The
Word
Edition 372
20 May 2016
Community Trust
holds special event
for Dementia
Awareness Week
Award success for Partnership
Trust work supporting Deaf
Community
Mental Health
Awareness Week
We Put
Quality First
We Focus
on People
We Take
Responsibility
In this issue
3 | Community Trust holds
special event for Dementia
Awareness Week
7 | Assistive Technology
Competition
4 | Award success for
Partnership Trust
work supporting Deaf
Community
8 | Health and Care Innovation
Expo 2016
From
The
Top
7 | Business Continuity Week
8 | Ramadan
5 | Make May Purple for Stroke
6 | Mental Health Awareness
Week
8 | Mindful Moment
9 | International Nurses Day
2016
10 | Thank You
I am pleased to have the opportunity to write From the
Top after being appointed as Director of Nursing and
Quality earlier this month. Although I have been in the
post as interim for some months, I am thrilled to take on
the post permanently and drive forward our continued
focus and vision to provide high quality and safe care
for the people in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent and
across the borders where we provide services in East
Cheshire and Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
My first few weeks in post has been very interesting and
certainly challenging following the publication of our
CQC inspection report but it has been really good to
see how together staff across the Trust want to make
improvements.
The quality improvement plan will continue to take
forward the actions required but this is not a “CQC”
plan. All staff in clinical and corporate functions have a
role in delivering quality services and therefore have a
part to play in helping the organisation progress. This
includes ensuring they have an appraisal by the end of
July and that statutory and mandatory training is up to
date.
Among priorities such as quality improvements, one of
my key objectives is to ensure the professional voice
across all the organisation is heard and valued. This work
has started with the development of the Professional
Reference Group and a number of people have already
stepped forward and shown an interest in being
involved.
I will look to establish focus groups to feed into the
Professional Reference Group as a way of capturing staff
energy and enthusiasm to help with the development of
the Trust’s care strategy and as the key route to sharing
good practice across the organisation.
just nursing posts, but therapy and social care roles and I
want to establish greater links between our professional
leadership team and our local educational facilities to
make sure we are attracting newly qualified people
into the organisation and making community services a
desirable place to work.
I was delighted to be able to accompany five nurses to
Westminster Abbey last week to celebrate the birthday
of Florence Nightingale. I have been lucky enough
to mark this historical date in the nursing calendar
a number of times and once again the service was a
moving and uplifting experience and an opportunity for
nurses to reflect and be proud of their role in caring for
people.
Nurses across the organisation were given a similar
chance to celebrate their role as part of the annual
Nurses Day celebrations. I was really pleased to see how
many teams had organised events and was disappointed
not to be able to attend them all.
It was good for me to spend some time with Specialist
Practitioner Student Sara Flemming who shared her first
hand experiences of working for the trust and in the
community as she took the day to shadow me.
I very much look forward to meeting more staff and
teams face to face and finding out more from you about
what you feel is important and how together we can
keep improving to give everyone who uses our services
the very best care possible.
If you would like to shadow me or would like me to visit
your team please email me at [email protected].
uk or contact my PA Annette Martin on 0300 123 1161
ext 1754.
Rose
You are all aware of our difficulties to recruit into, not
Rose Goodwin
Interim Director of Nursing and Quality
We Put
Quality First
We Focus
on People
We Take
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2
SUPPORTING OUR VALUES
1
Community Trust holds
special event for
Dementia Awareness
Week
3
On Wednesday the Trust hosted a special tea party
on Grange Ward at Haywood Hospital in support of
Dementia Awareness Week (15-21 May).
2
The party provided an opportunity for patients and family members to
come together and enjoy time in a friendly and safe environment.
During the party Dr Pepa Ferriera presented an information session on dementia and
patients, family members and staff were treated to a performance by singer Melanie Baines, who is an Alzheimer’s
Society ‘Singing for the Brain’ Group Leader.
Leek Moorlands staff also threw a tea party for patients and
families in aid of Dementia Awareness Week.
Research shows that singing builds on well-known preserved
memory for song and music in the brain. Even when many
memories are hard to retrieve, music is especially easy to recall
which makes singing an enjoyable experience for people with
dementia. Something which is encourage by the Partnership
Trust.
In recognition of Dementia Awareness Week the Trust is
encouraging people who are worried about themselves or a
relative having dementia to talk about their concerns.
4
The Partnership Trust uses ‘The Butterfly Scheme’ on inpatient
wards at community hospitals in Leek and Haywood Hospital to ensure that people who have dementia receive the
most suitable care for their needs.
The scheme, which was recently praised in the Trust’s CQC report, trains staff to understand how people with
dementia will be affected by the hospital environment and encourages patients and their relatives to talk about
dementia more openly.
Director of Nursing and Quality, Rose Goodwin said: “The Butterfly Scheme is just one way which the Trust is
proactively working with dementia patients and their relatives to provide care which is tailored to their needs. We’re
using Dementia Awareness Week to help service users and relatives get to grips with the incentives and tools which
are in place, both locally and nationally, to help make life with dementia less stressful.“
1) Singer Melanie with the Grange Ward team, 2) The team enjoy singing along and dancing, 3 ) Chief Operating Officer Mandy
Donald serves refreshments to patients,4) Leek Moorlands Hospital staff enjoying Dementia Awareness tea party
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Quality First
We Focus
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We Take
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3
SUPPORTING OUR VALUES
Award success for Partnership Trust work
supporting Deaf Community
1
Partnership Trust Equality and Inclusion manager Balwinder Kaur has scooped a ‘Special Recognition’ award for
improving access for Deaf people to health and social care services.
Balwinder was presented the Hart award from Staffordshire based charity DEAFvibe for her continued work in
supporting Deaf people.
Mrs Kaur was awarded the accolade together with Robin Ash, Access and Inclusion (BSL Charter) Officer for the
British Deaf Association (BDA), for their instrumental work in the development and signing of the Trust’s Deaf
Charter.
The Trust signed up to a Deaf Charter in February 2016 which sets out five pledges and commits to providing high
quality care and support to Deaf people and their families.
On receiving the award Mrs Kaur said: “It is a great honour and privilege to receive the Hart Award and to be
recognised for supporting the local community. I feel truly humbled for the recognition from DEAFvibe so early in
the Trust’s journey to reduce health and social care inequality and increase access to services and information for the
local community.”
Community Development Coordinator Lee Owen also received a Hart award nomination in the
category of ‘Outstanding Contribution to DEAFvibe’, for his work with the statutory and
voluntary sectors to ensure smoother pathways for individuals accessing services and for
his continued support in raising awareness of the work of the charity.
Lee said: “DEAFvibe is a valuable, local resource that offers personalised support
for people that are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing and I am overwhelmed and
privileged to have been nominated for this award.”
2
Chief Executive Stuart Poynor said: “It is fantastic to see Trust staff being recognised
for their great work. Balwinder and Lee’s work demonstrates the Trust’s commitment
to improving access to services and supporting the deaf community. I would like to
congratulate them both on receiving such recognition.”
Representatives from the Trust recently attended DEAFvibe UK’s annual See Me, Hear Me event in Stoke-on-Trent.
The event offered an opportunity for deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind and visually impaired people to find out more
about the services and support available to them.
1) Balwinder receiving her award from Alison France - Founder of DEAFvibe & Rehabilitation Officer Hearing Impairment at the
Partnership Trust and Julie Hart – Chairperson DEAFvibe, 2) Lee and fellow nominees with DEAFvibe Chairperson Julie Hart
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4
SUPPORTING OUR VALUES
May is Stroke Awareness month and in recognition the North Staffordshire Rehabilitation service is ‘Making May
Purple’ to promote stroke prevention and awareness.
The Haywood Hospital based service is teaming up with the Patient Information Education and Resource (PIER)
Centre to host a number of events to educate people on reducing their risk of stroke and on life after a stroke.
‘Make May Purple’ is the Stroke Association's annual stroke awareness month.
In support of the campaign the Stroke Rehabilitation service has conducted over 90 free health checks on staff,
patients and carers and provided advice on reducing their risk of a stroke. The service aims to provide a number of
free stroke prevention health check clinics throughout the year.
Haywood Hospital is hosting a number of activities to ‘Make May Purple’, including a ‘Sip for stroke’ tea party for
patients, families, carers and staff on Sneyd Ward Stroke Rehabilitation Unit; a ‘Purple Cake Bake’ bake off to be
held in the hospital foyer on Tuesday 31 May with cakes being judged by a stroke survivor and his wife and the
Sneyd Stroke Rehabilitation Unit art group’s activities will all have a purple theme this month.
An information stand is available to visitors of the PIER Centre providing information on stroke awareness and
prevention, along with healthy lifestyle advice and support leaflets.
Partnership Trust Medical Director, James Shipman said: “Anyone can have a stroke and it is important that people
are aware of how making simple lifestyle changes can reduce their risk.
He added: “The Trust hopes patients, carers and visitors to Haywood Hospital enjoy the ‘Make May Purple’ activities
whilst learning about stroke signs, symptoms and prevention.”
The Haywood Hospital Stroke Rehabilitation Unit provides specialist and co-ordinated rehabilitation to adults
following a stroke and is part of a wider stroke service that includes an acute stroke unit based at the University
Hospital of North Midlands and the Community Stroke Team at the Haywood Hospital.
The PIER Centre provides patients, their families and carers with access to high quality information which will help
people to self-manage a range of conditions.
We Put
Quality First
We Focus
on People
We Take
Responsibility
5
SUPPORTING OUR VALUES
Mental Health
Awareness
Week
16 - 22 May
Team Prevent Supporting staff Health
and Wellbeing
Preventing work related ill health is a key priority
for the Trust and we are working with Team Prevent
to ensure staff are mentally and physically fit to
undertake their role, and to monitor the effect of
work on staff health throughout employment.
Many people with health problems, particularly
those related to musculoskeletal problems or stress,
stay at work and work can often be beneficial
in aiding their recovery. Some employees face
obstacles to recovery which can often be resolved
through early intervention to occupational health.
Coping with exam stress
As part of Mental Health Awareness week (16-22
May) the Our Health 5-19 school nursing service
have been promoting positive mental health in the
community.
The team have been offering advice and support on
exam stress to students, parents and carers in Stokeon-Trent.
Information, help and support on coping
with exam stress is available on the Trust
website here.
If an employee goes off sick with stress or a
musculoskeletal problem, or if the person is at work
and experiencing problems, managers are asked to
refer them immediately to Team Prevent. Referrals
are triaged and appropriate cases are referred to the
multi-disciplinary early intervention team.
Staff will receive support and advice from the team
and can be signposted or fast tracked to counselling
or physiotherapy treatment. If the case relates to
long term sickness absence or is more complex, it
will be triaged to the local case manager.
Trust managers are also being encouraged to refer
staff who have surgery planned in the future to
occupational health. Team Prevent will be able to
advise the employee on what to expect following
surgery and provide guidance for managers.
Stress Workshops
A number of workshops are available for staff on
coping with stress, handling difficult people and
difficult situations and eating, sleeping and relaxing
yourself. Click here for more information or to book
contact Samantha Downes on Samantha.downes@
northstaffs.nhs.uk or on 0300 123 0995 ext 4428.
SUPPORTING OUR VALUES
Assistive Technology Competition
Have you recommended a piece of technology or equipment to help support and enable
independence? If so, why don’t you enter our competition to win a tablet for you and your team?
We are encouraging staff to come forward with the most creative and imaginative use of assistive
technology which has had a positive impact on the well-being, independence and therefore
quality of life of a service user.
In broad terms, assistive technology can mean any product or device designed to support or
enable independence. It would be a designed, mainstream product or a piece of technology
specifically made available to provide assistance to people with specific needs. It can also include the wide range of
equipment and services that assists older and disabled people to maximise their independence.
The winning team or individual will be given a hand held tablet for work use which will help them demonstrate the
benefits of AT using the video clips available via You Tube while in a service user’s home.
To enter, all we ask that, in no more than 200 words, you explain why you introduced a piece of AT and the impact
it has had on a service user. All entries should be submitted to [email protected] by no later than
Monday 6 June 2016.
They will be reviewed by a panel including Sandra Daniels, Chief Operating Officer for Social Care, Faye Pryce,
Accountable Lead - Social Care Transformation and Amy Freeman, Chief Information Officer and the winner will be
announced in the next Social Care Matters on 14 June.
Business
Continuity Week
This week is Business Continuity Week and the Trust’s EPRR team have given The Word a run down on how business
continuity planning can help you and the people you care for.
A business continuity plan is a document that identifies what you do every day, where, how and who does it and
what has to continue regardless of any event. That event could be anything, big or small, such as responding to a
major incident and needing to divert resources or something more specific. For example a severe lack of staff, loss
of electric, gas or water, not being able to access your usual premises or even something like the weather, be that a
heatwave or snow.
Business continuity planning is much easier than you think; you already have the information needed and in some
cases it is as simple as populating a template. Your plan will be a starting point to make informed operational
decisions to help you respond, handle or recover.
For further information please contact Wendy Williams on [email protected] / 0300 123 0095 ext 1520
who can assist you in completing the template and getting started with business continuity planning.
SUPPORTING OUR VALUES
We Put
Quality First
We Focus
on People
We Take
Responsibility
7
Health and Care
Innovation Expo 2016
The NHS England Health and Care Innovation Expo 2016 is taking place in Manchester on 7 and 8 September 2016.
This year’s, Health and Care Innovation Expo will once again focus on the biggest health and care issues and
developments as we continue to implement the NHS Five Year Forward View.
Expo involves the health and social care system coming together to share great ideas, learn from one another, and
discuss the latest developments.
All NHS staff in provider trusts are eligible for free of charge tickets. To register, use the complimentary ticket code
EXPNHSP where asked in the online form.
For more information and to register here: www.expo.nhs.uk
SUPPORTING OUR VALUES
Ramadan
The month of Ramadan begins on Monday 6 June. Ramadan is the ninth month of
the Islamic calendar, during which Muslims around the world spend the daylight
hours in a complete fast.
It is important as providers of health and social care to support staff members and
service users to maintain good health and wellbeing over the month of fasting.
Click here for guidance and information.
Mindful Moment
“Nurses dispense comfort, compassion, and
caring without even a prescription”
Val Saintsbury
Submit your mindful moment to Kieron Murphy Director of Operations on email [email protected] or his EA [email protected]
SUPPORTING OUR VALUES
We Put
Quality First
We Focus
on People
We Take
Responsibility
8
Staff on Haywood Hospital’s Sneyd Ward and
the Our Health 5 - 19 team have been celebrating
International Nurses Day 2016
The Our Health 5 -19 team spent the day at the City of Stoke-on-Trent Sixth form college celebrating Nurses Day and
talking to students studying health and social care.
The Haywood Hospital Sneyd Ward team shared Nurses Day themed cakes baked by staff and patients families.
Senior Staff Nurse Moraig Stephenson also dressed up as Florence Nightingale in honour of the nurses legacy.
SUPPORTING OUR VALUES
We Put
Quality First
We Focus
on People
We Take
Responsibility
9
Thank You
A family of a recent service user of Living Independently
Staffordshire (LIS) and the Community Intervention
Service (CIS) based in Newcastle has thanked both teams
for the ‘support and care’ given to their family member.
The Integrated Local Care Team (ILCT) based in Seisdon
have been sent a compliment by the family of a recent user
of the service thanking them for the care provided to their
Dad.
“Your professionalism and commitment has been
amazing.”
“We appreciate your professionalism, understanding and
empathy of the situation for all of us. We truly appreciate
everything you have done!”
Staff on Chatterley Ward, Haywood Hospital has
received kind notes of thanks from the families of recent
patients to the Ward.
“My family and I would like to express our heartfelt thanks
to all staff, day and night for the loving care you gave to
my husband. We are eternally grateful to you all. “
“To all the nursing staff, thank you for all your brilliant
help, your kind words and for looking after our mum/gran.
Thank you from all the family.”
Scotia Rheumatology Ward staff have been thanked by
a recent patient of the Haywood Hospital ward.
“To the wonderful ward staff of Scotia inpatients, thank
you for your care and helping so much to get me back on
the road to recovery. For your compassion when I have
been tearful and down. You are each an asset to our NHS
and your help is so valuable.”
SUPPORTING OUR VALUES
The Seisdon based Living Independently Staffordshire
service have received a heartfelt thank you from a service
user.
“All wonderful people, I thank you for all the work you
have done with me. I would recommend the service to
friends and family. I am going to miss you all. Me and my
family are amazed at what you helped me to achieve.”
A user of the Community Breast Feeding Team Stoke
team has sent a letter to them team thanking them for
their support.
“My daughter is now 12 weeks old and doing well, she
demands feeds, feeds in public and we both adore each
other. The bond I feel with her is extraordinary. This I feel is
down to the encouragement, understanding and kindness I
had from the team. Thank you so much for everything.”
Staff can now log their own compliments on
the Safeguard database. Please click here for a
guide on entering compliments from patients/
service users.
When forwarding compliments please ensure
specific details of the message are included so
that all messages can be passed on, and credit
can be given, to the correct teams.