e-PoD8 V o l 2

I S S U E

this issueLiving Our Values Awards P.2

Brockington 10th Bir thday P.5

Trust HSJ Best Place to Work P.12

and lots, lots more . . .

PositivelyDifferent

A Keele University Teaching Trust

Lauren Bond receives her award from TCAT Chair of Governor’s, Rick Tyrer

A u g u s t2 0 1 5

Apprentice SuccessInspirational SSSFT staff and apprentices were presented with number of accolades and awards at Telford College of Arts and Technology’s annual ‘Celebration of Success’ ceremony in July. No less than four SSSFT employees received awards making SSSFT the most successful employer of apprentices at the awards. Tracey Deely, a qualified healthcare assistant at George Bryan Centre, Tamworth was one of the Trust’s first clinical apprentices. “Tracey has worked very hard and has just been fantastic” were the words used by Tracey’s tutor at TCAT, Barbara Hartley-Crump, at the ceremony. Tracey was awarded the Apprentice of the Year award for the Level 2 (Intermediate) Apprenticeship in Health and Social Care.

The next award recipient was Ben Picken, a HIS Administration Assistant. Ben was successful in receiving Apprentice of the Year for the Level 3, Advanced Apprenticeship in Business and Administration. Ben’s line manager, Trish Glover, nominated Ben stating “Ben is a dedicated individual with a great deal of potential who gives 100% commitment, all of the time. Ben is a role model and an inspiration to his team and to other apprentices. He now acts as a supervisor and mentor to our new team apprentice and in addition to this has proven to have excellent people management skills.”The next success story is Brona McGann. Brona is a Healthcare Support Worker at the Lichfield and Burntwood Community Mental Health Team. She has not only successfully completed a Level 3 (Advanced Apprenticeship) in Health and Social Care but was also awarded Apprentice of the Year for her efforts. Nominated

by her line manager, Suzannne Wyatt, stated “Brona has worked extremely hard to achieve her Diploma and we believe that her ambition and aptitude will lead her to progress further in mental health care, helping others overcome their mental illness. Through her education, Brona has acquired new skills and know-how which has inspired her to develop a group workshop”. Telford College’s ‘Second Time Around’ award, for people looking to update their qualifications and build confidence and self-esteem for a return to work, was won by 24-year-old Lauren Bond, from Stafford. Bev Jackson added: “Lauren is an inspiration to her colleagues. Since commencing her Business Administration Level 3 Apprenticeship qualification, she has gone from strength to strength with her role in displaying her knowledge and skills. The Trust would like to congratulate all our winners on their success at the awards as well as in their apprenticeships. Apprenticeships are not just for new support workforce recruits or for young people aged 16-25, they are also for current staff. If you would like to learn more about apprenticeships and how they can benefit your staff please contact Nicola Sherwood (Nicola.sherwood@sssft.nhs.uk), Workforce Development Facilitator. If you are a support workforce staff member at Bands 1-4 if you would like to find out more about the Trust’s Career Development Programme and the apprenticeships which may be available to you please contact Izabela Pawlowska (Izabela.Pawlowska@sssft.nhs.uk).

Tracey Deely

Ben Picken

Brona McGann receiving her award

Living Our Values AwardsThe Living our Values framework was developed with staff and service users and is about ensuring that we all Live our Values and get it right for service users, carers, staff and partners, every time. The five behaviours are; Respectful; Honest and Trustworthy; Caring and Compassionate; Taking the time to talk and listen; working together and leading by example.

The Living our Values Awards were designed as a visible thank you to staff who truly live our values every day. Nominations came from colleagues, service users and partners and over 40 were received. Over the past few weeks, Executive Directors have been going out and meeting the nominees and presenting them with a certificate of thanks of behalf of the Trust Board. There are still a few more presentations to go (details and photos next time), but we wanted to celebrate all the wonderful individuals who have already been recognised. Congratulations to them all.

Colleagues from across the Human Resources, Organisational Development and Equalities Directorate were recognised. The HRODE Admin Team were nominated by their manager, for their outstanding efforts to promote and live up to the LOV standards within the Trust. Rachel

Award winners from the HRODE team, with colleagues and Finance Director Jayne

Deaville who presented the awards

Vicky Jones; Marion Watkin; Medical Director, Claire Barkley; Michelle Lewis; Sally Miller

Rosie Waner and Therèsa Moyes, Director of Quality and

Clinical Performance

Kevin Blackmore and Therèsa Moyes, Director of Quality and

Clinical Performance

Sarah Clark and Therèsa Moyes, Director of Quality and

Clinical Performance

Austin Whyte and Alison Bussey, Director of Nursing/

Chief Operating Officer

Viv Braithwaite and Therèsa Moyes, Director

of Quality and Clinical Performance

Ward Manager Claire Hartland, Tracy Deely, Therèsa Moyes, Director of Quality and Clinical

Performance and Sandra Morton, Modern Matron

Medical Director, Claire Barkley with Sarb O’Brien and David Pike

page 2

Wood from Medical Staffing was commended for being helpful and courteous, respectful and kind. Kelly Woods was nominated by colleagues for consistently demonstrating that she lives the Trust values. Karen Bond and Izabela Pawlowska from the Learning and Development Team for the way they work effectively together ensuring their work is always of a high standard. Angie Astley sets an example for her staff and colleagues, taking the time to listen and learn from others, being honest and giving valued feedback. Helen Allen’s attitude to life and work is described as a testament to her strength of character and she is greatly valued for her hard work and dedication

A number of nominations were received from Tamworth. Terry Hall is a support worker in the East Crisis Team and is described as a pleasure to work with, caring and responsive to the needs of the team. Repair man Philip Matkin was nominated by a service user who values his sense of humour and willingness to stop and talk – “he should be a nurse, he is so nice”. Tracey Deely has just completed an apprenticeship on East Wing, George Bryan Centre and was commended for her can do attitude, with nothing being too much trouble. Viv Braithwaite is part of the Tamworth Community Mental Health Team and has remained focused on offering creative and innovative support to service users throughout a period of change. Also in Tamworth, cleaners Steph Cross and Rosie Waner have gone above and beyond in a role which is often overlooked, but is a vital part of any service

In Cambridge, Mark Buitendach, April White, Samantha Harcourt White and Rachel Bayleigh were put forward. Mark was nominated by one of the admin team for always valuing and respecting his admin colleagues; April is described as professional, trustworthy and discreet and her knowledge second to none; Sam offers so much energy and is a very dynamic team player, going above and beyond to support her colleagues; Rachel has a cheerful outlook and has been a joy to work with whilst managing an additional workload.

Members of the Quality Team, Kevin Blackmore works with staff, partners, service users and carers and strives to do his best for people, so they may go on to improve their services. Sarah Clark has a fantastic attitude and always finds the time to sort any problems, she is just a lovely person.

Simon Bell’s work with the Criminal Justice Liaison Team, Telford, brings him into contact with service users who may have committed terrible acts or engaged in horrifying behaviours but he never waivers in his commitment to put the Service User at the heart of everything he does.

Karl Bradley with Finance Director, Jayne Deaville

Steve Grange, Director of Business and Commercial Development with Neil Woodhouse and Betsy Walker

Steph Cross and Therèsa Moyes, Director of Quality and

Clinical Performance

Steve Grange, Director of Business and Commercial Development with

Gilly Roberts

Steve Grange, Director of Business and Commercial

Development with Edith Edwards

Simon Bell with Finance Director, Jayne Deaville

page 3

MindfulnessCast your minds back to Mental Health Awareness Week 11th-17th May 2015. You may recall the theme this year was Mindfulness. On Chebsey House, Occupational Therapists Amy Brockhurst and Julie Barnhouse promoted ‘Mindfulness’ to all patients. Mindfulness is a mind-body way of training allowing us to observe the way we think and feel about our previous and current experiences. This can play a part in the way we manage and adapt to stressful situations. As part of our mental health awareness week, occupational therapists Amy and Julie invited Beth Moody, Research Assistant and Kate Pover, Psychologist onto the wards at St George’s to give patients a talk on what mindfulness includes and how it can help mental health. They facilitated Mindfulness sessions for patients, using a range of natural materials to help the patients to concentrate on their present moment without being preoccupied with past experiences and worries about their future goals.

We felt that mental health awareness week was a good way to promote Mindfulness to allow patients to understand ways to maintain and increase their understanding of their mental health. Promoting mindfulness allowed each individual to relax and remember their present moments and positive past memories. Mindfulness is something that can be implemented into practice to encourage patients to participate in relaxation so they are able to focus on their recovery.

Amy Brockhurst, Occupational Therapist

Kate Pover and Beth Moody, and some of the natural materials used to help concentration

Digital First for TrustThe Trust is one of the first in the country to develop a Digital Strategy which is being launched at this year’s AGM on Thurs-day 10th September.The strategy entitled “Reimagining Service Delivery Through the use of Technology” will be officially launched during a morn-ing seminar involving speakers from organisations working in the digital arena who will share their experiences and ideas. Pete Kendal, Associate Director of IM&T, explained: “Our Dig-ital Strategy is about raising awareness of what digital tools and technology might be available to help staff improve and enhance service delivery and benefit our service users. Any-one who has ideas or is interested in this area is welcome to attend the event. We hope to create a community of staff who are interested in this field and provide a mechanism to drive forward digital ideas.”More information including booking details will be available on the Trust website shortly.

Living Our Values Awards continued ...At the other end of the spectrum, Karl Bradley, from the Early Intervention Team in Stafford has run the Staff Boxercise class for over 3 years. He gives up his own time, and puts a lot of thought and effort into ensuring classes are fun, varied and suitable for all abilities

Betsy Walker is based on Clee low secure unit at the Redwoods. She has had an incredible journey from being a clinical lead O.T to ward manager to clinical lead O.T again. She has put 100% into every aspect of both roles and put service user involvement and recovery as her priority.

Sunita Heeley also works on Clee. She has consistency of care during a time of upheaval and change for the service. In particular she has constantly maintained professional practice despite many changes to her own role.

Gilly Roberts and Neil Woodhouse are also Redwoods staff. Gill clearly values the intervention of being with a patient. Her overall calm demeanour has a positive impact on her patients and she demonstrates high levels of compassion and respect. Neil has been the AHPA on Pine since January 2014 and has produced amazing results in the increased activity levels for the service users, actively hastening their recovery.

David Pike is creating a children’s service to be proud of. He makes his staff feel like valued members of the organisation and is always fighting for what’s best for us and our service users. Also based at That Place in Burton, Sarb O’Brien has been an excellent youth worker for some 7 years now. In 2013 the centre was down to one member of staff and Sarb single handedly kept the centre running. Her enthusiasm and commitment didn’t fail.

Austin Whyte is a very grounded senior manager. He is always brave enough to question if the patient is at the centre of any decision and he embodies the six c’s of nursing. He is passionate about excellent care delivery and his practice matches the Trust’s core values to the letter.

Sally Miller works at Sustain+ and ensures that young people who enter our services receive the best possible care. When she identified that someone was not upholding this value she had the courage and convictions to challenge this.

Edith Edwards is a support worker for the Oswestry Home Treatment and Memory Service. She impresses with her kindness and the support she offers her service users who trust her and always speak honestly and openly to her.

Michelle Lewis supports the forensic services in Stafford and at the Redwoods. She is unfailingly cheerful, polite, professional and supportive. She is super efficient and understands the complexities of our systems including liaison with courts and MoJ

Marion Watkin is a fantastic Occupational Therapist who has raised the profile of OT in the Psychiatric Intensive Care ward by getting PAT on the ward, conducting additional training in animation therapy and in sensory integration.

Dave Woolrich and Sue Harrison both work in the West Crisis Team. Dave was commended as being a pleasure to work with, ‘he is kind and supportive and funny’, whilst Sue was put forward both for her overall positive attitude to work, and also for the professional way she managed a difficult situation, ensuring the safety of a service user and a child.

page 4

Brockington Unit Celebrates 10 YearsThe Brockington Unit at St George’s Hospital in Stafford opened 10 years ago to look after pregnant women and new mums with serious mental health problems, either existing, or originating during pregnancy or just after birth.Women who have been patients at the unit, with their children and families, and former and present staff, were invited to a special event last month which offered an opportunity to look at the Trust’s perinatal services and what they have achieved, as well as celebrating with fun events for adults and children alike.One of only 17 such units in the country which can admit mothers with their babies, the Brockington Unit has been accredited as excellent by the Royal College of Psychiatrists. It offers a very specialist service to women from across the West Midlands. A key aim of the peri-natal team is to ensure that mother and baby can stay together – important for the woman’s own recovery and for developing a healthy relationship between parent and child.Pregnancy, and the first year after birth are times when women are more susceptible to mental health problems. Figures show that in South Staffordshire there are around 7500 live births each year. Research suggests that 10-15% of mothers will develop post natal depression. Research has also shown that admission to hospital for psychiatric treatment is more likely to occur at childbirth than at any other time of life.One of the key note speakers at the celebration day was Emeritus Professor Ian Brockington, who gave his name to the unit. He is a retired Consultant Psychiatrist formerly based in Birmingham and an internationally recognised expert on motherhood and mental health.Staff (present and former), service users, carers and families had a great time and enjoyed magic, a bouncy castle, creative arts, music and presentations, as well as an opportunity to catch up with old friends.

Celebrating Brockington’s 10th Birthday

It’s Nearly Time!If you completed your core mandatory training by eLearning last year you will soon be due to undertake your annual competency check. The competency check can be completed online in approximately 30minutes. It couldn’t be easier for you to maintain your core mandatory compliance.

The first Directorates to go live last year, and therefore the first to receive the competency check will be: HRODE and the Health Informatics Service, with other directorates following in a phased basis.

Look out for an automated email from Learner Admin inviting you to complete the competency quiz. This email will include a reminder of your log in details.

When you log onto virtual college the quizzes will be in your learning area for all of the modules in your block with eight questions from each topic present. The pass mark will be 75% (in each topic area).

Please be aware you only get one attempt at the competency check. If you would like to revisit any areas of the refresher e-learning before you attempt the check then you can access this via your ‘Completed Learning’ Tab within Virtual College.

If you do not reach the pass mark in a particular area then you will automatically be reassigned that topic and will have to repeat the learning before being given another quiz.

If you have any questions please contact the Learning & Development Team at course.bookings@sssft.nhs.uk <mailto:course.bookings@sssft.nhs.uk> or 01785 221596

Recruit Faster – Use the NHS Jobs Talent PoolThe Trust is delighted to announce the launch of the NHS Jobs Talent Pool.

The Talent Pool holds applicants who have previously applied and been interviewed for specific vacancies within the Trust. These applicants were deemed appointable but were not successful because there weren’t enough vacancies to appoint to at that time.

The Recruitment Team can search the talent pool for suitable candidates and contact them through NHS Jobs when we have other vacancies that arise to prevent Recruiting Managers going through the full recruitment process again. This will reduce the recruitment time by at least 1 month.

A user guide has been e-mailed to all Recruiting Managers that have an NHS Jobs account.

Further information on the use of the NHS Jobs Talent Pool is available from the Trust website, alternatively please contact Helen Emery, Recruitment Services Manager, helen.emery@sssft.nhs.uk or telephone number 0300 790 7000 ext 8639.

page 5

Dvorak, Handel and the lovely Flower Duet by Delibes. Plus unexpectedly, Scott Joplin and The Beatles! Over 30 people attended! We also had the fab regular pianist Steve Roberts who treated us to a range of light classics including some French composers such as Debussey and Sati (as it was Bastille Day!). He also finished his set with a rousing piece by Rachmaninov which raised the roof!Later in the month we had Random Brass, new to the Redwoods – a group of six brass instruments of different kinds: trombone, 3 trumpets, tuba and French horn – fantastic blast of energy throughout the centre! Lovely range of music and genre – including a Lady Gaga number!! and finally Daylevel (acoustic duo) returned to deliver a wonderful range of contemporary songs full of harmony and delicious guitar melodies, plus storytelling! Evening events at Redwoods We are holding monthly evening events – this month we had the fabulous Hannah and Brian – to deliver a concert on Oak Ward plus a concert on the Wrekin Rotunda for all adult acute wards. We had over 20 audience and they so enjoyed the concert – lots of singing along, clapping and cheering at the end! Hannah and Brian are back at Redwoods in September. The audience were asking for the pair to return they enjoyed them so much.

We did a taster session to begin with to gauge interest and we had great feedback from this. Matthew is working over 6 weeks at the centre and he is very pleased with how the inpatients are receiving his workshops. Every Friday Sal Tonge provides music on Holly Ward, bringing along a variety of instruments which patients are encouraged to play.

Session at Wheaton AstonArts for Health attended the Dementia Awareness day over at Wheaton Aston the other week. The event had been organised by the Alzheimer’s Society bringing together local organisations that support those living well with dementia. Young pupils from Wolgarston High School were present to interview service users. The pupils are working with Kanyini Arts and Alzheimer’s Society to produce a book about what is to live with dementia. Live music across the TrustWe had the delightful quirky song writer Scott Milligan in at the beginning of July. Scott’s songs went down well on Brocton and Chebsey who all seemed to appreciate listening to someone who writes their own work.At Redwoods in July we had the vibrant Scherzando Strings – a lovely and hugely professional live music concert. Sue and William were so engaging and played an exciting variety of classics by

Creative Ward ActivitiesSongs for You over at George Bryan Centre, Tamworth is really going well and we ae delighted that we have had confirmation of £840 from Councillor Greatorex and now Councillor White has offered £1000 so we are all delighted Songs for You will continue until December 2016.Staff and service users on West Wing at the George Bryan Centre spent the afternoon working with artist Anne Kinnaird to finalize plans for where to display silk panels created during creative workshops over the past couple of months. Participants have taken lots of photographs which they then used to make drawings onto clear acetate sheets. These drawings were projected up onto silk panels, re-drawn on the silks and colour added with silk paints after going through a wax resist process. We are grateful to Facilities and Estates who are partnering with us on this project to create coloured feature walls on the ward to really show the artwork off to its full potential.Exciting drumming sessions have just started on adult acute wards at Redwoods with local musician Matthew Shepherd. Matthew is a very talented drummer and is bringing along a number of his Djembe drums for the Friday morning sessions – with the aim of engaging inpatients in a drumming workshop.

Facebook reminderJust to encourage anyone out there in Facebook land that Arts for Health would love you to like our page and any of the projects we place on the fb wall?

www.facebook.com/ArtsForHealthSSSFT.

Random Jazz

Matthew drumming

Gordon and his quilt

page 6

very talented musician Stuart Thomas!We have also introduced a new idea into the Songs sessions – having a short presentation by participants each week on something they are doing creatively in their lives. In July we had Gordon talking about his beautiful hand-made quilts that he has created over the years. To date he has made 18 large duvet covers and 53 cushion covers! He explained his technique to the group and we were all in awe at his expertise and skill!

Trust Art Competition 2015Thanks to our panel of judges who gave up their time to deliberate over the difficult task of selecting artworks for our upcoming exhibition of service user artwork in October. The standard of work was really high as we have come to expect and the submissions included a diverse mix of different styles and media including

Creating a Song and Dance CASAD is going from strength to strength. We were treated to a new ballad penned and performed by Gillie Nicholls in anticipation of her forthcoming granddaughter…the music was so beautiful it encouraged many of the participants to join in and harmonise.Local ASDA supermarkets at Stafford and Cannock have donated tea, coffee and sugar to keep our groups quenched for the next year.These sessions are so valuable for these people…it offers a place for people to meet and have fun. One carer recently said that if in the event she should lose her partner she would still attend as the people in this group have become her good friends.We have an August break but will resume on Monday 21 September at Walton Village Hall, Walton on the Hill, Green Gore Lane, Stafford ST10 0LD. Sessions in Cannock will commence at St Barnabas Church Community Hall, Hampton Street, Mosswood , Cannock WS11 Songs for YouIn Shrewsbury we had our last session of the summer on 23rd July. We have been lucky to have a new guitarist join the group – Sam Cooper – who has played a gig at the Redwoods Centre before now. Sam will come along to join the group and accompany some of the singing – along with our

photography, acrylics, oils, glass art, drawing and even ‘zentangles’. Well done to all who took part in the competition. Watch this space for details of the exhibition launch which will take place in October!Trust Art Work selected work from last year’s Trust Art Competition which has been touring round the County has returned from Tamworth library. It will now be displayed within St Chad’s at St George’s Hospital in the entrance area. Anyone with work that was submitted last year is welcome to contact Eleanor Babb on 01785 221328 or email Eleanor.babb@sssft.nhs.uk to arrange the collection of workPhotobox Sessions ContinueBrocton and Chebsey wards are the latest to take advantage of Arts For Health’s photography kit. Participants have been playing photography lucky dip, picking out a card which a photo challenge such as ‘look up’ or ‘something round’. This is a way to create a quick project for service users on the ward who tend to be there for not more than a week. Mother and Baby Celebration Day

Textile artist Maggie Hollinshead and young musician Ashley Wall added to the festivities at the Mother and Baby Unit Celebration

Day at the end of June at St George’s. Maggie was showcasing work from her sessions on the ward earlier in the year, while Ashley entertained everyone over lunch with numbers by Bob Dylan, Paulo Nuttini and the Beatles among others.

Forthcoming live Music……At St George’s on Wednesday 5th August we will welcome back Gillie Nicholls with her melodic folk music. Gillie will play on Baswich and Bromley at 2.30 then Brocton and Chebsey at 3.10pmAt Redwoods in August we have Nikki Rous on the 4th and Ed Moseley (accordions) on the 11th and Steve Roberts again on the 18th. There is no live music at Redwoods on either Tuesday 25th August or Tuesday 1st September

Shelton Heritage DisplayAt the Wenlock building at Redwoods we have installed a mini-display about the heritage of Shelton Hospital to mark the moment when the building is handed over to Shropshire Homes finally.The display was at the Redwoods from Thursday 23rd July through to 6th August and explores some of the history and life within the splendid building. The display is a precursor to a similar exhibition that will take place at Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery in January 2016 and is centred around a large graphic display that we have created to tell some of the story, plus interesting items such as an old wheelchair, patient weighing machine, original plans of the building and photographs that give an evocative picture of the inside and grounds of the building.

Shelton Heritage Display

Enjoying a song and dance

page 7

A Reminder on the Safe Use of Mobile Phones and Sat Navs At a recent health & safety committee meeting staff side asked for a reminder to be given to staff regarding the safe use of mobile phones and sat navs in cars. To this end the following is a reminder of the guidance already contained in policies & sops.MOBILE PHONESIn line with the road traffic law and HSE advice, mobile phones should be switched off whilst driving. If you need to make or receive a call, pull over and stop in a safe place, switch off the engine and complete the call before proceeding. This applies to handheld & installed / hands-free types due the distraction effects / lack of proper concentration on driving whilst using any mobile phones. The same also applies to the reading and sending of text messages!! SATELLITE NAVIGATION SYSTEMS (SAT NAV)Placement - under vehicle construction and use regulations all glass shall be maintained in such condition that it does not obscure the vision of the driver. Along with the usual issues i.e. items placed on the glass e.g. parking permits, damage to the glass, cleanliness and absence of snow and ice and adequate demisting this requirement also extends to placing of add-on equipment such as Sat Navs. Ideally it should be placed on the dashboard, otherwise on the glass but wherever positioned it must not obscure the driver’s view of the road. Set up & Use - it is also an offence not to have proper control of the vehicle for example by being distracted by something inside the vehicle e.g. Sat Nav (but also mobile phones as before) – therefore all drivers are reminded to ;-• Plan the journey in advance and programme

Sat Navs before setting off. • Check that the route is safe and suitable for

the type of vehicle before leaving e.g. height, weight, access or other restrictions.

• Use Sat Nav via audible directions in preference to using the screen.

• Never programme Sat Nav whilst moving - Stop in a safe location, just as for mobile phone use

Time to ChangeNational Attitudes to Mental Illness 2014/2015 data, which has been launched today and shows how public attitudes are continuing to improve towards people with mental health problems.The survey shows a 6% improvement in attitudes since 2011 when phase 2 of Time to Change began. It also shows a record number of people in England saying they would be willing to live, work and have a relationship with someone who has experience of a mental health problem.http://www.time-to-change.org.uk/news/latest-survey-shows-public-are-less-likely-discriminate-against-people-mental-health-problems

Long Service Marked with TripThree mental health nurses who in total have worked for the NHS for 110 years, celebrated by travelling to London in luxury on the Northern Belle (sister train to the Orient Express) and visiting the Shard. Denise Walker who has worked for the NHS for 40 years, Carol Plant (35 years) and Julie Marrs (35 years) have spent much of their career at Shelton Hospital and now the Redwoods Centre Bicton. Denise said:

“All three of us were keen to celebrate a major milestone in our working life by doing something special and what better than travelling to London in style.”

Cathy Riley, who is Adult Mental Health Service Director for South Staffordshire and Shropshire NHS Foundation Trust, said: “What an amazing milestone for these wonderful caring and professional ladies. They typify all that is good about our Trust and the NHS, with outstanding loyalty, compassion, care and professionalism - a fantastic example they are to us all.”

Carol, Julie and Denise on the London Eye

Catching the train to London

page 8

Clinical Audit Update- July 2015

The titles and headlines of recently completed clinical audits are given below:

Child Protection Medical Examination Report – Specialist and Family Services

The audit examined 120 child protection reports completed between January and December 2014.Overall the standard of reports was good and the reports were easy to understand (100%) and were completed within 10 days of the examination in 92% of cases. In the reports, some of the headings were not completed (often quite appropriately) however there needs to be documentation of the reason There could be some further clarity around the information under Summary, Findings and Opinion to improve the quality of the reports.The full version of the report can be found here – http://nww.intranet.sssft.nhs.uk/The-Knowledge-Bank/Sections/Directorates-and-Services/Clinical-Audit/Projects/Specialist-Family-Services/Child-Protection-Medical-Exam-Reports.aspx

CPA Risk Assessment 2014 – Forensic Services

Audit covered all Forensic wards for South Staffordshire and Shropshire.Overall compliance is 84%. An action plan has been developed to ensure that all service users have a RAF 1 and 2 undertaken/reviewed within 6 months. The full version of the report can be found here – http://nww.intranet.sssft.nhs.uk/The-Knowledge-Bank/Sections/Directorates-and-Services/Clinical-Audit/Projects/Forensic-Services/KPI-Risk-Assessments/Docs/FO-93-14-15-CPA-Risk-Assessment-REPORT-Q4-(14-15).aspx

East Wing CelebrationStaff and service users on East Wing, George Bryan Centre welcomed Mayor of Tamworth, Maureen Gant, and consort Ken Gant, to a special celebration to formally open the new rempod facilities, including the ward ‘pub’.The date was chosen to mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain and staff donned 1940s outfits for the occasion. Led by S/R Hayley Weale, S/N G.Matthews, S/N W.Campbell, A/P D.Bennett, CSW T.Deeley, OTA D.Pownall showed hard work, commitment and a drive to improve a patient’s stay.Councillor Gant helped choose the name of the pub by throwing a dart at a selection of names - the final choice was “The Retreat”.Everyone had a great time, with comments including; “Amazing haven for the patients, a trip down memory lane”, “very well done opening, can see staff really care about their job and role, room looks fantastic”, “ beautiful unit, lovely and relaxing atmosphere. Lots of work has been put into the afternoon, lovely food and cakes”, “so nice to see all the patients in a relaxed and natural setting, socialising with staff and other professionals in such a happy atmosphere”Mayor’s Consort Ken Gant added, “I have been associated with the George Bryan Centre for many years and have always been impressed with the love, care and attention given to the patients thus promoting a speedy recovery.”Thanks to Sainsburys, Morrisons and Tesco for donating vouchers to enable staff to purchase groceries and beverages for the day.Modern Matron, Sandra Morton added, the excitement of service users and staff in the lead up to the Mayors visit was clear for all to see matched only as the Mayor cut the ribbon and opened the room and led everyone in to an afternoon full of memories , fun and laughter as we all stepped back in time in the vintage setting staff have lovingly created and enjoyed a typical delicious 1940s style tea party ! It was a truly unforgettable experience in a happy and relaxed atmosphere in a room full of smiling faces . A big thank you to all staff involved for their hard work and commitment to creating such a positive experience for everyone - as one of the patients said on the day “they’ve made my world a better place “ clearly that’s what staff set out to do and succeeded - well done !

Carol, Julie and Denise on the London EyeJune McGeechan and Staff from East Wing

page 9

Financial updateFor the quarter ending 30th June 2015 the Trust is pleased to report that the Trust is ahead of its financial plan, and anticipates that Monitor (its Regulatory body) will confirm a ‘Continuity of Service’ risk rating of a 4 (the highest rating possible).

The income & expenditure position shows a Surplus of £3.0m against a plan of £1.7m.

So why does the call still come for everyone to make savings?

Basically, the answer is that it’s good management and the NHS imposes a required ‘cash releasing efficiency saving’ year on year.

We also need to have something in reserve to allow us to meet unforeseen problems, for example, if one of our commissioners was late in paying us, we would need the cash to meet the wage bill – did you know this is around £10million per month! Also, if we build up our reserves we can then spend on longer term projects such as improving our estate – something we have to do to make sure our buildings are safe and fit for purpose. An example of this is that the Trust Board has recently approved additional investment into the accommodation provided in Shrewsbury for community services (Sevenfields).

It’s also important to understand the difference between the use of capital, which we only spend once, and use of revenue, which is on-going spending.

So a surplus one year isn’t really a surplus at all, its just money put aside for future spending. We still have to continually improve the efficiency of what we do and release further savings for our Trust and the wider health economy. We do, and will continue to, involve clinicians in all the decisions around spending.

Importance of Activity Recording

During the contract negotiations for 2015/16 the Trust lost income due to not delivering in full against its activity targets for 2014/15. We therefore need to ensure that all clinical activity is recorded correctly on RIO, especially with regards to Mental Health Clusters. This is to demonstrate to the Trust’s commissioners that Trust is delivering what it is paid to do and that the contracts provide Value for Money. If clinical activity is either not recorded or recorded incorrectly then there is the risk that the Trust could lose further income, which in turns results in the need to make corresponding expenditure savings. As from 1st April 2015 there is now a national requirement to cluster the activity data relating to Forensic and IAPT services. If members of staff have any queries with regards to the capture of activity data or the Clustering of Service Users please contact either the Trust’s Information Team or Mike Jones / Sandra Gonnelly within the Clusters & Currency Development Team.

Jon Shaw, Head of Financial Planningemail : jon.shaw@sssft.nhs.uk

Inpatient & Community Estates Modernisation ProgrammeUpdate from the Estates Project Team

Phase one, the replacement of all bedroom windows within Norton House has been completed and phase 2 is well underway. To date, we have completed the refurbishment of all bedrooms within Ashley Ward which has included new floor covering; new décor to both bedroom & en-suite shower rooms; new bedroom furniture; new shower room furniture (wash basin, WC, shower & extract fan); new doors to each room and new lighting and heating. The contractors are now working on Brocton Ward and have already completed a number of bedrooms within this area. Following the completion of Brocton ward bedrooms, Chebsey & Radford wards will be refurbished with the aim of all being completed by October 2015.

Each element of the disruptive works has been coordinated with security and ward representatives, along with senior clinical individuals. On behalf of the project team, we would like to thank the following individuals for their assistance, without which the works could not have been completed successfully: Wayne Harvey, Carolyn Gavin, Jill Bratt, Lisa Agell, Stefano Parlato & all staff on both Ashley & Brocton wards – Your assistance has been greatly appreciated.

For further information contact Jared Lodge jared.lodge@sssft.nhs.uk

Honour for PatPat Wain has been awarded an honorary degree by Staffordshire University in recognition of her unstinting support of registered and student nurse education and for nurturing the close working relationship between the university and the Trust. Pat said, “It is my ambition to be even more involved with Staffordshire University and nurse education and to continue to share the benefits, insights and commitment to lifelong learning that I have acquired.”

Pat with Vice Chancellor Professor Gunn and the Dean of Staffordshire University

page 10

Recovery CollegeThe Trust is in the process of developing a Recovery College without walls. By this we mean an alternative to therapeutic intervention and moving towards a focus on education. The Recovery Approach aims to support and empower individuals to become experts in their own recovery journey, and find meaning in their lived experiences. In this way, the college will embrace a philosophy and culture of hope, control and opportunity. We aim to run a number of courses which will be delivered out in the community, within colleges, libraries and other community venues. Due to the core focus around recovery, all courses will be produced and delivered by someone who has lived experience of mental health issues and someone who has professional expertise of the given area (or a mix of both!) The college will also play an important role in the learning and development of staff with regards to how recovery principles are embedded into clinical practice and how staff may best support individuals on their recovery journey. It is important to remember that staff experience their own recovery journey and the culture of hope, control and opportunity can be of benefit to all.

Initial courses to be piloted in Stafford this October/November include Mindfulness and Food and Mood.

Acting Recovery College Coordinator, Beth Moody said: “As a person with lived experience of mental health issues and a former user of services here, I have no doubt that the Recovery College will transform lives, and am delighted to now have the opportunity to be involved in a project that will benefit so many people and local communities.”

For more information contact:

Beth Moody, Acting Recovery College Coordinator 07891 099460, beth.moody@sssft.nhs.uk

If you have any issues or concerns which you would like discussed in this column, please send them to informationgovernance@sssft.nhs.uk.

• IG Policies: Do you know where to find the Trust’s Information Governance policies? The easiest place to find the policies is on the Trust website: http://www.sssft.nhs.uk/working-here/corporate-policies-green/information-governance-policies.

• Encrypted Memory Sticks: Only encrypted memory sticks must be used to store any Trust information. This includes both confidential information and non-confidential information. If you need to purchase an encrypted memory stick, please email the information governance team on the email address to request a Memory Stick request form. Once approved, the IG team will log a call with the HIS to order the memory stick.

• Smartcard Loss: In June, 9 smartcards were reported as lost or missing! Since the introduction of RiO, smartcards are becoming increasingly vital for staff to carry out their daily roles. Here are some tips on keeping your smartcard safe: - Don’t leave your smartcard unattended in an unlocked or unsecure office. - When leaving your PC unattended, remove your smartcard and take it

with you. - Think of your smartcard like your bank card - keep it in a secure pocket

where it is unlikely to fall out. - Never allow another member of staff to use your personal smartcard –

your smartcard is your digital identity. You are responsible for anything inputted using your card.

- If your team uses generic smartcards, ensure that they are correctly signed in and out every time they are used.

- If you do misplace your smartcard, log an incident on Safeguard and a call on the Service Desk Portal for your card to be cancelled and replaced.

Filming by service users: There have been recent incidents of service users filming staff members during appointments and some staff have sought guidance on what to do in these situations. Service users do not need permission to record a consultation as the recording is their personal information and therefore exempt from the Data Protection Act. Service Users should not, however, record consultations covertly and should be encouraged to have an open discussion about the recording and its purpose. This article offers some helpful advice for staff: http://www.gponline.com/medico-legal-patients-record-consultations/article/1227228. Should you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact the IG team or the Caldicott Guardian for advice.

There is an exception to this advice in ward environments where other service users are present. Service users are entitled to a right to privacy and recording should not be allowed on wards where this may infringe other’s privacy.

If you have any IG queries or issues please do not hesitate to contact the IG Team: Jon Davis (IG Lead) – 01785 783133; Laura Marklew (IG Support Officer) – 01283 504461

If your query relates to confidentiality issues, please contact the Trust’s Caldicott Guardian in the first instance: Claire Barkley (Caldicott Guardian) – 01785 221516; Tam De (Deputy Caldicott Guardian) – 01283 504 886

Remember, Information Governance is everyone’s responsibility.

Update

Beth Moody

page 11

RiO UpdatesAfter a system audit by Ideal Health and in conjunction with the Lis-tening into Action sessions, a schedule of work has been created for completion over the next three months.

The work is split into three segments – Priority 1, 2 and 3. Ideal Health will resolve the Priority 1 issues and the HIS Application Development Team will resolve the Priority 2 and Priority 3 issues.

The Change Control process will continue as normal, with staff being able to complete request forms on the RiO Mini Site page of the Intranet. These requests will be handled by the Information Support Team.

The first set of changes to the system that will be completed by the end of August are listed below.

• Create a printable version of the Care Plan Review.

• Create Printable versions of each Care Plan and the My Care Plan form.

• Fix the “Get Latest” button on the CPA Review form.

• Create an Alert specifically for use by Admin staff.For any more information, please contact RiO Change Control on rio-changecontrol@sssft.nhs.uk

The Health Service Journal, in partnership with the Nursing Times and NHS Employers, has announced a list of 100 provider organisations and 20 clinical commissioning groups. South Staffordshire and Shropshire Healthcare is one of 31 mental health trusts listed.

The list was compiled using data from the recent NHS staff survey. Independent research firm Best Companies Group identified the top performing NHS organisations with data categorised into seven core areas; leadership and planning, corporate culture and communication, role satisfaction, work environment, relationship with supervisor, training, development and resources, employee engagement and satisfaction.

Greg Moores, Director of Human Resources, Organisational Development and Equalities said “We are really pleased to be included in the list and welcome this recognition of our commitment to our staff. We know how important the people who work for us are and we are always looking to ensure we offer them support, learning and development, and a range of opportunities to get involved and engaged in the business of the Trust. We can always do better, but our place on the Best Places to Work list encourages us to believe we are on the right track.”

Trust Named as Best Place to WorkSouth Staffordshire and Shropshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has been named as one of the top places to work in the NHS.

Council of GovernorsFollowing the recent elections to the Trust’s Council of Governors, the new Governor Members are;Shropshire Telford and Wrekin:

• Karl Bailey • Dave Gill • Fiona Doran

South Staffordshire:• Ravi Bhakhri (re-elected)• Francis Carlin (re-elected) • Gareth Ecclestone • Carol Gillen • Kenneth Jackson • Steve Morris (re-elected)• Kathryn Taylor

As of the 9th of September we will have new public governors joining our experienced and dedicated existing Council of Governors. Leading up to the Annual Members Meeting we’d like to introduce you to several of your new governors and acquaint you with what to expect from their term of office.Carol GillenBeing a Headteacher of an Infant school in Wolverhampton, I am kept very busy. My spare time is spent relaxing with a good book, good food and a glass (or two) of wine. I also enjoy golf even though I’m not particularly good at it!My interest in becoming a governor stemmed from my youngest daughter suffering from an enduring mental health illness which lead to her previously been admitted as an in-patient to St. Georges. Her experiences and mine as her carer gave me the motivation to apply to be a governor – I wanted to give something back to the Trust that cared for her so well. I am particularly interested in in-patient care and in early intervention that might prevent admission to hospital and additionally in becoming involved in any project that might promote or improve children’s emotional wellbeing.Kathryn TaylorI’ve lived in Stone for the majority of my life and frequently enjoy gardening in my spare time, as well as going on walks with my very lively Jack Russels.My interest in becoming a governor came from wanting to improve the experience of service-users, to ensure that the best possible liaison is exchanged between services people use within the Trust. I am also interested in the effectiveness of good sign posting for other organisations, especially Third Sector that can help to support people.

As I have been an in-patient on several occasions and an out-patient for a number of years I am very committed to the principle that the Trust delivers person-centred services.

page 12

It has been a busy month in Listening into Action (LiA)…………..Clinical teams launchedA launch event took place at the Learning Centre on 14 July 2015 where representatives from our initial nine clinical teams came together to share their missions to improve both service user care and working in their environments. They got to hear about the 7 step model we use in Listening into Action. We are looking forward to hearing over the coming months how they have changed service user care and what difference working the LiA way has made to their teams and day jobs. Next month you will get to meet the teams and hear about their missions.First quick wins announced If you have been on a Trust computer you may have noticed the new screensavers announcing our first three quick wins. We are now using #liajustdoit to front our quick win campaign so please be encouraged to # when you are tweeting about the Trust and especially in regard to any ideas you have to improve patient care or your work – remember it’s the simple things that make the biggest difference!The first three of these are; the job swap forum on the intranet in response to staff saying they wanted to learn about each other’s roles and areas and more job shadowing opportunities. To find out more please see Shadow Me on the intranet page. Many of you mentioned the huge amount of emails that clog up our email inbox. The specialist and family services directorate are piloting an “effective use of email charter” to see if this can make a difference to email behaviour. If this is successful we can look at rolling it out across the organisation. Thirdly, you talked about the lack of visibility of senior leaders within your clinical teams. Lesley Crawford, Divisional Director of Mental Health, has been arranging visits to clinical teams within the division to hear from clinical teams about their issues and dilemmas and look at how things can be improved.More #liajustdoit are in the pipeline……see the list of what’s coming soon. Here at LiA we are hoping for some exciting IT, RiO and Recruitment #liajustdoit very shortly.Enabler teams As you may remember from last month, we published the key themes from the big conversations. Many of things that were raised were “blockages” – things that get in the way of us doing our jobs efficiently and effectively. We are now in process of identifying “enabler teams” (sorry about the jargon) to look at how we can unblock the way for staff. The recruitment enabler team event has been set up for the beginning of September and we are also working with Facilities and Estates to set up their enabler team. Enabler teams will bring people across the organisation together to look at how to resolve the difficulties you talked about at the big conversations. As always we will keep you updated with what happens next – your opinions have and are being listened to!

Friends and Family TestTying in with our Listening into Action approach and journey the results from the Friends and Family test are now available! A big ‘Thank you’ to everyone that took the time to respond.The results this year have been really positive with nearly 60% of staff recommending the Trust as place to work and over 70% of staff likely to recommend the service as a place to be cared for / treated. The raw data from both questions posed to staff is available for staff to view in the Listening into Action area on the Trust Intranet http://nww.intranet.sssft.nhs.uk/The-Knowledge-Bank/Sections/Me-and-My-Job/Staff-Engagement/Listening-into-Action.aspx <http://nww.intranet.sssft.nhs.uk/The-Knowledge-Bank/Sections/Me-and-My-Job/Staff-Engagement/Listening-into-Action.aspx> The raw data is very reflective of the views staff posed at the Big Conversations, all comments of which the LiA team are positively and actively seeking to change through our new way of working that mobiles staff around better patient care, enabling our teams to make improvements from the “inside-out”.LiA communicationsWe have visited the Learning Centre and the Redwoods to talk to staff about listening into action.

The idea is to keep staff updated with what is happening and for staff to have a forum to ask questions and share ideas.We are now also on twitter @SSSFTLiA so you can follow LiA there and tweet your ideas and updates. We have also set up a listening into action thread on the forum as another way of keeping in touch. Remember we also have a LiA intranet page.Want to get involved?We are keen to spread the LiA way across the organisation. There are a number of ways to get involved – being an LiA champion, nominating your team to be involved, being part of an enabler team. If you want to know more or want to get involved please get in touch with Lisa Whitehouse or Angie Upton, the LiA Leads.

page 13

Nursing Revalidation UpdateNursing revalidation has been gathering pace in the past few weeks, with guidance being published by a number of national bodies, these can be found here:NHS Employers - http://www.nhsemployers.org/your-workforce/retain-and-improve/standards-and-assurance/professional-regulation/nursing-revalidationRoyal College of Nursing - http://www.rcn.org.uk/development/practice/revalidationNMC guidance for employers - http://www.nmc.org.uk/standards/revalidation/revalidation-for-employers/For those who use twitter, the following are useful twitter accounts to follow to keep abreast of revalidation news as it happens:

@nmcnews The UK’s regulator for nurses and midwives@TheRCN Professional body for nursing supporting over 420,000 nurses, midwives, HCAs and APs@WeNurses Highly engaged community of over 30,000 nurses@NHSEngland NHS England

Trust Revalidation WorkshopsDuring September 2015 we will provide a number of sessions to update colleagues on RevalidationIf you would like to attend any of these sessions please email Wendy Ingleston – wendy.ingleston@sssft.nhs.uk

Friday 4 September

STAFFORD Room 3 1.00pm – 4.00pm

Monday 7 September

REDWOODS Rooms 2 & 3 1.00pm – 4.00pm

Wednesday 16 September

STAFFORD Theatre 1 9.00am – 12.00pm

Friday 18 September

REDWOODS Rooms 2 & 3 9.30am – 12.30pm

Monday 21 September

STAFFORD Theatre 1 9.00am – 12.00pm

Monday 28 September

REDWOODS Rooms 2 & 3 9.30am – 12.30pm

Monday 5 October

STAFFORD Theatre 1 9.00am – 12.00pm

Looking for some professional reading to support your revalidation!

Did you know there have been some recent changes to the resources that are available to all of our staff using their NHS Athens accounts. There is much more for you use.Two new online resources have been purchased. One is a Journals package with over 4,500 health & medical journals called the Proquest Hospital Collection. The other is a database called PsycARTICLES, which should be of particular interest to staff working in the psychological therapies.The Hospital Collection includes journals on a wide range of topics including nursing, allied health, health management & psychiatry.Journals covered by PsycARTICLES include the Journal of applied psychology, Psychological Bulletin, Psychology aging, Military psychology, the Psychiatric rehabilitation journal & Social psychology.When you do a normal search using the Healthcare databases at www.library.nhs.uk , there will be links to the individual articles. If you need a refresher in using Medline , CINAHL etc., the library offers one to one tutorials.We’re also adding new e-books throughout the year to our extensive collection- you can find them via the catalogue at http://sssft.nhslibraries.com As an added bonus when you register with the library, we can now set up an Athens account for you, allowing you to access this huge range of online journals, databases & books. If you want help setting up an account for yourself, just e-mail us at either Stafford or Redwoods using library@sssft.nhs.uk Stafford: 01785 221584 Redwoods: 01742 210110 Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter: @library_sssft

STOP PRESS: We’re going to expand the Patient Book Trolley Service to Stafford. At the moment, this will only be available to patients visiting the library in the Learning Centre. Book donations are wanted so we can have a good range of titles to choose from.

page 14

Submitting an article to e-PoDIf you have something you would like included in a future issue, please contact Amanda Godfrey in the Communications Team.

amanda.godfrey@sssft.nhs.uk

01785 783041

e-PoD comes out on the first of each month (or the first Monday) and copy is usually required about a week before, but feel free to call or email to discuss your submission.

Copy deadline for the September issue will be 24 August 2015.

Hope to hear from you.

Amanda

Totally SmokefreeAs you will probably be aware, the Trust will be totally Smokefree from 1 October 2015.

The decision to become a Totally Smokefree Trust stems from:• The recognition that smoking is damaging to health and

for people with mental illness can lead to early death, up to 20 years younger than smokers without a mental health diagnosis. The Royal College of Psychiatrists produced a report on smoking and mental health in 2012 which highlighted the reasons why mental health trusts should be smokefree

• The Trust has a duty of care to ensure that patients are supported to have good health, including physical health and helping people to stop smoking is an important aspect of this

• NICE has published its recommendation that all NHS premises become totally smokefree

What being Smokefree means in practice is:• Trust buildings, grounds and inpatient gardens will be smoke free – smoking is not permitted

anywhere.• All patients will be asked about their smoking status, and their nicotine needs will be assessed and

recorded on notes• On admission patients will be given Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) to manage withdrawal

from nicotine• Patients will be offered additional support from appropriately trained staff

The options for patients are:• Temporary abstinence whilst in hospital supported with NRT• Temporary abstinence whilst in hospital without NRT (not recommended)• Long term quit supported by NRT and structured, one to one behavioural support

What can you do now?• Look at the online training and book on to the Helping People to Stop Smoking. A minimum of 4 staff

for each ward should attend the training but all are welcome. The training is not just for nursing staff – it is open to all staff who have regular contact with patients

• Discuss the plans with patients: • How can we make this work successfully for everyone?• What alternative activities would they like to see to distract them from thinking about smoking?

• If you haven’t been on the training find out who has on your ward so that you can let patients know who they can talk to

• Be encouraging and positive • stopping smoking will improve how people feel physically and mentally, enable them to take less

medication for their condition, give them a sense of success.

You may not be convinced by the arguments above or are concerned that the challenges are too big to overcome. All that we ask is that you give the policy the chance – you may be surprised by the results.

Find out more about some of the common challenges and concerns on the smokefree website, www.sssft.nhs.uk/smokefree

live happierlive healthier

live healthier

live longer

page 15

Key note speech from the Learning Disabilities Team

Featuring

Thursday 10th September 2015The Learning Centre, Stafford

10:00 Viewing of Service Displays12:30 Light Buffet Lunch

13:30 Formal AGM Commences

Live Bread Making from

Trust Service Stands

Visit agm.sssft.nhs.uk forwho’s here, what’s going on, instant photos during the day,

live video streaming from 13:30 and more...

Annual General Meeting 2015Listening, Understanding & Getting It Right

SSSFT Digital Strategy SeminarRe-imagining Service Delivery through the use of Technology.

For further details or to book your place visit: agm.sssft.nhs.uk/digitalstrategy

#SSSFTdigitalstrategy

#SSSFTAGM15