company signs when they join us allowing everyone to understand the levels of care and quality we deliver.

Still not convinced?

We at Newcross are different. We have a clinical foundation with our Registered Nurse, Managing Director, Michelle Pattrick, and her vision for excellence. We offer dedicated Head Office support with our in-house Marketing, IT, HR, Training and Finance departments as well as Registered Managers in branches equipped with a wealth of local knowledge.

Advise

I would not hesitate in recommending this excellent company.

Newcross opens its 40th branch early in the year with more to follow due to high demand

they can be proud to say they are part of Newcross.

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The team at Newcross have gained a really good understanding of our requirements and are able to use this knowledge to match suitable candidates to each of our wards.

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The Team Pledge 1 I pledge to deliver quality and 2 3 4 5 6

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excellence in all that I do I will do my best to 'exceed' customer expectations by delivering excellence I will always carry out my role with honesty and integrity I will listen and treat everyone equally with dignity and respect I will work ethically and follow our industry's code of conduct I will seek out opportunities to improve my skills and develop my potential I will find solutions and overcome problems as they arise I will radiate positivity and be helpful to all who need me I will strive to find happiness and enjoyment in all areas of my work I will uphold the company values and be proud to work for Newcross.

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I remember looking across at my brothers in the hospital hallway, quite a standard afternoon for us really. The early years of our life had mostly been spent this way.

COMPLEX CARE

By Adam Stringer, Business Development Manager

W

e were waiting to go in and see Mum, who was talking to the specialist about her approaching discharge following major surgery. With this particular stay, Mum had been in hospital for 16 weeks and was obviously keen to get home and we were even keener to get her home.

Despite the constant pain and discomfort caused by her many serious surgeries, plus a potentially life-threatening, chronic hereditary condition, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Mum was happy, the surgeon had agreed her discharge date, 1 week….

My brothers and I had to get ready because we were Mum’s main care team when she got home. For me and my three brothers this was normal. We did whatever was required to ensure that Mum got the best possible care, whenever she needed it, whether it was making her a cup of tea, sitting on her bed for a chat, helping her into the bath, helping with her medications or helping her move around the house, we were her team! Supported by the local DN team and numerous specialist adaptations around the

house, we made sure that Mum was always at home, where she was happiest, not constantly being admitted to specialist homes and hospitals to receive care.

This worked for Mum and it worked for us as a family. The day to day engagement with the people she loved, in the place where she was happiest. Her own home!

Adam Stringer with his mum Josie

Fast forward 25 years and here I am working for Newcross Healthcare Solutions. Once you have been the carer, you never lose that in your

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personal make up, so as a result of my life experiences I have always wanted to remain in healthcare.

I do genuinely want to make a difference and I see that we do every day. I want to help make people’s lives better.

I firmly believe in what we do, I see that we deliver exceptional nursing care very well to people with all levels of healthcare needs. Having been the carer I appreciate this first hand. I see the positive difference we make daily in people’s lives through the person-centred provision of care that we deliver.

“What we do does make a huge difference. From the industry leading training we deliver to our employees and the person-centred design of each and every one of our packages of care. We utilise technology and engage with all key people.

We guarantee that our clients are in control of their own care.” newcrosshealthcare.com

In a way I feel like I am still the carer… Although I’m not as hands on as I used to be, I’m still working for the best of whatever we have, to ensure that someone, somewhere feels better.

Whatever your homecare needs, we are here to help

“We want to speak to you about “that someone” who may need our support in their own home. Whether they need support with re-ablement or rehabilitation following an accident or surgery, or whether, like my family, they are living with a complex long term medical condition. We are able to fully support however required.”

We are dedicated to finding the right people to deliver your care.

Whether you need support to live in your own home, or assistance in your daily life, we are here to support you, 365 days a year.

We can help you decide how much support you need, from a full 24 hour care package, to supported living and maintaining your independence.

Complex care Day/night sit in service Paediatric packages Direct Payment Packages Supported Living/Live in Care

We currently offer dedicated complex care from a number of branches across the country.

Why not give us a call today to discuss your needs with us.

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We are dedicated to finding the right people to deliver your care To find out more visit our website

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“At Newcross Healthcare Solutions we seek to unlock the possibility inside every individual.”

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Feature

Safer Hands Our commitment to quality through person centred training At Newcross Healthcare Solutions we seek to unlock the possibility inside every individual, therefore it is important for both our business and our clients, that we are able to focus on the future as well as the here and now. We believe that training and personal development should be at the heart of our commitment to our employees, providing opportunities for them to learn, develop and succeed in achieving their full potential.

We know that our people are the engine of our business; we recognise that they want to gain skills, become more adept at their roles, versatile with their knowledge and feel valued within our organisation. By offering staff training, employees feel appreciated by us and positively challenged by their developing roles and responsibilities, leading to increased levels of satisfaction towards their jobs and a better customer experience. All of which is why we as an organisation have a genuine interest in helping them on their journey, doing everything in our power, to train and develop our employees to be the best they can be.

How do we do this? Firstly we employ only the best possible people and take an honest interest in them, ensuring they receive regular feedback from us and continual access to training opportunities. After all, training and development keeps our employees at the cutting edge of the healthcare industry, as well as creating a supportive workplace. We recognise newcrosshealthcare.com

that a workforce who are competent and on top of changing standards within their sector will help Newcross to positively develop, strengthening our position as market leaders who deliver the best possible service to our valued clients.

Healthcare Employees As an employer of over 4000 healthcare professionals across the UK, our biggest training priority lies in ensuring the skills of our front-line staff. As such, all of our healthcare team are offered free training and development credits, which they can use to update mandatory skills such as moving & handling and basic life support, or to gain new qualifications, allowing them to develop knowledge and skills in areas that they are passionate about.

for the requirement, teaching our staff to understand specialist healthcare equipment, such as PEG feeding and ventilators and secondly by giving our staff, bespoke, client specific training that reflects individual needs and choices.

Thirdly we ensure our team undergo shadow shifts and are signed off on their competencies by a clinical lead and are regularly assessed.

Office Staff As a company we believe it is one of the most important things we can do to nurture talent, recognising and developing our leaders of the future.

It is natural too that our talented employees wish to advance their own skills within the company, appreciating on-going training, development and support in the process.

We understand that all of our clients needs are unique; as such we take considerable pride in being able to tailor our services to offer the best possible fit, in the most person-centred way possible.

We currently offer over 100 accredited training courses for employees, covering a wide range of subjects, including challenging behaviour, catheter care, venepuncture and stoma care to name but a few.

Apprenticeships are one of the key ways in which we start this process. We currently offer places to apprentices in many areas including finance, administration, HR and training and due to the overwhelming success, we are keen to grow the scheme even further.

For care at home packages we ensure our carers are trained to deal with all equipment and health care needs before starting their role working with clients. We approach this in a number of ways, firstly by training

For many young people with aspirations to achieve in business environments, apprenticeships are a positive opportunity, enabling them to grow and develop, gaining valuable experience that will last a

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Spring 2015 11

lifetime. However, the apprentices are not the only ones to benefit from these fantastic schemes, our employees gain experience of acting as mentors and gain inspiration from new ideas and enthusiasm, which ultimately benefit the wider company and our many clients.

Newcross CEO, Stephen Pattrick says:

“We have been extremely pleased with the staff that have joined us through our apprenticeship scheme.

It has given us the opportunity to recruit young talent that can learn and grow with our business and add significant value with new ideas, natural enthusiasm and a determination to forge a lasting career with Newcross.”

Kailee Coffin who joined Newcross as an apprentice based at our Head Office in Devon explains her experiences. “I have been an apprentice with Newcross for a year now and it has given me the opportunity to see what it’s like to work within a large, nationwide company in a very hands on way. In my role I am involved in all aspects

From left to right: Mandy Hamilton, Tracy Willday, Shabnam Dooley, Michelle Pattrick RN, Claire Scarrott, Geoff White and Kim Keen

of the day to day running of the Head Office from sorting the post to meeting and greeting visitors as well as more in depth work within Quality Assurance and Human Resources. This experience has enabled me to develop a wide variety of skills that will help me as I move into a more specialised role within the company.”

Management are job based courses that empower trainees to realise their full potential, while being fully supported by mentors.

Participants are hand selected by managers for demonstrating a history of excellence, talent and commitment and most crucially possessing incredible potential to grow.

Future-proofing our organisation by developing ‘Leaders of the Future’ from within our workforce is another way in which we develop our staff to grow our company and benefit our clients. Our Training Team have developed two courses:

Expectations for participants on all of our training and development courses are high. We genuinely want our trainees to succeed and we know that to do so they need to experience real work and responsibility.

Team Leader Development and Trainee Business Centre

Developing our ‘Leaders of the Future’

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Management course graduate Claire Scarrott says

“The greatest part of this programme was having the recognition from Senior Managers, they could see the potential in me and supported me all of the way through this life changing journey.

The programme wasn’t easy but has given me the skills and experience to start my next chapter within Newcross as Homecare Manager for Truro.”

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Advancing Technology Making a difference to people’s lives

Advances in eHealth Technology is playing an ever greater role in our daily lives and is now widely recognised as offering huge potential to the healthcare sector. The growing use of eHealth, a catch all term, which also covers telehealth and telecare, has the capability of facilitating a personalised care experience to patients, while offering faster diagnoses and reducing overall costs.

Research by Leeds Council suggested that telecare had a positive impact on reducing admissions to care homes and hospitals and could save over £2300 a year once installed. Another application of eHealth may be in the remote daily monitoring of blood-sugar levels for patients with diabetes. One study in the USA found patients using eHealth had fewer deaths and overall longer survival rates than a comparable control group.

Technology has the power to fundamentally change the way in which healthcare is delivered, particularly in the care of long-term conditions. Undoubtedly one of the greatest advantages for patients is being able to stay in their own homes, with the confidence that they are monitored and can access help whenever they need it. One nurse-led case management telecare programme lead to a 47.5% lower hospitalisation rate plus greater patient satisfaction than those receiving the usual care.

Improving lives with Newcross technology At Newcross Healthcare we pride ourselves on embracing cutting edge technology that greatly enhances our ability to deliver high-quality care.

As part of this ongoing commitment we have developed a number of revolutionary technologies that speed up our responses to personalised care and enable us to work more efficiently and safely. One such advance is our app that allows Clinical Assessors to undertake assessments and produce completely personalised and ready to use care plans in just one appointment.

Another key technology that we use are Digital Pens. As with all great technology the digital pens are simple to use, a small lens capturing every stroke of handwriting, as it is written on ‘digital paper.’ The notes are then uploaded to each individual account and are available to view within 24 hours of the notes being written. Clients can be assured of our digital security with all data from the pens encrypted and stored securely, with only relevant team members and clients being able to access notes.

Our Client Extranet is another e-development which uses advantages in technology to place users firmly in control 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. From this area clients can have instant access from anywhere in the world, to manage care for themselves or others. It is also here that users can download staff profiles and read their care notes.

To find out more please visit our website www.newcrosshealthcare.com/how-we-work/our-technology newcrosshealthcare.com

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“We always promote the highest standards”

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ASKLENA

Head of Clinical Excellence, Lena Walliman values an open culture, with excellence underpinning all that we do at Newcross. As she reveals here, quality is the base line Newcross starts from.

Role Head of Clinical Excellence for Newcross Healthcare

Responsible for The overall quality and delivery of clinical excellence

by Newcross Healthcare

Background Started career in Bristol as a Health Care Assistant, working within Coronary Care.

Qualified as a Registered Nurse, with a specialist degree in Palliative Care.

Worked as a District and Nutrition Nurse, as well as ensuring quality and safety for NHS 111 service.

Now working towards a Masters in Specialist Practice due for completion 2015.

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Newcross and Quality It is important to us that excellence is the base line that we start from, not the bar that we strive to achieve.

The Clinical Excellence Team ensures safety and quality underpins all activities carried out by Newcross Healthcare Solutions, be that in the home setting, the establishment sector, or within our office and department buildings.

Newcross is a vibrant, innovative and leading healthcare provider, with excellence underpinning all that the company does. To guarantee that the highest standards are always met, the Quality Team constantly review how the business learns and develops, enhancing systems and practices at every possible opportunity.

As a team we are responsible for carrying out audits, focusing on safety, as well as reviewing staff and client experience. To deliver the best service to our clients that we possibly can, we work closely with our in-house training team, identifying learning opportunities for our healthcare employees and helping them to achieve continual career development. Our staff are not only skilled at their job, they deliver personalised care with compassion and commitment and that is what makes the Newcross difference.

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Q. Does Newcross have different quality standards for Public, Private and Individual Clients in their own home?

No. Quality underpins everything Newcross stands for and does, and will remain, equal to all parties receiving our care.

Q. If I feel that there is room for improvement within my care, or would like to complain about the care standard that is being provided, how do I do this?

The minute you stop looking for improvement and how to better what you do is the minute the passion for the role has dwindled. Newcross wants that passion for quality and the drive for excellence in every member of staff. I personally hope that all staff feel engaged with the Newcross visions and work to the Newcross pledge in every aspect of their role.

We welcome ideas for improvement and encourage employees to share these with their team leaders, lead nurses or branch managers. If a client has a concern or complaint however small, we ask them to contact their branch or Head Office immediately. Openness, transparency and learning are all key factors to continual improvement and care excellence.

Q. Where do you look for quality?

As a Clinical Excellence Team we look for quality from the minute a client or staff member comes into contact with Newcross. From the way we answer the phone, the way we support our staff, the way we communicate with our clients and carers, to the way we support our staff when in times of difficulty. The care we provide is fundamental to everything we strive for therefore training, communication and safety are key.

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Investors in People...

Why it matters to us Organisations can only truly succeed when they recognise and realise the potential of the people within them. It has been demonstrated time and time again that when employees feel connected to the businesses that they work for, they invest more of themselves in it.

Newcross Healthcare prides itself on delivering excellence and hiring the best people, so it was a significant milestone for our business to be officially recognised as Investors in People, for the first time in 2000. Since that first recognition we have grown exponentially into a national company, but have continued to maintain our status, still proudly baring the standard to this day.

The Investors in People Standard has been running for over 20 years, with the main aim of helping companies to be the best they can be in developing their employees. The award recognises the ways in which businesses, like Newcross Healthcare, go beyond normal expectations in how they develop, support and motivate staff members.

As a company Newcross has been awarded for many positive aspects including our directors having a supportive, open and approachable style, as well as our staff being proud to work for us and being committed to achieving success by ensuring targets are met and the best possible care is provided.

HR Director, Tracy Willday says,

“We first achieved the Investors in People Standard in 2000 – and since then the company has been subject to inspections every 3 years. We are delighted to say, we have not only achieved the required standards but we have excelled in many areas.�

Motivation Theory

By Tracy Willday, HR Director & Chartered FCIPD What motivates us? What makes us get up and want to do better? Jump higher? Run Faster? What is it about top athletes such as Usain Bolt and Jessica Ennis that enables them to perform at the top of their game when it matters most? Why do mountaineers battle their way to the top of the highest peaks, risking their lives in the process, only to want to do it again and again? Do we all possess this extraordinary inner strength and if so can we tap into this drive and motivation on an everyday basis?

accepted authoritative style of employee management. Herzberg, another strong advocate of motivation theory, hypothesised challenging work, recognition and responsibility coupled with achievement, recognition and personal growth were the primary motivators for employees and dissatisfaction was most likely to spring from 'hygiene factors' such as salary and job security.

In the business environment it can be easy to assume that the biggest motivating factor for a workforce is the money that they take home from it. But time and time again, research has proved that this is a misleading and naïve theory. The fundamentals of motivation are in fact formed deep within us and stem from our most basic human instincts of safety and security. American psychologist, Abraham Maslow first developed his ‘Hierarchy of Needs’ in the 1940s, after recognising that there were tiers of physiological and psychological elements that needed to be met for a person to be completely satisfied and achieve their best. Humans he summarised, need to feel a sense of belonging and acceptance, they need to feel respected and valued by others.

Keep your thoughts positive because your thoughts become your words, keep your words positive because your words become your behaviour, keep your behaviour positive because your behaviour becomes your habits, keep your habits positive because your habits become your values, keep your values positive because your values become your destiny.

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Mahatma Ghandi

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Maslow's ideas were quickly adopted and in the second half of the 20th Century it became widely accepted that employee's hopes, feelings and needs all had a major contributing factor on performance productivity.

In 1960 Douglas MacGregor built on Maslow's theory when he published his best-seller, 'The Human Side of Enterprise.' The book promoted a people-centred managerial approach, directly contrasting the more traditional and previously

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Newcross Healthcare could not be the company it is without the many great people it employs. As we have grown from 1 office to 40, we have never lost sight of our responsibility Inform

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Inspire

to our employees. We recognise and encourage the intrinsic drive and motivation of our staff, allowing them to be self-starters who feel part of the Newcross family, valued and supported by their colleagues and recognised by their managers through regular appraisals and reward schemes such as our 100 Club, Excellence in Healthcare and Homecare awards. We strongly believe in developing our staff and ensure we spend time, energy and effort in understanding them, taking into account their goals and connecting them to our own. We want them to feel heard and listened to, so they can be the best they can be, achieving everything they can, positively changing the lives of others as they do so.

Join Newcross Healthcare As a growing, national company, we have a number of vacancies for dedicated healthcare staff and exceptional office and operations staff.

Find out more about our available roles and how to apply.

www.newcrosshealthcare. com/jobs

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NUR The vibrant social media community for healthcare professionals Nurchat was created with the aim of connecting nurses online and offering a forum to discuss best practice and developments within healthcare. NurChat was the brainchild of Newcross CEO Stephen Pattrick, following the feedback from some of our nurses who felt they would like to talk more with their colleagues about nursing-related topics.

Through the social network, Twitter, a community was formed. Now in its 4th year, the community has grown from a small group of nurses to a large community of nurses, healthcare professionals and students. We’ve also welcomed expert patients to share their experiences in some discussions. The topics remain a diverse selection from specialists, such as nursing people with cystic fibrosis to more broad topics such as making the Internet a better place. Everyone with an opinion is welcome. Come along and see for yourself at one of our upcoming chats.

17th March – Creating a peaceful sleeping environment for patients In honour of National Bed Month, we are looking at the ways we can help create a peaceful sleeping environment for patients on a ward, or residents in a care, or service users in any type of residential setting.

31st March – Your questions answered about surgical nursing We’re are holding a very special Q&A session to answer your questions about surgical nursing.

Whether you’re a student nurse thinking of specialising in this field, or want to share your experience of working on a surgical ward, this is the chat for you!

14th April – Nursing acute kidney injury In partnership with the NHS ‘Think Kidneys’ campaign to improve the care of people with, or at risk of, acute kidney injury. Up to 30% of deaths of people associated with acute kidney injury could be prevented, so we’re raising awareness of best practice and treatment options.

Everyone is welcome to come along to #NurChat, the discussions happen every other Tuesday from 8pm on Twitter. If you’re not sure how to take part or need to find out more, go to www.nurchat.co.uk. See you at the next chat!

@nurchat

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Spring 2015

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Charities

Kelly Gaffney bravely taking a leap for Rowcroft Hospice

More than a day job...

Supporting others is our passion W

e are inspired by passion, compassion and the well-being of people, which is why we are such keen advocates of helping individuals and communities through fund-raising and charitable giving. These simple human values, aspirations and actions have been core principles for Newcross Healthcare since our very earliest days and have continued to be an intrinsic part of our ethos and decision making ever since.

Of course as we have grown into a national company our corporate and social responsibilities have grown with us. We are now actively helping causes, organisations and individuals internationally, nationally and on a local level.

Each and every year Newcross raises money to support a number of national charities. In 2014 we actively chose to support four main causes whose work was close to our hearts, the NSPCC, Cancer Research, The Alzheimer's Society and Action Medical Research. The last of which saw Newcross enter a

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team of six including CEO, Stephen Pattrick, into a 261 mile bike ride from London to Paris, raising over £10,000 in the process. Stephen Pattrick said of the challenge

“Action Medical Research for Children is a fantastic charity that undertakes vital work. The ride from London to Paris was an incredibly challenging and rewarding experience.

I was proud of Newcross, not just the riders but the whole company, for getting involved and supporting us every inch of the way.”

Oly Watts, Challenge Events Manager at Action Medical Research added “We are lucky to have so many strong supporters from Newcross Healthcare Solutions raising funds on our behalf to help fund vital medical research.”

Inform

Advise

Inspire

Team Newcross at the start at Blackheath, July 2014

261 miles completed and still smiling, Team Newcross arriving on the Champs-Elysées.

From left-right: Alix Ripley, Stephen Pattrick, Tracy Willday, John McCann, Tom Kingston and Michelle Damerell

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Spring 2015 19

Our employees share our mission to help others and actively involve themselves in raising money for issues and organisations that they feel passionate about. 2014 saw two of our braver employees raise money for their chosen causes, a local Hospice and The Alzheimer's Society by bravely skydiving from dizzying heights. As well as this, the whole company were keen to take part in November’s Children In Need fundraiser. But perhaps most notably of all 2014 saw many of our workforce inspired to raise money for the MND Association through taking part in the highly popular 'Ice Bucket Challenge,' with staff from across the country joining in, raising money and nominating their colleagues, before culminating in a mass soaking of 20 employees on a chilly day at our Head Office in Devon.

money was put to good use by our flagship branch in Torquay following a break in at a local charity shop ran

by Rowcroft Hospice, Jessica Goodwin, from Rowcroft Hospice said:

“We are so grateful for the support of Newcross Healthcare and would like to thank them dearly for their very generous donation.”

As 2015 begins, we as a company look forward to pushing ourselves further and supporting more great causes than ever before.

As helping and supporting others is so important to us, we allocate all of our nearly 40 offices throughout the UK with a 'Charity Pot' which branch staff can use to support local issues and causes in their area. This

Celebrating Children in Need

Head office take part in a mass ice bucket challenge

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food&drink NEWCROSS JOURNAL

Spicy, richly creamy and something different...

Chicken Dopiaza 1 Heat 2 tablespoons of oil and fry the halved onions until tender and translucent. Remove and keep aside.

5 Add the water and tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken.

2 Add the remaining oil and saute the bay leaves, cardamom, cloves, chillies and peppercorns.

6 Add the chicken pieces and continue to cook for 12-15 minutes.

3 When they crackle, add the chopped onions this time, together with the garlic and ginger, and saute for 3 minutes.

4 Add the ground spices and salt and cook for 3 minutes.

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7 Add the reserved small halved onions and then cover and cook for a further 8-10 minutes until chicken has cooked through.

INGREDIENTS

MILD

1 lb chicken breast, cubed 6 small onions, halved 3 bay leaves 4 cloves 3 red/green chillies 3 garlic cloves, crushed 1 inch ginger, chopped 2 onions, chopped 1 teaspoon coriander powder 1 teaspoon cumin powder 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder 1 teaspoon chilli powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 large tomatoes, chopped 1/2 cup water 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

A deliciously medium-dry white Riesling is the perfect partner for this Asian-influenced dish.

HEALTH BENEFITS Chilli - A recent clinical trial by Purdue University has revealed that the chemical capsaican which makes chillies hot reduces cravings for salty, sweet and fatty foods and increases energy expenditure.

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Spring 2015 21

While the number of people contracting Ebola in West Africa shows no sign of slowing down, there are still many more nurses and medical professionals ready to volunteer their expertise.

Over 70 nurses, doctors and healthcare professionals were in West Africa over Christmas 2014 to help with the infection prevention and treatment effort.

The

Final Word Ebola:

Media Sensationalism Versus Infection Rates

The recent Ebola outbreak has seen over 21,000 people infected with the virus and a death toll of nearly 9000 individuals. The majority of these cases have occurred in 3 West African countries, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, but have led to widespread, global concern. The arrival of the virus to the UK in 2014 considerably elevated the profile of infection control and prevention in the media to the point of causing panic in the wider general population, despite the risk of an outbreak in the UK being very low.

Healthcare workers returning to the UK from infected areas in West Africa are managed through Public Health England’s Returning Worker Programme, however their return is not always met with the praise and thanks that their bravery deserves.

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Regardless of the panic that has gripped some parts of the UK, the risk of infection is low and healthcare workers returning the UK after treating people with this deadly disease deserve nothing but our thanks and praise.

The sensationalism in the media about the potential lethal consequences of contracting the virus and the limitations of treatment options for those infected has been responsible for causing fear and hostility from some members of the public.

Several comments on recent news stories demanded that healthcare workers were quarantined upon their return, while other comments stated that no-one should be allowed to return from an infected area before quarantine has been completed. The often irrational fear of infection is certainly something that one particular returning healthcare worker experienced and shared on the Twitter chat #NurChat: Peter @Parafinale I face nervousness around me now daily. It's like I'm a leper. It's just misunderstanding of the risk and transmission #nurchat 8:08 PM - 20 Jan 2015 There have been concerns that Ebola screening at UK airports has been less than 100% effective, which may have caused several online comments calling for mandatory quarantine for all healthcare workers returning from Ebola-infected areas.

Spring 2015

Gail Mcadam @McadamGail I take my hat off to all they nurses who have went out to care for people with ebola they are doing a wonderful job #NurChat 8:27 PM 20 Jan 2015 Join in with #NurChat #NurChat is run and operated by Newcross Healthcare Solutions, a leading employer of nurses, healthcare assistants, home carers and support workers in the UK. #NurChat began with the desire to connect healthcare professionals to discuss current affairs and healthcare-related news.

Discussions happen every other Tuesday at 8pm GMT. More information at www.nurchat.co.uk

NUR

We will have another Final word in the next issue newcrosshealthcare.com

Contact Newcross Healthcare Solutions

Chester T: 01244 470151 E: chester@newcrosshealthcare.com

Liverpool T: 01512 363363 E: liverpool@newcrosshealthcare.com

Colchester T: 01206 804326 E: colchester@newcrosshealthcare.com

Newcastle T: 01913 037857 E: newcastle@newcrosshealthcare.com

Coventry T: 02476 997716 E: coventry@newcrosshealthcare.com

Perth T: 01738 587267 E: perth@newcrosshealthcare.com

Croydon T:02034 689523 E: croydon@newcrosshealthcare.com

Plymouth T: 01752 395009 E: plymouth@newcrosshealthcare.com

Dundee T: 01382 843070 E: dundee@newcrosshealthcare.com

Reading T: 01183 240737 E: reading@newcrosshealtcare.com

Durham T: 01913 038094 E: durham@newcrosshealthcare.com

Royal Tunbridge Wells T: 01892 800156 E: tunbridgewells@newcrosshealthcare.com

Eastbourne T: 01323 888590 E: eastbourne@newcrosshealthcare.com

Shrewsbury T: 01743 817565 E: shrewsbury@newcrosshealthcare.com

Alternatively contact your local branch:

Edinburgh T: 01313 436856 E: edinburgh@newcrosshealthcare.com

Southampton T: 02380 236822 E: southampton@newcrosshealthcare.com

Aberdeen T: 01224 515235 E: aberdeen@newcrosshealthcare.com

Exeter T: 01392 459982 E: exeter@newcrosshealthcare.com

Swansea T: 01792 720113 E: swansea@newcrosshealthcare.com

Bath T: 01225 807212 E: bath@newcrosshealthcare.com

Falkirk T: 01324 622244 E: falkirk@newcrosshealthcare.com

Swindon T: 01793 238328 E: swindon@newcrosshealthcare.com

Bournemouth T: 01202 539338 E: bournemouth@newcrosshealthcare.com

Glasgow T: 01415 309709 E: glasgow@newcrosshealthcare.com

Taunton T: 01823 282850 E: taunton@newcrosshealthcare.com

Brighton T: 01273 686959 E: brighton@newcrosshealthcare.com

Gloucester T: 01452 260156 E: gloucester@newcrosshealthcare.com

Torquay T: 01803 292299 E: torquay@newcrosshealthcare.com

Bristol T: 01179 340640 E: bristol@newcrosshealthcare.com

Hamilton T: 01698 285200 E: hamilton@newcrosshealthcare.com

Truro T: 01872 222525 E: truro@newcrosshealthcare.com

Cannock T: 01543 889593 E: cannock@newcrosshealthcare.com

Inverness T: 01463 630030 E: inverness@newcrosshealthcare.com

Woking T: 01483 608196 E: woking@newcrosshealthcare.com

Canterbury T: 01227 806232 E: canterbury@newcrosshealthcare.com

Isle of Wight T: 01983 220024 E: iow@newcrosshealthcare.com

Worcester T: 01905 700168 E: worcester@newcrosshealthcare.com

Cardiff T: 02920 098084 E: cardiff@newcrosshealthcare.com

Kirkcaldy T: 01592 323004 E: kirkcaldy@newcrosshealthcare.com

Head Office Located just outside Totnes in Devon, the Newcross Healthcare headquarters houses all the key support teams for the business.

HR, Recruitment, Marketing and Communications, Finance and Payroll and IT are all situated at HQ and from there provide support to our growing network of UK branches.

Contact us

Newcross Healthcare Solutions Waterside Berry Pomeroy Totnes Devon TQ9 6LH T: +44 (0)1803 867800 F: +44 (0)1803 867218 E: hq@newcrosshealthcare.com

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Spring 2015 23

Business snapshot

4310 230 40 2 healthcare employees

office employees

branches in England, Wales & Scotland

custom smartphone apps for healthcare staff to use on the go

1

very busy online community called ‘Nurchat’ As of February 2015

Branches Aberdeen Bath Bournemouth Brighton Bristol Cannock Canterbury Cardiff

Chester Colchester Coventry Croydon Dundee Durham Eastbourne Edinburgh

Exeter Falkirk Glasgow Gloucester Hamilton Inverness Isle of Wight Kirkcaldy

www.newcrosshealthcare.com

Liverpool Newcastle Northampton Perth Plymouth Reading Royal Tunbridge Wells Shrewsbury

Southampton Swansea Swindon Taunton Torquay Truro Woking Worcester