focus
Introduction
Corporate objectives
by Steven Michael, Chief Executive
Strategy: Ensure the Trust continues to identify the key strategic priorities required to maintain organisational success in a rapidly changing environment.
Introducing this issue of Staff Focus provides a timely opportunity for me to update you on work underway in support of creating a new vision for the organisation.
Flawless execution: Ensure the Trust identifies the best possible means to support the flawless execution of its strategy.
This renewed vision is required given the challenges the Trust faces - a combination of financial, demographic and technological pressures mean we cannot stay the same. This same challenge applies throughout the NHS and in local authorities, but the Trust is starting from a strong position, both in terms of service performance and governance and from a financial perspective. This means that, despite significant pressure, we have the opportunity to plan sensibly and creatively for the future. The past year has seen the main identity of the Trust moving from one of a specialist mental health and learning disability provider to a more generic community provider; though this varies from locality to locality. This means that we can occupy a new role within local systems, based on effective integrated community pathways delivered through sound partnerships. Getting this right is a key organisational priority over the coming months – and our progress can be described under the framework we have applied for some time:
• • • • • • • •
Strategy Flawless execution Culture Structure Partnerships Innovation Talent management Leadership
Right, and on page 2, I will give a brief summary of each of these areas.
Culture: To create and sustain a culture of continuous quality improvement focussed on delivering the best possible outcomes for service users, staff and commissioners, in line with the Trust’s stated Mission and Vision, within a viable and sustainable system. Structure: Achieve the best possible structure for the Trust’s leadership and management through Business Delivery Unit and Quality Academy development.
Partnerships: To maximise the benefit of both external and internal partnerships in support of improving the service offer and delivering ongoing value for money.
Innovation: Drive a commitment to innovation at all levels within the Trust with a view to the Trust being viewed as a “Brand leader” in the leadership of systems and the provision of mental health and community services. Talent management: Create an organisational approach which harnesses the best talents available.
Leadership: To foster a progressive approach to leadership development across all levels and disciplines within the Trust.
u Strategy
Helping South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust staff deliver high quality care
Developing the next stage vision for the Trust
STAFF
Significant work has already been done to prepare for the next phase of change. The Trust Board has reviewed and revised the strategic priorities, which are:
• C onsolidation and expansion of local pathways with a strong emphasis on consolidation. This includes sub-specialisation. • Exploring opportunities for forensic service expansion. This may include sub-specialisation within the forensic offer. • F urther define and develop Thought Leadership with greater emphasis on the creative approaches the Trust is gaining a reputation for eg Change Lab, Creative Minds, Telehealth.
• G eographical expansion will not be a priority for 2012/2013, given the emphasis on local consolidation, although expansion within the existing geographical footprint or where the area is discrete and governable will still be explored. This has enabled a clear set of corporate objectives to be established which are shown in the box above.
continued on page 2...
SEPT / OCT 2012
Wherever you see this symbol throughout this publication it means that more information can be found on the Trust intranet, nww.swyt.nhs.uk
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Developing the next stage vision for the Trust Continued from page 1....
Current work in support of the next phase of strategic development
u Flawless execution Lots of work has been done over recent months on the Trust’s approach to organisational development and to change more specifically, and the diagram below shows how we pull all these strands together.
Organising organisational development
A number of you in BDUs and the Quality Academy have taken part in recent roadshows, where we have been gathering views on the Trust’s vision and the kind of organisation we need to be in (say) five years’ time. The Trust also needs clearly identified values which have common ownership and recognition at every point and level of the organisation both for service users, carers and staff. This revised vision and values will be ‘road tested’ with other stakeholders into the autumn, which will inform our revised Integrated Business Plan (IBP).
VISION • Core ideologies • Mission • Values
Integrated Business Plan (IBP)
Our vision can be represented as two key elements – our mission to enable people to live life to the full and that in five years’ time we will be able to show that our services have helped people to change their lives for the better:
• Envisioned future • 5 year goal • Vivid description
Change Management Plan
People & relationship development initiatives
Annual Plans
Governance & compliance
Service improvement & development
People management
Financial management
Estate management
Information management & technology
Quality Academy support
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u Culture
u Partnerships
u Talent management
Without a clear sense of why and how we do things, service users, carers, staff and external stakeholders could be confused about who and what we are. So far people have told us that we need: • A true sense of empowerment • Mutual respect and trust • Rewarding achievement and fostering a strong performance culture • Celebrating and recognising achievement and success • Increasing emphasis on performance management • Avoidance of sub cultures, which lead to fragmentation • A focus on seeking ‘customer’ feedback • Strong internal and external communication • Effective stakeholder engagement • Openness and transparency
We incorporated ‘partnership’ into the name of our Trust to reflect that we would achieve more through partnership with service users and carers, staff, local authority partners, acute trust partners, commissioners, third sector partners, our membership and Members’ Council, the police, housing providers, local employers, private sector companies, creative organisations concerned with the arts and many, many more.
The Trust’s mission is essentially about people and their lives. It’s essential that we harness workforce talent as it is people more than anything who make a difference. We need to do more to recognise achievement, but also to tackle poor performance, which in itself is discouraging to colleagues who are working well. We are looking to foster a new approach to talent management, which could include, for example, secondments into other areas, project work, mentorship and coaching. The approach will be evaluated rigorously at every stage.
u Structure
u Innovation
To ensure the way we are structured supports the organisation going forward: • Changes to the structure and format of the Trust Board have been made under new chairmanship. • There has also been a full review of the Executive Management Team and director accountabilities. • The Quality Academy has undergone significant development. It needs to provide maximum support to services and be at the vanguard of support service excellence. • BDUs have been working hard to develop their respective service offers and annual plans. This has been achieved through partnership working in each locality. • We have been building relationships with new partners, for example Clinical Commissioning Groups and Health and Wellbeing Boards, as well as maintaining existing ones including, for example with Overview and Scrutiny Committees.
Significant service innovation and creativity will be required to deliver the key service priorities: • The development of costed and integrated mental health care pathways, leading to improved outcomes for service users, whilst at the same time having a solution for Mental Health Payment by Results. • The development of integrated physical care pathways, including telehealth initiatives, based on the work underway in Barnsley. • Developing a new pathway for forensic services, leading to improved outcomes and a more sustainable market position.
Our partnerships should ensure “the whole can exceed the sum of the parts” and any future partnership must meet four key tests: 1. Improved outcomes for service users and the community 2. Enhanced competitiveness of the Trust 3. Enhanced organisational reputation 4. Financially viable and make a contribution to running costs
We are supporting this through the creation of an innovation fund to support new approaches to practice, exceeding our targets for the number of people involved in research and development activity, enhancing our relationships with universities and through initiatives such as Creative Minds and the Change Lab which are pushing the boundaries in terms of systems development and generating local, national and international interest.
u Leadership Leadership will be needed to create the new vision through effective communication and engagement. Management will be needed to keep services running and delivering to target, whilst significant levels of change are underway. Bringing these two things together will make sure change plans become part of everyday management activity. This will call for effective planning as well as communication. We have already done a lot to develop leadership and management, emphasising the partnership between clinical leadership and general management. This will continue, set within the context of the renewed vision. I hope this overview of current work is useful for staff. The Trust faces a challenging future, but the renewed vision will provide direction and momentum at a critical time. We will continue to refine our approach in light of stakeholder feedback, particularly over the autumn of 2012. With best wishes,
Steven
Your work matters
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Trust is shown to be investing in people The Trust has once again been officially recognised as investing in our staff having been reaccredited with the Investors in People (IiP) standard. The Trust first achieved IiP accreditation in June 2009. Following an internal review in early 2012 and an external assessment in June, the Trust has been re-accredited to the IiP standard for a further three years. An internal team of 17 reviewers met with staff from across the organisation to gather feedback and highlight areas of good practice as well as areas for development.
“The Trust, in many ways, epitomises the Investors in People philosophy. Not because everything it does is right, but because there is a constant drive to do things better which is underpinned by a real and honest respect for people as individuals – be they service users, colleagues, staff, managers, directors etc.” IiP strategic review report Ashley Hambling, HR business manager for the Trust said, “This is a fantastic achievement for the Trust and recognises the many examples of good practice that exist within the organisation. We are using Investors in People to support continuous improvement, highlight positive practice and share learning across the Trust. There is a clear link between investing in our staff and improved care for service users and carers. Over the next 18 months we will implement an action plan to address the areas for development identified during the review and work towards Gold Level Accreditation.” Tony Wright is a staff side representative who took part in the internal review. He said, “I enjoyed working as an internal assessor during the recent reaccreditation; it was particularly good to see that people interviewed as part of the process came from many different areas of the Trust and every grade of staff. “Representing the interests of the workforce as we do, staff side are very pleased with the news that the Trust is now aiming for the top level of IiP accreditation. The desire to begin working towards Gold standard proves that the Trust is not afraid to challenge established methods in an effort to achieve continuous improvement as an employer”. Thank you to everyone who participated in the review.
“As the organisation has doubled in size, there is a real challenge to maintain this positive culture amongst a large, far flung workforce - a development area highlighted through this process. This has already been recognised and work is in progress to refocus on the mission, aims and values of the organisation.”
What is IiP? Investors in People is designed to help organisations improve their performance through the use of progressive people management and leadership practices. The focus is on continuous improvement and learning, using feedback gathered from staff and managers. There are seven key management processes on which IiP is focused: 1. Business planning process - ensuring the Trust’s objectives are clearly understood by all 2. Communication - all staff should understand their service/team’s aims 3. Appraisal - regular, meaningful appraisals for staff, with agreed objectives and constructive feedback on performance 4. Managers - skills, knowledge and key behaviours of managers and leaders should be clearly defined; all staff should understand the role of their manager and the support they can expect 5. Induction - ensuring new staff, and those who change job role, are properly inducted 6. Learning and development – access to learning and development opportunities to support personal development and achievement of service objectives 7. Evaluation - evaluation on all the above and, following evaluation, action to improve people management and learning strategies.
What is the IiP standard? The standard is based on a ‘plan, do, review’ process including: • d eveloping business, learning and people management strategies to improve the performance of the organisation • taking effective leadership and management action to put strategy into action • evaluating the impact on the performance of the organisation. Evidence requirements are clear and concise, and identify the separate responsibilities of ‘top managers’ - senior people responsible for developing strategies, ‘managers’ - anyone involved in managing or developing people, and ‘people’, including all staff, volunteers, bank staff, managers and senior managers.
Customer Service Excellence In more good news for the Trust, the Forensic BDU and the corporate development directorate are now proud holders of the Government’s Customer Service Excellence standard, following an assessment process earlier this year. The Government wants services that are efficient, effective, excellent, equitable and empowering, with the customer at the centre of service provision. The Customer Service Excellence standard is a mix of research, management and operational models and, most importantly, practical experience of providing services. It tests areas that research has indicated are a priority for customers, with particular focus on: • • • • •
delivery timeliness information professionalism staff attitude.
Emphasis is also placed on:
Providing excellent customer service is at the core of the Trust’s service offer, therefore it was agreed that two services would pilot the work. The corporate development directorate and the Forensic BDU successfully completed the assessment process in May 2012. The journey to achieving the standard helped participants gain a full insight into customers’ needs and wants, maximise the resources available and understand how to use them in the most effective areas. It has equipped teams and individuals with the skills, processes and facilities they need to deliver the service our customers (whether internal or external) want.
More information about the assessment can be found on the intranet under Customer Service Excellence.
• developing customer insight • understanding the user’s experience • robust measurement of service satisfaction.
IiP strategic review report
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Celebrating London 2012 across the Trust! Thank you to all staff who, throughout the summer, have organised events to encourage people who use our services, their families and carers to get active and get involved in the spirit of London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. From May to October sporting, creative and interactive events took place in local communities and Trust services across Barnsley, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield. They included a heptathlon games, an athletics competition, a badminton tournament and a walking challenge.
S*B*A*R
Originally used in the military and aviation industries, SBAR is a way of structuring conversations requiring a clinician’s immediate attention and action. It enables staff to clarify what information should be communicated between members of the team, and how, and aims to prevent missed information. Already used in other healthcare settings, the Trust is now preparing to make use of SBAR within mental health, to standardise and improve communications between doctors and nurses when a new referral is made and during handovers. The tool consists of standardised prompt questions to ensure that staff are sharing concise and focused information relating to each of four specific headings: situation, background, assessment and recommendation. The tool can be used to shape communication at any stage of the patient’s journey and supports staff to communicate assertively and effectively, reducing the need for repetition. George Smith, assistant director of nursing education, leadership and development and Dr George Crowther, ST4 Old Age Psychiatry, identified inconsistencies in communications, and began research on using SBAR within the Trust last year. Dr Crowther explained, “Although SBAR is now being widely used in healthcare settings, there isn’t any published information on its use within mental health. The pilot research undertaken by the Trust in the Dales inpatient units shows the SBAR communication tool has a significantly positive effect on the quality of referrals made, making decision making and prioritising quicker and easier. The SBAR tool was also shown to reduce the time spent on the telephone making referrals by 48%.
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Just a taster of these are pictured here but look out for a full round up and picture special in the upcoming edition of Like Minds. Steven Michael, Trust chief executive said, “London 2012 is one of the biggest events of the year and staff are congratulated for embracing the opportunity to get people who use our services involved! The benefits of physical activity and social inclusion on a person’s physical and mental wellbeing can be great and giving people the opportunity to feel part of something as big as a home Olympics is a real achievement for staff.”
Situation – Background – Assessment – Recommendation “The results of this pilot study have been presented at the International Forum for Patient Safety and Quality in Healthcare, Paris, and displayed in poster format at the International Congress of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. “A much larger research project, introducing SBAR in every inpatient ward, is nearly complete and, once published, the intention is for the results to be available for use nationally. Inpatient and community nurses at the Trust have also taken part in training.
“SBAR is expected to be most useful in relation to handovers but can reasonably be applied to any communication regarding patients which requires the sharing of information. “The hope is that everyone will use SBAR on inpatient wards as a way of communicating patient information. SBAR has been shown to cut time spent on the telephone by half, with junior doctors reporting quicker, more concise conversations.”
SBAR in practice Using SBAR essentially means relaying all relevant information concisely and logically. What does the person you are speaking with need to know?
*** Situation ***
Look out for the prompts on te lephones, note pads an d posters on the wards reminding you to use SB AR!
• Identify yourself and the site/unit you are calling from • Identify the patient by name and the reason for your report • Describe your concern
• Give the patient’s reason for admission • Explain significant medical history • Inform the other healthcare professional of the patient’s background: admitting diagnosis, date of admission, prior procedures, current medications
• Vital signs/mental state • Clinical impressions, concerns You need to think critically when informing the other healthcare professional of your assessment of the situation. This means that you have considered what might be the underlying reason for your patient’s condition.
• Explain what you need - be specific about request and time frame • Make suggestions • Clarify expectations Finally, what is your recommendation? That is, what would you like to happen by the end of the conversation? Any order that is given on the phone needs to be repeated back to ensure accuracy.
*** Background ***
*** Assessment ***
*** Recommendation ***
Your work matters
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Maggie Milne Service co-ordinator, Sheffield stop smoking service
My work matters What is your role? To manage and lead on the operational, strategic development and promotion of the specialist stop smoking service in partnership with the service manager and other colleagues, including the daily operation of the Quit-Stop.
What is your professional background? I began my relationship with the stop smoking service as a smoker over 11 years ago when I was a regular heavy smoker of up to 30 cigarettes a day.
I set my quit date and one week later had quit smoking!!
Development and I am now the service co-ordinator!
I was invited by one of the group facilitators to share my experiences with the next group and enjoyed this experience so much, I decided to train as a stop smoking advisor. With the money that I saved from quitting I was also able to learn to drive which enabled me to travel easily around the local area to deliver the groups.
What has happened in your service in the last year that’s improved quality?
As an advisor I facilitated a group of 25 people, which at first I found daunting – but soon got the hang of! I felt overwhelmed as an advisor that I was able to help people change habits of a lifetime and play an integral part in their success. After two years, I became a smoking cessation development worker with the team which involved working with GP practices to improve smoking rates for their patients, offering brief intervention training and helping implement referral systems.
I then applied for a specialist role in 2007 and began working with the stop smoking service on a full time basis, supporting practices and I was working in general practice at this time pharmacies on improving and had been told by a number of patients service delivery and that they’d been able to ensuring that providers successfully quit smoking were working towards a thanks to the help of a in e ic gold standard of service. v r e s support group run by the smoking I recently graduated rust, as T e h local NHS stop smoking t The stop y run b is from Sheffield University ld . ie U f service. I nervously gave them BD Shef Barnsley with a degree in Social e h t f a call and signed myself up o part Policy and Community to the next available group.
know? u o y d i D
Farewell corner Goodbye and good luck to the following staff who got in touch (or their colleagues did) to let us know they were leaving:
• Jane Currie General manager, older people’s services, Wakefield
• Joanne Hobson Community psychiatric nurse, Wakefield and Pontefract
• Marie Shelley Business manager, children’s community services, Barnsley
• Carole Wood Café assistant, Oakwell café, Kendray hospital, Barnsley Have we missed someone? If you or a colleague are retiring or leaving the Trust and would like a mention, please let us know by emailing comms@swyt.nhs.uk or calling 01924 327234 Alternatively visit the ‘share your news’ section on the intranet where you can let us know if you’re leaving for another job or retiring as well as tell colleagues a little more about what you’re going to do next.
Our service has opened a city centre drop in shop, the Quit-Stop, to support people who want to stop smoking. This means that stopping smoking is more accessible and flexible than ever before. We are open six days a week, including providing services early morning and late evening on a Wednesday and on a Saturday morning. This flexible approach to quitting is a contributory factor in the service achieving its quit target for 2011/12.
If you could make one thing happen in the Trust, what would it be? If every single health care professional offered brief advice in smoking cessation as part of their care, it would be a fantastic positive message to people who use Trust services to get them thinking about quitting for good.
Know someone who should be featured? To nominate a colleague or yourself, email comms@swyt.nhs.uk or call 01924 327547.
Getting the best out of mental health medicines People who use mental health services provided by the Trust and their carers took part in a special medicines information event. Following the success of last year’s event the ‘Working together to get the best out of medicines’ event was organised by the Trust’s drug and therapeutics sub-committee to help highlight what information is available regarding medicines prescribed for people with mental health problems. As a result of last year’s event a number of changes have been made including the launch of the Choice and Medication website, which has now been rolled out to give staff across the Trust access to aid their discussions with service users about medicines. This is also now available to staff in Barnsley. The Trust still produces leaflets on medicines for people who don’t have access to the internet, but this is another way to improve access to information. Work towards a helpline, which was suggested last year, has begun with the development of a business case. More news should be available on this in the next 6-12 months. A lot of work has also been carried out on wards and with teams to increase availability to different information
about medication treatments. More work has also been done around discharge and access to information when people leave a service. This is a direct result of suggestions made last year. The Trust’s medical director Dr Nisreen Booya, who made the opening address, said, “This is the third medicines event to be held by us and they have proved to be very useful. A number of improvements have been made as a result of these and we hope to be able to do the same as a result of this latest event. The completed feedback forms and any comments placed in the boxes will be used to help shape the future of information and provision of medicines across the Trust.” Read more about the medicines event in Like Minds Extra on the Trust’s website.
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Essence of Care: The Outpatients’ Benchmark Outpatient services in the Trust are set to benefit from a benchmarking tool developed in-house specifically for these areas. Essence of Care (EoC) is a national initiative which aims to improve the most basic and essential aspects of care that directly impact on an individual’s experience. EoC allows staff to identify how they can make the best improvements for people who use services and their carers. Well established throughout the NHS, many areas of the Trust are already involved in EoC, including adult, learning disabilities, older people’s and forensics. Within the Essence of Care steering group, outpatient services were identified as a gap, leading to the development of an innovative benchmark for use in these areas. The benchmark is divided into five sections: • communication • privacy and dignity • health promotion • the care environment • appointments/administration.
Each section is divided into core areas and standards identified to benchmark against. It is designed to be user-friendly for both users of the service and staff unfamiliar with benchmarking.
Linda Thompson and Larraine Whiteley
Refinements have been made following pilots in Wakefield outpatients’ memory clinic and the learning disabilities clinic at Dewsbury and District Hospital, and the benchmark is now to be launched Trustwide. Larraine Whiteley, community psychiatric nurse, said, “The new benchmark will make a positive difference to the experience of individuals who use our clinics. Adapting key standards of Essence of Care for use in outpatient areas has resulted in an innovative, flexible benchmarking tool. “This is a way of raising quality and getting the patient journey right from the beginning. It’s not just about making improvements; the benchmark encourages documenting of evidence of good practice, too. “Having completed the assessment, teams can start making changes straight away and patients will benefit from immediate and continual improvements to their care and environment.” All outpatient teams will receive a copy of the benchmark. It will also be made available to view online. For more information, contact: larraine.whiteley2@swyt.nhs.uk
Where next for the Outpatients’ Benchmark? This groundbreaking benchmark is generic in nature and can easily be adapted for use in any outpatient department within the NHS, including GP consortia and acute trusts. Linda Thompson, occupational therapist, said, “The Outpatients’ Benchmark has been intentionally designed to be flexible and transferable to other healthcare settings. There is potential for the benchmark as a marketable product once we have established it within the Trust.” Recently presented at the national Essence of Care conference in London, feedback from delegates praised the “excellent content and speakers”, describing the work as “interesting and informative”, with a “clear explanation of practical application”.
The Trust has been recognised at The Trust national level for inspiring a healthier, gets silver!! fitter workforce.
NHS chief executive David Nicholson challenged the NHS to use the inspirational power of the Olympics to get NHS employees actively engaged in sport or physical activity as part of, or associated with, their NHS employment. The Trust has been awarded Silver accreditation in the NHS Sport & Physical Activity Challenge for its efforts to engage and involve employees in improving their health and wellbeing. Marie Conway, health improvement manager, said, “To achieve silver accreditation, the Trust had to engage up to 15% of our staff – around 700 people – in physical activities. As part of the challenge and our ongoing commitment to improving health and wellbeing for employees, we have established a range of initiatives to encourage physical activity. A fit and healthy workforce is essential in order to be able to offer high quality services to the people we care for, as well as raising morale and self esteem amongst staff. We are delighted to have our achievements acknowledged at a national level.”
Left to right: NHS chief executive David Nicholson, Trust chief executive Steven Michael, health improvement manager Marie Conway and NHS champion for sport and physical activity Mike Farrar.
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Find out more about getting active in the wellbeing section of the intranet.
Your work matters
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Staff at Fieldhead welcome Ed Balls Local MP and Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls visited Fieldhead in Wakefield to find out more about services provided by the Trust. As part of his visit Ed Balls toured the new forensic activity centre with Trust chief executive Steven Michael and Dr Adrian Berry, forensic services director. The recently opened activity centre marks the first phase of the £12million redevelopment of Newton Lodge. The MP also took time to discuss current Trust initiatives with staff and people who use Trust service, including the use of creative activities to support improved health.
Ed Balls with Trust staff and service users
Tackling travel issues across the Trust The Trust recognises that people who use our services can have a number of issues with getting about, especially if they can’t drive or don’t have access to a vehicle of their own. As part of an ongoing project to help deal with these issues the Trust is piloting a workstream in Calderdale and Kirklees to address these issues and identify any possible solutions.
Speaking about his visit Ed Balls said, “It was great to see the Fieldhead facilities firsthand and to hear about the impact the services are having working with people across the region. Keeping busy and active is a key part of the Trust’s regime. Their new sports facilities were being put to good use in a five a side match when I visited and I got a game of bowling out in the sunshine with a group of patients too.”
A report by Mental Heath Action found that 83% of people said good public transport was ‘very important’ to their mental health. Therefore it is vital that the Trust supports people where it can in understanding the difficulties they face and offer any possible help and support. Alex Feather, inclusion development coordinator for Kirklees, said, “We know that people who use or visit our services often struggle with transport and this can lead to people being isolated, afraid of using public transport and struggling to make appointments. As a non car driver myself I am quite aware of some of these difficulties. We hope to be able to work to address people’s concerns and to find realistic solutions that will not only help service users, but also have a positive impact on services.” There are already a number of transport initiatives already in place and the work of the pilot project is to source these out and identify which are the most appropriate for people who use our services. Key information and advice will be provided for staff, initially about Kirklees and Calderdale, with links to useful pages such as local transport, council websites and any transport initiatives currently available in those areas. Information about concessionary fares, disabled access and a taxi code of conduct will also be accessible.
Alex added, “Further work will also be done around strengthening our Trust voice with transport providers and looking at typical journey concerns for carers, visitors and service users. This will help us be more aware of the difficulties and help make us more insightful and understanding.” If any staff would like to help with the travel focus group or know of any transport solutions and services that may be of help please contact Alex Feather on 01484 434634 or email alex.feather@swyt.nhs.uk
How to reach us Did you know the address details and maps for our largest sites are already available? These can be accessed via ‘Maps’ in the A-Z on the intranet.
Ed Balls has a go at bowling
“Service users I met (from Creative Minds) were passionate about the difference that can be made by listening to and acting on the experiences of those who’ve used mental health services. They’re trying out new approaches to health services, from film making and dance to archery and Nordic walking. I’m looking forward to meeting them again to hear about the progress they’re making.” Steven Michael said, “We were delighted to have Ed Balls come and visit. A lot of changes have been made since he last visited us in 2008, but our mission of enabling people to live life to the full remains central to everything we do. We hope he found the visit a valuable experience particularly talking to people who use our services and their carers.” Read a special feature on the new forensics buildings in the next issue of Like Minds.
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A project has been launched in Barnsley to give people using Trust services the opportunity to share their experiences and create digital stories through film, music and voice recordings.
Utilising digital technology in therapeutic activity
The digital media project, ‘Creative exchange’, was established so staff could use digital technology to engage service users in therapeutic activity within community services and inpatient wards and has been supported by funding from Creative Minds. The project aims to introduce the use of digital media equipment, in a creative and accessible way that will build people’s confidence and create new opportunities to use digital media to engage, consult and support care pathways. The project was launched on inpatient wards at Kendray hospital and now people who use services within the community can get involved during weekly sessions at Moorland Court. People are encouraged to use the equipment to record, edit and produce films and audio recordings of their personal stories and experiences of recovery. Anthony Payne, support worker at Moorland Court explained, “Being part of the project has led to an increase in people’s self-esteem, confidence and skill level – which we hope they will continue to build on. Those who have taken part so far have said they enjoyed using the equipment and being able to watch or listen to the story that they have produced.“ If you would like to get involved in this project or refer a service user who you think would benefit from being involved, contact anthony.payne@swyt.nhs.uk Look out for more details about this project in the upcoming edition of Like Minds.
Stash your cash! Hot weather appears to lead to as many broken down vehicles as the cold, if the hard shoulder of the M62 during a sunny spell is anything to go by. NHS staff can benefit from the reassurance of breakdown cover with a 50% discount when bought from the RAC. Prices start from £27.75 for a year - visit www.nhsdiscounts.com to find out more and claim your discounted cover.
Each issue, we will feature a different way for Trust staff to save money; if you know of a great NHS discount, let us know by emailing comms@swyt.nhs.uk
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Filming at Moorland Court during digital media project session
- new and old! Calling all researchewhrs dhead, said, ile working as an SpR at Fiel The Trust is committed to ge generating new knowled that through effective research g the will be useful in improvin and effectiveness of healthcare rience. service user and carer expe to The Trust is now working t encourage more staff to ge nerate ge d an involved in research new ideas.
sultants, senior Research isn’t just for con PhD. Staff across staff or people doing their t in research. par e tak can all Trust services a staff interview, or This could be completing al research study ion Nat a collaborating on participants and to identify suitable research as can come ide arch rese collect data. Good ices and serv hin wit g rkin wo one from any phasis em The rs. care from service users or d high ase e-b ctic pra on is st Tru within the slate into quality research that can tran efficiency of and lity qua the in s ent improvem ements in rov imp l services and to deliver rea patients and of lth hea l nta me and the physical service users. ent department The research and developm f to become staf re mo age want to encour and the number of involved in research to exp Trust and develop the hin research studies wit of staff who want the skills and knowledge active. Staff do arch to become more rese process alone as this ugh thro go to e not hav ce is available. dan gui support, training and people embarking The department supports S approval NH the ugh thro on research advice from to ess process and provides acc participant any h wit rs care and service users sheets tion rma issues such as patient info to recruit y wa t bes the or s and consent form sation ani org The participants to the study. and rs use ice serv from ut really values inp actively supports ent artm dep the and rs care arch. them to be involved in rese nce, Dr George Speaking about his experie a research ting ple com is o wh er, Crowth ical Psychiatry Clin in c project as part of a MS
research and “Submitting proposals for often be time can al rov app ent pm elo dev Trust’s research The ng. fusi con consuming and helpful and department were supportive ng we had ani me , tion lica throughout the app research the into put more time and energy to greatly has ject pro arch project itself. Our rese p.” hel ir the from benefited and monitors all The department supports and managing ring research work by registe ted in the duc con s ject pro All the projects. they can ore bef Trust need to be approved able to is st Tru the er eth wh begin to assess forming per as ll we host and facilitate them, as ure ens to cks che e anc important govern legislation. This compliance with policies and ies no matter stud all for process is the same ll. sma or how big management and Rebecca Spencer, research “If you want to ed, governance manager add are available for s ject pro arch know what rese e part in or if tak your service that you could don’t know just but a ide arch you have a rese ch with us. tou in how to start then please get research in rest inte r you r You can also registe lvement Invo ch ear Res a ting ple by com ilable on the Questionnaire, which is ava anet section, intr ent pm elo dev research and .” ms’ ‘for under the subheading the department More information about t. You can also ane intr the is available on contact them on research@swyt.nhs.uk or 01977 605285.
What is research?
generalisable Research projects generate erent to diff are and dge new knowle s, which are tion lua eva ice serv or its aud ernance dealt with by the clinical gov question the rs we ans ch ear Res m. tea should how and do “what should we of cess pro a is ch ear Res it?” we do to answer ken erta und is investigation that r facts or important questions, discove ions using clus con ch relationships and rea ds. tho me nd sou ly scientifical
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How resilient are you? As part of previous Middleground (middle manager/leader) courses in the Trust, staff were able to use what is known as the ‘i-resilience’ tool. The tool involved staff completing an online personality questionnaire that then provided an individualised report on personal resilience. The report not only helped staff understand their own personal resilience but also gave examples of how this can impact on responses to demanding work situations. See the reviews of the tool on the right. Now this tool is available for all staff in the Trust to use. Maggie Bell, assistant director of HR (leadership, wellbeing & research) explained, “The Trust is delighted we have been able to extend the availability of the i-resilience tool to all staff and lots of staff have already taken up this opportunity.” The tool was developed by Robertson Cooper, occupational business psychologists who have worked widely in the NHS and have already worked with the Trust on the wellbeing at work survey as well as Middleground training. So, how does the tool work? Maggie continued, “You complete an online, confidential questionnaire and based on the responses, the i-resilience report reveals which of the four key components you naturally draw on for resilience - confidence, adaptability, purposefulness and the need for social support. The generated report provides you with a comprehensive understanding of personal resilience; this allows you to build on existing areas of strength, and also highlights any potential areas for development. You are then given links to a range of information that you can use to develop your resilience in line with the results of your report.” The tool is completely confidential; no-one in the Trust will either see your answers or be given access to them. Giving your name is optional when you complete the tool, but you do need to provide your email address so you can receive your report as well as log back in if you do not complete the assessment in one sitting. The tool can be found in the wellbeing section of the intranet - find it via the A-Z under ‘i-resilience’ Whilst the results are totally confidential, some staff have chosen to share them as part of appraisal or supervision, but this is entirely your choice. Staff are also welcome to discuss their results, in confidence, with an HR professional contact maggie.bell@swyt.nhs.uk or ashley.hambling@swyt.nhs.uk
What is resilience? Resilience - the ability to bounce back from
setbacks and keep going in the face of tough challenges Resilience at work can be described as the capability to maintain high performance and positive wellbeing. Resilient individuals are able to sustain successful performance and positive wellbeing in the face of adverse conditions, and to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change. Resilience is a combination of personal characteristics and skills. Once we reach adulthood, our personalities remain relatively stable. However, our levels of resilience can vary considerably. This means that everyone has the ability to build and maintain their levels of resilience in the future. One way of developing resilience is by using the i-resilience tool, which is why the Trust is delighted to offer this tool to all staff.
The Trust has made a unique online assessment tool available to all staff; to help you understand your personal resilience.
What Trust staff think of the i-resilience tool “I found the personal resilience profile informative and accurate, and would recommend people complete the questionnaire as this can be used as a guide to self reflection.” “The online tool was quite long, but it was well worth completing as the report I got was frighteningly accurate! It’s really enabled me to take a look at my strengths and also consider the areas I am not so good at and seek support to address these. It makes me feel well equipped to take on whatever life - or work - throws at me!” “The results are presented in a personal profile that makes for enlightening reading! I gained a lot from them.” “I found the resilience profile very enlightening. I know my own personality quite well (I hope!!), and also my strengths and weaknesses. However, I was very pleasantly surprised to find that what I had previously considered my weaknesses were actually some of my strengths! This has also had a positive impact on my self confidence. I would urge everyone to complete the resilience questionnaire, and answer as instinctively as possible, without thinking the question through too much.” “The report gave a very good insight and therefore encouraged increased self awareness and reflection.” “Do take the time to complete the resilience questionnaire. The results are confidential and you get the chance to consider their implications for your development.”
New opportunity to share learning within NHS community services Dr Christina Walters, systems development programme manager at the Trust, has joined the NHS Confederation for one day a week as an associate director. The NHS Confederation is the membership body for organisations that commission and provide NHS services. They work with members and health and social care partners to help the NHS guarantee high standards of care for patients and best value for taxpayers. Members of the NHS Confederation include acute trusts, ambulance trusts, clinical commissioning groups, community health service providers, foundation trusts and mental health providers.
with the policy team to respond to specific pressing issues which will include facilitating events between the network and Monitor, the Department of Health, parliamentarians and external policy influencers. “This role is a personal development opportunity but will also allow me to share learning and developments with the Trust and the wider NHS Confederation.” Christina will be working with the Confederation one day a week. For more information contact christina.walters@swyt.nhs.uk
Christina will be working with the Confederation’s Aspirant Community Foundation Trust network – which supports 18 community foundation trusts formed as a result of the Transforming Community Services (TCS) agenda, to become foundation trusts. Community foundation trusts face many pressures within the reforming NHS landscape and the NHS Confederation helps them to raise their profile and support their network development. Christina explained, “My role as associate director is to support this network through development events, to ensure that the needs and pressures on these trusts are debated, heard and politically understood. I will be working
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Sharing knowledge A group of occupational therapists from the Trust have been celebrating good practice at the College of Occupational Therapists (COT) 36th Annual Conferences and Exhibition in Glasgow. Five occupational therapists (OTs) from the Trust presented their work at the event and used the opportunity to network with other colleagues in their profession. Included in the presenting team were Kath Mashinter and Annette Purves, who shared the work they have been doing as part of the Kirklees memory service on the development of the Visual Memory Assessment Tool (V-MAT). The tool is designed to obtain a more accurate assessment of people with a mild cognitive impairment to dementia who also have sensory impairments. The V-MAT is a simple innovation that transforms the diagnostic experience by using visual aids as part of the assessment. Traditional assessments for these can be ineffective, time consuming and anxiety provoking. This new
at national conference
visual toolkit allows better use of time and for consultants to complete a thorough assessment. Feedback from the V-MAT pilot has been extremely positive including improvements in wellbeing, mood and engagement and partnership working with carers. The new tool enables the team to have a consistent baseline when assessing people with these communications impairments and offers a much more standardised approach to the assessments. In addition to the presentation on the V-MAT one of the professional OT leads for the Trust, Mandy Graham, presented her own research on the use of authentic occupations in forensic occupational therapy practice. The work explores the barriers to engaging service users in meaningful activity in a secure setting. The presentation identified the unique problems presented by the challenging environment and the client needs. It also looked at getting the right balance between therapy and security to meet specific needs.
National success for senior OT at the Trust
A poster presentation was also made by Bronwen Alty, who spoke about her experience of attending a Coroner’s Court. She offered an insight into the personal reflection that took place following the coronial process and how this led to the development of an action plan for improving the service. She offered advice to other OTs about how to ensure documentation will stand up to scrutiny and how best to prepare for attendance at court. The presentation was well received by the conference, many delegates commenting on the relevance and value of the information provided. A poster on the adult ADHD service and the role of occupational therapy within that service was presented by Mandy Graham and Lucy Thompson. It explored emerging areas of practice and also the specialist pathway which has developed within the team. This is still quite a unique approach to working with that specific client group and the Trust continues to be a specialist provider for this adult ADHD care. Mandy Graham said, “The conference was a great opportunity to represent the Trust and showcase our innovative approach at the same time as learning about new projects that are taking place across the country. We gained an excellent response from other delegates and the key messages from the conference have been cascaded to other members. It was very rewarding to see how innovative we are as an organisation when it comes to OT and how we continually work to a high level and meet all national standards.”
Male staff
encouraged to check their own health Research repeatedly highlights men’s reluctance to visit their doctor compared with women, which can result in men being diagnosed with conditions at a stage when their symptoms are more advanced and harder to treat. Mike Garnham collecting his AHP Advancing Healthcare Award
Mike Garnham, a senior occupational therapist at the Trust, has received national recognition for his work to design and disseminate occupational care pathways and packages. Mike’s work was shortlisted at this year’s AHP Advancing Healthcare Awards and he was also presented with a merit award for his outstanding contribution to the profession by the College of Occupational Therapy at this year’s conference. Mike explained, “People who use mental health services can struggle to carry out everyday activities, but occupational therapy can help with recovery and improving quality of life. However, there is little consensus on what interventions are the most effective, or how best to deliver these. My vision was
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to use standardised outcome measures to develop evidence based care packages.” The project, which was co-led by Dr Mary Morley, Director of Therapies at South West London and St George’s NHS Trust, involved analysing over 1000 assessments to generate a profile of occupational needs. Mike used these to develop draft care packages. Mike added, “Working with university partners and occupational therapy colleagues we have produced tools that provide OT managers with a better understanding of costs and throughput in services. This is essential if we are to demonstrate that we have been clinically effective and that we have improved the service user experience.”
In line with the key messages of this year’s Men’s Health Week, the Trust has expanded its intranet to include a new resource dedicated to encouraging male staff to keep an eye on their health and, more importantly, seek help when needed. Alan Davis, director of human resources for the Trust, said, “With more than a thousand male staff in the Trust, any steps we can take to promote greater selfawareness have the potential to make a real difference to the organisation’s overall health and wellbeing.” More information is available within the wellbeing section of the intranet.
Read more at Like Minds extra on the Trust’s website.
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Staff work out at work! Trust staff took to the dance floor as part of Workout at Work Day 2012. The day is designed to encourage people to be more physically active in order to combat stress and prevent musculoskeletal disorders like back and neck pain.
Do you know a woman in Calderdale who could benefit from the
Activity Centre?
A number of Fieldhead staff used the day as an opportunity to bring the dance-based fitness programme Zumba to the workplace, enjoying a workout over lunchtime. Laura Wharmby, specialist physiotherapist for the Trust, said, “The Zumba class, run by one of our physiotherapy assistants who is also a fitness instructor, was a perfect mix of social and physical activity.”
A recent survey found that 59% of office workers in Yorkshire and the Humber spend more than two hours continuing to work on smartphones and other devices after leaving the office, on top of an average of six and a half hours in front of a screen during the working day.
The Trust is committed to ensuring that the services it provides meet the needs of those who access them, their carers and staff who provide them. To ensure that we continue to do this and improve the way we respond to issues, the Trust launched a patient experience project in 2011. The project gathers information about the experience of service users, visitors, carers and staff, using surveys specifically created to measure responses to a particular issue.
Using feedback to improve services at the Trust
One of the first surveys within this project was the visitor survey at Folly Hall Mills in Huddersfield, which was established to measure people’s experience of the clinical pathway of services and the environment they are provided in. The survey was specifically created to measure people’s experiences in light of standards within Essence of Care and people were asked to complete the questions using a Viewpoint kiosk in the reception area of Folly Hall Mills. All visitors to Folly Hall Mills were invited to complete the survey including staff, service users and carers during the four month period when it was open. The answers provided were analysed and an action plan, split between red, amber and green actions, is now being implemented. Improvements made so far include a review of the time people have to wait for their clinic appointments and implementation of a system to ensure delays are communicated and the relocation of noticeboards so that they are visible in outpatient and reception areas. Similar projects are being carried out across the Trust and kiosks, mobile devices and tablets are now available for staff to use to capture people’s views. If you are interested in carrying out a survey in your service, contact liam.redican@swyt.nhs.uk who will be able to advise you on the next steps. Tony Lalic and Emma Hewison using the Viewpoint kiosk in the reception at Folly Hall Mills
The Women’s Activity Centre in Calderdale provides a culturally sensitive environment, open to women from across the district and offers the opportunity to take part in daily activity sessions, socialise with others and find out more about health and wellbeing. The centre, which is funded through the Trust’s Creative Minds strategy, runs activities four days a week including cooking classes, sewing classes and exercise classes with a qualified fitness trainer. The centre also offers health checks and hosts awareness days, when speakers from local charities and NHS services are invited to make a presentation and answer questions. Sajeed Mahmood, operations director at the centre explains, “The focus of our centre and the activities we run is to boost local women’s health and wellbeing, by educating them about health issues, informing them about where they can go for help and also building their confidence in being able to look after their own and their families’ health. We want to help women make informed choices about accessing healthcare, including highlighting the services they can get from their local pharmacist, GP and hospital. “We also want to motivate women by giving them the opportunity to learn new skills and build networks with those they meet at the centre. “In the future we hope to add to the services we currently provide by setting up a drop in session one day a week with a trained counsellor and organising advice sessions with a local pharmacist who would be able to offer information on health and treatments.” The groups at the Women’s Activity Centre are open to all women in Calderdale. Staff are encouraged to consider if a referral to the centre would benefit people they are in contact with. For more information about the centre contact Sajeed at sajeed3@hotmail.co.uk
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STAFF success Trust staff emulated Britain’s Olympic stars this summer, with a bumper crop of achievements! Congratulations to…. • A ll staff who took part in the Great North Row challenge at Fieldhead. 59 members of staff took part, rowing a total distance of 60,859 metres – the equivalent of rowing from Wakefield to Chesterfield!
• Paula Rylatt, specialist practitioner in the Trust’s older people’s services in Wakefield, who has had an article published in a recent edition of the Nursing Standard Journal. The article explored the benefits of creative therapy for people with dementia. • Dr Richard Coaten, dance and movement psychotherapist, who has received a medal for completing the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Travelling Fellowship. The award was presented by Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson DBE (pictured with Richard, below).
• Steve Reeve, from receipt and distribution, who recently won Best Classic American Car at the Fleur-DeLys Classic Vehicle Society (Wakefield). Steve’s Classic American 1947 Chevrolet pickup earned him a trophy presented by the deputy mayor of Wakefield (pictured with Steve, below).
• D an Hughes, a community psychiatric nurse with the Kirklees Outreach Team. Dan won a national DIY competition by building a summerhouse using recycled pallets and reclaimed doors from a GP surgery in Huddersfield. He has kindly donated his £1000 prize money to local charity the Joseph Salmon Trust. • P hil McNulty, lead nurse, paediatric epilepsy, and Cherie Miller and Sonia Nuttal, nursery nurses, health visiting service. All have been recognised in the ‘Above and Beyond’ awards, organised by Barnsley parent and carer forum. Read more in the next Like Minds. • Staff from Savile Park, Poplars and Castleford CMHT, who raised £31.46 for the Alzheimer’s Society during Dementia Awareness Week. They would like to thank everyone who contributed and took part in their bun sale and ‘wear denim to work’ day. • Sharon Oliver, senior clinical pharmacist for South Kirklees, on gaining a merit in the Post Graduate Certificate in Psychiatric Therapeutics. She has also had an article published in the College of Mental Health Pharmacy (CMHP) bulletin on the use of sertraline as a first line treatment for generalised anxiety disorder.
• T he occupational health team, named as runner-up in the “Excellence in improving employee health and wellbeing” category at the Healthcare People Management Association (HPMA) 2012 awards. • Rosie Meleady, mental health social worker, who works in the Criminal Justice Liaison Team in Barnsley, on her appointment by the Lord Chancellor to sit as a Specialist Lay Member on Mental Health Tribunals.
• S taff from the Trust and Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, who have been celebrating after being shortlisted in this year’s Care Integration Awards for successfully raising awareness of stroke and developing a local stroke strategy group. The project has enabled the team to develop the stroke service over recent years to direct admission seven days per week inpatient rehabilitation, Rapid Access TIA Clinics and 24/7 stroke thrombolysis. • F inally, the Get Active Get Involved steering groups would like to thank all staff who supported the various events that took place across the Trust in celebration of the Olympics. See the full picture special in the next edition of Like Minds!
Share your success on the intranet and it will be published in the next issue of Staff Focus, or email comms@swyt.nhs.uk or call 01924 327547.
Set your goals for good wellbeing If you’ve been inspired by the Olympics now is a great time to set your own challenge and work towards improving your physical and mental wellbeing. One lady who did just that was Barnsley physiotherapist Pauline Griffin who ran seven marathons in seven days for charity. Pauline managed to run, walk and hobble all 183.6 miles from Snowdon to Cardiff to raise money for the MS Society and Barnsley Independent Alzheimer’s and Dementia Support Group.
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This was an amazing achievement and a fantastic example of what you can do when you set yourself a goal. Everyone’s goals are different and you don’t have to run a marathon, or seven, to improve your own wellbeing! You could start off with something basic like walking around the block once a week and then gradually increase it to four times a week. Or you could start cycling to work and take advantage of the Bikes for the NHS scheme. Whatever your goal the wellbeing section on the intranet has some great tips on getting started and ways to improve your mental and physical wellbeing and some ideas of how you could build small goals into your everyday life.
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Strengthening commitment to
learning disability nursing
Earlier this year the UK Modernising Learning Disability Nursing Review published their report ‘Strengthening the Commitment’ detailing recommendations to ensure people with learning disabilities have access to expert learning disability nurses and get the best support and care. The report was commissioned on behalf of Chief Nursing Officers across the UK and below we detail how the recommendations are being actioned by our staff working within learning disability services. Nigel McLoughlin, clinical services manager for learning disabilities at the Trust explained, “This review aims to ensure that learning disability nursing can meet and will continue to be able to meet the increased demand for its services and staff have the support, knowledge and resources to provide high quality support and care to people with learning disabilities, their families and carers.” The report makes a number of detailed recommendations that are underlined by four principles to support reform: strengthening capacity; capability; quality; and the profession. The recommendations aim to: • S et out the value that learning disabilities nurses bring • Identify and share good practice • Assess regional recruitment and retention issues • Prioritise areas for development that reflect future models of care and population trends within specialist and generic services • Consider what improvements can be made in education, careers, leadership, research and workforce • Identify organisational, education and development strategies that will support and enable the profession to realise its full potential Jane Smith, service manager at the Trust said, “The report was formally launched in May and now the UK is working on individual national implementation plans. As part of my current role as national clinical lead for learning disability nursing I have had the opportunity to be involved in the development of the report and will be part of the implementation group. “I believe the report puts learning disability nursing in a very strong position with very clear acknowledgement of the specialist skills that this branch of nursing brings to the health and social care communities. It also highlights the challenges that we face and the actions that are needed to ensure that learning disability nurses continue to be able to contribute to and lead the delivery of the best health outcomes for service users with a learning disability in the future. “Learning disability nurses at the Trust are a valued part of our nursing workforce not only in the learning disability services but also in roles throughout the organisation. By embracing the recommendations of this report
Report recommendations and examples of good practice at the Trust No. 8 – the Trust should ensure nurses working in specialist services for complex and intensive needs are supported to develop specialist and advanced clinical skills. The nursing team at 8 Fox View are working to ensure that the team provide evidence based services and that the whole team have the necessary knowledge and skills to deliver high standards of nursing care. No. 9 – learning disability nurses and teams should develop and apply measurement frameworks to show their work is improving person centred health outcomes. The nursing team leaders in Calderdale have been examining the community nursing role to ensure their skills in meeting health needs are effectively targeted. No. 10 – learning disability nurses should strengthen their involvement and links to transformational work, productivity improvement and practice development. Trust behavioural teams have been using lean methodology to examine their ability to respond to service users’ demands and are piloting a consultation clinic that will streamline treatment and ensure effective use of resources. we will ensure that as a professional group we are able to contribute to the continued development of services ensuring that the Trust’s service offer to people with a learning disability is one that we can all be proud to be part of.”
Further information about the work currently being progressed in learning disability services at the Trust will be available in a dedicated section on the intranet or by contacting jane.smith@swyt.nhs.uk or simon.plummer@swyt.nhs.uk
Supporting people through Welfare Reform In March the most radical changes for 60 years to social security were passed by Parliament as part of the Welfare Reform Act. The changes are part of the plans to save £21 billion by creating the right incentives to get more people into work, protecting the most vulnerable and delivering fairness to those claiming benefit and to the taxpayer. As a result a large number of changes are taking place including the rules of entitlement and how they are calculated. These changes will impact upon people who use our services and their carers. To help with this transition the Trust wants to help give staff the knowledge they need to be able to help people who use services during what might be a difficult and stressful time.
Alex Feather, inclusion development coordinator for Kirklees, said, “This reform is bringing massive changes to people who use our services. Our aim is to provide support to help them through the changes and to get people to alert us as soon as possible to any problems they might be having so that we can direct them to the best support. Any staff that feel they’d like to help with this work are urged to get in touch. It could be to share details of local services that you know have been really useful or to get advice about how you can best help people you work with.” If you’d like to help with the Welfare Reform work contact Alex Feather on 01484 434634 or email alex.feather@swyt.nhs.uk. More information about the Government’s plans can be found online at www.dwp.gov.uk and information will also be shared via the intranet.
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Trust hosts conference about young people To celebrate a year of the forensic child and adolescent mental health service (Focus) in Wakefield, a conference was held at Cedar Court Hotel focusing on young people who are showing harmful sexual behaviour and emerging severe personality disorders. The young people’s forensic service supports individuals who have mental health problems and are in contact with the criminal justice system and/or display serious offending behaviour. Trust chief executive, Steven Michael, welcomed delegates with his opening address, which highlighted the impact of early intervention. He concluded by emphasising the celebratory and reflective nature of the day, recognising the huge difference the team can make to the lives of troubled young people. This was followed by an overview of the team’s work to date, the current position and plans for the future. Further presentations and workshops covered topics such as young offenders and systemic and safeguarding issues. Speakers at the event included Dr Eileen Vizard, a consultant psychiatrist for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC). Paula Phillips, team leader said, “My team worked extremely hard, liaising with colleagues in London to produce presentations and workshops for the conference. We have been well supported by senior managers and commissioners. I would like to thank all those who left feedback; we are in the process of collating this and where possible will respond to any questions raised. Thanks to all for making the day happen; we look forward to more in the future.”
Left to right: Kath Wrigglesworth and Sarah Harper
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Left to right: Susan Haacke, Oliver Sindall, Berit Ritchie, Abdullah Kraam, Paula Phillips, Ian Carr, Eileen Vizard
Out of area service going from strength to strength The Trust’s service for adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and high functioning Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) has been accepting referrals from out of area for the last year and it has proved to be a huge success.
The service continues to generate great interest through national journals and the use of the Trust’s website which has all the service information and details of how people can make referrals. To find out more about the service contact Matt Sandford, business development manager on 07786 518691.
There is an increasing acute need to provide assessment and treatment for adults with ADHD or ASD. Unfortunately, the expertise in providing such services can not always be found locally. To meet this growing need the Trust developed a NICE compliant multidisciplinary adult ADHD service, which is led by a national leader in the field, consultant psychiatrist Dr Marios Adamou. The service has provided specialist care to adults in the West Yorkshire region since 2009 and to meet the growing need to provide assessment and treatment nationally the service opened itself to referrals outside the region. The benefits offered by the service include a service closer to home for people living in the North of England and assured quality of a specialist service at the forefront of developments in the field. Speaking about the service Dr Adamou said, “The original service offer was to provide support for people over the age of 18 in the West Yorkshire region who were diagnosed with ADHD in childhood but needed continued treatment. It also provided assessment and diagnosis for adults who were not diagnosed during childhood. Since then the service has gone from strength to strength and the Trust is pleased to be inviting out of area referrals. We have already welcomed people from Bradford, York and Hull and it’s great to see that the service is benefitting people outside our local area at the same time as continuing to support the West Yorkshire region.”
Dr Marios Adamou, consultant psychiatrist
Learning more about ADHD Dr Adamou recently held the latest Trust education talks offering an insight into ADHD. He said, “The talks were a great opportunity for people to find out more about the condition. It could be that they knew somebody with ADHD or simply wanted to learn more about the condition. There was a fantastic turn out for each of the talks and we hope they provided people with more information about a condition that affects a lot of people.”
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Leading by example The Trust is developing a special framework to improve and promote the organisation as an Exemplar Employer. This means that, in all matters relating to staff employment, the Trust will aim to lead by example on: • P romotion of health and wellbeing • Prevention of illness • Early intervention for those who develop a health condition • Early rehabilitation of those off work. By being an Exemplar Employer, the Trust can make a significant impact on the overall profile of health and wellbeing and showcase the organisation as a more credible advocate of good practice and even a role model for other services. Amongst all public sector organisations there is commitment to support people with mental health issues, learning disabilities, autistic spectrum conditions and hidden disabilities. The Trust is embedding this ethos into our ways of working; in particular how we recruit and retain staff. Through the application of an Exemplar Employer framework we can provide a voluntary and non-statutory agreement and commitment to meet our corporate and moral responsibility
in ensuring our workforce includes people with mental health issues, learning disabilities, autistic spectrum conditions and hidden disabilities. At the same time it aims to eliminate stigma, stereotypes and discrimination. Speaking about the Exemplar Employer project Phil Walters, head of inclusion for the Trust said, “With the right support and the right job, people with mental health problems, hidden impairments or learning disabilities perform vital roles in all kinds of workplaces. Our aim is to develop a workforce that reflects the local communities and all conditions so that we can utilise untapped talent and develop the right jobs matched with the right skills.” Over the coming months the Trust will be exploring what reasonable adjustments could be made to promote effective recruitment, retention and progress in employment and to look at what support mechanisms could be created to assist people with mental health issues, learning disabilities, autistic spectrum conditions and hidden disabilities to attain and retain employment.
Occupational therapist Richard Bates, Michael Cunningham and stop smoking adviser Sue Jones
The Trust’s stop smoking service in Calderdale has been encouraging occupational therapists (OTs) at The Dales to deliver brief interventions to help service users stop smoking. To support the training the stop smoking team felt it would be helpful for the staff to hear about stopping smoking from a service user perspective and invited Michael to talk about his experiences.
A new practical fire training unit has been created to enhance staff training and demonstrate the conditions possible in a real fire situation.
The room can be filled with realistic special effects “smoke”, before staff enter to try to navigate their way around, and out of, the room. “The ‘smoke’ we use is completely harmless, but does highlight the very limited visibility a person has in a smoke-filled room. It also behaves in the same way as real smoke, so staff can see how smoke coming from beneath a fire door might look. We then discuss the best course of action”, said Ian Cass, fire safety officer. The unit can be altered to simulate either an office or ward setting, depending on the staff being trained. Ian Cass
Stop smoking team helping OTs at The Dales
Keep an eye out for more details on the Exemplar Employer project including special information workshops that are planned for later in the year. For more information about this work call 01924 328656.
Staff navigate smoke in new training unit
In order to more thoroughly prepare staff for a potential fire, a special training unit has been set up which realistically replicates patient and staff areas and contains the kind of obstacles staff may encounter in an emergency situation.
The Oasis Café at Fieldhead which provides opportunities for people with experience of mental health problems to get back into work
Staff enter the smoke-filled unit
Who should take part in the new training? All staff must complete annual fire training. The practical training is particularly intended for ward based staff, fire wardens, ‘responsible persons’ etc, but is open to everyone.
Either traditional fire lectures or practical sessions meet the requirement of the fire policy for training. Department of Health guidance recommends that any staff likely to be involved in the evacuation of service users in the event of fire (which will include clinical, non-clinical and support staff) should receive practical training (but not necessarily every year). Information on dates and how to book can be found on the intranet.
Michael had been a heavy smoker and made a number of earlier attempts to stop smoking. He managed to go smoke free after being encouraged to consider making another quit attempt by occupational therapist Richard Bates. When he decided to take the step Michael attended one of the weekly stop smoking sessions in Calderdale. In the past Michael had been given support in a one to one appointment, but this time it was suggested that he tried quitting with others in a group setting. Kath Nichols, OT team leader, said, “I invited the stop smoking team along as I thought all the OTs at The Dales could benefit from brief intervention training to help the people we care for. Listening to Michael’s experiences reinforced the benefits of staff offering brief advice to stop smoking and has helped to increase staff confidence in broaching the subject with service users.” To find out more about training opportunities contact your local stop smoking service find their details in the BDU service offer documents. Alternatively you can complete the new e-learning package.
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It’s good (and now cheaper!) to talk The Trust now offers a new salary sacrifice scheme in order to allow staff to benefit from tax, national insurance and pension relief when ordering a new mobile phone through the scheme. It is run by the same company which offers the popular ‘Bikes for the NHS’ initiative and works in much the same way, with staff able to make savings on a range of handsets and tariffs through monthly deductions from their gross salary. Andrew Prince, HR business manager, said, “85 staff have already benefited from the national Bikes for the NHS scheme. Based on the response we received when we asked whether staff would be interested in a similar scheme for mobile phones, we expect Phones for the NHS to be even more popular. “There is a good range of handsets and tariffs, with the iPhone options likely to attract significant interest. Staff can choose from ‘bundle’ or ‘handset only’ options, and can also keep their existing number if they wish. “For example, the retail price of an iPhone 4S 32GB with car charger, phone case and screen protector is £639.99. The same phone provided by the Trust would typically be £487.68.”
Bikes and cars for the NHS! If you haven’t already heard about Bikes for the NHS, it is a cycle to work initiative which allows staff to take advantage of a tax free bicycle at the same time as reducing their own carbon footprint. This links in with the Trust’s ambition to become more sustainable whilst also helping staff to become more physically active. The NHS Car Scheme gives NHS staff an easy and cost effective way to lease a brand new car. Staff can lease any new car that is currently available to buy in the UK and pay for it through their monthly salary.
Cars leased under the scheme come with:
• • • •
tax fully comprehensive insurance maintenance and servicing costs 24 hour breakdown cover and roadside assistance
all included in the monthly cost. As a salary sacrifice scheme, staff who lease a car this way also benefit from paying less tax, national insurance and pension contributions each month. Full details of both schemes are available on the intranet.
There are lots of benefits to working for the NHS – see page 8 for another great offer or visit www.nhsdiscounts.com, which has details of hundreds of special offers for NHS staff.
Hitting the
Headlines!
Whilst Phones for the NHS represents good value for many members of staff, it is worth remembering that salary sacrifice schemes can impact on things like pension and maternity pay, so always consider your personal circumstances to decide whether or not you would benefit. The frequently asked questions page on the intranet clearly explains the factors that staff may wish to consider before joining the scheme, as well as the expected benefits of doing so.
Throughout May, June and July the communications team sent out 60 press releases, which were well received by local and national media.
For more information about ordering a phone through the scheme, see the ‘Phones for the NHS’ pages in the HR section of the intranet.
Positive coverage was generated by the Trust’s anti-stigma campaign and an opportunity for young people with psychosis to experience a horse riding session thanks to funding from the Trust’s Innovations Fund.
Food for thought
During this time the Trust was featured in the local media 68 times and the majority of this coverage was positive, promoting the work of both service users and staff.
Other positive coverage was generated by activities organised for service users and carers in support of London 2012 across the Trust’s districts and a project at Fieldhead in Wakefield supported by the Trust’s Creative Minds strategy that involved service users working with a mosaic artist to create a specifically designed sculpture that will be displayed on the site. Positive coverage was also generated by the opening of the new £4.8 million activity centre at Newton Lodge and a visit by local MP and Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls.
“No member of a crew is praised for the rugged individuality of his rowing.” Ralph Waldo Emerson, American writer, 1803 – 1882
During this time the Trust also responded to a range of media enquiries relating to our services and broader NHS issues including an enquiry about the Trust’s current financial position and a report by Wakefield LINk into crisis mental health services provided in Wakefield.
Have you got something you would like to see in the media? Something you, or your service are particularly proud of or a bit of good news you’d like publicising? Get in touch with the communications department who will be happy to handle everything for you. Call 01924 327689 or email comms@swyt.nhs.uk In the unlikely event your team receives a direct call from the media, please refer it immediately to the communications department.
Work problems? Contact the staff consultancy and counselling service confidential line on 01924 215015 16
Your work matters
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