1We Put Quality First We Focus on People We Take Responsibility

In a large organisation like the Partnership Trust it is always a pleasure to meet teams for the first time and learn more about the great work they do to improve the lives of local people across the county.

Earlier this week I met the Dental Health Team based at Tunstall Primary Care Centre (pictured) who provide dental hygiene care and treatment for patients who, for a variety of reasons, find it difficult to access dental services. The facilities I saw at Tunstall are tremendous and really are a hidden treasure of our Trust.

They are a very impressive group of staff with great enthusiasm and from the energy and vibrancy they displayed, I know the patients they see must be receiving a really great service. Local children, including the young child who I met, certainly deserve the specialist care to improve their dental health at an important stage of their development which impacts on the rest of their life.

I was very encouraged to hear their positive attitudes to working more widely with other services across the Trust to improve health outcomes. The whole team really demonstrate our values to put quality first, focus on people and take responsibility.

You can meet the team and follow what I discovered on my visit by reading this Storify link which pulls together pictures, narrative and tweets through this single link http://storify.com/StaffsPartnersh/visiting-services-dental-care

Meeting our teams and the people who they deliver care for on a day to day basis is something I aim to do in person as often as I can. In particular I do feel it is important to meet with people when problems arise and this week I visited a patient at home who has a

complaint with some of the care provided by the NHS over a number of years. It was helpful to be able to listen to their concerns and I will try to find ways to make improvements with partners across the local health economy to improve the situation.

Community health and care services play such a significant role in the daily lives of so many people in our area and are often the key link in the network of support provided to individuals. This was a point I particularly stressed at the latest public meeting held in Newcastle this week to discuss the proposals put forward around the Mid Staffordshire Foundation Trust.

Providing more support to keep people independent and enabling them to have greater control and involvement in the care they receive is, I believe, absolutely key to ensuring sustainable and effective health and care provision for the future.

Across the county the Trust serves a very wide and diverse network of communities and this week I visited what is perhaps a less well known groups of our stakeholders. I attended a health fair at Werrington Young Offenders Institution in North Staffordshire where many services provided advice on a range of lifestyle issues to support the physical and mental well being of offenders.

It is certainly a high risk and challenging environment at the centre but I was very pleased to see the commitment and enthusiasm of our staff and those

The Word

Edition 14927th September 2013

2We Put Quality First We Focus on People We Take Responsibility

The Word 149 - What’s In

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Sign Language Talk at DEAFVibe Cafe

The British Deaf Association will be giving a talk at the next DEAFvibe Café on Saturday 12th October in which Robin Ash from the BDA will talk about the BSL Charter and other topics.

This will be held at Newcastle Library (Meeting Room 1) from 10am - 12 noon. There is a small charge of £3.00 to cover costs.

As an organisation you may be keen to find out more about the BSL Charter and how you can implement it within your organisations. Remember that British Sign Language was recognised as a language in its own right by the British Government on 18th March 2003. Under the Equality Act 2010 you are required to make reasonable adjustments for Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Deafblind People.

BSL interpreters will be available on the day.

For more info contact:

DEAFvibe, PO Box 3511, STOKE-ON-TRENT ST6 9EF

Tel / SMS: 07923 489800 (please speak clearly & not too fast when leaving your message)

Email: info@deafvibe.co.uk

Website: http://www.deafvibe.co.uk

from partner organisations to engage the young men there in making healthy lifestyle choices.

I hope you have now received a copy of the annual Staff Survey for 2013 which I really encourage you to fill in and return. Your feedback and opinion is really critical to making the Partnership Trust a more responsive and positive organisation to work for. Your opinion genuinely does count so please do take the time to let the NHS know your thoughts and have your say this year.

Stuart Stuart Poynor Chief Executive

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3We Put Quality First We Focus on People We Take Responsibility

Stop Smoking – Pass it OnThe 25th September saw the launch of the Time to Quit NHS Stop Smoking Services ‘Pass it on’ campaign, which aims to raise awareness of the help on offer to smokers wanting to quit across Staffordshire.

Word of mouth proves to be an excellent way to promote the service, and Time to Quit consistently receives excellent feedback from satisfied ex-smokers that have used the service to give up. With these things in mind the service has created its ‘Pass it On’ postcard campaign.

The promotion has a two pronged approach, firstly, it congratulates smokers that have successfully reached the crucial 4 week point in their quit attempt. Secondly is encourages them to tell friends and family that may be interested in quitting about the help and support they can receive from Time to Quit by passing on specially designed cards. This also encourages service users to help those close to them to make a positive change in their lives too.

Smokers that use the Time to Quit Stop Smoking Service are four times more likely to succeed at stopping smoking than if they were to go it alone. Last year the service helped over 4,000 smokers to successfully kick the habit for good.

Quitting smoking is still the best thing smokers can do for their health, and with the cost of cigarettes continually rising, it is a great way to save money too.

So, if you or anyone you know is interested in quitting smoking, help is available from Time to Quit who have clinics located across Staffordshire. Simply call 0800 043 4304 to find out more or to book an appointment. Or if you have already quit, why not pass our details on!

Time to Quit Smoking ServiceFree phone 0800 043 4304 oremail timetoquit@ssotp.nhs.uk

Free App Supporting the Personal, Fair and Diverse Campaign

NHS Employers has launched a free app supporting the Personal, Fair and Diverse campaign.

The Partnership Trust is a champion of the NHS Personal, Fair and Diverse (PFD)employers scheme. A new app with five easy practical steps to help staff become PFD champions has now been released. They cover:

1. Signing up 2. Providing an example of work they have done or doing to create a PFD

workplace 3. Achieve 5/5 in the A-Z of equality and diversity quiz 4. Nominate a colleague to join the campaign 5. Talk about PFD in a team meeting

You can download the free app now by searching for ‘NHS PFD’ in the Apple and Google Play app stores, or alternatively you can access the app direct from the online iTunes or Google Play store.

New Team Conferencing Tool

4We Put Quality First We Focus on People We Take Responsibility

The Partnership Trust is introducing a more cost-effective way of hosting meetings and communicating.

BT MeetMe is a Teleconferencing service and all you need is a Telephone and anyone can join in to share information and discuss ideas.

WebEx is a N3 hosted service which provides on-demand desktop sharing, team collaboration, online meeting and web conferencing and also videoconferencing facilities. This enables desktop and mobile users to collaborate fully regardless of where they are.

How Do You Gain?

Get more done -Teams can meet and talk, share their expertise and brainstorm quickly, for better results and improved patient care in less time. It doesn’t matter where you are located.

Save time and money -BT MeetMe can create important savings because there’s less travel, less time wasted en route and no need for overnight accommodation. This makes it ideal for the NHS and every organisation that has people at work across different buildings or at different locations, in the UK and abroad.

Easy To Use

• No need for room bookings or to book ahead

• Set up web conference from your Outlook and send a calendar invite with a url link and passcode for everyone you want to join

• Interact with participants, on screen and by phone, as you would face to face

• Invite between 2 and 150 people

• Record your meeting if you choose to, for people who are unable to join it live, for training or for future reference.

Easy To Access

• Participants need access to an internet connection and or phone line

• Available at any time, day or night, every day of the year

• Link straight from an email invitation to the event.

What Happens Next?

In the next couple of weeks you will receive a personalised welcome email detailing your individual account details, how to get started, and training information. These new communication tools, BT MeetMe and Webex, are extremely important in enabling us to change in the way we operate.

5We Put Quality First We Focus on People We Take Responsibility

Help protect yourself, your family and the public be a flu fighter, get your flu jab.

Vaccinations are vital to protect staff, their families and their patients, many of whom are particularly vulnerable to flu. Vaccinations also reduce sickness absence of our staff, so during the busy winter period we are able to provide the best level of care to our patients.

In England, there are around 15 million NHS hospital admissions every year. The close proximity between staff and vulnerable patients can mean that the flu virus is easily passed on, so it is important that our healthcare workers get vaccinated to avoid carrying the virus and infecting patients.

Last year the flu season once again led to more than a hundred deaths in the UK, claiming 107 lives and affecting thousands more. Annual flu-related admissions into intensive care or high dependency

units increased last year. The virus is highly preventable and staff at the Partnership Trust will be making the effort to join the national campaign getting vaccinated against flu and become a flu fighter!

Drop in vaccination sessions are being held across the patch for your free flu jub.

Don’t Like Needles?

This year we are also providing extra support for staff who are needle phobic or have concerns about the vaccine. Please come to the last 15 minutes of a session when we can provide more support .

Staff will also automatically be entered into a prize draw when they receive vaccination the prizes will be drawn at the end of the season (opt out is an option).

SOUTH VENUES

DATE TIMES ROOM

Billbrook

House

29.10.13 1.30 - 4.30 pm Woodland Room

14.11.13 9.30 - 1.00 pm Woodland Room

Norton Canes

Health Centre

23.10.13 9.30 - 1.00 pm Treatment Room 2

25.11.13 1.00 - 4.30 pm Treatment Room 2

Rising Brook

Health Centre

09.10.13 1.00 - 4.30 pm Health Education Room

08.11.13 9.30 - 1.00 pm Health Education Room

Hill Street

Health Centre

15.10.13 9.30 - 1.00 pm G06

18.11.13 1.00 - 4.30 pm G04

Balance Street

Clinic

07.10.13 9.30 - 1.00 pm Main clinic room

07.11.13 1.00 - 4.30 pm CAMHS room

Trentside

Clinic Stone

25.10.13 1.00 - 4.30 pm Room 1

20.11.13 9.30 - 1.00 pm Room 4

Merlin House

Tamworth

08.10.13 1.00 - 4.30 pm 1.00 - 4.30 pm

22.11.13 9.30 - 1.00 pm Board Room 1

Edric House 22.10.13 1.00 - 4.30 pm Board Room 2

04.11.13 9.30 - 1.00 pm Board Room 2

NORTH VENUES

DATE TIMES ROOM

Haywood

Hospital

11.10.13 1.00 - 4.30 pm Seminar Room 1st floor

24.10.13 9.30 - 1.00 pm Seminar Room 1st floor

15.11.13 9.30 - 1.00 pm Seminar Room 1st floor

26.11.13 1.00 - 4.30 pm Seminar Room 1st floor

Leek

Moorlands

Hospital

16.10.13 1.00 - 4.30 pm Consulting Room 3

28.10.13 9.30 - 1.00 pm Consulting Room 1

19.11.13 9.30 - 1.00 pm Consulting Room 1

Cheadle

Hospital

10.10.13 9.30 - 1.00 pm Consulting Room A

21.10.13 9.30 - 1.00 pm Consulting Room A

30.10.13 1.00 - 4.30 pm Consulting Room A

12.11.13 1.00 - 4.30 pm Consulting Room 3

Longton

Cottage

Hospital

18.10.13 9.30 - 1.00 pm Consulting Room 3

05.11.13 9.30 - 1.00 pm Consulting Room 3

21.11.13 1.00 - 4.30 pm Consulting Room 3

Bradwell

Hospital

14.10.13 1.00 - 4.30 pm Room 8 (off Reception)

01.11.13 9.30 - 1.00 pm Room 8 (off Reception)

13.11.13 9.30 - 1.00 pm Seminar Room

6We Put Quality First We Focus on People We Take Responsibility

Stoptober is back. All over the country people will take the 28 day challenge to stop smoking during October. Last year over 160,000 people successfully quit smoking for Stoptober, thanks to the wide range of quitting support on offer.

For more information search ‘Stoptober’ online or visit www.smokefree.nhs.uk/stoptober Alternatively, speak to your local stop smoking service or pharmacist.

Be part of the challenge

219641_Stoptober_A4_Double_Sided_Poster_AW.indd 1 09/08/2013 15:00

7We Put Quality First We Focus on People We Take Responsibility

Pioneering Children’s Health Service Extended

The Partnership Trust’s Children’s Hospital @ Home scheme that provides nursing care for children in their own home instead of being admitted to hospital, has been extended to provide a more comprehensive service over winter this year.

An initial trial from September through to the end of November, will see a nurse from the Partnership Trust’s Children’s Hospital@Home GP service being resident at the new Staffordshire Doctors Urgent Care Centre in Campbell Road, Stoke-on-Trent. The nurse will provide support to GPs with the management and support of paediatric patients to care for them at home offering families an alternative to hospital admission.

The extended service which currently runs from 8am until 10pm weekdays, will now also operate from Thursday to Sundays from 6:30pm until 12.00pm midnight.

Based at Werrington clinic in Stoke-on-Trent, Hospital@Home is staffed by qualified paediatric nurses who work in the community and provide follow-up nursing support to children who have experienced mild to moderate episodes of minor illness and need further nursing care.

Team Leader for Children’s Community Nursing Cathy Morris said “We work in partnership with the

child, their parents or carers and other professionals to enable the child to be cared for at home with appropriate support and advice. We are here to help keep children at home where they are comfortable in their own familiar environment and we can support the whole family.”

The service works with local GP practices in order to prevent avoidable admissions to hospital by providing quality nursing care in the community. The team also work in the Children’s Hospital a the University Hospital of North Staffordshire and can provide care at home for children being assessed in A&E instead of them being admitted to a ward.

The Hospital@Home team will see patients diagnosed by a doctor and offer further advice support and reassurance. Parents will be able to seek further advice and support from the team up until midnight and the team will arrange further visits or support the following day as required.

• For further information contact Cathy Morris on Tel: 01782 306031 or email cathy.morris@ssotp.nhs.uk

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On 1 November the Trust is transferring Finance, Procurement and Employment Services to NHS Shared Business Services. As a result of this the current payroll providers system EASY will be turned off on the 7 October at 6pm.

This article gives you vital information to ensure your salary and expense claims are paid correctly.

As part of the transition we have also introduced a new fleet management company called who will manage the due diligence and checking of employees private and lease vehicles.

ePay training Training for line managers is now open. The training sessions commenced on Monday 23 September and run through to Friday 11 October. There are no planned training dates for ePay after the 11 October so please ensure you book onto one of the sessions.

The training session is for approximately 2.5 hours and will cover the information you need to know to ensure your employees are paid correctly.

Procurement and budget holder trainingWith just five weeks to go until Go Live it is imperative that if you order goods and services as a part of your role or are in control of a budget, that you book on to one of the iProcurement or Budget Holder courses being run from the Yarnfield training centre (Yarnfield Park, Yarnfield, Staffordshire ST15 0NL).

BookingPlease log on to your Learning Management System (OLM) today and ensure you book your space on the next available course. Should you not have access to a smart card then you can email statbookings@ssotp.nhs.uk or call 01889 571577 to discuss with a member of the training team.

How do I book training? Information giving you the dates and times available will be shown on OLM asking you to book yourself on one of the courses by return. The sooner you do so, the better the choice of dates.

Please see below the following key dates:23 September - 11 October Training on ePay.

Week comm 30 September Those who have a lease

car should register with

GMP Drivercare (Drivers will

receive an email invitation)

Up to 7 October all claims up to 30

September need to be

entered and approved in

EASY

7 October 6pm EASY will be turned off

7 - 18 October Line Managers invited to

register with ePay

21 October Employees invited to register

with ePay

21st October – 10

November

Claims for October to be

entered and approved in

ePay

Payroll, expenses and ordering goods is changing!

NHSShared Business Services

To ensure a successful transition to the new payroll provider, all claims for salary enhancements and expenses for September and any previous outstanding claims pre September will need to be entered and approved in EASY.

Claims pre September will not be available to be entered into the new ePay system.

Managers will need training on ePay the replacement of the EASY system and details can be found below of how to do this.

9We Put Quality First We Focus on People We Take Responsibility

Your View Counts…

It’s National Staff Survey time again and this year the Trust will be carrying out a full census for the Staff Survey and has been granted special ethical approval to deliver questionnaires to staff home addresses. Surveying all staff will give the Trust an excellent opportunity to understand how you are feeling about working for the Trust and your job but to also see where we have improved and the areas that we may need to focus on.

You will be aware that since last year’s staff survey following the establishment of the staff survey working group, we appointed our improvement champions in order to drive through change at a senior level to oversee the areas that will support you in your work.

In last year’s survey you said:

You said…That 41% of you were suffering from work-related stress within the last 12 months

We did...• Introduced a stress reduction programme

• Promoted the stress related courses available through the Staff Support and Counselling Service

• Introduced a new Stress Management policy

• Introduced the Health and Wellbeing website

You said…Whilst a very high percentage of staff had received an appraisal last year the quality of these needs to improve

We did...• Produced ‘Top Tips’ and ‘How to Guides’

• Seeking your feedback on this year’s appraisal process

• Amended the paperwork in line with your feedback

• Updated our policy

You said…That there should be improved communication between senior management and staff

We did…• Broadened our range of communication tools including utilising social media and provided more staff

engagement sessions

It is important that you take the time to fill in your survey as evidence shows us that there is a clear link between strong staff survey results and the quality of services we provide to our service users and clients.

The 2013 survey asks questions about your job, your work with colleagues, the leadership and supervision you receive, health and safety, and your views on the trust. The Trust has this year also included our own local questions around engagement, trust values, respect, communications and raising concerns.

We hope that you support this year’s staff survey and please take the time to fill in your survey when it arrives and remember, your view counts so have your say!

A frequently asked document has been prepared about the confidentiality aspects of the staff survey, to access this please click here.

10We Put Quality First We Focus on People We Take Responsibility

Please remember to send any thank you messages to theword@ssotp.nhs.ukPlease send a few summary lines and a good photograph if available. Do not send scanned or photographed documents.

Thank YouA very appreciative patient has presented Dawn Anderson, Staff Nurse with a card and a bouquet offlowersfollowingtreatmentanddischargefromthe Ambulatory Clinic at Tunstall. “Dear Dawn you are someone very special, thanking you so much for being so kind and helping me through this long journey”.

A grateful service user from Chase Terrace has written to thank the Lichfield Living Independently Staffordshire service for their care and support,

“I would like to express my appreciation for all the careandkindnessIhavereceivedfromtheLichfieldLIS carers on all occasions. I looked forward to their visits which provided conversation and safety when I needed to shower etc. I shall sorely miss their visits and I would like to thank them all.”

Sexual Health Services based in Cobridge recently received the following expression of gratitude from a patient for the care received:

“I would like to express my strong appreciation for the understanding, non-judgemental but very efficientwayinwhichIwastreatedoverthepastfewweeks.Inanembarrassinganddifficultperiodthis was really great care.”

Secretary Jenny Law and Clinic Coordinator Claire Davenport have been thanked by a prisoner at HMP Brinsford for their attitude and approach at the health care centre.“I would just like to say how refreshing the secretary’s attitude to prisoners is and how very polite they are and listen and are more than helpful.”

CongratulationsClaire Bradley (Smallthorne Health Centre) and Carmel Deakin (Shelton Primary Care Centre) have successfully passed their Specialist Practice degree in School Nursing.

They have worked really hard and both got a 1st Class Honours Degree as a result.

We are really proud of them and wish them all the very best in their new roles as School Nurses.

The Seisdon Health Visiting Team wish to congratulate Taryne Turner, Health Visitor Support Worker, for passing the Foundation Degree in Integrated Care (Assistant Practitioner) with distinction.

Well done Taryne for all your hard work!