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Connections Magazine December 2011

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DECEMBER 2011 POWERFUL EXHIBITION Special guest cuts ribbon at breathtaking postcard display - p8 & 9 IF YOU DON’T DO SOMETHING, WHO WILL? Find out how we marked Safeguarding Week - p20 & 21 MOUTH CANCER ADVICE We’ve been out and about highlighting the importance of self-examinations - p15 You and Your Care
Transcript

DECEMBER 2011

POWERFUL EXHIBITION Special guest cuts ribbon at breathtaking postcard display - p8 & 9

IF YOU DON’T DO SOMETHING, WHO WILL?Find out how we marked Safeguarding Week - p20 & 21

MOUTH CANCER ADVICEWe’ve been out and about

highlighting the importance of self-examinations - p15

You and Your Care

2

In this Issue BELOW LEFT: Charlotte

BELOW RIGHT: (from left to right) Sam, Jayne, Linzi and Ben.

Forget the dark nights, rubbish weather and hectic shopping schedules and get stuck into our winter edition of Connections - it’s bound to cheer you up!We’ve got so much lined up for you over the next twenty-or-so pages, we suggest where possible (on your lunch break or at home!) you put the kettle on and get comfy before reading all the latest news and achievements from around our Trust. Here’s what you can look forward to…

On pages 8&9 we drop in on an inspirational art exhibition marking World Mental Health Day. Opened by a special guest, the breathtaking display of art created by service users went a long way to challenge stigma.

One of our specialist alcohol nurses shares ten top tips for safer festive drinking on pages 12&13, and we bring you a round up of our Safeguarding Week on pages 20&21.

We also can’t fail to mention the incredible amount of awards that have been rolling in across our

organisation. We recognise the fantastic work going on in services on pages 16&17. It sure looks like it’s been an exciting time for many of you over the past couple of months! While we’re on the subject of awards - thanks for all your Star Awards entries. Keep an eye out for the short-listed nominees being announced shortly.

Talking of excitement, we’ve also got some news here in the Communications Team. We’re temporarily waving goodbye to Sam Hirst, our Communications Manager, as she prepares for her fi rst new arrival in the world of motherhood. And while we wait patiently to meet the new mini-member of the Comms Team, we also welcome Charlotte Garrity, Acting Communications Manager. Make sure you say hi if you see her around while she gets to know our services.

Wishing you all a fantastic winter season and all the best for 2012!

Communications TeamIf you require this document in a larger text format please contact the Communications team.FRONT PAGE IMAGE: Justin Boag admires the postcard exhibition.

3

To ‘Like’ our facebook page, search: Bradford District Care Trust

Follow us on twitter for the latest news: @Bradford_DCT

p8

p14 p16

p18

What’s Inside?p8 ‘Powerful’ Exhibition Marks Day

p14 Supervision Encourages Super-services

p16 Celebrations Trust-wide as Awards Roll in!

p18 Throwing a Lifeline to Homeless People & New Arrivals

p23 Meet the Criminal Justice Liaison Team

Have you Got News for us?Don’t forget we are always on the look out for great gossip, exciting events and touching tales - if you have something to shout about please let us know!

Jayne MurphySenior Comms ManagerTel: 01274 363551Email: [email protected]

Charlotte GarrityActing Comms ManagerTel: 01274 228174 Email: [email protected]

Linzi ClarkComms AssistantTel: 01274 228351Email: [email protected]

Ben CullimoreMulti-Media DesignerTel: 01274 228173Email: [email protected]

4

News in Brief (NIB’s)PATIENTSWELCOMECENTRE NAMECHANGEPatients from our Health on the Streets service are celebrating a health centre name change that will stop confusion for local residents. The patients’ group, based at Eccleshill Clinic, was unhappy when the clinic’s name got changed to Eccleshill Health Centre a while back. However, after working with staff, the clinic’s original name has now been reinstated.

Sheila Hunt, Patient Group Member, said: “When the name got changed to a health centre it was confusing for people who would mistake this building with other health services and even the Community Hospital. Seeing the name changed back to one that locals recognise is a great example of patient power.”

The patient group celebrated with an unveiling of its new sign (pictured below). unveiling of its new sign (pictured below).

ACHIEVEMENTSSHINE AT OUR AGM ‘The future’s bright’ - that was the message from our Chief Executive at this year’s Annual General Meeting (AGM). Simon Large spoke at the event to highlight our many achievements during 2010/11.

He said: “It’s an exciting time for us as we transform into a new type of health care organisation. Working in line with our values, which all our standards, decisions and behaviours are built on, we continue to make a difference to people’s lives.”

Our AGM was opened by a fantastic performance from the Trust Choir, and achievements in clinical areas were brought to life in presentations. Stalls around the venue also showcased the wide range of services we now offer; from dental and continence services to support for older people who wish to get active in the community (pictured above).

More than 180 people attended and in an exclusive Trust-fi rst all the action was tweeted live through social media platforms, giving people who couldn’t attend, the opportunity to fi nd out what was being discussed.

Our Board would like to thank everyone who was involved in making the event a success.

5

NEW SYSTEM TO HELP YOURDEVELOPMENT A new set of behavioural competencies has made its debut to help you get the most out of a new appraisal system launching early next year.Based around our values, the competencies will show how our skills, behaviours and attitudes underpin the quality of care we provide to service users, patients and carers.

Designed with every job role in mind, from front-line and community health services staff to administration and facilities staff, the six competencies include: ‘Putting you First’, ‘Building Understanding’, ‘Working Together’, ‘Owning what we do’, ‘Knowing where we are going’ and ‘Fresh Thinking’.

These competencies will become the backbone of your future appraisals. Alongside encouraging you to think about what’s important in your current role, the new framework will also help you identify factors such as your training and development needs.

Simon Large, Chief Executive, said: “Throughout the new competencies there is a strong emphasis on each and every one of us to recognise areas for improvements or changes.

“It’s an exciting step forward for us that brings together a talent framework and a fresh approach to supporting you in your jobs. It will also help us move closer to achieving our vision.”

For more information about the new competencies, your job profi le or the new appraisal system please contact Steve Keyes on 01274 363509.

EXCITING FUTURES III RETURNS Our leadership and talent management programme, Exciting Futures, returned in October to put 20 participants through their paces. Made up of staff from a wide range of services and job roles, the nine month programme will see participants work together in groups on projects that will not only help develop themselves, but will also benefi t services.

One project group will work on implementing a tele-health project in our Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services; another will look to produce an educational DVD and training package to improve carer’s experiences and the fi nal group hopes to develop a resource facility for service users in our Low Secure Services. 

Steve Keyes, Leadership and Organisational Development Manager, said: “The programme may well be in its third year but the enthusiasm for it just seems to keep on getting stronger.

“It will be great to see the groups delivering projects important to the Trust that are underpinned by personal development.”

We’ll be following the groups’ progress over the course of the programme so you’ll be able to see how they’re getting on!

ABOVE: Participants try to land eggs safely at the projects launch day!

ATTACKS ON STAFF FALL AGAINReported incidents against our staff have fallen for the third year in a row. A report by NHS Protect shows there were 991 incidents between April 2010 and March 2011, compared to 1132 the previous year; a reduction of 12%.

The majority were classed as minor such as a push or nip.

Roberto Giedrojt, Local Security Management Specialist, said: “We’re pleased the number of incidents against staff has reduced again. It refl ects the continual hard work that’s undertaken to improve the safety of staff and patients.”

Please report all types of incidents no matter how minor you feel they are and ensure your confl ict resolution training is up-to-date.

To report an incident online click on the link on the right hand side of our intranet home page or speak to your line manager who will help you fi ll out a hard copy of the form.

6

NIB’s

NEW MENU WILL ENHANCE STAYService users at our Low Secure unit are now looking forward to improved dining experiences after meeting with Food Services.Working in line with our values, Food Services are updating choices offered to in-patients at Moorlands View after service users highlighted a range of areas for improvement.

Grainne Eloi, Modern Matron, said: “We met with Food Services to compare the food and to make sure the meals for staff and service users are of the same standard.

“Service user empowerment is at the top of our agenda. We are working together with service users and ward staff through the Productive Ward Programme and the ‘Essence of Care Agenda’ to improve the in-patient experience.”

Amongst other things, the new menu looks set to include a wider range of supper time meal options, will see snack-times extended from mid-afternoon to early evening and extra efforts will be taken to make sure only the highest standards of food are delivered to the wards.

David Gibson, Logistics and Income Co-ordinator for Food Services, said: “We constantly seek feedback from service users about what they desire. Following our meeting we will be putting more systems in place to further enhance in-patient mealtimes.

“We hope our new ideas developed together with service users will better refl ect individual needs and help us deliver the best possible meals whilst at the same time reducing food wastage further.”

We’ll catch up with staff and service users from Moorlands View in a future edition of Connections to see how the new dining options are received - watch this space!

CULTURE FUSION OPENS ITS DOORSA new young person’s hub, known as Culture Fusion, has now opened its doors to children and young people in our local area. The centre, in a converted mill in Thornton Road, Bradford, provides a range of services, information and advice on topics including: mental health, sexual health, careers and housing.

We are one of the co-located partners in this exciting new venture and our Early Intervention in Psychosis (EIP) service is now delivered from this site.  

Keep your eye on future editions of Connections when we’ll be heading down to the site to fi nd out more.

RESEARCHEXHIBITIONWe recently held a research exhibition that allowed people to have the chance to fi nd out more about our research agenda.Over one hundred delegates including clinicians, researchers, service users, carers, commissioners and managers attended the event. They were given the chance to browse a number of stalls which offered an insight into some of the research we have been carrying out.

Attendees were invited to listen to a number of presentations headed by some of our top health experts and partner organisations. These included a speech on the national and local context of NHS research, presented by Professor David Cottrell, Dean of Medicine from the University of Leeds (pictured right).

The event was a huge success and did an excellent job of highlighting the work of our Research and Development team, as well celebrating the research relationship we have with our partner organisations and service users.

For more information please visit www.bdct.nhs.uk/rd

7

CALLING ALL CARERSWe’re trying to fi nd new ways of offering support to carers. To understand how best we can do this though, we need to hear from those who are responsible for caring for others.That’s why we’re currently carrying out a survey to fi nd out what support is already available and to see what more needs to be done.

If you know someone who provides unpaid support to family or friends who couldn’t manage without this help, please encourage them to complete the survey before end of March.

Lisa Wright, Head of Involvement and Equality, said: “We’re hopeful that the more survey responses we receive, the more we will know what carers needs are. All the results will help us put plans in place to improve the service we currently offer.”

For more information about the survey please contact Lisa Wright on 01274 363541 or visit www.bdct.nhs.uk/carerssurvery

UNIQUE VOICESHELP OTHERSOur drama group for people with learning disabilities, Unique Voices, has raised nearly £100 for children in East Africa at a fundraising day. As part of the Baildon Wacky Scarecrow Walk, the group dressed as characters from their upcoming production of Pied Piper of Baildon to promote the play and take part in the day’s festivities.

Zil Haque (pictured above left) and Zieshaun Ahmed, two of the actors who were dressed as rats, collected money from willing donators at the festival earlier this year, with all proceeds going to a ‘Save the Children’ appeal.

Half the money raised will go directly to helping 800 people access safe drinking water, and the remaining

funds will provide at least 10 families with malnutrition treatment.

Tony Homyer, Senior Drama Instructor, said: “Many people at the festival were very moved by what we were doing; helping others less fortunate than ourselves.

“We’re all delighted that the money will be going to help so many people in developing countries.”

NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTORAPPOINTED A Bradford Councillor has become the latest addition to our Trust Board. Councillor Jan Smithies (Keighley West Ward, Bradford Metropolitan Council) has been appointed as a Local Authority Non-Executive Director for the next four years.

Jan has worked with a variety of NHS organisations during her career and spent 17 years running her own consultancy company. More recently, Jan worked in Organisation and Community Development at NHS Bradford and Airedale, following a two year spell with the Department of Health’s ‘Health Inequalities National Support Team’.

Jan said: “I am particularly interested in getting to grips with the challenge presented by the new partnerships to improve health and well-being, and the opportunities to transform how we all deliver services to the people in our area.”

8

A ‘powerful and intriguing’ postcard exhibition took centre stage when we celebrated World Mental Health Day.  

‘Powerful’Exhibition Marks Day

ADULT MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES

ADULT MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES

9

Designed to showcase the creative talents of service users from our Adult Mental Health Services, the ‘Can you imagine how I feel?’ exhibition demonstrated how art can play a positive role in the recovery of people with mental health problems.

Opened by the Lord Mayor of Bradford, Councillor Naveeda Ikram, the event at Kirkgate Community Centre in Shipley brought together artists, service users, staff and members of the public.

The exhibition featured a wide range of imaginative postcards that had been developed using paint, print, mixed media and collages in art workshops as part of the Exciting Futures II project, ‘Answersonapostcard’.

The Lord Mayor praised the work of service users as she cut the opening ribbon to reveal the breathtaking postcard display (pictured above).

After designing her own postcard to donate to the exhibition, Councillor Ikram said: “The event has been a great opportunity for people to actually see and feel really intriguing work. What a powerful way for service users to express themselves and a perfect way to recognise and celebrate World Mental Health Day.”

Delivered in partnership with Pioneer Projects, a nationally renowned arts and health charity,

‘Answersonapostcard’ has seen more than 20 service users get involved with the project.

One of the artists, Nick, said: “The project was one of the most uplifting and inspiring groups I’ve ever been to. To see the wide variety of service users coming together and producing the artwork they did was astonishing.

“It proved that we bond, that we feel safe around each other and most importantly it proves mental health is not something to be ignored!”

The aim of ‘Answersonapostcard’ is to encourage service users to express how they are feeling on paper before sharing them with others. Not only does this develop artistic skills, it also helps increase service users’ self-esteem.

Carl Challinor, Event Co-organiser, said: “World Mental Health Day was the perfect occasion for us to showcase such meaningful work from people who use our services.

“ Its testament to their talents, creativity and dedication that such a fantastic collection of artwork could have been created for the exhibition.”

i d h h i l f

‘As

World Mental Health Day was the perfect occasion for us to showcase such meaningful work from people who use our services.

SUBSTANCE MISUSE SERVICES

10

Walk into the waiting room at the Ingrow Centre in Keighley and you will soon see a large colourful train taking over the walls.It will be fi lled with stories and experiences of service users, hoping to inspire others to make changes in their lives.

The train represents their journey towards recovery – whatever that means to the individual. The idea came directly from service users and staff from our Airedale Community Drug and Alcohol Team.

People are encouraged to share their story no matter what stage of their journey they are on.

Morag Wycherley, Community Psychiatric Nurse, said: “Recovery isn’t just about giving up drugs or alcohol or getting out of treatment, it may be that someone’s started their treatment, or they’ve reduced their drug intake.

“Everyone’s journey is different, some may get on and off at different stops, some may even go backwards, but everyone has a focus for where they want to be.”

There’s already a small version of the train up in the waiting room at the Ingrow Centre and it’s proving popular with service users.

Morag added: “By sharing their stories, people can look back and refl ect on what they have achieved and how far they have come.”

Here are just some of the experiences already shared by those on their journey to recovery:

I gave up drinking alcohol 17 years

ago- life improved straight away.

I started about fi ve years ago at

which point I realised I was what I

hated the most – a junkie. I’ve

only now decided that I’m nearly 40

to stop and sort myself out.

My journey started when I was 19

years old, when I was fi rst introduced

to heroin. It totally took over my life and

when I found out I was pregnant that’s

when I got help… I recently started a

new job helping people who need

help with substance abuse. It’s taken 12

years but it has made me the person I am

today – stronger and more confi dent.

All Aboard theRecovery Train!

11

SPECIALIST SERVICES

Service Welcomes1,000th Champion

One of our specialist services that sees seniors across Bradford encourage communities to stay active and healthy is celebrating reaching a signifi cant milestone…

IMAGE CAPTION: Cupiest publius facerfi n nesignos ompliciem scre hem di

Seniors Show the Way, which supports people aged 50+ to become volunteer community health champions, has now welcomed its 1,000th recruit.

Eric Carter (pictured) from Keighley, became the 1,000th Community Health Champion when he pledged to share positive health messages in his local community.

To mark the occasion Mr Carter was presented with a healthy hamper, much to his surprise.

He said: “I can’t get over being the one thousandth Community Health Champion

- I thought it was a con! I certainly didn’t expect to receive a hamper either.

“I felt so much better after completing my treatment in another of your services and intend to continue to lead a healthy life, so the fruit hamper is terrifi c.”

Mr Carter became involved with Seniors Show the Way after receiving treatment from our Pulmonary Rehabilitation Service. He hopes to fulfi l his community health champion role by reminding his family and friends about the benefi ts of eating well and getting regular exercise.

Catherine Pitts, Team Coordinator, said: “Community health champions are invaluable to our service and in many cases, make a lasting, positive impact on people’s lives.

“We’re delighted to have reached such a fantastic number of champions and look forward to working with Mr Carter to further benefi t local communities.”

Seniors Show the Way (as part of

the Altogether Better programme)

has been fl ying the fl ag for us and

the rest of Bradford at The National

Lottery Awards 2011. Turn to page

16 to fi nd out how they got on in the

‘Best Health Project’ category when

the results were announced live on

the BBC on 5 November!

SUBSTANCE MISUSE SERVICES

12

Think Beforeyou Drink thisFestive SeasonFresh from hosting a highly-successful national seminar to more than 200 health care professionals, Sue Morris, our Specialist Alcohol Nurse, shares some top tips for safer festive drinking this winter…

Set drinking limitsDecide how much you’re going to drink and stick to it. Ideally your limits should be within your daily guidelines, 2-3 units for women, 3-4 units for men.

Learn to drink slowlyAvoid rushing your drinks. Timing your

drinks against the clock can often help, you could maybe aim for a pint an hour.

Avoid drinking in roundsDon’t worry about it seeming a bit anti-social - buying your own drinks gives you more control over your drinking.

For more information about alcohol and the effects it can have on your well-being, check out our

“Alcohol: What you need to know” guide, available at www.bdct.nhs.uk/sms

t

r

You and Your Care

Alcohol:What you Need to Know

13

SUBSTANCE MISUSE SERVICES

Limit your spending powerIt’s easy to get carried away over the festive period so limit the amount of money you take out with you. That way, when you are running low on money, you know it’s nearly home time.

Eat before you drinkDrinking on an empty stomach

can be harmful. Make sure you have a good meal before consuming alcohol to reduce

your desire to drink heavily.

Try out lower strength drinksCut down your alcohol units by trying out different drinks. Switching to a lower strength drink such as an 8% wine instead of a 13% wine, or drinking spirits with a mixer or iced water can help reduce your alcohol intake.

Keep occupied

Slow down your drinking by playing

pool, dominoes or cards with friends.

Have a dry periodIf you know you have festive parties coming up on the calendar, spend a couple of days alcohol-free beforehand, and after to let your body recover.

Don’t try to keep upIf you socialise with heavy drinkers, don’t try to keep up. Drink at your own pace, and drink sensibly.

Remember you can say ‘no’!Don’t bow to any pressure put on you by friends. Only drink what you want to drink and don’t have more than you had planned. Be assertive and say ‘no’ if you don’t want another drink.

Track your festive drinking with your iPhone! If you have an iPhone or iPod touch you can download the free NHS Drinks Tracker from the app store straight from your phone. It allows you to keep a drink diary and get feedback on your drinking.

14

Supervision, as it is known, is when you meet with your supervisor to discuss matters relating to your work, practice or development. It’s also a chance for you to refl ect on the challenges and opportunities you may be facing in your role.

Everyone should have management supervision, however you can also take part in clinical or practice supervision which might be through peer supervision groups, one-to-one supervision or multi-disciplinary group supervision. Slightly different in format, but all with a common goal to aid your development and give you feedback on your practice from a different perspective. Supervision like this also gives you an open forum environment where you can discuss issues arising from your work.

One example of a well-established multi-disciplinary supervision group is in our Older People’s Mental Health Services. Here, staff from a wide range of roles come together monthly in a safe and confi dential environment to refl ect on work processes, seek information and receive support and encouragement.

Rani Seehra told Connections why she attends the group regularly. She said: “It’s a really relaxed group where I feel I can talk through different issues, feelings and thoughts without being judged.

“Sometimes people just listen, but often we all offer different perspectives on situations to help

others. Although so many professionals come together, everyone is equal and there for the same reason. It’s really benefi cial to my work.”

For more information please visit the new supervision intranet page where you can fi nd e-learning packages and a survey that will help us determine the type, frequency and quality of supervision you currently receive. The survey will be available until the end of December 2011 and your comments will be greatly received. All results will be used to develop supervision opportunities in the future.

Supervision EncouragesSuper-services

Did you know if you have direct contact with service users and carers you have the opportunity to take part in good quality supervision? Here, we explore the options available to help you in your work…

CORPORATE SERVICES

> Peer supervision groups involve colleagues from the same staff group with equal experience who share supervision tasks on an equal basis.> One-to-one supervision usually takes place between two members of the same team or profession with the supervisor usually senior to the supervisee.> Multi-disciplinary group supervision is non-hierarchical and might well take place between a facilitator and a group. If there is a facilitator they will not usually have a line management relationship with the supervisees and the supervisees

will be from different professional groups.

> Peer super i i

Different Types of Supervision Groups

onal groups.To fi nd out what groups are available to you please contact your line manager.

PICTURED: Members of a supervision group in Older People’s Mental Health Services

15

SALARIED DENTAL SERVICES

Taking Actionin our LocalCommunity‘If in doubt get checked out’ was the message staff took out into the community in November for Mouth Cancer Action Month…6,000 people will be diagnosed with mouth cancer this year… without early detection half of those will die.

As part of Mouth Cancer Action Month staff from our Salaried Dental Service visited local colleges to highlight the disease to young people and encourage them to carry out self-examinations.

Members of the team talked to over 200 students at three college sites in Bradford and Keighley about the risk factors and symptoms of the disease.

Sarah Wimpenny, Oral Health Promoter, said: “Mouth cancer is not just limited to older people who smoke or have drunk alcohol over many years. Younger people face an increasing threat from lifestyle choices including poor diets, alcohol abuse and exposure to HPV (human papillomavirus).”

Our staff also took to the driving seat in a bid to target hard-to-reach communities. Working with staff in our Mobile Dental Unit they provided information and advice about mouth cancer to service users at a detox/rehabilitation centre in Bradford.

Sarah added: “This disease is no longer predominantly a problem for men, the proportion of women contracting the disease has steadily increased. Our multi-cultural society also means that smokeless tobacco is common in many communities and poses a signifi cant threat, especially to South Asian women.”

We encourage people to self-examine regularly, so they can watch out for the warning signs themselves and act quickly.

The warning signs of mouth cancer are:

• Red, white or speckled patches in the mouth that cannot be wiped off.

• Mouth ulcers or sores that take longer than three weeks to heal.

• Problems chewing or swallowing lasting more than three weeks.

IF IN DOUBT - Get Checked Out!

Mouth Cancer:

Spot the Warning Signs

CORPORATE SERVICES

16

Here at Connections we’re delighted when we hear about all the awards individuals, teams and service areas are short-listed for and go on to win! There’s been so many recently, it’s only right we celebrate and recognise the wide-range of achievements in our services over the past couple of months.

Simon Large, Chief Executive, said: “The volume of awards we are short-listed for, and in some cases go on to receive, is absolutely brilliant - we are really raising the bar now. It just goes to show how much fantastic work is going on across our organisation.

“Well done to everybody who helps deliver such award-winning services for the people of Bradford, Airedale and Craven.”

Well done and congratulations to:

CelebrationsTrust-wide asAwards Roll in!

Health & Safety Offi cer Paul Challengerwho helped us maintain our ‘Silver Award’ from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA). This was for our dedication to improving performance in health and safety across our workplace.

Our Clinical Audit and Pharmacy Teamsafter they picked up the ‘Sustained Improvement’ accolade at the 2011 Clinical Audit Awards, run by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership. This was for their audit of high dose antipsychotic drugs being prescribed on our in-patient wards.

CORPORATE SERVICES

17

Our School Nursing Leadership teamwho were runners up in the ‘Clinical Team of the Year - Children’s Health’ category and in the ‘Nursing Team of the Year’ category at the General Practice Awards 2011. They were recognised for their efforts in working towards reaching the Department of Health’s target for HPV vaccinations.

Dr Mahmood Khanwho received a ‘Clinical Excellence Award’ from the University of Leeds’ School of Medicine and Health for his work with undergraduate medical students.

Vocational Serviceswho scooped ‘Partnership of the Year’ award at the NHS Yorkshire and the Humber Apprenticeship Awards 2011 in recognition of our work with training provider General Physics Skills Training Academy. We were also highly commended and runner up in the ‘Employer of the Year’ category.

New Ridge Adult Learning Groupwho received a ‘b active’ award from Bradford Council in recognition of their determination and commitment to improving their lifestyle and health. Six people with learning disabilities have done this by taking part in weekly activities such as climbing, canoeing, caving, archery and survival skills.

Our Hotel Services Teamwho cleaned their way to success at the Golden Services Awards 2011, claiming the ‘Best Cleaned Premises - Healthcare Establishment’ in honour of their cleaning standards at Eccleshill NHS Treatment Centre.

Seniors Show the Waywho as part of the Altogether Better Programme, were announced as runner-up in the Best Health Project at the National Lottery Awards 2011. The service would like to thank all colleagues who helped get them to the fi nal by voting.

18

ALLIED HEALTH PROFESSIONALS & PLANNED CARE SERVICES

Imagine being lost in unfamiliar surroundings with no-one to turn to. You might have just arrived or may not have anywhere to go. You’re struggling to fi nd food, shelter and safety and you’re worried about your health but don’t know who to turn to. What would you do? Here, we meet the service offering hope to new arrivals in Bradford.Nestled in the heart of the city centre, our Homeless and New Arrivals Health Team is waiting in the wings to offer culturally-sensitive support to people who need it most.

Whether people have arrived in the country as an asylum seeker or refugee, have come from afar to study in the city or simply have no fi xed abode, our nine-strong team of nurses, admin staff, a mental health practitioner and a psychologist provide a single point of access to local health services.

Fiona Lerner, Team Leader, said: “We see people from all over the world who for whatever reason have come to Bradford and require support. In some cases it might just be for tuberculosis (TB) screening or signposting to relevant services, but other times, people really can be in need of our help.”

A client’s fi rst contact with the team involves an initial assessment to establish their health needs. This can be done in a client’s temporary accommodation, a hostel or at the team’s base, Bevan House. Here, immediate health and welfare concerns are addressed and care plans and/or referrals are made to the necessary services or organisations.

“Many people are embarrassed about their situation, but they needn’t be. Our aim is to improve their mental and physical health regardless of their personal story,” Fiona continued.

It’s also not just individuals the team works with; often it can be whole families who have relocated.

Fiona added: “It’s important we get to know the overall situation as the distress of a single family member can affect the health of the whole family unit. We work to reduce this affect by using our unique

multi-disciplinary resources and by knowing which other organisations we can contact to help people best.”

The team modestly believe they are “just doing their jobs”, but they often go above and beyond their daily duties to ensure they meet the needs of clients.

“Simple things like giving someone food to help feed

their families can go a long way to getting people on the right pathway”, Fiona explained.

It’s this type of dedication to the service that improves clients outlook on life.

One client said: “I really appreciate the service’s help. I thought I was going to die but with your support things have got so much better.”

Referrals for the service can come from a variety of sources including the Home Offi ce, partner organisations or by self-referral. For more information about the team, please visit:

www.bdct.nhs.uk/new-arrivals-health-team/

Throwing a Lifeline to HomelessPeople & New Arrivals

Ttjoadm

“Sim

BACK ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT: Fiona Lerner, Kirsty Shepherd, Saiqa Kauser, Kara Kaur. FRONT ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT: Junaid Ismail, Shupikai Jeyacheya, Joanne Peel.

19

CORPORATE SERVICES

19

Our bid for foundation trust (FT) status is an important step in our fi ve year vision to becoming one of the country’s leading health and social care providers.Our public consultation came to an end on 5 December.

Some of the questions and comments that have come out of the consultation include:

Q. What is the reasoning behind each of the suggested appointed governors?

A. You can fi nd this information on page 18 of ‘Have Your Say - Our plans for becoming an NHS Foundation Trust.’

Q. There should be an older person’s representative on the appointed governors.

A. This comment will be considered by our Trust Board in January.

Q. Last time you consulted, you had a mental health service user / carer constituency. Why has this been removed?

A. We don’t think it’s fair to discriminate against mental health service users by separating them from other members of the public. We now have more than 30 community health services in addition to our mental health and learning disability services. It would be impossible to offer each and every service a place on the Council of Governors. There would also be other complications with a patient constituency, such as how long a former service user is classed as a service user. As everyone is a member of the public we feel that the public constituency is the best way forward. However our Trust board will be made aware of your comments at the meeting in January.

FT Update

1,300 people

In three months we’ve spoken to more than 1,300 people...

...and attended more than 70 events in a bid to talk to staff, service users and the local community.

We’d like to thank everyone who came forward and gave us their views about our plans.

70 events

If you have any questions, contact the Foundation Trust Offi ce on 01274 363 552.

Key Dates

30 June 2012

Formal

application to

the Department

of Health.

October 2012 - March 2013Assesment by

Monitor.

1 April 2013

Estimated approval date for FT status.

Now you’ve had your say…what next?A summary of responses received during the consultation will be presented to our Trust Board in January and published on our website. This information will be used to help us fi nalise our plans.

20

CORPORATE SERVICES

During our Safeguarding Week (31 October – 4 November) we held a series of events to highlight the importance of protecting vulnerable people by recognising and responding to abuse.

The week was kick-started with an event attended by more than 100 professionals, including our staff, West Yorkshire Police, Bradford Metropolitan Council and Safer Communities.

We used innovative training programmes to highlight the skills and techniques needed to spot the potential signs of abuse. These included hard-hitting role plays by local theatre group Cragrats (pictured above) to help staff recognise and respond to different signs of abuse in real-life situations.

Safeguarding- If You Don’t Do Something, Who Will?Safeguarding is everyone’s business – regardless of our role within the Trust, we ALL have a part to play in protecting service users and patients from abuse. But if you suspected something, would you know what to do?

ABOVE INSET: Children’s Safeguarding Unit

21

CORPORATE SERVICES

Nicola Lees, Executive Director of Operations and Nursing and Executive Lead for Safeguarding, said: “As health professionals we all play a key role in reporting safeguarding issues. It is our duty to protect adults and children who may be vulnerable to abuse by others. We want you to know what to do if you are worried about the welfare of an adult or child you come into contact with.”

With stalls, demonstrations, drop-in sessions and role-plays at a variety of locations, there were plenty of opportunities to meet the team and fi nd out more about our responsibilities to patients and service users. It also gave everyone a chance to ensure they were up-to-date with training.

As part of the week the Children’s Safeguarding Team (pictured left), at Park View Court in Shipley, opened its doors to staff to give an insight into what they do.

There are six specialist practitioners who support staff working with children and their families. They are here to help if you have any immediate concerns and are not sure what to do; they should be your fi rst point of contact and are available Monday to Friday between 8.30am and 5pm on 01274 221001. This is not a referral service, but the team can point you in the right direction if action needs to be taken.

Staff in the unit are also responsible for your safeguarding children training, from induction through to Level 3 and are happy to discuss any requirements you may have.

Upstairs in the unit you’ll fi nd the Looked After Children Team which provides health assessments, public health advice and specialist support services to children and young people in the care system and those leaving care. They liaise closely with social care services, foster carers and staff working within residential care homes for children.

Amanda Lavery, Named Nurse, from the Safeguarding Children team shares her key messages for anyone who may be concerned about someone: “Safeguarding is everyone’s business - including yours, so if you are worried, speak to someone as soon as possible. Always consider what life is like for the vulnerable child, young person or adult…listen to their voice. Feel free to contact us here at the unit. Don’t think

‘what if I’m wrong’ – think ‘what if I’m right.”

If you are concerned about the possible abuse of an adult, contact your manager or another manager in the fi rst instance. The Safeguarding Team is available for further advice if necessary:

Lesley Latham, Lead Practitioner for Safeguarding Adults, 01274 228133.

Gill Ryan, Named Nurse Safeguarding Adults, 07944 184742.

WHAT IS MEANT

BY ABUSE?Abuse is the term used for a wide range of ill

treatment. It includes being treated without dignity

or respect, being roughly handled/assaulted and/or

being denied the necessary care/support.

The main types of abuse are:

• Physical

• Sexual

• Psychological

• Financial or material

• Neglect

• Institutional abuse / poor professional

practice

• Discriminatory abuse

Abuse can be deliberate or unintentional; it can

happen once or many times to the same person

and it can arise in any relationship or at any time

and place.

Staff in the unit are also

YOUR SAFEGUARDING RESPONSIBILITIES

Be able to recognise the signs of abuse.Take action to protect the person’s health and safety.

Preserve any evidence.

Record and date your concerns and the action taken.

Know how to make a referral to social care.Ensure that you have undertaken the relevant safeguarding training and it is up-to-date.

22

LEARNING DISABILITY SERVICES

Keen to provide new opportunities for people with learning disabilities, New Ridge (pictured) pulled out all the stops to make sure six football-fanatic service users had a day to remember when they went behind the scenes at Manchester United Football Club.

Here the group tell us what they got up to…

The trip was an exciting day for everyone involved and certainly lived up to service users’ expectations - it’s all they talked about for days after we got back! Many of those who went on the trip would never have had the opportunity elsewhere. We can’t thank the staff at Manchester United enough for making this day possible and so many dreams come true.

Richard Nicholson, Therapy Assistant at New Ridge, said:

9.00am Left New Ridge on a mini-bus. We were all really excited. 10.30am Got to Old Trafford - wow! It was really big. We were met by an offi cial who was really helpful. He helped us fi nd a parking space and used his radio to let people know we had all arrived.

11am The stadium was very popular and busy. Luckily we got fast-tracked to the front though so we didn’t have to queue!

11.30am The Players Lounge. This is where the players’ families and guests go before and after the game to relax. It was lovely!

11.45am We saw where Wayne Rooney and his team mates get ready for the match when we went into the changing rooms.

12.00pm Can’t believe we walked out of the tunnel to the pitch at Old Trafford. It was amazing! We also saw where the team does their post match interviews and where the best player gets given a ‘Man of the Match’ award. Exciting!

12.30pm Saw where the manager sits during the game, it’s called the ‘dug-out’. We even sat in his seat!

12.45pm Everyone got given a memento of the day which was very kind and will help us remember our special trip.

1.00pm The tour fi nished. We headed back to New Ridge but there was still another surprise in store…

3.00pm We stopped at a Pakistani restaurant on the way back home for some delicious food.

5.00pm Arrived back at New Ridge after a great day out.

Theatre ofDreams Tour for New Ridge

23

LOW SECURE SERVICES

Meet the CriminalJustice Liaison Team

Mark Mazurke and Adrian Hill, Mental Health Nurses within our Low Secure Services, are the faces behind the team. They describe their role as providing a timely assessment of mental health need, and access to the appropriate service, for those caught up in the labyrinth of the criminal justice system.

Adrian says their role is often misunderstood:

Some people see us as a cross between Cracker and CSI, but this is so removed from reality. It is not our job to

be an expert witness offering opinion on guilt or innocence, that’s for others. We are here to try and make sure that Bradford offenders receive a fair response to their needs from mental health services.

On any given day Mark and Adrian might be working alongside probation service personnel, visiting prisons to liaise with mental health in-reach teams or they could be called by a solicitor to attend court.

The Police often request that they visit custody suites where people are being held. On arrival they carry out an assessment and make a recommendation, based on what they think is best for the individual, as to the most appropriate place for treatment. This could be a referral to the crisis team, a mental health community team, or an in-patient unit. Some individuals will require further assessment by a consultant psychiatrist who may have to provide a report to the courts with sentencing recommendations, including community supervision.

This is not a ‘get out of jail free’ card. The court has the fi nal decision and some people will still be managed via the criminal justice system, although this may be with additional support.

Mark and Adrian are always available to offer support and advice in relation to criminal justice matters and service user involvement. They can be contacted at Moorlands View on 01274 363235.

23

In the next edition of Connections... we’ll be meeting

the Forensic Adult Community Team which helps prepare

our service users for life back in the community.

Based at Moorlands View is a two man team working to help service users involved in the criminal justice system.

CORPORATE SERVICES

24

With a huge backlog of work piling up it’s no surprise that morale was low in our Pensions team, but, with the help of Lean thinking, staff managed to turn things around. Read on to fi nd out how they did it and what Lean can do for you…

Lean Thinking-Supporting ServiceImprovement

25

CORPORATE SERVICES

What is Lean thinking?Lean is about getting the right things to the right place, at the right time, in the right quantities, while minimising waste and being fl exible and open to change. It has been used in the NHS for many years and links in with the work already being undertaken around transformation at our Trust.

Valerie Rhodes, Service Improvement Lead, said: “Lean normally results in either a time or cost saving and an improvement in the quality of services. Teams look at how they work now; identify waste and ineffi ciencies and make changes to achieve an improved future state.”

Interested?If you want to learn more about Lean sign up for one of our e-learning modules. For more information contact Clair Barbour at the Lean Healthcare Virtual College on 01943 885086 or email [email protected]

If you need help to apply Lean thinking to your department contact Valerie Rhodes on 07824 569231.

InI teIf yofof r oinfoHeaoro e

If yyoyon

CASE STUDY –

Pensions TeamCarol Coulson, Pensions Manager, told us about

her experience of Lean and how it helped her team.

She said: “Before Lean we simply couldn’t do what

was expected of us; we had a huge backlog of work

which meant staff were overwhelmed and morale

was low.”

Thanks to thinking Lean, the team managed to clear

a backlog of 260 outstanding queries and saved one

day per month in time by nearly halving the number of

face-to-face contacts.

Carol explains: “The biggest thing for us was

introducing weekly team meetings to allocate

workloads. It means we are much more effi cient and

we can plan better for things like staff holidays.”

They also introduced online booking forms and

a new system for managing phone calls.

The Result

Staff in other departments are now benefi ting from

a more effi cient service and the morale within the

team has improved greatly, but Carol says there is still

a long way to go: “This is a new way of working for

us now; we are always looking at things and asking

‘is it Lean?’. It’s about continuous improvement.”

d

s.

m.

k

f

CASE STUDY –FinanceFor the Finance team it was a specifi c goal they had in mind; to bring forward the month-end reports by one day.

Within three months they achieved their target meaning Heads of Finance now get more time to prepare their Board reports.

Stacey Pearson, Finance Manager, said: “Everyone in the team welcomed the process and got involved. It really makes you think about why you do what you do and allows you to share best practice within the team.” David Rhodes, Finance Manager, added: “We found that everyone was working in different ways - we’ve now standardised our processes so we are working better together.”Other teams across our Trust that have also recently

applied Lean include the Occupational Therapy department at the Airedale Centre for Mental Health and the Helios Centre at Lynfi eld Mount Hospital.

26

CORPORATE SERVICES

As the nights draw in it’s time to think about what you can do to help you and your family keep warm, healthy and safe throughout the winter. Here, our Risk Management team shares their top tips for preparing for the cold weather:

Keep Warm, KeepWell this Winter

Practice Good Hand Hygiene Norovirus, the winter vomiting bug, is

common at this time of year. Good hand hygiene, especially after using the toilet, helps prevent the

infection spreading. Wash your hands in warm water using soap / clinical

wipes / alcohol gel.

Stay Healthy Reduce the risk of illness and

protect against the cold:

• Eat regular meals to keep your energy levels up and drink plenty of hot drinks.

• Keep active: Exercise is good for your overall health and can help keep you warm in winter. Even a small amount of exercise can bring health benefi ts. If possible, try to move around at least once an hour.

At Home • Stock up on simple cold and

fl u remedies and make sure you have enough of any medication you take regularly.

• Get your heating system serviced and your chimney swept.

• Make sure your home is insulated and if you need help with heating costs check if you are entitled to receive support.

Check your Vehicle is Ready for Winter Regularly servicing and checking your vehicle is in good running order will reduce your chances of breaking down.

• Make sure you have enough anti-freeze.

• Check your oil level.

• Make sure your lights are clean and working.

• Check your tyre condition, tread and pressures.

Get the Flu Jab Frontline health and social care workers are advised to

get vaccinated. To get your fl u jab contact Occupational

Health. Become a fl u fi ghter today! Get protected, stay

protected.

Those aged 65 or over, pregnant, those with certain medical

conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease and kidney

disease), and those who live in a residential or nursing home, or are the main carer for an older or disabled person can get the vaccine from their GP.

27

1. December

2. Winter

3. Snowman

4. Cold

5. Festive

6. Ivy

7. January

8. Party

9. Scarf

10. New Year

11. Family

12. Presents

13. Holly

14. Decorations

15. Reindeer

16. Star

17. Friends

18. Tinsel

19. Sleigh

20. Hat

WORDSEARCH Cheer yourself up from the January blues with a £30 Marks and Spencer voucher.All you need to do to be in with a chance of winning this great pick-me-up is fi nd the missing word in our festive themed word search.

Words can be up, down, forwards, backwards or diagonal. When you have found the missing word, send it to us at [email protected] no later than Friday 13 January (not so un-lucky for one entry!). The winner will be chosen at random and notifi ed after the closing date. Please remember to leave a contact number so we can let you know if you’ve been successful.

Good luck!

Coffee BreakG E R T Y I O P P Q S C A R F I O

B D I L W S T A R A F G H J A K F

N Y E R O F Y T U S J C H N M R L

P H T C G P S K W D H X F R I D H

S E L S E Z D Q I V Y Z P E L B N

N F A D W M C A N G Z A N T Y O E

O V R X J Y B S T N Y D B S F Y V

I P K E P B V E E T S E H J R X I

T G S A M N I G R N R E A I T K T

A T A I U S L F M H T N T Q I M S

R W B H E L X E P I U W B D N T E

O Q S S N E W Y E A R O A T S S F

C D Z Y R I U C R E I N D E E R N

E U S N K G T Y G Z X C V J L Z C

D L O C V H A B M S A T P L N M W

F K Y I O N R M T J P A R T Y F S

O H L W S A K P D R W M D B A Q S

R P R E S E N T S Q N A I L G U J

S E G J Y U O N A M W O N S R E K

OCTOBER’S WINNER Well done to James Mountain, Payroll Clerk at New Mill. James was randomly chosen as the winner after correctly spotting the missing word ‘launch’ in our foundation trust word search special. Thank you to everyone who entered.

Good luck!

OCTO

A spectacular event not to be missed.Monday 26 March (Evening Ceremony)National Media Museum, Bradford

See the winners unveiled live on the big screen, show support for your colleagues and be in with a chance of winning a luxury holiday for two to Marbella!*

Call 01274 228351 to reserve your tickets!

* All ticket holders MUST be in attendance at the ceremony to have a chance of winning the holiday. The prize has kindly been donated by Medic Care Ltd.

YOU’RE A STARAWARDS2012

You and Your Care

Main Event Sponsor


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