Positive June 2012

JUNE 2012

No mental health without physical health; no physical health without mental health Dame Kelly Holmes champions integrated healthcare challenge – see page 3 football skills new leaf information revolution carers’ week have your say sure start hmp new hall

MESSAGE We are delighted to have received some very positive feedback from NHS Midlands and East Strategic Health Authority about our safeguarding work. This followed the Self Assessment and Assurance Framework 2011/12 work, which provided an opportunity to evidence our work to protect the most vulnerable adults using our services. Areas particularly commended included our approach to gaining feedback from patients, families and carers, as well as systems to provide assurance and learning. Thank you to all of you for your continued work and commitment to this important agenda.

We have also just received the fantastic news that our medium secure services have been rated highly in a report

FROM THE BOARD

detailing the quality of all medium secure units in the country. Wathwood Hospital scored highest overall and Arnold Lodge ranked 8th out of all 69 units reviewed by the Quality Network for Forensic Mental Health Services. Well done and thank you to everyone involved for your continued dedication to providing the highest quality care and treatment in safe and secure surroundings.

18-24 June is Carers’ Week and you will notice a focus on carers in the newsletter this month. There are millions of unpaid carers in the country who are all too often forgotten about. We must remember to recognise the extremely difficult job they do and bear in mind the impact it can have on their wellbeing. The Trust is

committed to ensuring that carers are supported and offers a variety of ways in which they can access advice and information, support groups and opportunities to get involved, have their say and be heard.

The end of this month brings with it a big personal and professional change for me.

After 45 years working in the NHS I am retiring and leaving the Trust. It was a very hard decision to make and I will miss all of my friends and colleagues greatly.

I have had the privilege to work with people who are passionate, dedicated and most importantly, really care about the people who use our services. Each day has been different, sometimes very challenging, and I have learnt a lot, but most of all, I have thoroughly enjoyed spending

the last two and a half years of my career here. I am delighted to be handing over to Dean Howells as Executive Director of Nursing, Quality and Patient Experience as I am sure he will do a great job. I know you will give him the fantastic support you have given me.

Thank you to everyone who has made my time with the Trust very special; I wish you all the very best for the future.

Janet Sheard, Executive Director, Nursing and Allied Health Professionals

Nottingham researcher scoops national award

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A Trust Research Manager has won a national award for her work in NHS research engagement. Kaela Stevenson was awarded the 2012 National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Associate Award by the Mental Health Research Network (MHRN) during an MHRN national conference in April.

clinicians were surveyed about their interest in research.

Kaela originally trained as a physiotherapist and gained her PhD before joining the MHRN. In 2011, while she was working as both Deputy Manager at the MHRN East Midlands plus South Yorkshire Hub, and RM&G Manager for Nottinghamshire Healthcare, she implemented a range of projects. Assisted by Emma Pearson, then RM&G Administrator, all Trust

Kaela then began working with teams of clinicians to help them develop their research ideas into proposals, hopefully soon to be submitted for NIHR funding.

In addition she launched a Research Liaison Nurse scheme that seconds nurses from the Trust to work with the MHRN. “They spend some of their time working with us and can encourage their colleagues to get involved in research.”

“Research can make a real difference,” said Kaela. “It can change policy and services for the benefit of service users.

Many clinicians are unsure about research though and are concerned that getting involved will be timeconsuming. Our role is to make it easy for them.”

The MHRN is part of England’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). To find out more about the network visit the website at www.mhrn.info.

Integrated Healthcare Summit In April the Trust hosted a one day event to showcase good practice in delivering integrated healthcare.

The event was a great success, sharing learning and insight and promoting a lasting legacy to deliver high quality integrated healthcare.

A highlight of the day for many was the keynote address by Double Olympic Gold medallist, Dame Kelly Holmes. Dame Kelly spoke about attaining her Olympic goals and her own battles to stay both physically and mentally healthy.

Useful resources shared on the day included a method of capturing the physical health monitoring of people with severe mental illness developed by specialists from the Trust, local primary care and public health.

A web resource for integrated healthcare developed by the Royal College of Psychiatrists was also presented to delegates.

Colleagues from London introduced their integrated healthcare pathway for homeless people with a service user recounting her personal journey.

Another inspirational presentation was given by Luke Donnelly, who spoke of his recovery journey; coming into the Trust as a service user and now working as a peer support worker, using his own experiences to help others in their physical and mental recovery.

Workshops on the day focused on delivering integrated healthcare to people with a learning disability, older adults, those in forensic settings and the impact of nutrition on health.

People who experience both mental and physical health difficulties will lead shorter lives.

Nottinghamshire Healthcare wants to ensure it offers integrated healthcare to meet the mental

l-r Patrick Callaghan, Dame Kelly Holmes, Mike Cooke and Dr Michele Hampson, Consultant in Adult Psychiatry

and physical health needs of people using its services, improving patient experience and outcomes. Chief Executive Mike Cooke launched an integration challenge to get everyone on board to meet this goal. He asked staff to share good practice, views and suggestions, sign up to support existing initiatives and set up and lead a new initiative. He stated he would lend his support and financial backing to those he felt could make the most impact on patient outcomes.

The day closed with a pledge from everyone on how they would take forward insight from the day, turning it into an intention and one simple action to make a difference.

Professor Patrick Callaghan from the University of Nottingham chaired the event. He said: “The day was a great success. It was truly inspirational. When I thanked Dame Kelly for her support she asked me to thank everyone else for what they are doing. Let’s build on the great work that is already being done to continue together to provide the best integrated healthcare we can.”

Positive June 2012

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Football skills support young men ‘The beautiful game’ is being used to help tackle mental illness in men.

Julie Hall (left) receives her certificate from Professor Jane Salvage (right)

Queen’s Nurse title for Julie Hall Julie Hall, former Deputy Director of Local Services, has been awarded the coveted ‘Queen’s Nurse’ title.

The tile is awarded by the Queen’s Nursing Institute, a charity dedicated to improving the nursing care of people in their own homes. It recognises individual nurses who demonstrate their commitment to patient-centred values and continually improving practice.

Award of the title is based on a nurse’s whole practice and commitment to improving patient care, not just for one project or specific achievement. The detailed application process includes feedback from both managers and patients.

Julie travelled to London in April to be presented with her award certificate and badge by Jane Salvage, a nationally renowned consultant in health and healthcare and former editor-in-chief of Nursing Times.

“The whole experience was amazing,” said Julie. “I felt very proud to receive the award and the professional recognition.”

The Queen’s Nurse title is open to registered nurses and specialist community public health nurses working in the community in England, Wales or Northern Ireland and marks the beginning of a process of shared learning and leadership in a community of other nurses with the same values.

For more information about the Queen’s Nurse Institute and the award visit www.qni.org.uk.

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The Trust and Rethink Mental Illness work in partnership with Notts County FC Football in the Community (FITC) to run ‘On the Ball’, a programme which uses examples from the world of football to explore common mental health problems and try to improve the participants’ emotional wellbeing.

The eight-week course is aimed at young men who have mental health issues and helps participants improve their mood, confidence and ability to deal with their problems, as well as play football with award-winning coaches.

The project is delivered every Thursday morning from 10am at Portland Leisure Centre near Trent Bridge in Nottingham. Additional workshop-based sessions are also planned to start shortly.

To make a referral to the scheme or for more information contact Ian Richardson on 0115 955 7215 or email ir@nottscountyfitc.org.uk.

Missing patient protocol to increase safety A new joint protocol for all staff working in Local Services is set to further strengthen patient safety throughout the Trust.

The protocol has been developed in close partnership with Nottinghamshire Police and sets out procedures and guidance for carrying out risk assessments, to make sure that all patients are as safe as possible at all times.

Football in the Community offers ‘Goals for Life’ A new football based mental health project is aiming to help 10 to 14 year old boys get fit, have fun, make friends and tackle behavioural, emotional and social struggles.

‘Goals for Life’ will target boys with special educational needs and behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. It aims to raise self-esteem and confidence and help the boys cope with moods, stress, anxiety and depression. The programme is being delivered by Notts County FC Football in the Community (FITC) in partnership with Nottingham City Council’s CAMHS team (North locality) with funding from Children in Need.

Boys who take part in the scheme will join in weekly football sessions which encourage activity, fitness and teamwork. The aim is for them to form a bond with FITC coaches, who are trained in mental health promotion delivery, in the hope that they will discuss their issues openly. Workshop sessions delivered as ‘half time team talks’ give the boys the chance to talk in a confidential stress-free environment.

Ian Richardson, Activity Manager at FITC and ex-Notts County player, said: “This is a great addition to our range of projects, ensuring that we deliver our work where we can make a real difference.”

Goals for Life sessions take place at Southglade Leisure Centre, Bestwood on Tuesdays from 4.30pm to 6.30pm. For more information contact Ben Palmer on 0115 876 2160 or email info@nottscountyfitc.org.uk.

Ian Richardson, Activity Manager, Football in the Community

It outlines action plans to follow when patients go missing from or do not return to the ward and when and how to inform all relevant organisations. It also advises how to quickly locate and identify the patient, and how to reduce any significant risks. The aim is to make the procedures of the Trust and the Police more consistent with each other.

Garry Bevis, Service Manager, Acute Care, Mick O’Driscoll, Specialist Practitioner in Clinical Risk and Rachel Garton, Matron, led the protocol development.

“It has taken a long time to get to this stage and we carried out a lengthy consultation to ensure that every detail was correct,” said Garry. “We now have a joint protocol which is proven to work and which better protects our patients as well as providing the risk assessment and management structure for our staff and guidance for police officers.

“This framework is a positive move for patients and staff as it provides a more effective response for those at risk of harming themselves or others, and increases efficiency to save staff time.

“The steps outlined in this document allow for proper risk assessment decisions to be taken which will reduce staff and police time in managing missing persons and help to ensure that appropriate resources are allocated when there is concern.”

The document is now available on the Trust Intranet in Policies and Procedures for all colleagues to access. Managers are encouraged to make sure their teams are aware of its content.

Positive June 2012

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Clinic receives ‘excellent’ rating The Trust has received a rating of ‘excellent’ for its Electro Convulsive Therapy (ECT) Clinic at Millbrook Mental Health Unit by the ECT Accreditation Service.

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We have all worked very hard to achieve this standard and I would like to thank the team for their contribution to this. The accreditation demonstrates that our services are of the highest standard and we remain committed to delivering the highest quality of care to the people who use our services.”

The ECT Accreditation Service (ECTAS) was launched in May 2003 by the Royal College of Psychiatrists. Its purpose is to assure and improve the quality of the administration of ECT, which is used for the treatment of severe depression. ECTAS, which is also supported by the Royal College of Nursing and the Royal College of Anaesthetists, is used by the Care Quality Commission to inform its inspection activities when assessing mental health services.

Accreditation shows that the clinic meets required standards.

The accreditation process incorporates elements that research has demonstrated to be effective in bringing about quality improvement. After joining ECTAS, a clinic is given access to online review tools and then embarks on a 12-month review process.

This incorporates self-review, a one day peer review visit by an external team, recommendation of accreditation status by the accreditation advisory committee and ratification of accreditation status by the Royal College of Psychiatrists Education, Training and Standards Committee.

Steve Frame, ECT Lead Nurse at Millbrook Mental Health Unit, said: “We are delighted to have received this fantastic accreditation.

Accreditation is awarded for three years from the point of peer review, subject to satisfactory completion of an interim review at 12 months.

Rampton patients learn about differences Patients in the Peaks Unit at Rampton Hospital have been learning about the differences between people and how individuals impact on and affect others. The sessions titled ‘Engaging with Difference’, which are run by training consultancy Open2, started at the beginning of May on Quantock Ward. It is planned to hold sessions on all wards in the unit to give all patients the opportunity to participate.

All staff working at the Peaks Unit have undertaken the training themselves, and senior staff felt it would also be valuable for the patients.

Alyson Lang, General Manager, The Peaks Unit, Dangerous and Severe Personality Disorder (DSPD), Bronja Cooper, Clinical

The team from The Peaks Unit at their training session

Nurse Manager, and Deborah McQueen, Quantock Ward Manager, worked with Open2 and with patients to develop a training programme.

Jozimba Panthera, Director of Open2, and his team then carried out the live programme on the wards.

The training encourages people to engage about differences, generates an environment of openness, moves

participants from political correctness towards professional communication, addresses the impact of power and dominance on performance and delivery and builds confidence from differences.

The team now plans to carry out a patient impact survey and to continue the training in a visual context including patient artwork.

A dash for cash across the Atlantic A colleague in the Specialist Services Directorate has raised nearly £2,000 for charity by running the New York Marathon.

Chris Morgan, Community Learning Disability Nurse, took part in the annual marathon in November and raised £1,792.75 for the John Eastwood Hospice in Sutton-inAshfield.

“This charity is particularly close to my heart,” said Chris. “The hospice supported my late mother while she had cancer and had a massive impact on my life, inspiring me to become a community nurse. I know they will use the money to its best potential.”

Chris presents the funds to the John Eastwood Hospice.

Left to right: Chris Morgan; Barry, a hospice volunteer; Chris’s father Dennis. Picture courtesy of Mansfield Chad.

Chris raised the funds by running 26.2 miles from New York’s Staten Island through Brooklyn, to Central Park. He completed the race in just three hours, 55 minutes and 28 seconds – giving him an overall position of 13,191st out of 47,180 people who finished the course.

Although Chris ran the marathon in November, he has only recently finished collecting the funds and presented the money to the hospice in March.

Stop smoking with support from New Leaf Did you know that you are four times more likely to stop smoking with New Leaf than going it alone?

New Leaf Nottinghamshire, the local smoking cessation service run by the Trust offers free, confidential support and information and last year helped 16 people kick the habit each day.

Nicotine replacement products are provided free to people who do not pay for prescriptions or alternatively at a cost of £7.65 for a 12 week course.

Individuals can access support in a way which suits them; by email, telephone or at one of 121 local clinics.

Contact New Leaf for free on 0800 389 7712 or text ‘Leaf ’ to 80800.

“It was a superb experience,” said Chris. “It was hard work completing the course but I stayed focused on why I was there and kept pushing on to the finish line. I’m delighted to have been able to raise so much money for the hospice.”

Positive June 2012

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Millbrook tool raises standards A new tool developed at Millbrook Mental Health Unit is improving written documentation across the Trust.

The tool was developed by Kirsty Aveyard, Acting Ward Manager on the Lucy Wade Unit at Millbrook. It was a ‘bottom up solution’ intended to raise standards of patient care by improving the multidisciplinary team’s records.

Known as ‘M.O.N.I.T.O.R.’, the tool provides a measurable means of supporting daily observation and assessments. It incorporates a simple scoring system which colleagues can use when writing patient notes. The system helps colleagues to make decisions about care plans, risk assessments, and other issues that affect patient care.

Kirsty began to look at ways of improving records after concerns about the quality of handovers and issues within complaints and incident investigations.

“I wanted to see if I could find a way to standardise the scoring that colleagues used within the multidisciplinary team to improve the written communication between team members,” she explained. “Now the new tool is improving patients’ experience as it enhances communication between the team and other professionals, leading to a higher quality of care.”

The ‘M.O.N.I.T.O.R’ acts as a simple memory trigger to signpost staff through a series of steps. This name, alongside a presentation, enables colleagues to start initiating improved practice immediately. The scoring system gives additional visual evidence in a graph.

The tool was first used at Millbrook but is now being rolled out across the county. Inpatient areas within County Adult Mental Health Services have started training staff, and link workers are being developed in each area to support the work. Each staff member who completes the training is given a handout which outlines the main points of the development, using the letters to jog their memory.

For more information about M.O.N.I.T.O.R email kirsty.aveyard@nottshc.nhs.uk or belinda.salt@ nottshc.nhs.uk.

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Trust declared fully compliant Nottinghamshire Healthcare is celebrating after achieving ‘full compliance’ in all the services that were visited in a recent Care Quality Commission inspection.

In addition to unannounced compliance inspections at Millbrook and St Francis Unit, the Highbury Assessment and Treatment Unit and Mansfield Community Hospital site premises (Alexander House and Lyndsay Close) were all inspected as part of a learning disability thematic review. There was also a Section 120 visit which looked at service user experience across agencies.

Chief Executive Mike Cooke explained the process: “We have been given autonomy to deliver services and the maximum time before reinspection and we have now addressed the few specific concerns from the eight visits that took place. This was made possible by the hard work of staff in those areas, who looked in some detail at the common themes of records management and person centred care. This work will now be embedded across other areas of the Trust and will provide more assurance as we move towards a single integrated patient record.”

He thanked all colleagues involved in the work, saying: “This re-inspection validates the work carried out since the initial visits and thanks must go to the wider nursing and governance teams for their massive contribution to this improvement. Thank you very much.”

Taking the next step forward The Teaching Team at the Institute of Mental Health has launched a new range of skills-based workshops under the banner of ‘Skills for Practice’.

Skills for Practice sets out a total of 13 workshops, some which have been run previously and updated, and others which are being run for the first time. Ray Woodcock, Education and Practice Consultant, said: “This new set of skills-based workshops will appeal to clinical staff and managers nationwide who are looking for cost-effective, high quality and flexible training.”

The Institute’s offer of nonaccredited training is brought together in an easy-to-read brochure which details the duration, target audience, content and intended outcomes of the workshops. For copies call 01777 247284, email suzanne.howard@nottshc.nhs.uk or visit the website at http://bit.ly/skills_for_practice.

New and improved facilities opened at Millbrook New facilities have been opened at Millbrook Mental Health Unit, as part of a refurbishment project to modernise and improve the care environment.

The first phase of the developments, which began in June 2011, have been completed and include: the refurbishment of the former Meden Ward, a 25 bed adult mental health ward now known as Orchid Ward. The refurbishment of Maun Ward for older people previously admitted to Kingsley Ward (with the name moving with the ward) with ensuite facilities provided in single rooms and bays on the wards. In addition, Jasmine 136 Suite has been built to provide improved services for vulnerable adults requiring a psychiatric assessment in a place of safety, with appropriate interview rooms and ensuite bedrooms.

The refurbishment provides excellent, modern and accessible facilities, with improved privacy and dignity for people needing to access inpatient mental health

services. The Section 136 Suite will also mean more people requiring these services can be seen locally.

Nick Daibell, General Manager Adult Mental Health Services, said: “We are delighted that these developments at Millbrook have resulted in significant improvements to the care environment to ensure that people receive their support in high quality and welcoming facilities.

With the temporary relocation of Meden Ward to Ward 2 at King’s Mill Hospital during the refurbishment, we extend our thanks to colleagues at Sherwood Forest Hospitals for providing the opportunity for partnership working and to the patients and staff affected by the decant.”

Heather Maxfield, Acting General Manager, Mental Health Services for

Older People, added: “We welcome these exciting developments, which will build upon the Trust’s continued commitment to dignity and compassion in the care of older people.”

The second phase of the developments to refurbish the newly named Amber Ward will commence shortly. Following completion due in Autumn 2012, an open day will be held to provide an opportunity to view the updated accommodation and facilities and find out more about the services.

For more details or any queries contact Sharon Eaton, Business/Development Manager Project Lead (Adult Mental Health Services) on 01623 784770.

Top: Orchid Ward. Below: Kingsley Ward

Positive June 2012

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Spreading the end of life care message Nottinghamshire’s health and social care services are committed to making end of life care a top priority in all their care homes. The key to success, says project lead Halima Wilson, is joint working.

One in five deaths take place in care homes and that figure is set to rise. Yet until recently, end of life care was seen as a low priority – and often not something to be discussed openly.

Nottinghamshire has more than 300 care homes and over the last two to three years Steph Pindor and Elise Adam from County Health Partnerships have been working with local authority and health colleagues to raise standards across the board.

A central part of this initiative has been funding 30 care homes to take part in the national Gold Standards Framework for Care Homes programme, which builds end of life care skills and understanding and monitors how that learning is put into practice.

The participating homes have now completed most of the programme, and it has made a huge difference.

Relationships with GPs have improved, there is more open communication with families and staff have the confidence to try to resolve matters themselves or discuss issues with other services rather than immediately opting for hospitalisation.

The challenge now is to bring other care homes in the county up to the same standards.

Halima, Steph and Elise are continuing to run their one-day intensive course on end of life care and hold multidisciplinary conferences to spread the learning and help care home staff network with colleagues from other services. They have also launched an end of life care toolkit, a website and a newsletter for care homes.

Nevertheless, Halima acknowledges that reaching all the County’s care homes remains a challenge. “There are so many things they have got to do and sometimes they use that as a barrier not to do anything on end of life care. It’s still not high profile and this is a very difficult subject for many people, but we are making real progress and I’m optimistic about the future.”

Left to right: Halima Wilson, Steph Pindor, Elise Adam

Physiotherapist Paul Winter with a patient from the ‘Movement Quality Programme’ group

Physiotherapy groups reduce waiting lists Physiotherapy teams across Ashfield and Mansfield have reduced their waiting lists to just two weeks after identifying new ways of working.

All team members are actively involved in looking at how services are delivered and are encouraged to suggest innovative ways of working based on the types of referrals they receive. As a result, group work for patients has been increased across a variety of conditions.

After the success of hip and knee groups for patients with arthritis or recovering after surgery, groups have been introduced for shoulder conditions across all ages and for younger patients with knee pain caused by biomechanical faults.

The team also runs a functional movement programme to help patients develop a true awareness of spinal mechanics and control, addressing the cause of lower back pain.

All the programmes are held at the end of the day to make it easier for patients to attend after work.

The groups were developed following an audit of the types and numbers of conditions referred by GPs, while the exercises are based on previous published clinical results.

All members of the clinical team now refer their patients to the groups and the team is also involved in triaging suitable patients on referral.

All groups are fully evaluated for clinical outcome and to establish patient experience and benefits.

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The Information Revolution This year marks the start of the ‘Information Revolution’ – the name given to the ambitious programme of work set out by the Health Informatics Service which is already bringing about big changes and improvements across the Trust. Led by Head of HIS, Peter Russell and with the full backing of Chief Executive Mike Cooke, the five key priorities that the department is focusing on delivering this year are; • An expanded Electronic Patient Record (EPR) – to improve the quality of patient care through improved access to clinical information using modern technology.

• Electronic Staff Record (ESR) – to improve the quality of employee information and increase productivity by cutting out wasteful paper processes and streamlining staff management.

• The integration of key systems – joining the dots between various systems both inside the Trust and to external stakeholders and the health and social care community.

• Mobility/agile working – with suitable mobile technology, staff will have the right information to treat patients wherever they are. Implementation of EPR will allow greater ease of mobile working.

• New Business Intelligence and Information Management System – to make better use of the information flowing round the organisation, enabling improved planning and decision making.

Colleagues and patients are already feeling the benefits of a number of initiatives the department has implemented. For example; • Central Electronic Storage Area (CESA) – a pilot project developed to enable the electronic storage and retrieval of elements of the patient record from one central area. Implemented in four wards at Rampton Hospital, it has been well received.

• Clinical Noting Project – a successful pilot which has been rolled out in three wards

and easy web-based resource for clinicians’ professional development is being implemented. It will give access to the latest clinical evidence, research information, links to the new HIS library resource and updates on forthcoming events. It will also increase clinicians’ engagement with IMH. Visit www.institutemh.org.uk

in Local Services, proving the benefits and practicalities of recording electronic patient progress notes in the Division and meeting the needs of the CQC. • Mobility in CHP – a significant programme is underway for the rollout of additional laptops to provide mobile working for community nursing across all localities, increasing productivity, efficiency and patient facing time.

• Institute of Mental Health (IMH) website – led by the IMH, a quick

• Community Wi-Fi – a joint initiative across Nottinghamshire led by HIS, which supports flexible, multi-agency working. It allows staff to access their computer systems from any ‘Smart Building’ in Nottinghamshire Healthcare, Nottingham University Hospitals, Sherwood Forest Hospitals and many primary care locations across Nottinghamshire.

Peter Russell said; “This is a very exciting time for HIS. I feel confident that with the skills and expertise of our staff, the projects we are implementing alongside our colleagues in the Divisions, will enable a more efficient and stream-lined way of working, ultimately leading to improved patient care. I look forward to the next 12 months seeing our plans become a reality.”

Event sets out ambitious plans for Health Informatics Over 80 members of the Health Informatics Service (HIS) team came together for a special event at Highbury Hospital to discuss the ambitious projects and targets the department has set itself for the coming year. In addition to discussions from senior managers, Chief Executive Mike Cooke also spoke at the event, explaining his vision and expectations for HIS over the next year. The day also included a ‘Catch up with Cooke’ session, enabling staff to ask Mike any questions about future developments in HIS and the Trust.

Under the leadership of Head of HIS Peter Russell, and with the full backing and support of Mike, this series of HIS projects will

provide big improvements to both patients and colleagues across the Trust. Two of the main ones to be implemented are an extended Electronic Patient Record and widespread access to the Electronic Staff Record.

Peter Russell said: “The day was well attended and it provided the perfect platform to further discuss our aims and aspirations for 2012/13. This is an important year for HIS, with many people already starting to see and feel the benefits of the initiatives we are introducing. I feel confident that together with the support from the Chief Executive and the dedication of the whole HIS department, we will be able to continue to drive these changes forward successfully.”

Positive June 2012

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Tasting the power of photographs Trust colleagues have been experiencing the power of using photographs in therapeutic practice.

The Specialist Services Directorate welcomed 18 colleagues from across the Trust to a phototherapy taster day at Highbury Hospital.

The group was treated to a series of experiences using both their own photographs and others from a set being developed by Mark Wheeler, Art Psychotherapist.

Taking part in the taster session

Mark has been using photographs therapeutically

for over 25 years and has contributed to books and journals as well as presenting his work at international conferences. He works in CAMHS in the Specialist Services Directorate where he uses phototherapy to enrich work with children and families.

The group was able to experience safely some of the ways in which photographs can act as catalysts to new insights and understanding.

They looked afresh at their photograph albums (whether prints or digital) and experienced the profound

effect that comes from showing them, talking about them and working with them therapeutically. Participants reported 94% satisfaction with the content and presentation of the day.

If there is enough demand later in the year Mark may repeat the event and may also offer a ‘phototherapy techniques’ training course (usually over four days). For more information or to express interest in either another taster day or the training course, email mark.wheeler@nottshc. nhs.uk.

Change to home oxygen service provider Patients in the East Midlands are now receiving their home oxygen service from a different equipment provider. The new contractor, Air Liquide, already supplies home oxygen to more than 18,000 UK users and has now taken over from Air Products Healthcare.

Home oxygen is prescribed for patients with serious long-term conditions, such as severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis, congestive heart failure and oxygen deficiency. Patients have been sent letters explaining the change.

Primary care trusts in the East Midlands spend around £8m a year on home oxygen services. The change is part of a national NHS/Department of Health initiated scheme to review existing home oxygen service contracts as they began to expire from January 2011. The aim is to bring about two main improvements. Firstly, that people should have their needs properly assessed and reviewed on a regular basis, and secondly, to ensure that oxygen suppliers provide a higher quality and more responsive service.

A transition board has been working on making the changeover as seamless as possible for patients. A new patient helpline is now available on 0808 143 9993, or patients can also call PALS on 0800 015 3367.

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’ s r e car eek w about

18-24 June 2012

Carers’ Week is a UK-wide annual awareness campaign delivered by a partnership of eight national charities. It celebrates and recognises the UK’s six million unpaid carers for the contribution they make to those they care for, and to their communities.

Carers’ Week 2012 will take place from 18 to 24 June and the theme this year is ‘In sickness and in health’.

The week aims to highlight how caring can impact on a person’s health and wellbeing, how cuts to local services affect unpaid carers, and how recognition by professionals can make a big difference.

In the UK an estimated 1.5 million people care for someone with a mental illness. That is one in every 40 people, or one in four of the UK’s total carers. Carers are vital partners in the provision of mental health and social care services and are increasingly being recognised for their expertise, knowledge and essential role in treatment and recovery.

Support for carers is now widely available in many forms from the NHS and from local and national charities, but many carers are not aware that they are a carer or that they too have needs and require information, support and recognition.

Carers’ allies in adult mental health

By Peter Robinson, Chair of the Carers’ Council The Carers’ Council was set up in 1998 to provide a voice for carers in Nottinghamshire as well as a range of support and advice services. We have had many successes over the years, including our quarterly newsletter and the programme of social events which forms the carer group.

Although there has been a lot of progress over the years, pressures now are greater than ever. We have used our influence to raise awareness of the need for carers

to be recognised as partners in care, but this is still not a widely accepted approach with many mental health professionals.

A conference we held on 27 April was very successful and encouraged service users, carers, families and professionals from health and social care to work more closely together. The audience was very enthusiastic about improving partnership within mental health services.

Our support for carers has grown with our launch in 2011 of the Nottinghamshire Carers’ Alliance. Partly funded by Nottinghamshire County Council, the Alliance is an independent network of 14 carer support groups in the county, focused on the needs of carers.

We have established a process for sharing information between groups to raise awareness of ways to support carers. We believe that because carers really are the experts, they can help to improve services, because their opinion counts. The Alliance aims to raise the carer’s voice.

For more information about the Carers’ Council or the Nottinghamshire Carers’ Alliance contact Peter Robinson on 01623 512607 or email peter. robinson930@ntlworld.com.

For more information about Carers’ Week visit www.carersweek.org.

Positive September 2011

Peter Robinson with Carers’ Council colleagues Angela Chandler, Committee Member (left) and Judith Machin, Founder and Secretary.

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My road to recovery: a service user’s journey “My name is Peter Spencer. I was self-employed for over 40 years, 20 of them as a wheelchair user.

All went well until 1999 when I suffered the first of several strokes.

Each one left me with only minor problems but together they made life very different and somewhat frightening. I had left side weakness, which took away my ability to use my wheelchair, and this affected my ability to communicate, use the telephone, mix with people and even leave the house.

When the recession hit my company got into difficulties and I went into voluntary liquidation. I suffered several nervous breakdowns, which led to my first contact with the Trust.

After six months I was invited to attend the day care centre at Bassetlaw Hospital, where I met Andrea Emmens, now part of the Family Intervention Service. After a few quiet chats over coffee she ascertained that most of my problems were due to a lack of self confidence and feelings of failure, inadequacy and worthlessness.

Andrea accompanied me to meet the manager of

the Rosewood Centre, and this became the start of my road to recovery. My thanks go to Andrea for her ability to recognise my needs, and her continued support to this day. I slowly found my feet again and Rosewood, its staff, service users, volunteers and carers have all played an important part in my recovery.

On 1 January 2010 I collapsed with heart failure. My visits to Rosewood and all my friends stopped abruptly.

But the true meaning of Rosewood came out, as several people kept in touch with me on a regular basis, which helped keep my spirits up.

Following surgery and convalescence, Andrea arranged for a group from Rosewood to visit me at home. This became another turning point for me.

On arriving they noticed my hobby – a railway in the garden. As I explained the story behind it – about gnomes mining barley sugar to make barley sugar pudding – it brought smiles to them all. Andrea suggested that as I was not well enough to get out to the railway itself, I might consider writing a book about it. Not feeling confident about such a thing but following encouragement from friends, I decided to give it a try. I have just completed my book, some 25,000 words in 12 chapters called ‘Gnome Valley’.

I would like to dedicate the book to all my friends, colleagues, service users, carers, volunteers, The Family Intervention Service and The Rosewood Involvement Centre, as well as Nottinghamshire Healthcare, for all the help, encouragement and friendship I have received on this, MY road to recovery.”

Peter (sitting) with friends at Rosewood

Bassetlaw carers’ event Do you care for a family member, friend or neighbour and support them with their day-to-day living? If you are a carer in the Bassetlaw area come along to Bassetlaw’s carers’ event to discover local services that can help and support you, find out information and advice, have your say about the support you need and meet other carers.

Drop in to the exhibition from 1pm to 3pm on Wednesday 20 June at The Crossing, Newcastle St, Worksop, S80 2AT. For more information about caring call 01777 682387 for an information pack or visit www. nottinghamshire.gov.uk/carers.

Support for Newa A new support group has launched for carers in Newark and Sherwood.

The Newark and Sherwood Carers’ Support Group brings carers together every month to meet, receive and share information about carers’ issues and events.

The group started in January 2012 and plays a crucial role in helping carers to access peer support by providing a forum for discussion and an opportunity to meet others in similar situations.

Speakers also provide information about events and services available to carers.

Various organisations and charities work with the support group including the Early Intervention in Psychosis Team, the Community Mental Health Team, Family Intervention Services and Rethink Mental Illness.

The enthusiastic group already has a good number of members and works to increase the positive support offered to carers in the Newark and Sherwood

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A carer’s perspective “I have been a carer now for almost three years, since my husband was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder.

Since then my life has been on a journey of gaining knowledge and experience of mental health issues.

My husband David was very fortunate in receiving excellent care, and I also received excellent guidance along the way. Now I feel I am a totally different person and cope with my new way of life very well.

Since I became a volunteer at Rosewood Involvement Centre, I have gained confidence in myself that I never had before. I have learnt IT skills and taken part in the human library and I am on the ERIF panel for interviewing.

I have certificates in food hygiene and mentoring and have given presentations on induction days and champions’ training days. This year I even gave a presentation in front of 300 people at

the Invest to Lead 4 event. In many ways I feel very proud that I am able to give important feedback to the Trust.

I am very grateful to Andrea Emmens, who facilitates the monthly carers’ group at Bassetlaw Hospital as she helped me so much at the beginning when I became a carer.

One of my challenges was to help carers receive important information when a loved one goes to an acute ward for the first time. With help from Andrea and Simon Barnett, B2 Ward Manager, I designed an information sheet. This has now gone Trust-wide and I feel very proud.

Being retired, I have the time to get involved with volunteering for the Trust. I thoroughly enjoy it and have met the most wonderful people. I feel very honoured to be a volunteer and to take part in the many group activities at Rosewood.”

Ingrid Hunt

Newark and Sherwood carers There are a number of carer support groups available in Nottinghamshire. The Bassetlaw Carers’ Support Group meets on the first Tuesday of each month from 1.30pm until 3pm at the Mental Health Unit, Bassetlaw Hospital, Worksop. For more information please contact Lauren Medlam on 01909 502 025 or email lauren. medlam@nottshc.nhs.uk.

The next meeting of the Newark Carer Support Group will take place on Wednesday 27 June at The Vine, Barnby Gate, Newark

area. Opportunities will be available for anyone who wants to get more involved in the work.

“Our vision is that the group will become carer-led, have access to more funding to promote carers’ issues and give carers a voice in future care provisions,” said a

from 12.30pm to 2.30pm. The group offers ongoing support and the opportunity to meet other carers. For more information contact Amy Butler, Jason Rungapadiachy or Annabel Stinson on 01636 670 600.

For details of other groups and support available for carers contact Andrea Emmens or Jacquie Cullen in the Family Intervention Service on 01909 502 025 (Andrea) or 01159 524 098 (Jacquie) or email andrea.emmens@nottshc.nhs.uk or jacquie.cullen@nottshc.nhs.uk.

representative from the group.

New members are very welcome.

For more information about the group contact Andrea Emmens, Amy Butler, Annabel Stinson or Jason Rungapadiachy on 01636 670 600 or email amy.butler@nottshc.nhs.uk.

Left to right: Andrea Emmens, Family Interventions Coordinator; Grainne Fadden, Director, Meriden Programme; Jacquie Cullen, Family Interventions Co-ordinator.

BFT training supports families Training in behavioural family therapy (BFT) for psychosis is now available for family work champions within the Trust.

The five-day training is being led by Andrea Emmens and Jacquie Cullen, Family Intervention Co-ordinators from the Family Interventions Service, Adult Mental Health County, after they completed a ‘training trainers’ course with The Meriden Family Programme in Birmingham. The first two courses will take place in October 2012 and March 2013.

The course is currently only available to family work champions in Adult Mental Health County, to help support their work towards providing services which are family-sensitive and evidence-based. It is hoped that the programme will become more widely accessible next year.

“I’m really pleased to be a trainer in the behavioural family work approach,” said Andrea. “The training will allow me to support other staff to develop their skills and knowledge, and to become a clinical supervisor for them once they are trained. I’m now going to work to make sure the approach really becomes integrated into routine clinical practice.”

Andrea and Jacquie have many plans to develop services for families, friends and carers. For more information please call Andrea on 01909 502096 or Jacquie on 0115 952 4098 or email andrea.emmens@nottshc.nhs.uk or jacquie.cullen@nottshc.nhs.uk.

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Drumming, singing and dancing at Highbury Over recent months service users at Highbury Hospital have taken part in a variety of therapeutic activities designed to support their recovery, encourage participation and teach new skills.

In October inspiring drumming workshops were on offer, facilitated by a professional percussionist. Participants learned about the Djembe drum and were encouraged to produce different sounds and beats which were co-ordinated to create rhythmic sounds and energy. One service user said: “The drumming sessions really

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lifted my mood and helped me feel enthused about life again.”

Christmas events included a carol service led by the Spirituality and Pastoral Care Service, where participants reflected on the meaning of Christmas. Service users were also encouraged to join a singing group, which chose and performed the carols.

Following the service, the temperature was raised by the Latin acoustic band ‘Mas Y Mas’ who delivered an afternoon of passion-fuelled music and energy. The aim was to offer an afternoon where people could participate as little or as much as they wanted, from sitting back and enjoying the atmosphere and music, to foot stomping, hand clapping and getting on their feet and salsa dancing.

A service user said: “I really enjoyed the afternoon, particularly the salsa dancing.”

Finally in March, ‘Boatfolk’ – an acoustic folk band – delivered a medley of traditional folk music. Boatfolk’s lead

singer and guitarist is Viv Kilbourne, one of the occupational therapy leads in Adult Mental Health, and the flautist is Amanda Land, an occupational therapist working with the Releasing Time to Care Project.

The band carefully selected songs to offer a mixture of tempos and rhythms and the audience was encouraged to sing along and join in the percussion playing. The session was very well received and one service user said: “The band was great and very friendly; the evening reminded me that I can enjoy myself.”

Many thanks to all those who contributed to these valuable and inspiring sessions.

Weight loss makes children smile A New Leaf advisor has been putting a smile on the faces of Ukrainian orphans thanks to funds she raised through a sponsored weight loss.

Michelle Brooks of County Health Partnerships raised £250 in sponsorship money by losing just over 1½ stone at the beginning of the year.

She had already shed 3½ stone before starting the sponsorship bid, bringing her total weight loss to an impressive five stone.

The new-look Michelle then travelled to the Ukraine over Easter and visited

orphanages around the country, handing out gifts bought with her sponsorship funds.

“I’ve been involved in charity work for over 10 years,” explained Michelle. “In August last year I visited orphanages in Siberia and saw first hand what a difference a small gift can make to an orphaned child. When another volunteer invited me to go with her to visit orphanages in the Ukraine I said yes.”

Michelle met children who had been abused, babies who had been orphaned or abandoned, and some as young

as three weeks old. “We engaged the older children with face painting as a way of introducing touch in a ‘safe’ way as many of them had been abused and had become wary of trusting adults,” she explained. “We also did puppet shows as another way of engaging with some children.”

Every child in the orphanages that Michelle visited received a bag of toys and toiletries just for them – something they wouldn’t have to share with anyone else.

“I’m so glad I went because it was one of the most amazing and humbling experiences I have ever had. I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone for all their support in helping me make a difference for those who can’t do it for themselves.”

Top: children investigate their goody bags Left: Michelle and a colleague paint a boy’s face

Spotlight on health and safety Plans to roll out a health and safety management system are shaping up as the Trust works to improve standards for staff and patients.

In June 2011 the Trust announced its plans to roll out

the system, and the Trust Board has now identified key health and safety objectives.

Each Division is setting local objectives to work towards the overall plans and an audit programme is due to start across the organisation to look at compliance against health and safety policies and procedures.

A robust health and safety management system will enable strengths and weakness

to be identified throughout the Trust. The lessons learned will then be shared to provide continual safety performance for both staff and patients.

and eliminating hazards and risks within their own areas.

This will help the health and safety team to implement appropriate control measures.

Everyone benefits from good health and safety practices and we can all add value by simply complying with the requirements of the policies and procedures.

Details of the Trust health and safety management system along with the procedure manual and other key documents will soon be available on the intranet.

All colleagues are encouraged to get involved by identifying

Watch out for more updates over the coming months.

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My next patient has a learning disability In May, Nottinghamshire North & East Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) held a protected learning event for GP practices in the CCG. It was jointly hosted by Eddie Morecroft, Vice Chair of the Nottinghamshire Partnership Board and Co-founder of ‘We Can Do It’ and Mo Major, Health Facilitator for Nottingham North & East.

The event focused on introducing ‘My Next Patient has a Learning Disability’, a toolkit designed to help primary and secondary care staff support and meet the health care needs of people with a learning disability.

The toolkit was developed in North Staffordshire and originally launched in 2009. Whilst initially developed for use in a hospital setting, the tool has emerged as a valuable document to staff in primary care.

Each GP practice was provided with a copy of the toolkit, for use in their own practice

setting. The tool kit includes a communication book that could also support communication with other patient groups.

The event also featured a number of guest speakers from specialist learning disability services, acute liaison nurses, people with a learning disability and the author of an e-learning package for the Mental Capacity Act. An End of Life toolkit developed jointly by learning disability specialists from Sherwood Forest Hospitals and Nottinghamshire Healthcare was also presented at the event and provided to delegates.

Raymond McNeil told his story from the perspective of a patient with a learning disability. It was incredibly emotive, ending with his own thanks to the staff that helped him get better. It also acted as a reminder of the importance of listening not

only to the ‘patient’, but also to those people who support them.

A number of healthcare professionals attended with display stands to promote the work of the specialist

Representatives from Acute Liaison and Specialist Epilepsy teams

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Have your say on health services Members of the public will be able to give their opinions on health services for people with learning disabilities or autism spectrum conditions in Nottingham at two events taking place this month.

The Big Health Day 2012 on Tuesday 19 June has been organised to gather information and opinions on services and provide an opportunity for the NHS to talk about what they have achieved in improving health services for people with learning disabilities over the past year.

Then on Wednesday 27 June the Autism Spectrum Conditions Consultation Day 2012 will serve the same purpose with a focus on services

for people with autism spectrum conditions.

The Big Health Day will take place from 10.30am to 3pm with registration at 10am. The Autism Spectrum Conditions Consultation Day will run from 10am until 1pm with registration at 9.30am.

Buffet lunch and drinks will be provided at both.

Both events will take place at Trent Vineyard, Unit 1, Easter Park, Lenton Lane, Nottingham NG7 2PX. To book a place or to find out more contact Owen Anthony on 0115 883 9287 or email owen.anthony@ nottinghamcity.nhs.uk.

Asad strides ahead Raymond McNeil and Eddie Morecroft

Asad Mughal, who used to help out in the Involvement Centre in Nottingham, is very pleased to have been offered an administration apprenticeship with Nottingham Stride in the city centre. It is a charity organisation that arranges employment and training for 15-25 year olds.

Asad will be working every day apart from Wednesday. Asad said: “I got the job through Remploy. I am very happy and thrilled. I am mainly using Microsoft Word, Publisher and doing admin duties like sending emails and creating documents. I am really really enjoying it.” Well done Asad.

Asad Mughal

service provision and also of a wider community that can provide expertise and guidance. They included Health Facilitators, Community Learning Disability teams, CATT team, “Missing Out Service”, Specialist Dental Provision, Specialist Epilepsy Service, Acute Liaison Nurses, Smile Stop Hate Crime, Music Therapy and Specialist Dietetic Service.

Feedback on the day was incredibly positive including comments such as: “Very useful. Good having people with learning disabilities sharing their problems”, “Well done-nicely done and presented” and “Really involved all the teams present today and service users.”

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Launching the partnership with Kemet FM. Left to right: Mike Cooke; Antony Bernard, Community Psychiatric Nurse; Dr Pat Williams, CHP Transition Project Manager; Christine Belle of Kemet.

Sure Start supports children’s language An early intervention service offered by Sure Start children’s centres is helping parents and carers in Nottinghamshire support two-year-olds with delayed language development.

Children with an early delay in their language skills can face challenges as they get older in other areas, such as school achievement and mental health.

The Home Talk service is delivered by children’s workers with enhanced training, supported by children’s centre speech and language therapists. The service helps adults support their child’s language development through everyday activities such as book sharing and one-to-one play-times.

A recent countywide evaluation showed that around twothirds of two year olds with delayed language skills who took part in Home Talk developed their vocabulary to expected levels by age three. Those children who had ongoing communication difficulties were identified early and referred to specialist services such as speech and language therapy.

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Many parents and carers also reported lower levels of stress after they took part in Home Talk. Those who continued to feel stressed were helped to access other services, such as Sure Start family support services.

One mum who took part in Home Talk said: “We have a lot more family time now where we read books and play games.

He’s talking a lot more clearly and he’s really come out of himself.”

The Home Talk service features as a case study of effective early intervention in a Royal College of Speech and Language Therapy (RCSLT) policy document and the service evaluation will be presented at an RCSLT conference in September 2012.

Sure Start children’s centres are part of County Health Partnerships. For more information on the Home Talk service contact Dave McDonald, Speech and Language Therapist, on 0115 993 1467.

Tune in for Trust on air The Trust has joined forces with 97.5 Kemet FM to bring its services closer to Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) communities in Nottingham.

Kemet is Nottingham’s number 1 urban radio station and broadcasts to over 50,000 listeners each day, via standard radio and globally online. The shows bring together communities from across Nottingham and the surrounding areas with local news updates, invitations to join in healthy discussions and debates, and a variety of music and cultural entertainment.

The 12-month partnership will consist of monthly radio slots offering useful information about a diverse range of

physical and mental health conditions.

It will showcase the personal journeys of service users and carers and provide reflections of growth, hope, recovery, resilience and wellbeing.

The partnership was launched on 18 April by Trust Chief Executive Mike Cooke, and Christine Belle, Kemet presenter, with a lively discussion about the Trust’s services, the stigma associated with mental health and the challenges faced by our partners in the third sector. Antony Bernard, Community Psychiatric Nurse, and Dr Pat Williams, County Health

Partnerships Transition Project Manager, were also involved in the project.

On 23 May Emma Holmes, Early Intervention in Psychosis Team Employment Specialist, Emma Watson, Peer Support Worker and Catherine Conchar, Trustwide Head of Equality and Diversity, discussed mental health and employment on Kemet. The next show is due to be broadcast on 20 June.

Find out more about Kemet FM at www.975kemetfm.co.uk.

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A labyrinthine approach to wellbeing Around 50 service users and staff walked a labyrinth in April, taking time out to reflect on their lives and journey.

A labyrinth is a circular pathway which resembles a maze and guides the walker to its centre. It has traditionally been used as a tool for meditation, contemplation and prayer across many cultures. The walk represents a journey and the centre is a place where people may discover peace, self-realisation or connection with their faith or spirituality. Everyone experiences walking the labyrinth differently and in a very personal way.

Chaplain Liz Day and Spiritual Care Practitioner Katja Milner from the Spiritual and Pastoral Care Service set up a labyrinth 20ft in diameter in the conference hall at Highbury Hospital.

The path incorporated reflection points built around themes which invited visitors to focus on different aspects of their life journey.

Walkers were invited to drop stones into water to symbolise letting go, plant seeds to symbolise making intentions or wishes for the future, write about what helps them to grow and listen to a guided

meditation. The labyrinth was set up to involve all the senses and included relaxing music and smells, beautiful and inspiring pictures and thought-provoking quotations and poems.

Visitors enjoyed taking their time and some appreciated an opportunity to share their experience over refreshments. There was a great deal of positive feedback including: “It was quite an emotional experience; I could feel so much at peace”; “a very

powerful experience of being reminded who I really am”; “calm and peaceful – made me feel I’m OK.” There were also numerous suggestions to repeat the event and even wishes for a permanent labyrinth.

Those who came to Highbury travelled from different units, teams and hospitals within the Trust and the organisers are extremely grateful to colleagues who facilitated the patient visits.

New appointments in Health Partnerships Health Partnerships has recently made three new appointments:

The labyrinth shape with reflection points

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• Julie Walker is General Manager, Bassetlaw Health Partnerships (BHP) • Cathy Burke is Head of Service Transformation and Improvement – Children, Health Partnerships Division • Joan Mercer is Head of Service Transformation and Improvement – Adults, Health Partnerships Division

New NonExecutive Director Appointed Tony Morris has joined the Trust as a Non-Executive Director.

Tony commenced his new role on 1 May and is appointed for four years until 30 April 2016.

In the reflection point at the centre of the labyrinth

Tony is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants. He undertook his professional training in Nottingham and following qualification in the early seventies he quickly moved across to the commercial world where he has remained.

Professor Dean Fathers, Chair, commented: “Tony has a wealth of experience in large complex organisations including operational and strategic management. For the last twenty or so years he has fulfilled a variety of senior roles with Wolseley plc, the leading international FTSE 100 listed distributor of building materials, including membership of the UK Board and also Chairman of the UK Corporate Responsibility Committee. He currently heads the international business development function for Wolseley Group. We look forward to welcoming Tony and the great experience he can bring to our Board.”

Julie Walker is passionate about Bassetlaw patients, staff and high quality services. She is committed to keeping services local and is looking forward to getting to know more teams over the coming weeks. Julie will work closely with Trez Jordan, Clinical Director, to achieve the goal of transforming community services provided in Bassetlaw and increase the involvement of primary care colleagues. Julie and Trez will be asking colleagues for ideas and input about services as they currently stand and how they should look and function in the future.

Reporting to Liz Hallam in her role supporting the clinical directors,

Cathy Burke and Joan Mercer will head the Transformation and Improvement teams for children and adults respectively, working across community services throughout Health Partnerships.

They will take best practice from Bassetlaw and Nottinghamshire and work to integrate it and roll it out across the division. Cathy and Joan will remain based in Bassetlaw and for the first six months of their new posts they will continue to support Bassetlaw Health Partnerships with transition and transformation.

Tony lives in Lutterworth with his wife Joan and has one son. In his private life he has been a keen sportsman but now restricts himself to the role of enthusiastic spectator of most sports but especially cricket and rugby. However his passion is Nottingham Forest where he continues to be a season ticket holder.

Tony Morris

Each of the three roles has a huge remit but Cathy, Joan and Julie are ready to meet the challenges and are very excited about the future.

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Everybody needs good neighbours People are being urged to look out for their elderly and disabled neighbours in a new campaign being launched across Nottinghamshire this month.

The Good Neighbour campaign aims to reduce the number of people who have falls or accidents or become victims of abuse or crime. The campaign is being run

by Nottinghamshire Safeguarding Adults’ Board (NSAB) and is supported by the Trust.

Top tips for being a good neighbour will be distributed throughout the county and are available at www.nottinghamshire.gov.

uk/goodneighbour. People are also encouraged to sign a ‘good neighbour pledge’.

Allan Breeton, Chair of NSAB, said: “Many of us have busy lives and don’t get the chance to even stop and say hello to our neighbours. We’re urging local people to take a few extra minutes to get to know those who live around them – particularly if they are elderly or disabled.

“Does it look like your neighbour may be struggling with everyday tasks? Or are you concerned because you haven’t seen them for a few days?

Simple things like offering to go to the shop in bad weather or putting out someone’s bin might make a huge difference. Please do your bit.”

Hospitals’ Choir to sing summer show The Nottingham Hospitals’ Choir will perform its summer concert on Saturday 30 June.

The show will include a variety of modern and traditional music and will take place at 7.30pm at The Becket School on Wilford Lane, Nottingham. Tickets are priced £7 and will be available on the door.

The choir raises money for Billy’s House – ‘home from home’ accommodation for families caring for children with cancer, which is provided by children’s cancer charity CLIC Sargent. Proceeds from the show will also be donated to the paediatric renal unit, Kinder, at the QMC. The choir meets on Thursday evenings at the QMC School of Nursing and comprises both NHS employees and nonNHS members. Favourite pieces include Vivaldi’s Gloria, Handel’s Messiah and Captain Noah and His Floating Zoo,

by Michael Flanders and Joseph Horovitz.

New members are always welcome to join the choir; there are no requirements other than a love of singing.

For more information or to buy tickets in advance call 0115 925 6833 or 0115 939 9315 or visit www. nottinghamhospitalschoir.co.uk.

The choir in rehearsal

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Sure Start: a year of making a difference A positive year of supporting children and families is rounded up in the Sure Start annual report.

Sure Start children’s centres are designed to offer parents to be and families with young children access to integrated early childhood services

when and where they need them. The centres act as a service hub for the community, bringing together public, private and voluntary agencies to work collaboratively. Their main aim is to improve outcomes for all young children and to provide early intervention to protect the most vulnerable children and their families.

Nottinghamshire Sure Start children’s centres are run by County Health Partnerships and the health led teams are committed to making a positive difference to the children and families they work with. Examples of the difference they have made through excellent practice are highlighted in the new Sure Start annual report, which is out now. The report gives an overview of the work of Sure Start children’s centres in Ashfield, Broxtowe and Gedling over the past year.

For further information about the service or to see the report please contact Lisa Hall on 0115 948 8910 or email lisa.hall@nottshc-chp.nhs.uk

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Productivity scheme gives staff more time with patients Nottinghamshire community services teams are spending more time with patients after taking part in a productivity scheme.

The introduction of the Productive Community Services (PCS) programme has improved efficiency in Bassetlaw Health Partnerships (BHP) and is now being rolled out across Health Partnerships and Local Services.

Teams involved in the project have cut the time spent on administration, paperwork and inefficient routines, enabling front line staff to increase contact with those who need it most.

The PCS is presented in a ‘do it yourself’ training guide which explains how to evaluate procedures in order to highlight areas to change. The simple process has achieved significant results.

Teams in County Health Partnerships have saved 130 days’ worth of work by reorganising work areas, offices, storerooms and daily routines. Changes

can be as simple as ensuring printers are full of paper, or as significant as altering how patient information is referred between teams.

The Community and Assessment Treatment Team North, Learning Disabilities has saved seven hours per week by reorganising electronic shared files. They have also implemented ready prepared ‘grab packs’ of documentation, reducing the time spent accessing and printing documents from eight minutes to 32 seconds.

Colleagues in BHP have saved over 255 days’ worth of clinical time by reducing non value adding activity.

The PCS programme is part of the national ‘Releasing Time to Care’ productivity initiative. It works on the basis that six minutes can easily be wasted on a task and these repeated six minutes add up. If six minutes are wasted, six times a day, for a team of 12 full-time staff, it equates to one whole member of staff spending a year doing things that add no value to the patient and cause huge frustration to staff.

It provides protected space to reflect on how we function as a team and how we can improve effectiveness

Improved team morale Less cluttered environment Easy to identify things Contents of drawers tidy and in alphabetical order

Staff seem less stressed

More time to do other things 26

Helps us work towards and deliver our QIPP agenda

q What is your job title and what does your role entail? a I.T. Senior Systems Engineer. I work in a seven strong team of systems engineers and our mandate is to keep the Trust’s I.T. systems up and running and to adapt these systems to meet the Trust’s business needs. Presently I am specifically responsible for the email service, SharePoint, and Local Services data. From time to time I work in project teams where I lead on specific technical aspects.

I am currently the technical lead for the integration of I.T. systems for BHP and CHP and the implementation of an Enterprise clinical systems integration engine. q How long have you been with Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust? a Since April 2003. q What do you see as your priorities for Nottinghamshire Healthcare? a My top priorities for the Trust are to keep the I.T. systems running and to fully contribute in the establishment of an integrated information landscape, firmly establishing technology as an enabler for clinicians to improve patient care and operational efficiency. q What is your employment background? a My employment background is in academia where I worked as a university

Benefits of Trustwide Executive Mentoring Scheme In addition to his role as Senior Systems Engineer, Siyanda is a mentor on the Trustwide Executive Mentoring Scheme.

Initially a mentee himself, Siyanda explains that there are a number of benefits to being part of the scheme, which aims to promote opportunities for groups which are currently under represented at senior levels within the organisation.

q&a

This issue we speak to I.T. Senior Systems Engineer Siyanda Mkweli staff development fellow, graduating with a PhD in Structural Geology and then working as a lecturer for nine years before re-inventing myself as an I.T. professional.

q What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given? a You cannot always change what other people think about you, but you can change what you think about yourself! q What was the last CD you bought? a 10 000 Reasons by Matt Redman. q What is your greatest achievement? a My greatest achievement to date

was presenting a well-received scientific

Siyanda said; “Working in I.T. allows very limited contact with frontline staff and patients and it is easy to disconnect with what is the Trust’s core business – patient care. I wanted to bridge that gap and the mentoring scheme helped me do that. It allowed time for me to interact and network with staff from various directorates and services, giving me the much needed exposure to clinical activities and patient care initiatives around the Trust.

“Through monthly mentoring sessions with my mentor Ruth Hawkins, I

q What keeps you awake at night? a Dreams within dreams. q What is your favourite film? a I am not really a film person. q What is your idea of bliss? a A lie-in on a rainy and windy

morning.

q What three words would you use to describe yourself? a Candid, loyal and intense. q What is your favourite holiday destination? a Cape Town.

q What makes you angry? a Pretentious people.

q Who would you take to a desert island? a The biblical Noah – in these times you may never know when you may be called upon to preserve the human race!

q What are you most passionate about? a My faith.

q Where do you see yourself in 10 years’ time? a Still working hard.

q What single thing would improve your working life at Nottinghamshire Healthcare? a Ample resources to do my work.

q Do you have a ‘claim to fame’? a ‘Speaking’ from the despatch box in

paper to an audience of scientists at an International conference in Madras, India.

q What is your favourite hobby? a My private space.

was able to learn more about the Trust’s strategic direction of travel and she also guided me through significant personal challenges. It also provided the opportunity of one-to-one contact with the Chief Executive which was extremely inspirational.

“The scheme has helped boost my confidence and made it easier to interact with senior executives of the Trust. I now

the House of Commons.

q How would you like to be remembered? a Someone who made a difference.

see how my role fits into the wider Trust and understand why colleagues approach me with particular requests.

“I have gained so much from the Executive Mentoring Scheme, which is why I decided to become a mentor myself. I would recommend it to others.”

There are currently 30 mentees on the scheme.

The next group is likely to start in the middle of 2013. For more information about how you can become involved, please contact Chrissy Dixon on 01623 784806.

Siyanda meets with Mike Cooke

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WHO WE ARE...

You may have picked up this copy of the newsletter not knowing what Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust is. We provide integrated healthcare services including mental health, learning disability and community health services. We also manage medium-secure units in Leicester and Rotherham, and the high-secure Rampton Hospital near Retford and provide healthcare in 12 prisons across the East Midlands and Yorkshire.

WE NEED YOU!

Raising awareness of mental health at HMP New Hall

The integrated mental health team at HMP New Hall recently hosted a well received mental health awareness event.

The event was themed around fighting the stigma associated with mental illness and involved the team setting up a stall in the prison Chapel alongside partner agencies showcasing their own services.

Information leaflets on various mental health conditions, self help guides, postcards, coasters and other material dispelling myths around mental illness were handed out to those who attended. Those visiting the stand were able to submit self referrals and were given the opportunity to ask questions or provide comments on our services.

Overall feedback was positive from both residents and staff. The clinical director of Spectrum, the provider of primary care within the prison, highlighted that this was an excellent example of multi agency collaborative involvement and expressed the hope that similar events could be organised by both organisations in the future.

Well done to the team for a great joint effort arranging and hosting such a successful event.

Above and right: the Offender Health team

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