NAEP News Issue 10

NAEP

nce again, I am sure you will agree with me this year has flown and the NAEP Board and I would like to take the opportunity to wish all members a New Year that we will all find interesting, as we are still in a climate of economic and organisational change within health, social care including our voluntary services.

We have seen changes in 2022 within our partner organisations – the most significant one to NAEP is we no longer have CCG’s but Integrated Care Services / Partnerships. What is an Integrated Care Partnership? Integrated Care Partnerships (ICPs) are collaborative networks of service providers. They include healthcare professionals, such as doctors, nurses, pharmacists, social workers, and hospital specialists; the voluntary and community sectors; local council representatives; and service users and carers. Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) are partnerships of organisations that come together to plan and deliver joined up health and care services, and to improve the lives of people who live and work in their area.

This year NAEP is updating the signed MOU with the TSA and are working with them on National Standards for Equipment Services and Retailers, at our conference, this year we held workshops to ensure we had feedback on the standards and received very constructive comments that have been incorporated into the Draft Standards. The NAEP Northwest Group also provided excellent comments, these have also been incorporated into the draft.

After a successful 2022 conference the group has met to analyse the feedback to ensure the programme for the 2023 Conference reflects the needs of our members, the full details will be with you early in the New Year, in the meantime the dates of the 2023 conference are the 13 - 14 June 2023, there is an article in the NAEP NEWS to advertise the dates of the conference. The NAEP Board Strategic Group have been working with NAEP News to change the look of the NAEP News to bring it into the 21st Century, I would welcome your feedback on our new look edition. There is a lot of work for NAEP Members to do this year and we will be asking you to write up your experiences to share with your NAEP colleagues. Members continually ask for information from colleagues in NAEP, and this is a way we can share our innovative projects please send to jean.hutfield@sky.com and jane.oakes@naep.org.uk

Scotland

Chair Anne Findlay

Scottish Regional Group Chair and Regional Coordinator Scotland

E anne.findlay@glasgow.gov.uk

North East & Yorkshire

Chair Vacant

North East and Yorkshire Regional Group Chair E jean.hutfield@sky.com

Trent

Chair Sarah Docksey (nee Bailey)

Trent Regional Group Chair

E sarah.docksey@nottscc.gov.uk

Eastern

Chair Bridget Gaynord

Eastern Regional Group Chair

E bridget.gaynord@nhs.net

London

Chair Vacant

London Regional Group Chair

E jean.hutfield@sky.com

South East

Chair Anita Rush

South East Regional Group Chair E anita.rush@nhs.net

South

West

Chair Vacant

South West Regional Group E jean.hutfield@sky.com

Midlands Chair Sarah Windsor

Midlands Regional Group Chair E jean.hutfield@sky.com

North

West

Chair Aurndra Golden

North West Regional Group Chair E aurndra.golden@stockport.gov.uk

Wales

Chair Vacant

Welsh Regional Group Chair and Regional Coordinator Wales

Northern

Chair Vacant

Ireland

NI Regional Group Chair and Regional Coordinator

Jean Hutfield, Chair

NAEP Regional Chair Contacts NAEP Regional Chair Contacts

Roy’s Round-Up

A Personal Perspective

etter than a strike.... How do you tell and old and valued friend you think they might be wrong?

First step, figure out if it’s worth the aggro.  Wait for the right time. There’s probably never going to be a right time. Keep calm, be prepared for the onslaught.  Keep an open mind, you might be wrong.  Choose your words.

Remember the old sandwich technique; put the negative bit between a couple of positives.  When all is said and done, if the relationship is worth anything, it’ll survive in the knowledge that everyone’s got everyone’s best interests at heart.

My ‘old friend’? They’ve been around since 1916 … achieved a Royal Charter in 1928 and in 1935 had a row with the Trades Union Congress, who were pushing for a 48hr working week. My ‘old friend’ opposed this and were accused of being snobs.

In 1939 ‘the snobs’ became the Royal College of Nursing.  In the same year the Ministry of Health guaranteed a salary of £40 to nursing students in training. The RCN said it was too much!

In 1977 the College, eventually, registered as a Trades Union.  When I first got involved in health, the imperious Catherine Hall was the boss followed by the wise Trevor Clay. The determined Christine Hancock, arm wrestled the organisation but lost when the RCN voted to include strike action in its constitution.  The disaster that was Beverly Malone followed. She thought she was the Duchess of Cavendish Square, with an expense account to match.

It was left to the magician, Peter Carter, to sort out the mess. He got the finances and the College back on its feet. Since… the College has fallen from grace, fought amongst itself, squandered members’ money in pay-offs.

Exsanguinated onto the front pages, with self inflicted wounds. Lately, self harmed, witnessed in the chapters of the Carr Report…

… but, here’s the sandwich; it has the finest library of nursing in the world and a very nice coffee shop.  Now, a new leader, Pat Cullen, flush with ‘the success’ of industrial action in Northern Ireland, is having a go in England.  NI a success?  Against a background of political chaos, nurses accepted proposals to restore pay-parity with England and implement a series of measures to improve safe staffing.

The reality?  Parity with English pay is not enough pay and there are no more nurses in NI than there are in England, to guarantee safe staffing. They’ve around 2,500 vacancies. Eight in 10 shifts lack enough staff.

The chances of a strike, here? Let’s consult the Haruspex;

• A hard nosed, right wing Cabinet

• Economy in tatters

• Rail-union’s strikes, drifting-on, no sign of a settlement

• HMG will say, they honoured the decision of the pay review body; over 1m staff, including nurses, got a rise of at least £1,400 with lowest earners receiving up to 9.3%

• All house holds have help with energy bills and child care costs

• For strikes to work, they have to cause aggro for the public. Support will wane if appointments and electives are cancelled and granny has to wait, longer.

The RCN will say;

• After Covid, nurses deserve a decent rise

• Over ten years, in real terms, nurse income has fallen by 20%

• It means nurses are working one day a week for free

• Insufficient trained staff is a patient safety issue

• 40k nurses left last year, over 30k look

set to leave this year.

They are both right. There was a time, Ministers wouldn’t make a move, without consulting the RCN. Now the College is just another union, in a forest of banners and protests.

What to do? I’d like to see the RCN recover its standing and stature as a Royal College. Find a new narrative. Recover relevance as the bastion they once were.

And…

• Look for a five year, tapered pay deal - Tories know it’ll be Labour picking up most of the cost.

• Student debt forgiveness for all nurses. For HMT, it’s a bookkeeping trick, for nurses it’s a millstone.

• Free public transport to and from work and free parking. It can be a book juggle. The busses run anyway and a car park is a fixed overhead... most are empty at night.

• An independent panel to review and update Agenda for Change. It’s 18 years old, needs a refresh and this would be a good time to look to the future.

• Specialist mortgage arrangements for nurses. Adjust through the tax system.

• Free creche facillities at work. Capital cost for Trusts, small. Impact, high.

• Free broadband, needed for courses and career advancement.

• Guarantee, no more downbanding. It’s widespread, unscrupulous, should be banned.

• Input into the new workforce plan, being written by NHSE. Get influence back.

• A serious look at pendulum arbitration as a way of settling future pay-n-rations disagreements. Lock-in, look serious. Pay Review Bodies have been around since the 60’s and have lost traction.

Tell your mates, nurses deserve better pay... for sure. But... Tell your friends, nurses deserve better than a strike.

Keep up-to-date with Roy's views and opinions at  @roylilley

Part Three

Writing tips for memorable articles

By Wendy Garcarz

This third article in the series shares some practical knowledge and tips about quality writing that readers will remember. It challenges members to analyse their writing style and its effectiveness and draws the distinction between types of writing and the relevant structures for different types of reports.

Reports are usually written in an objective, formal style. This means avoiding some of the more informal language, such as slang or colloquialisms, or contractions. The writing structure uses language carefully, in a literal way and is constructed with complete sentences and paragraphs.

Sometimes, a more personal and less formal style may be desirable to make the piece more emotive. Whichever style is used it should suit the purpose of the writing and appeal directly to the audience reading it. It you are writing a commissioned piece (for a journal or guest blog) you are likely to be issued with a set of guidelines that stipulates writing style.

Although these are described as writing styles, they really describe a written piece from a perspective or viewpoint. The audience can be influenced by choosing the right perspective for them. A writer’s job is to inform and influence their readers so it makes sense to fully understand who you are writing for and what you want them to take from tour work.

Process for writing

Once you have a subject that you want to write about, you need to map out what you want to say. The simplest way of doing that is to sit down, eliminate distractions, and allow your mind to wander. Brainstorming is a great way to refine your idea. Think about what has been written before and consider how you might add to that body of knowledge; maybe a different angle will make it more interesting; maybe an original viewpoint. What ever you decide, ensure you have a rough idea of what you will cover in your piece and what you will leave out. This is important as it stops you from waffling.

The basis of a good article is always research. Research includes anything from interviewing involved parties, reading and searching through historical archives. Your research will provide a solid foundation that gives your writing credibility. It will flesh out your subject and may even lead you in unexpected directions. The key thing at this stage is to approach your piece with an open mind.

As you gather information during this stage, you should begin to group disparate facts and comments into larger topics. These larger topics will become the major subdivisions of your work and will provide the general outline of your piece. You may find that your writing flows from your outline, or you may need to do more research in some areas. Be guided by your instinct at this stage and don’t be afraid to refer to your original plan of what you will

There are four main writing styles for non-fiction pieces;

Employs all five senses to help the reader get a visual of what the writer is trying to describe. Sensory language, rich details, and figurative language are tools used to engage the reader

Descriptive writing Persuasive writing

Writer takes a position on an issue and argues for his or her side or against an opposing side. Uses facts and information to support their argument while trying to influence readers’ opinions.

Tells a true story about a person, event, or place. usually written in the first person but should be based on the research done by the writer

Narrative writing Expository writing

Explain/inform about a certain topic. Research is central to successfully executing this approach

include and omit. It will keep you honest and prevent you padding the piece with incidental information.

At this stage you will have produced a first draft which is really you telling yourself the story. The editing ensures you finetune it for your audience to ensure they have everything they need to learn or make a decision. The number of drafts depends on the writer, my average is three, but in a complex piece or book then it can be twice that.

The final polish is the most important and this is getting the grammar, sentence structure and flow of the article right. By the time you have edited your piece you will be wordblind so it is always good to get a trusted friend/colleague to do the proofreading.

Most word processing software has tools to make this quick and easy but ensure that you have your preferences set to British English as US English sends up oddities that people will read as errors.

Knowing the audience and purpose of what you are writing

I know I keep coming back to this, but it really is crucial if you want your articles

to gain the proper reach and to be seen as influential in your field of expertise. The simple way to ensure you are targeting the right readership is to put your finished article through the litmus test of best fit.

• Make it relatable: Ensure it reflects their culture, environment and experience. If you can show that you understand their pain points and problems, then you will hold their interest.

• Make it a good fit: Use your article to showcase more relevant information to inform them or offer a solution that solves their problem.

• Provide an evidence base: demonstrate the validity of your piece by providing the with the evidence that your solution works. Do this from three main viewpoints: the users perspective (quality of life improvements), the financial perspective (value for money), and the operational/service perspective (efficiency and effectiveness).

Tips and techniques for great writing

Your reports and articles should be easy to read and navigate so

presenting information in a clearly structured format is critical. The more logical and sequential the information is, the easier the report is to read and digest. Different types of report suit different purposes but most fall into one of the following categories:

• Analytical reports: Analytical reports present information about issues, events, procedures. They are designed to provide the reader with enough information to be able to make decisions about future strategies. For example, if management were considering refurbishment of a computer room, a report on the current situation would help make their final decisions.

• Practical reports: Practical reports describe how a piece of work has been carried out, what the outcomes were, and what the significance is. A report on an underperforming system is a good example.

A checklist for a well structure report or article

• Use clear headings and subheadings to make navigation easier

• Use consistent formatting; heading styles, page numbers, font and font size, line spacing and indenting all makes for a well-presented report. If it is easy on the eye, you are more likely to hold their interest to the end.

• Spelling and grammar; use the tools on your computer to ensure the reader’s attention is not hijacked by poor spelling or misplaced apostrophes.

• Each paragraph should contain one idea or talking point and no more

• The report should have a clear beginning, middle and end, usually presented as an introduction, body of report and conclusion.

Planning the report (an easy process guide)

Use the answers to these questions to plan your information collection and finished report.

A report is designed to allow the reader to find information anywhere in the report very quickly. At different times, the reader may only wish to

consider certain parts of the report. So the information is divided into sections, each with a heading.

Basic report structure

A basic report should contain as a minimum:

• Title page containing report author, title, organisation logo, date (and if the standard requires it the version number)

• Contents page: constructed in a table or use the contents page formatted in a document template

• Introduction; to establish the rationale, remit and scope of the report

• Content: the main body of the report, the information you have collected and analysed

• Conclusions; any conclusions reached, options considered, decisions or recommendations made

•

References to any supporting

documents made in the report

Some larger or more complex reports need a more detailed structure, for example, an investigation into a significant incident or audit of a system or department.

If a report is quite long, you may also need to write a Summary or Executive Summary, sometimes called an Abstract when writing an assignment or work related assessment. This summary is placed after the title page, before the Contents page. Its purpose is to give readers the main ideas of the report, so that they can decide whether the report is relevant for them.

Using SWOT analysis to write an article

SWOT Analysis is a useful technique for understanding the Strengths and Weaknesses, and for identifying both the Opportunities and the Threats related to them.

Used to help plan a report, a SWOT Analysis looks at an issue or problem and identifies the positives and negatives (strengths and weaknesses) of the issue and helps the author to identify possible options and risks (opportunities and threats).

Step 1 – Information collection - In the here and now…

• List all strengths that exist now. Then in turn, list all weaknesses that exist now. Be realistic but avoid modesty!

• You can conduct one-on-one interviews or get a group together to brainstorm. If you have time, both is preferable.

• When conducting a SWOT search for insight through intelligent questioning and probing the issue.

Step 2 – List all opportunities that exist in the future. Opportunities are potential future strengths. Then in turn, list all threats that exist in the future. Threats are potential future weaknesses.

Step 3 – Plan of action. This would be the conclusions or recommendations of the report. Review your SWOT matrix with a view to creating an action plan to address each of the four areas.

Avoiding the common pitfalls of poor report writing

The objectives of good presentation of a final report are:

• to attract and retain the interest of the reader

• to help convey the key messages of the report concisely and clearly

• to enable the reader to navigate the report and find what they want quickly

• to demonstrate the competence and professionalism of the author

Formatting a document is easy as Microsoft word and similar packages provide default settings that do all the work for you. But some simple rules can make sure that all your

documents look professional.

• The orientation of the page is important; reports look best in portrait but tables, action plans or spreadsheets are best presented in landscape

• Numbering and headings; In order to help the reader find their way around a report quickly, a report is always divided into clear sections with headings. Usually, a numbering system is used too. The important thing is to be clear and consistent. Tip: If you use your word processing software to automatically number the sections of your report then it will automatically construct a contents page for you.

• Fonts should be clear, easy to read and appropriate for purpose (not quirky like comic sans) and an ideal size is 10 or 12 for a general report.

• Spacing of text is normally 1 or 1.5 text height gap, double spacing is usually used when the report needs to be commented on.

• Always spell check and grammar check reports before sending them anywhere; it is a fallacy to think that because modern schools don’t mark students down for poor spelling or grammar it doesn’t matter in business, IT REALLY DOES! It leaves a poor impression when any basic error is left in a document

• Justifying text (making even margins on both sides of the page) looks very neat but evidence shows that left-justified text is easier to read when the text is long or particularly complex.

• Microsoft word offer integrated templates for reports and documents that already have formatting included. More free templates can be downloaded from their site. http://office.microsoft. com/en-gb/

Does it tell you what the aim is (what the report should do) and scope of the report (what should be included and excluded) is?

Is the organisation standard/template ok or do you need to adapt it for this report? Suggested structure

Plan the writing process, think about what you already know, brainstorm and jot down notes or make a mind map. How will you find the additional information you need? Make a time plan allowing for each preparation and writing stage. Reports usually have important deadlines! Then organise your information, consider the sources you will need and decide which key information should go in which section, organise your information as you go along. Note your references as you go along if they are required for the report.

Go back and check the guidelines you were originally given.

The most common graphics are:

• Tables: compare & catagorise large quantities of information

• Graphs: demonstrate how variables relate to each other

• Pie charts: good for showing proportions

• Bar charts: show trends and variations

interest to a written piece and breaks up large blocks of text that some readers would find off putting. It is also good to use if there is a wordcount to your article as that usually only applies to text in the body of the report not that used in figures or models.

Adding

interest

with pictures, illustrations & graphs

Graphics in written reports are invaluable aids to the reader because they condense text, clarify relationships, and highlight patterns. Good graphics display the significance of the data (which may be more exactly displayed in a table) and allow them to follow the logical flow of the report.

• Flow charts: show processes or steps

Microsoft Word users should make SmartArt their best friend. It is a tool with preset models that present figures or facts in a pictural format. This means you can simplify large quantities or complex information making it easier and quicker to digest. It adds visual

To find out more about how to incorporate SmartArt check out Microsoft Support https://support. microsoft.com/en-gb/office/create-asmartart-graphic-from-scratchfac94c93-500b-4a0a97af-124040594842

Garcarz MA FInstLM Author, Futurist & Special Advisor

Wendy

DEVIN RISTA /

We’re a few months down the line now since our launch of the Equazone Seat at NAEP 2022, what can we say but what an overwhelming response we have had.

But why have we had this response…. it’s because we listened to the issues everyone experiences with reducing pressure in the comfort of their own chair at home.

People wanted confidence in a product that wouldn’t fail, they want a product that can’t be set up incorrectly, they need to be very low and fit their chair and most of all stability is key for good pressure reduction and posture to help transfers but most of all not making the users posture and mobility worse by giving them something that hinders their current situation.

If you want to know more about the Equazone Range please get in contact.

Share the journey It’s about the people we meet along the way

The Industry David Griffiths, MD for Medequip, discusses the company’s latest co-production initiative aimed at sharing expertise and knowledge with in-house providers of community equipment services.

“At Medequip, we are committed to a journey of continuous improvement. An essential part of this is to do our best for our contract authorities, suppliers, community partners and the people we support.

So, when someone asked me if we ever partnered with or helped in-house Community Equipment Services providers, I couldn’t think of any good reasons why we didn’t. I was also curious about the people we would meet and how we could work together to improve our service offering.

Share the Journey with Medequip

Our Share the Journey initiative was born out of these initial discussions. We have been seeking to partner with three Local Authorities or NHS organisations providing their own in-house Community Equipment Service in England, Scotland or Wales. The objective is to identify individual

projects where our knowledge, expertise and resources can add value, and where we can work together to achieve beneficial end results.

Whether the goal is to benchmark a service against best practice standards, to reimagine how the service could develop, or simply to take stock of where an organisation is at a given point in time, our Share the Journey Project team will work with these in-house providers totally free of charge. The core project team will be agreed with the participating organisations, who will be expected to enable key staff to participate, as well as including the people who use the service and relevant local community groups.

Partnering with Community Catalysts

So what’s in it for Medequip? We all hope to learn from each other and improve things for the people who use our services. To help us achieve this, we’ve partnered with the innovative social enterprise Community Catalysts to help us deliver something different. Our work with Community Catalysts is already proving invaluable. Their experience

NAEP News is now being delivered electronically to members and each issue will feature a Suggested Reading page. On this page members will have the option to click through to documents, reports, brochure’s etc that will be hosted on the NAEP website. If you have any material you wish to be considered for future publication then please send to jean.hutfield@sky.com

and credibility creates an important bridge between the people, communities and the voluntary and statutory sectors, and we are constantly learning from their connections with people with lived experience.”

Angela Catley, Director of Development for Community Catalysts, expressed her support for the scheme. “We are confident that the Medequip team is genuine in their desire to coproduce and hear people’s voices. As a partner in the Share the Journey project, we at Community Catalysts look forward to working closely with the project team to identify the chosen initiatives and to provide input and mentoring support over the course of the project.”

If you would like to apply for support from Medequip to deliver a three month project to improve your in-house Community Equipment Service…

NAEP News Meets

Kate Allatt, (D Litt)

NN:

KA: I delivered my inspirational storytelling presentation in June 2022 at Kenilworth which received a standing ovation, led by chairman Lord Chris Rennard. That was an extraordinary moment for me after all the disruption to my speeches during COVID.

NN:

KA: A make up artist for the BBC long before CGI! In latter years a film location photographer.

KA: Though I was originally booked on the doomed Lockerbie flight in 1988 at 18 years old. I flew on a Pan Am flight because I couldn’t go to Uni because I’d gone too well in my a levels and hadn’t applied. My careers advisor thought I should be looking for factory work based on my unclassified A level mock results!

NN:

KA: I’m a huge worrier, I’m trying to learn to play Wonderwall on the guitar and I only

ever wanted to be a mum from a very young age. Though as an 80s kid I was taught you could do it all (The Margaret Thatcher influence) eg juggling the BlackBerry in the school yard with all the after school activities and busy play dates! I was always the over achiever!

NN:

KA: Being very lucky to have three healthy pregnancies. But then getting an VIP invite to the Olympic Opening ceremony by the deputy pm and suddenly realising I only had crotchless Spanx to wear! No one told me that once Spanx are on they don’t come off until

you go to bed!

NN: What’s your favourite country

youve visited?

KA: Laos in South East Asia in 1995 when I was 25 years old. Just like the scenery of Vietnam in the film Platoon and lots of crazy memories that I’ll self edit!

NN: My favourite book?

KA: Tough choice, at the moment Dave Grohl ‘Storyteller’ - my celebrity crush. Also This Much Is True by Miriam Margoyles. I just adore her authenticity and humour!

NN: Favourite food memory?

KA: Blueberry, banana and maple syrup American pancakes when I was an illegal nanny in America at 18! They were so nice and new to me that I liked them so much, I put on a stone in six months!

NN: How do you like to unwind and relax?

KA: I listen to The Smiths, amongst others stuff, on Spotify whilst walking my dogs in the Peak District and strumming Wonderwall - badly- on my guitar.

NN: Your proudest moment since your being a global stroke advocate?

KA: That’s simple. Inspiring Christine Waddell after she’d been living 17 years totally paralysed with locked in syndrome with cares at home and in a wheelchair with a head rest. She had been nil by mouth for 17 tries too. My story in the media and my visits inspired her to try to improve. Her grit, determination and motivation was incredible. I negotiated free Neuro physio and the most extraordinary stuff began to happen. Unbelievably, after two years she was able to not only stand against a plinth but eat for the first time after 19 years of watching everyone less eat and drink! She was also my ambassador for my old charity - Fighting Strokes - which gave the purpose and self worth she needed to live her best life.

When did you work with NAEP?

What did you want to be when you grew up?

NN: What is the scariest thing you have ever done?

Tell me something most people don’t know about you?

The best thing that ever happened to me?

My careers advisor thought I should be looking for factory work based on my unclassified A level mock results!