Positive December 2011

about integrated healthcare

DECEmbEr 2011

tErry waitE braCkEn housE rwanDa mini marathon involvEmEnt mEntal hEalth awarEnEss wEEks

The Big Debate

Recovery under the spotlight see page 4

l-r: Dr Rachel Perkins OBE, Professor Peter Liddle and Professor Rachel Munton

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MESSAGEFROM THE BOARDNottinghamshire Healthcare is recognised nationally for its provision of Recovery focused services and the way in which we place Recovery at the heart of all that we do. We are proud to be a national Recovery Demonstration Site

and I am privileged to be the Executive Sponsor of all Recovery work in the Trust. You can read more about some recent developments in a special focus on page 4.

As this issue goes to print we are preparing to showcase our good practice as a leading provider of integrated

healthcare at two national conferences. Our presence at the NHS Alliance will focus on our Community Services and we will be presenting on Recovery at the HSJ Mental Health Congress.

We have just been notified of our ranking in the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) Performance League Tables and are delighted to be placed in the Top 10% of 2014 UK businesses, 159 of whom are NHS trusts. This reflects our efforts to become more energy efficient; reducing energy waste and saving money.

I am also really pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Chris Packham to the role of Associate Medical Director for the Local Services Division. Chris comes to us from his role as Executive (Joint) Director of Public Health, NHS Nottingham City.

2011 has been a year of growth and change at Nottinghamshire Healthcare. On behalf of the Trust Board, may I take this opportunity to thank everyone for your commitment and hard work throughout and your continued dedication to ensure we provide the very best level of care to all those who use our services. We wish you a restful and enjoyable festive season and special thanks must go to staff who are working during the holidays.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Simon Smith, Executive Director Local Services

Terry Waite CBE visits Rampton HospitalStaff and patients at Rampton Hospital had the opportunity to listen to a talk by Terry Waite CBE when he paid a visit to the Hospital in October.

the visit was the second time terry has been to the hospital. on the previous occasion he had such an impact on the patients he met with, one of them suggested it would be great if he could return and give a formal talk to a larger audience.

mike harris, Executive Director Forensic services, said: “we are very grateful to terry waite for giving up so much of his time to us. i think it is true to say that of all the many visitors i have taken round the hospital over the last ten years, terry is the one who produced the greatest impact amongst staff and patients. i have never seen the men and women in the hospital so

entranced by a visitor. he has the ability to talk to everyone in a completely natural way, treating them all like equals.

“many patients, most of whom have had very difficult lives themselves, acknowledged that none of them had an experience that in any way approached terry’s five years spent in solitary confinement.”

an audience of 50 staff and patients came together in the hospital’s recreation hall to listen to terry talk about his experiences in captivity and the effect it has had on his life. the talk was filmed so that other patients could watch on the hospital’s distributed television channel and in future more patients will also be able to benefit from it.

Terry Waite speaking with the patients

Principia pilot goes live Principia’s ‘Enhanced Community Service’ pilot went live on 14 October. the pilot will run to the end of the financial year and aims to provide increased levels of community based health, therapy and social care support for Principia patients at lings bar hospital. this will allow them to be discharged earlier into the community, safe in the knowledge that there are appropriate services available to meet their needs. up to five patients at any one time can be managed and so far three patients have been successfully discharged into the scheme with a further two identified and being prepared for discharge. the scheme will provide an excellent opportunity for inpatient teams, community teams, social care and the voluntary sector to work together to reduce lengths of stay. Pending an evaluation later in the year, it will provide the foundation for further integrated working.

For more information contact Peter hunt, General manager (Principia), County health Partnerships on 0115 8837881.

3Positive December 2011

Terry Waite speaking with the patients

Bracken House, a new rehabilitation unit in Heather Close, Mansfield was officially opened by Mike Cooke last month.

The facility provides 18 beds for people who have experienced a complex range of mental health issues, requiring long term support and treatment within a controlled environment. This enables people who have previously had to leave their local area for such care to access it now closer to home.

As well as single room accommodation, improving privacy and

dignity for clients, the locked rehabilitation unit includes a visitors’ room, clinic and treatment room, dining and lounge area and a multi faith room. Outdoor space including a horticultural area is also accessible to clients, as well as a range of activities on offer.

Guests who attended the opening event had the opportunity to see the new unit, find out more about the care provided, and celebrate and recognise the hard work and dedication of staff, service users, carers and stakeholders involved in its development.

The unit is a full refurbishment and

extension of three of the six existing bungalows which currently make up the Heather Close residential facility; this provides care for people recovering from enduring mental health conditions who are not yet ready to return home. Jane Lord, Unit Manager, said: “In the past, the vast majority of placements for clients requiring these services have been outside Nottinghamshire and also within private sector provision. This fantastic new unit enables service users and carers to be closer to and maintain their links to the communities in which they live.”

New rehabilitation unit officially opened

L-R: Caroline Pinnick, Project Lead; Nick Daibell, General Manager, Adult Mental Health County; Simon Smith, Executive Director, Local Services; Hazel Johnson, Clinical Director, Adult Mental Health County; Mike Cooke, Chief Executive; Jane Lord, Team Leader and Sharon Eaton, Business and Development Manager.

Technology improving the patient experienceA project on Shelley Ward at Ashfield Community Hospital is bringing new technology into reminiscence therapy.

the work involves using a computer tablet, similar to an iPad, to store reminiscence files for individual patients. these files include visual material such as photographs and film about the person’s occupation and/or events that are meaningful to that individual. the tablet also includes a playlist of songs and music that are significant for the person. relatives are working with nurses to help construct the files and identify which songs, images and films are most significant for the person with dementia.

sharlotte somerville, staff nurse, is leading the project. “because the devices being used don’t need a keyboard and are operated by touch screen technology it is easier for a person with dementia to use,” said sharlotte. “we hope that the process will help staff and relatives engage with people who have dementia and help them keep their memories for longer.”

sessions using the computers will be evaluated against more traditional methods of reminiscence therapy using an evaluation tool that has been developed jointly by ward staff and staff at the university of nottingham. Funding for the hand held computers has come from a niCE bid submitted by the mental health services for older People Directorate.

the project is being jointly developed with Dr alan Pringle at the university of nottingham and supported by Chris majid, student nurse on shelley ward.

Sharlotte Somerville (left) working with a reminiscence tablet.

Stonebridge Centre takes a step forwardPeople using the Stonebridge Centre’s Recovery Service are benefiting from a new type of clinic.

The service has been piloting ‘Step Forward’ clinics since May 2011 as an alternative to traditional psychiatric outpatients. The Step Forward clinic aims to help people feel more empowered to live independent lives and confident enough to leave secondary care, safe in the knowledge that they can access services again if needed.

Traditionally people with serious diagnoses such as psychosis have been told that they would need services for life and have been seen at outpatient appointments. However, this does not always meet people’s needs and means consultants’ time is largely occupied in clinics. Now that a range of primary care services is available it is often more appropriate for people to be discharged from secondary mental health services if they are stable. This approach also brings mental health care

in line with care for other long term health conditions; as it is more ‘normal’ for people to manage long term health conditions in this way, it helps to combat the stigma associated with mental ill health.

So far 30 people have been seen in the clinics and 20 have been discharged back to their GPs with clear plans as to how they can re-access services. It is hoped that over the next year this service will be expanded so it is accessible from all outpatient clinics.

‘The Big Debate’ considers Recovery A number of Trust staff took part in a lively discussion about Recovery at Highbury Hospital in October. It was all good natured though, as the participants were getting involved in ‘The Big Debate’.

the event was held to progress the trust’s commitment to recovery by creating an

opportunity for staff to discuss some of the great recovery challenges. the day was opened by mike Cooke, who spoke about recovery as a national movement to value patients’ experience and gave an account of the important elements needed to nurture people’s recovery through mental illness.

the morning session raised the motion: ‘recovery of mental health is currently hindered by risk averse practice’, which sparked a lively debate between Dr Glenn roberts, recovery lead for the royal College of Psychiatrists, and Professor Peter liddle, Professor of Psychiatry at nottingham university, followed by a table top discussion. it was evident that there was considerable backing for creating an environment to support recovery, trying to overcome any challenges, whilst recognising the importance of patient safety.

the afternoon session’s motion of: ‘recovery threatens to violate the boundaries between staff and patients that are essential for the safety of both’ was debated between Professor rachel munton and Dr rachel Perkins obE. again there was enthusiastic audience interaction and the speakers inspired passionate debate around this potentially controversial issue.

the event consolidated the trust’s position as a national Demonstration site for recovery by engaging staff in these hugely important topics key to recovery. thank you to all those who took part in the event in helping make it a great success.

Millbrook group supports RecoveryService users at Millbrook Mental Health Unit at King’s Mill Hospital are being helped with Recovery by attending a new life story group.

The group has been set up to aid people’s journey towards Recovery, inspiring hope, and improving their self-esteem and confidence. Organisers Cath Gent and Scarlett Williams have so far been very encouraged by the enthusiasm and dedication of the participants.

People attending the group have completed life story boards, time lines and ‘the river of life’ as well as benefiting from sharing and learning from each others’

l-r: Cath Shelton, Tracey Taylor and Margaret Flewitt, who have been working alongside the consultants in piloting the Step Forward Clinic.

RecoveryNottinghamshire Healthcare is proud to be officially recognised as a provider of Recovery focused mental health services and an example to other Trusts in promoting a culture of Recovery throughout the organisation.

Recovery means many things but encompasses taking back control, choice, hope, opportunity and what each individual wants for themselves and their future. Recovery does not necessarily mean a ‘cure’, but emphasises the ‘journey’ of an individual learning to build a life beyond their illness.

Here are just a few examples of recent Recovery developments across the Trust...

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Dr Glenn Roberts presents his argument at The Big Debate


experiences. Many are now working on self portrait art works to be exhibited at a local venue in the coming year.

“I really enjoy the group,” said one participant, “it almost makes you feel ‘normal’, and it is nice to know people have been through similar things to myself.”

For more information about the group please contact Scarlett Williams, Acting Charge Nurse and Recovery Champion,

on 01623 784776 or email scarlet.

[email protected] or Cath Gent, Clinical Lead, Section 136 Suite,

on 01623 785743 or email cath.

[email protected].

Peer support students celebrate graduation The Trust’s third cohort of peer support students celebrated their graduation last month with a ceremony on 4 November hosted by Mike Cooke, Trust Chief Executive.

Peer support workers use their lived experience of mental distress to help others in their recovery journey. they do this by being positive role models to people who use our services and by demonstrating the possibility of recovery in all that they do.

in order for them to learn the skills necessary to utilise this valuable experience, the trust offers an 11-day peer support training course held at the recovery Education Centre. the course is the only accredited peer support course to be run nationally and is run by the institute of mental health along with a trainer who has their own lived experience. it is taught using an experiential learning style and focuses on listening skills, life story work, ethics, recovery language, safe story telling and much more. in order to pass the course each student also conducts a work placement to practice these skills in a work environment.

by completing this course the students are able to consolidate their own recovery tools and share with the audience the impact that being given this opportunity has made on their own recovery. Each student will now have the opportunity to meet with members of the involvement team, the recovery Education Centre and the Peer support service to look at their own individual development needs and how the trust can make the most of each of

their unique strengths and talents.

Mike Cooke, Chief Executive with the successful peer support students

Millbrook Mental Health Unit at King’s Mill Hospital will be holding a Christmas Fair on Thursday 8 December.

From 10.30am to 3.30pm the unit will host stalls including a tombola, cakes and gifts as well as a special stall from the wathwood hospital Farm shop. raffles, games and

entertainment will also be on offer including a performance from the rosehips belly dancers and in the afternoon there will be a choir service and Farnsfield’s st michael’s Church of England Primary school Choir will be singing Christmas songs.

Please come along and support the unit.

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Nottingham Hospitals’ Choir Christmas carol concertThe Nottingham Hospitals’ Choir will be performing a Christmas Carol concert at 7.30pm on Saturday 10 December.

the event will take place at st John’s the baptist Parish Church, Graylands road, bilborough, nottingham nG8 4FD and will support the kinder fund (nottingham QmC Paediatric renal unit).

tickets are priced at £7 and are available through the choir’s web site at www.nottinghamhospitalschoir.co.uk or by calling 0115 9399315 or 0115 9256833.

the nottingham hospitals’ Choir has been performing choral music for over 40 years and has presented many concerts and other choral events at a range of venues, raising over £200,000 for charity to date. the choir is currently looking for new members. members do not need to be employed by the nhs, but must have a love of singing. For more information please send an email via the contact page on the choir’s website.

Nottingham Hospitals Choir in rehearsal

In October staff and carers on Shelley Ward at Ashfield Community Hospital celebrated a harvest festival with a difference.

As well as a display of the more traditional harvest produce, craft-making items such as cards, tapestry kits and paint brushes were collected and displayed during a short harvest service.

The idea for the unusual addition came from ward activities co-ordinator Jane Kirk and staff, carers

and friends all helped to collect the items.

The short harvest service was conducted by the Reverend Richard Leaper from the Department of Spiritual and Pastoral Care. After the service the craft items were presented to Mrs Liz Moore, a representative from the Mansfield Mind day centre to help in its activities.

Many thanks to Shelley Ward manager and staff, not forgetting the carers who made this all possible.

Liz Moore from MIND (left) and Andrea Roberts, Ward Manager, Shelley Ward (right).

Harvest celebration

Millbrook to host Christmas fair

HealthInformaticsService


School nurses stride for life

Left to right: Claire Winser, Hazel Sims, Karen Ellis, Ali Bugg, Elaine Fisher and Carolyn Marshall

A group of school nurses from Principia took part in the annual ‘Stride for Life’ event on 27 September at Rushcliffe Country Park.

The nurses, along with year 10 girls from secondary schools across the Borough of Rushcliffe, walked, jogged or ran the 5km course around the park to raise money for Cancer Research

UK. The event showcased partnership working between schools and health in promoting the wellbeing of year 10 girls through physical activity, with a fun afternoon in the sun had by all.

Heath informatics: printer rationalisation strategyThe Trust, through Health Informatics Services and specifically Corporate IT, is working towards delivering a cost effective and well managed printer and copying solution for everyone. at the moment, as part of this work, we are working with a major manufacturer konica minolta and its local supplier, konica minolta East, to determine whether the planned changes will secure the improvements we hope for.

many of our staff may already be aware that it has been actively scrutinising printer purchases and printer deployment for over a year now in an attempt to understand how to optimise printer usage. this scrutiny usually begins in the form of a questionnaire, sent to a prospective printer purchaser, which when returned allows it to better understand the actual needs of the prospective purchaser and/or department. armed with this information, it can better identify a needs-based, more cost effective printer or print solution for you, giving consideration to the total cost of ownership rather than only considering the printer and consumable purchase prices.

Will this mean I lose my desktop printer?not necessarily; providing a printer or a print solution isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ process, although a recent independent audit

suggested that we have a significant over-capacity in printing devices. the audit also brought to our attention the age and condition of our existing printer fleet, the cost, quantity and type of print we output and the potential costs associated with replacing ageing printers in our current fleet.

Why change? It seems to work fine for me.the current model is expensive. a strategy has been produced which aims to: • Reducethedesiretoprint.• Rationaliseprintingdevicesandremoveinefficiencies.• Providepurchasingcontrolsonprintersandconsumables

through a catalogue of devices to meet specific business needs.

• Supportflexibleworking.• Reducethecostperpageofprinting.• Controlcostsbymakingtheuserawareoftheirprintcosts.• Reducetheriskofconfidentialprintinggoingastray.• Simplifythemanagementofprintingdevices.• Simplifythemaintenanceofprintingdevices.

How can I help?always consider:• Whyprintatall?• Whyprintincolour?• WhatamIprintingto?• Whatisthecostofmyprint?• ConsultingwithIT(throughITservicedesk)aboutprinter,

copier, scanner and fax machine purchases.

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In readiness for refurbishment work on Lister and Porchester Wards at the Wells Road Centre, Hotel Services were

asked to clear all unwanted items from the area, including furniture which was no longer suitable.

Although the furniture could not be used within the Trust it was thought it may be of use to someone else. John Heath, Hotel Services Coordinator, and Rob Jones from Capital Planning found that the Trust had previously donated furniture to a charity called National Peace Aid Convoy, which provides items to projects in Rwanda.

The charity was contacted and in September the portering team delivered

five vehicles of beds, wardrobes, lockers and filing cabinets to their warehouse.

With further support from the Estates Department, both wards were cleared ahead of schedule and donating the furniture saved over £1,000 in waste removal costs.

Cath Abel, of The National Peace Aid Convoy, said: “The people we have come to know in Rwanda think it is wonderful that others are thinking of them. The gifts from donors such as yourselves make such a difference to the lives of families out there. The goods you have donated will make a vast improvement to the health and welfare of the people in local villages.

Thank you again for thinking of us and the Rwandan people we try to help.”

“We hope we can continue to donate items which are no longer of any use to the Trust,” said John Heath. “Not only does it help people less fortunate than ourselves, but it also supports our environmental commitment by reusing unwanted items.”

A big thank you goes to the Wells Road Centre Portering team for their hard work and commitment in supporting this scheme.

For any further information or to donate items please contact Mary Freer on 0115 9211507 or 07817 453459 (mobile) or email [email protected].

Wells Road Centre porters Frank Holmes and Mick Wesson with Cath Abel, Mary Freer and John Heath alongside some of the donated furnitureTrust supports

Rwanda charity


Rampton raises funds

Left to right: Centre Manager Paula Ingamells, Course Administrator Edna Blades, Trust AM Hospital Radio Presenter Joseph Ditch, Staff Nurse/Nurse Practitioner CBT For Psychosis MariaPaola Ditch, Administrative Assistant Gabrielle Overton and Administrator Sharon Allen

Staff and visitors at Rampton Hospital have been raising funds for charity.

on 29 september a day of fun at the mike harris learning and Development Centre raised £482.99 for breast Cancer Care and macmillan Cancer support as the venue played host to a strawberry tea and world’s biggest Coffee morning event.

Generous staff and visitors donated and bought strawberries, home-made delicious cakes and cupcakes, recipe books and badges with a ‘Guess the Cake’ game and a raffle to win fabulous prizes donated by local businesses. information leaflets were also handed out, raising more awareness of the different charities.

the hospital staff also raised a fantastic £1,083.64 to support breast cancer awareness with a fund-raising

event organised by the reception staff. the team organised a raffle with prizes donated by local businesses and hospital-wide staff. they also sold buns and hand-made guardian angels and throughout the hospital colleagues wore pink to support the event.

thank you to everyone who supported these worthy causes.

Rampton Hospital reception staff

Café provides room for innovation Following feedback received at a service planning meeting in June, the Adult Speech and Language Therapy Service has launched an Innovations Café for staff within the service. The innovative forum is an opportunity for colleagues to share best practice, discuss research ideas and bring suggestions for service developments which will increase efficiency and improve quality. The informal sessions are open to all staff within the adult speech and language therapy service and will be held about every six weeks. Details of dates, times and venues will be sent to staff within the service once confirmed.

For further information about the initiative please contact Nina Squires or Fiona Robinson on 0115 9709221 or email [email protected] or [email protected].

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Trust nurse aims to bring about changeA Trust nurse has been selected as one of just 25 in the country to take part in an innovative leadership programme.

Nurse First is a programme designed for healthcare professionals who want to step outside the traditional clinical role to create real change in their field. The programme looks for people who are working in the community and would like to be able to promote change or innovation. It provides a range of development activities and support mechanisms to give its students support to make their ideas happen and effect change.

Maureen Major, a Learning Disabilities Health Facilitator based at Park House in Nottingham, has been accepted onto the programme’s first cohort of 25 registered health care professionals and began the programme in October.

She will now complete seven three-day sessions of residential development, professional coaching and expert advice with access to some of the UK’s leading innovators and social entrepreneurs to support an idea from its concept to making it real and fully funded by the end of the 12 month programme.

“I’m so excited to have been accepted onto this programme,” said Maureen. “I’m really looking forward to what this opportunity has to offer for people with learning disabilities, both locally and maybe even nationally. I plan to use this opportunity to bring about real positive change for the people we work with and whilst I do already have a number of ideas, I would welcome any others.”

For more information or to put your ideas forward please contact Maureen on 07831494102 or email [email protected].

releasing time to Care is a national improvement programme which focuses on improving ward processes and environments to help nurses and therapists spend more time on patient care, thereby improving patient experience, staff wellbeing, safety and efficiency.

ward rounds are a vital part of assessing and planning patient care, and clinical teams at arnold lodge have identified and suggested potential changes to various aspects of this process.

the Clinical teams on helvellyn, snowdon and Pennine wards viewed the ward round module as an opportunity to review and standardise current practice. a number of potential improvements were identified including:

• Standardisingdocumentationandensuring all necessary documents are always to hand

• Standardisingstructurewithclearlyidentified roles

• Reducingrepetition• Ensuringchangesto‘patientstatus’

and ward round outcomes are communicated immediately to ward staff

• Stoppingunnecessaryscribingforclinical staff

• Establishingcleartaskswithinnominated time frame for staff members

• Matchingskillsandtaskstoachievemaximum productivity.

the resulting actions relate to the structure of the ward round sessions, roles of staff within meetings and associated

paperwork. as a result of this module, teams are now working to an action plan which has already shown benefits in terms of improved team communication and concise and informative nursing documentation.

Efficiency has been improved by utilising clinical time more effectively. teams are working hard to ensure nursing staff are not interrupted and are on the wards at busy times, such as mealtimes and medicine times. it is anticipated that making these changes will free up staff to spend more time with patients and reduce possible duplication and inconsistencies in sustaining high quality care.

For more information contact kate steels on 0115 9529491 or email [email protected].

Ward Round Module of Releasing Time to Care – Arnold LodgeThree wards at Arnold Lodge have completed the ward round module of the Releasing Time to Care programme.


Kerry Palmer-Green is a third year occupational therapy student at the University of Derby. After two placements with the Trust, she wanted to share her positive experiences:

i have been lucky enough to have two placements within the trust – one in the Early intervention in Psychosis team (EiP) and one with nottingham City asperger service (nCas).

without a doubt what makes the placement is the educator. if they want the student to flourish and succeed then this really does come across in the way they engage and mentor us. on both occasions i have been most fortunate to have amazing trust educators. without

their commitment to my learning and their amazing support and guidance i wouldn’t be entering my final few months of training.

at EiP my educator was alison taylor who worked in a generic role which gave me a great insight into how occupational therapists (ots) in generic roles work. alison herself was a real ball of positive energy and great fun to work alongside. Due to my previous work experience, alison trusted me very early on with her clients and enabled me (amongst other things) to develop and facilitate community groups. i left feeling extremely confident about ot, my abilities and future placements and training.

my final placement was the asperger service. lisa timmerman, my educator, was more purist ot in her working and opened my eyes to a service and client

group that i knew very little about before this placement. From day one her passion and belief in her work encouraged me to be the best student i could and her belief in my abilities as a therapist gave me great confidence to grow. as before i was trusted with her clients yet lisa was always available and offered an amazing level of support and encouragement.

a big thank you to nottinghamshire healthcare for two of the best experiences i could have had. i feel ready now to face the world as an occupational therapist.

Positive placements help OT student

A new scheme is being developed to give trainee psychiatrists the opportunity to develop their skills in research.

The initiative is being run by the Mental Health Research Network (MHRN) East Midlands Hub plus South Yorkshire and is aimed at benefiting both participants and the health service in general.

The scheme will match trainees (grade ST4-6) with their preferred area of study, with one session a week devoted to current research in their area of interest. This will provide participants with the chance to gain valuable hands-on research experience within a real study, while at the same time supporting research teams with

suitably qualified staff to implement the projects. The research experience will also help medical staff with their employment prospects once qualified.

There might not always be an exact match between a clinician’s interests and a particular study, so the MHRN will facilitate discussions between the two parties to ensure the skills that the clinician brings to the project are well utilised. MHRN staff will then work alongside the clinician to ensure that they are fully supported while carrying out the research.

Although the scheme is initially only open to trainee psychiatrists, if it proves successful it could be easily expanded to involve other professionals, such as psychologists and nurses who can bring a different perspective to the research.

Richard Morriss, Professor of Psychiatry and East Midlands plus South Yorkshire MHRN Hub Lead, said: “The training opportunity will give the trainee real world experience of working with high quality externally funded research and a national research network to meet the growing agenda for clinicians as ongoing active generators and translators of research knowledge into clinical practice.”

For further details please email [email protected] or [email protected].

Trainee psychiatrists focus on research

Kerry Palmer-Green

12

the ikano mini marathon encourages people to run, walk or jog a 2.6 mile course starting at victoria Embankment in nottingham. it is open to people of all ages and abilities.

the trust group included colleagues and service users from learning Disability services, as well as members of a running group from inspire nottingham (day service for people with learning disabilities) and staff and service users from Flexible Day services. the inspiration to enter the event was the trust’s ‘olympics – be Part of the Challenge’ campaign.

Mini marathon helps get people movingA group of 25 people associated with the Trust took part in Nottingham’s Ikano Mini Marathon on 11 September.

Community learning disability nurses tony Price and steve Pritchett were on hand to carry out basic health checks and give health advice. there was also discussion about health action plans and annual health checks at the GP for people with learning disabilities.

tony also attended most of the weekly training sessions run by inspire through the summer and sourced pedometers for all the service users. along with recording charts this encouraged exercise between the weekly sessions.

it was marvellous to see how people developed and pushed themselves as the date for the run approached. as well as great exercise it provided a social outlet for a group of people who can become very socially isolated, with everyone being incredibly supportive of each other irrespective of their running ability.

on the day everyone enjoyed the run and all collected medals and goodie bags afterwards. as a charity, inspire also collected sponsorship.

the running group is carrying on and expanding, making a small step towards improving the health of people with a learning disability in nottingham.

Nottingham charity offers free counselling A local organisation is offering free counselling services for young Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic and Refugee women who are survivors of gender-based violence.

Roshni, based in Nottingham city centre, provides a range of services

for Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic and Refugee (BAMER) women, children and young people who experience domestic or sexual violence. Roshni’s services include safe supported housing provision for South Asian women and children as well as information, advice and advocacy support for women living in the community affected by domestic and sexual violence, including specialist skills relating to forced marriage, honour based violence and responding to associated issues of multiple perpetrators, coercion and subtle forms of abuse.

Thanks to funding from Comic Relief, Roshni is offering free, individual, face to face counselling and therapy to 16-25 year-old BAMER young

women who are experiencing, or have previously been affected by, any form of gender-based violence. This includes domestic abuse, sexual violence, bullying or assault, violence in intimate relationships, forced marriage, female genital mutilation (FGM), ‘honour’ based violence or gang-related violence. The service is free of charge and counselling is available in English, Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Tamil and Spanish.

Roshni welcomes self-referrals as well as third party referrals. To make a referral or for more information about the counselling service contact Roshni on 0115 9881414, email [email protected] or visit www.roshninotts.org.uk.

13Positive September 2011

about involvement

Between Words & Music

An evening of poetry, prose and musical performance marked the launch of two new

publications as part of Mental Health Awareness Weeks 2011.

the Positive writing Group joined forces with the meerkats at College street theatre in nottingham to put on the event launching ‘between the notes’ and ‘Compendium 2011’.

‘between the notes’ is a CD produced in collaboration with middle street resource Centre, and is the third CD in the ‘music is what Feelings sound like’ series. it is full of original songs created

by musicians who’ve accessed mental health services. the second CD in the series is currently up for two professional communications awards. involvement manager Jonathan wright sang the project’s praises: “when we launched the CD at ‘FoPP’ music store last year we outsold any other live act that played there. this isn’t just a worthy project; this is a quality product full of quality work.”

‘Compendium 2011’ is an anthology of poetry, prose and photography created

by people who attend the trust’s Positive writing Group. “it’s a testament to the quality of the work we received that last year’s Compendium was greeted with such joy,” said editor noel oxford. “the trust has really helped us push the boat out for 2011.”

the evening included british sign language interpreters helping to make the night more accessible, while the

poem ‘touch’ by George wilcockson, which describes being blind and deaf, gave the audience of more than 60 people an insight into his experience.

Continued over...

The Meerkats

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Rowan Coxmembers of the Positive writing Group were saddened to hear that one of its earliest members passed away last month. rowan Cox was one of the founding members of the group and his creativity contributed greatly to the success of Compendium.

“rowan was an invigorator,” said Positive writing Group editor noel oxford. “he could be a handful at times, but Compendium might never have got off the ground without him.” rowan’s ‘truly listening’ booklet, created in 2009, formed the blueprint for 2010’s Compendium.

Group member John harrison added: “he brought chaos out of order, but things always happened when he was involved! Compendium 2011 will stand as an important part of rowan’s legacy, and we would like to dedicate this year’s edition to him.”

the trust’s presenter at the theatre was group member Patricia Farley, who guided everyone magnificently through the performances. trust Governor member Graham Fraser commented: “the quality of media, from spoken word to song, and the use of the slides on the big screen were excellent. ‘between words and music’ deserves to be broadcast on the radio where it can reach a wider audience.”

other comments included:

“The standard of both the music and the writing was amazing” – group member Sam Grey

“it was a real privilege to be part of between words and music. an amazing evening, rich with talent and soul” – musician robert ashford.

“A great night; I was buzzing for hours after” – performer Cathy Eddamri.

“Great venue and a great line up made it a night to remember” – musician Percy brown.

For more information or copies of Compendium or between the notes contact the involvement Centre on 0115 9934567.

Patricia Farley

Continued from page 13

George Wilcockson


Trust takes a stand at Ashfield ShowTrust staff, volunteers and Governor Members hosted a membership and information stall at Ashfield Community Show on Saturday 13 August. Members of staff from County Health Partnerships also attended in our integrated approach to recruit members.

As well as promoting the work of the Trust and involvement opportunities, the stall at Sutton Lawns Pleasure Ground in Sutton in Ashfield helped to raise awareness and promote the anti-stigma message. The show attracted huge numbers of visitors, many of whom visited the Trust stall. More than 100 new members signed up to the Trust during the day, taking the total public membership to more than 8,300.

Many local businesses and trade stalls were on display as well as non-trade, including other NHS trusts, the Council and the Fire Service. This year’s show also hosted a craft tent and cookery displays and in the evening the fun fair opened and live bands took to the stage in front of the crowds of people who gathered to be entertained.

It was an enjoyable day and the Trust was proud to be part of it.

Opening the door for Asperger’sMembers of the Asperger’s Community of Interest are working together to raise awareness and improve welfare and quality of life for people living with Asperger’s.

the asperger’s Community of interest was set up in august last year and brings together a wide range of people. the following quotes are from some of the group’s members:

“as a person with asperger’s syndrome i have frequently felt in groups that i was a person on the outside looking through a window into a warm room, but now with the Community of interest i meet with like-minded people and have come in from the cold.”

“since being part of the Community of interest i’ve gained a greater knowledge of my son, who has asperger’s.”

“as an adult with asperger’s syndrome i feel that my condition leaves me as an eternal outsider. this group allows me to develop a new perspective about my condition, expressing it in a useful way and at the same time increasing understanding of the non-asperger’s community.”

together group members are working to gather a body of shared experience, including positive experiences and clinical understanding, aiming to produce presentations and documentation to help others understand asperger’s and those affected by it.

the asperger’s Community of interest is an inclusive group open to all parts of the community and would like to make contact with anyone who has an interest in asperger’s syndrome. you might have the condition, care for someone with it or work with those with it. For further information please contact [email protected].

a Community of interest is a group of people with a shared interest, understanding or passion who want to work together to shape or improve services. For more information about other Communities of interest please contact Jane Danforth, involvement officer on 0115 9529430 or email [email protected].

George Wilcockson

A new member signs up to the Trust

16

Introducing Dane Brennan, Lead GovernorIn September, the Governor Members elected Dane Brennan, Staff Governor Member (Nursing) as the Lead Governor/Deputy Chair of the Members’ Council. As Lead Governor, Dane chairs the Governor Member Steering Group and will lead the Members’ Council in the event that the Trust Chair and any other non-executive directors are unable to.

Dane is also Governor Ambassador for Mental Health Services for Older People and has been visiting the services in the south of the county: “As part of my role as Staff Governor Ambassador for Mental Health Services for Older People I visited ten separate units across Nottinghamshire in August.

“I was escorted by Sally Ann Redhead, the Inpatient Service Manager for the wards in the south of the county. Her enthusiasm and professionalism for the patients, carers and staff made the day a real pleasure.

“Having worked in inpatient areas myself for over 20 years I was extremely impressed by each area’s commitment to their client group. No two wards looked the same; however a high standard of practice was evident across all the areas. Staff from all grades seemed very proud and enthusiastic about the care that they provide and the patients that I was able to speak to seemed equally happy with the care and support that they were receiving. I wasn’t able to speak to any carer groups but all the areas have expressed warm invites to return and engage with different service user/carer/staff groups.

“From a Staff Governor perspective I have been given an opportunity to engage with Mental Health Services for Older People and feel assured the services I have seen offer a very high standard of care; I have an open invite to all the areas I visited and will endeavour to become an active ambassador for that service.”

iPads online feedback takes offover the last two years our service user Carer Experience trust survey has seen a huge increase in participation with over 6,700 forms being returned to date and positive changes made as a result.

Jane Danforth, Involvement Officer (left) and Beverley Swift, Involvement Volunteer with one of the ipads being used around the Trust to give feedback via Patient Opinion.

Patient opinion is an online, independent ‘not for profit’ feedback website where anyone can post their story anonymously about nhs services. it complements the survey and is proving popular as an alternative way to leave feedback. all postings receive a reply co-ordinated by the involvement and Communications teams and in areas where internet access is restricted or non-existent, iPads with 3G connectivity are being piloted, providing an opportunity for service users and carers to leave ‘on the spot’ feedback.

wards and forensic services are able to use Patient opinion in any location to gather feedback and it is now being used with patients, service users, carers, families and friend and at events or conferences. by working closely with Pals (Patient advice & liaison service) and our service liaison Department (Complaints), evidence is emerging that joining up feedback makes sense and improves services faster.

a number of Patient opinion champions are supporting services and spreading the word that real time feedback really does work. we have also developed a survey about the effectiveness of Patient opinion.

Casey, one of our Patient opinion champions, recently posted on the site: “we took Patient opinion information to millbrook mental health unit and explained how all patients could get their voices heard. staff mentioned increasing internet availability for patients. many patients raised an issue around medication, which led us to talk about the work of a former Community of interest (women’s medication Group). overall, Patient opinion and involvement seemed to spark an interest in many patients on kingsley ward, and will hopefully prove to be useful and successful.”

Patient opinion has now invited the trust to contribute to the Patient opinion blog and to present at a regional event in 2012, also naming us ‘pioneers of the month’ in their recent newsletter and on twitter and Facebook.


Experiences of a Governor Membersue Clayton is a Public Governor member for the nottinghamshire County constituency and has been on the members’ Council for just over a year. here she describes her experiences as a Governor over the past year:

“i have felt enormously privileged in my role as Governor member for the trust over the last year and, more recently, as Governor ambassador for adult mental health services in nottingham City.

“i have been involved in a large number of things in my first year as Governor member. i have attended Communities of interest meetings, met with colleagues from County health Partnerships, visited the rosewood involvement Centre and presented to the involvement Centre tuesday Group at Duncan macmillan house. i have also attended the acute Care Forum at highbury hospital, spiritual and Pastoral Care Forums and observed a trust board meeting. i particularly enjoyed attending the trust annual General meeting in september.

“it has been a pleasure meeting so many people and discovering all the work going on in the trust, and beyond!

“working with other Governors has been a positive experience and i have felt supported in my role from the trust board, the membership office and various members of trust staff.

“being a Governor member has given me the opportunity to use all my past training, put my personal experiences to good use and make a difference in the lives of others. the camaraderie is unlike anything i have experienced before.”

sue can be contacted via the membership office on 0800 012 1623.

A Community of Interest (CoI) is a group of people with a shared interest, understanding or passion who want to work together to shape or improve services.

Volunteer creates new CoI publicityPaul Robinson, one of our talented involvement volunteers, has been burning the midnight oil developing a collection of publicity materials to promote Communities of Interest (CoI). Paul’s collection of eleven publicity postcards was launched at the Trust’s Annual General Meeting to an incredibly positive response. The Deaf Well-Being and the Carer Families and Friends CoI all made use of the publicity to great effect on the day.

Paul said: “It was really nice to receive an email from Mike Cooke, our Chief Executive, who, after seeing the publicity, now wants to join them all, but he is limited to sponsoring two groups!”

The eleven communities of interest all showcased their achievements at an Involvement event in November 2011.

For more information about communities of interest contact Jane Danforth, Involvement Officer on 0115 9529430 or email [email protected].

Spotlight on Mental Health & Employmentthe inaugural meeting of the mental health & Employment Community of interest group took place in september with a second meeting held in october. meetings are now scheduled for the last wednesday of each month at the Conference hall, highbury hospital, from 4.30pm to 6pm.

it is early days for the group, which is sponsored by simon smith, Executive Director of local services, but already several important issues have been raised and flagged up for action:• ReviewoftheTrust’sownMental

wellbeing strategy• TheTrustasanemployer,howwell

we recruit and retain staff with mental health issues, including a review of human resources policies and practice

• InputfromClareTeeney(Humanresources manager, local services) and lorraine Eastham (associate Director of human resources)

• Developingpublicitymaterialsforthegroup’s members for conferences/events with external stakeholders

• Encompassingvolunteersandbroadening membership

• ‘Bringandshare’slotspromotinggoodpractice for employment and mental health.

Communities of interest are intended to be action focused and not solely discussion groups. if you are interested in joining or contributing to the mental health & Employment Community of interest, please contact Julie royston at [email protected].

to consult with an Employment specialist, contact the Employment Connection team at highbury on 0115 9560802.

A poster designed by Paul Robinson for the Communities of Interest

Nursing staff and community matrons in Nottingham West and John Eastwood Hospice, Mansfield have used the Commissioning for Quality and Innovation (CQUIN) requirement to help improve the care and prevention of pressure ulcers.

As part of the 2011/12 CQUIN for community services, staff are expected to evidence the use of a recognised risk assessment tool and appropriate care plans to identify and manage patients at risk of developing pressure ulcers. Nursing staff at John Eastwood Hospice have used the requirement to

improve their standard of clinical record keeping to provide evidence of pressure ulcer prevention and management. Community Matrons have used it to increase learning and awareness of pressure ulcer management and avoidance with care home staff within Nottingham West.

At John Eastwood Hospice Denise Bircumshaw, Modern Matron, worked closely with the nursing team to ensure that initial documentation of pressure areas are comprehensively assessed and appropriate care plans are implemented. As a result, figures for the number of patients receiving a pressure ulcer risk assessment within 24 hours of admission, the

Pressure Ulcer Prevention

A healthy living event in October gave young people a chance to learn about maintaining good health through healthy foods.

the event at the young Diverse minds (yDm) Centre in mapperley began with a discussion on food and the health benefits of cooking and preparing foods to get the best out of them and how food can positively influence wellbeing.

the event was well attended by service users who regularly attend the yDm project as well as others from the Early intervention in Psychosis service. both clients and staff enjoyed the event.

the organisers had invited chef Gregory roulston to lead a fun, interactive discussion session. Gregory prepared some delicious food of a blend of Caribbean flavours and showed how simple and easy it is to prepare and enjoy good nutritious food. he also shared some of his recipes, and his passion and enthusiasm prompted others to share their experiences of healthy eating and nutrition. “this was my first experience of working with service users and i met people who want to eat healthily and had lots of questions,” said Gregory. “i am committed to promoting a healthy diet and the feedback i received was pretty impressive. i didn’t anticipate that the food and presentation would be so well received.”

attendees said that they would like further sessions and would love to learn to cook healthy, tasty, nutritious food. one service user commented: “i don’t eat Caribbean food often, but it was the best Caribbean food i’d ever tasted and i was inspired to try.”

this event is part of a series of health promotion activities designed to improve accessibility to advice, support, education and health and well being. so far all the activities have been very positively received by service users.

Young people learn healthy living skills

Top: Irfan (left) and Martin (right) enjoy a taste of Caribbean cookingBelow: Chef Gregory Roulston

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Hard-working students have been recognised for

their achievements with a presentation at the Institute of Mental Health’s graduation lunch.

The ceremony marked the students successfully gaining qualifications in a range of courses offered by the Institute’s Teaching Team and was held at

Duncan Macmillan House. Certificates marking their achievements were presented by Professor Dean Fathers, Trust Chair.

Dean said: “Graduation day is an important day in the students’ clinical and academic life and we in Nottinghamshire Healthcare and the Institute of Mental Health are proud to help mark this occasion. All the programmes of study

have been developed and delivered by the Teaching Team of the Institute of Mental Health and we currently have about 200 students on our courses. We are delighted to have so many students at the presentation and hope they found studying and learning with us to be a stretching but enjoyable occasion.”

Students attending the presentation had gained

their qualifications in courses including the Certificate, Diploma and BA (Hons) in Health and Social Care Practice, BA (Hons) in Mental Health Practice: Psychosocial Interventions and the Post-graduate Diploma in Psychological Therapies for Psychosis. For the latest details on courses offered, please visit the education section of the Institute’s website at www.institutemh.org.uk.

Students’ success recognised at graduation lunch

improve their standard of clinical record keeping to provide evidence of pressure ulcer prevention and management. Community Matrons have used it to increase learning and awareness of pressure ulcer management and avoidance with care home staff within Nottingham West.

At John Eastwood Hospice Denise Bircumshaw, Modern Matron, worked closely with the nursing team to ensure that initial documentation of pressure areas are comprehensively assessed and appropriate care plans are implemented. As a result, figures for the number of patients receiving a pressure ulcer risk assessment within 24 hours of admission, the

number reassessed each week and the number with a care plan in place have all improved since the last quarter.

In Nottingham West, community matrons Sue Broome and Marcia Carr have worked with care home managers and staff to make them aware of support available to them. They have developed training packages for care home staff, carried out patient assessments, and are closely monitoring care plans and ongoing assessment.

Care home staff and community matrons now have a stronger relationship with community matrons being contacted

quickly for advice. The scheme is reducing unplanned visits by community nursing to care homes for pressure ulcers, with activity falling to an average of four a month during the last six months from the previous average of 11. Reported new incidents of pressure ulcers also suggest avoidance is being better managed within care homes.

For more information about the work at John Eastwood Hospice contact Denise Bircumshaw on [email protected]. For more details about the work in Nottingham West contact Susan Broome on [email protected] or Marcia Carr on [email protected].

The newly qualified graduates with Dean Fathers (back row far left)

The ‘Helping you out’ service, which is part funded by the Lloyds TSB Foundation for England and Wales, is running at HMP Nottingham. While there are a limited number of services providing similar kinds of support elsewhere in the country, this is the first of its kind working specifically with offenders with mental health problems, inside and outside the prison.

Prisoners who have been diagnosed with a mental health problem and who have a sentence of less than 12 months are eligible for the service’s support. Evidence has shown that providing this kind of support can help to break the re-offending cycle.

Dr Adarsh Kaul, Clinical Director, Offender Health said: “We are working

with individuals with a range of complex needs. As well as a mental illness or personality disorder, they often have problems relating to the use of alcohol and drugs, may be homeless and have no support network outside of the prison either from family or professional agencies. Through this service we are working with each individual to provide the necessary treatment and support to address their needs and offer them help to achieve a level of safety and support which can continue once they leave the prison.

“Many of these people are the most vulnerable in our society. Sadly and shockingly some of them feel they receive better treatment and support for

their mental health problems in prison than outside in the community. With

this service we are aiming to make sure that this is not

the case. This is about providing consistent

support for offenders with mental health needs serving short sentences, which has been missing in

the past. By making a positive difference

to health and wellbeing within the prison and

ensuring that treatment and support continues once prisoners leave, they have a level of stability, allowing them to move forward and break the reoffending cycle. The knock on effect of this is significant; a reduction in reoffending brings benefits to victims of crime and society at large, as well as costing significantly less. The strength of this project is the partnership approach, linking up the specialist help offered by agencies to create a tailored level of support to each individual. It is a simple concept, but one that really can make a difference.”

Resettlement service launched at HMP NottinghamA special service provided by the Trust in partnership with Rethink Mental Illness that offers prisoners resettlement support in areas of housing, benefits, general health, employment and links with family has officially launched.

they toured the healthcare department at the prison and met with adrian Perks, associate Director offender health and matt mitchell, area manager (East midlands) along with Jonathan lloyd GP and other members of the team. they discussed the health service delivered within hmP nottingham and the wider provision of offender health. both Crispin and michael commented that they were impressed with the healthcare provision at the prison.

Prisons’ minister Crispin blunt said: “the model of health service delivery

at hmP nottingham by nottinghamshire healthcare was impressive. the creation of a significant offender health service by the trust also reinforces my impression that a welcome improvement in the delivery of healthcare to offenders is taking place, with a strong emphasis on addiction and mental health issues.

“longer term, i look forward to seeing the results from the committed and enthusiastic management who were properly proud of the service their frontline health staff are delivering.”

Left to right – Matt Mitchell, Adrian Perks and Crispin Blunt MP

Minister visits prison healthcare teamLast month, the Offender Health team at HMP Nottingham received a visit from Crispin Blunt MP, Minister for Prisons and Probation and Michael Spurr, Chief Executive National Offender Management.

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Substance Misuse Services take to the waterA group of service users from the newly-opened Woodlands unit at Highbury Hospital put their basket-weaving skills to the test in October as they made, and then launched, a coracle.

the unique project was dreamt up by one of the staff nurses, and supported by mike Cooke, Chief Executive.

materials were sourced from an allotment and then staff and service users set to work together to build a coracle which could be launched on the water at holme Pierrepoint.

throughout the week the coracle-building gang worked with real commitment to complete the project in just five days. on the day of the launch everyone involved with the enterprise went along to lend their support.

through this unusual activity the clients experienced a week of interesting activity and gradual realisation that their endeavours and aspirations would not sink without trace. and with more than an acknowledgement of the therapeutic value, they went beyond the ‘something to do’ and ‘being occupied’ reasoning.

as part of the recovery Programme the group acknowledged that the

commitment to this off the wall project had a great deal of value, not least of all to experience a first time on the water for some in what was, after all a basket.

the achievement is quite remarkable and congratulations go to all involved.

For further information about the woodlands or substance misuse issues contact 0115 9560850.

Above: Taking to the waterBelow: The group with their hand-made coracle

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Experiencing Nottinghamshire Healthcare

In October the Newark Falls Prevention Team together with the community matron and community psychiatric nurse for care homes delivered a full day’s training at Newark Health Clinic for care home staff.

the aim of the day was to empower champions to formulate three actions to implement within their setting.

the agenda included an overview of national policies, falls risk factors, medication and osteoporosis, environmental assessment and seating, exercise and mobility and falls in the cognitively impaired person.

the formal teaching sessions were interspersed with interactive sessions where staff discussed case studies and how they might apply the ‘guide to action’ tool; this enabled them to identify possible causes and solutions to manage falls. the afternoon sessions focused on providing practical ideas and skills for them to make real changes within their working environment.

Falls management training in care homes

Annie Larocque, a 15-year-old student from Lincoln, spent a week’s work experience with the Communications Team in October. Here she writes about her week:

I chose to spend work experience in the Trust because I’m interested in psychology and forensics. I didn’t know a great deal about the NHS; I thought spending a week here would improve my knowledge and understanding of how the Trust works.

Being in Communications, I was fortunate to speak with Dr Peter Miller, Executive Medical Director, and Dr Mike Harris, Executive Director, Forensic Services, and got an insight into the variety of work of the Trust. This was reflected in my tasks: writing press releases, designing posters, editing leaflets, working on the website, attending meetings, and gaining a greater understanding of how the Trust works and the inspirational and transforming work it carries out.

The whole place is filled with friendly faces, new and interesting ideas and positive thinking towards everything.

Most importantly, I’ve learnt a lot about mental ill health and how it affects a huge number of people. Mental ill health is extremely hard to deal with, especially if people aren’t fortunate enough to have help and support from organisations such as this.

This week has shown me how much more there is to mental health than myself and others realise. The Communications Team works admirably hard to raise awareness of everything mental health entails.

I now know the NHS isn’t just about doctors and nurses in hospitals; it’s about many other services which I didn’t know much about.

Working here has made me think more about my future. Communications has shown me there are ways of being involved in combining English and media with psychology and forensics. I’m now seriously considering future opportunities in the NHS, and Nottinghamshire Healthcare.

A massive thank you to Professor Dean Fathers for recommending Nottinghamshire Healthcare, I’m thoroughly glad you did. Another big thank you to the team in Communications for taking me under their wing, giving me a fantastic experience and being some of the nicest people I’ve met. With the not-so-great thought of school approaching, I know where I’d rather be!

Annie Larocque

Members of the Newark Falls Prevention Team


the final session was a workshop to devise an action plan to implement three simple changes in a timely, achievable format. some of the plans included:• Usingthemeddistractiontablesforcognitivelyimpairedresidents• Developingawalkingaidandwheelchairmaintenanceprogramme• Regularschedulingofmedicationreviews• Improvingsignagewithinthehome• Implementingchairassessmentstoimproveresidents’seating• Exploringchairbasedexercises• Changingmainmealtimetoeveningstoincreasesafeactivitiesinthe

afternoon

two falls champions from each care home were recruited and in total 37 staff attended. over a period of three months the champions will receive support to implement their action plans from one of the team members.

Evaluation of the training was extremely positive and the organisers are hoping to repeat the day.

Falls management training in care homes

Meeting the needs of an aging population Due to advances in health and social care, the life expectancy of people with learning disabilities is increasing. The health day service team at Holly Lodge (Newark Day Services) has set up two groups tailored to meet the needs of older service users in the area.

the reminiscence Group was set up specifically for people over the age of 60 with learning disabilities; a service that had been lacking in the newark area. the group meets every Friday morning at holly lodge. it follows a specific structure, starting with individuals talking about what they have done over the previous week, encouraging them to use their memories and maintain this skill. relevant past events are also discussed and reflected upon. members then participate in gentle physical exercise and later, facilitated by a music specialist, have the chance to sing along to old songs of their choice or work as a team to create music. the group aims to support members to develop and maintain skills and friendships by bringing together people of a similar age

with similar interests and needs, in a fun, interactive and comfortable environment.

it has been reported that up to 40% of adults with learning disabilities over the age of 65 have dementia (strydam, hassiots and livingston, 2005), and the average age of diagnosis is just 52.8 years (watchman, 2007), which is much younger than the general population. additionally, people with Down’s syndrome are at a particular risk of developing alzheimer’s type dementia, and the symptoms manifest earlier within this group (Deb, hare, Proir and bhaumik, 2007).

to meet the complex needs of this group, the team at holly lodge set up the Dementia Group which runs on Friday afternoons. this group is open to referrals from people with learning disabilities who have dementia or are demonstrating the early signs and symptoms of it. individuals with pre aging syndromes or degenerative conditions also attend. members of this group have limited communication skills so it is facilitated through the use of signs, symbols, pictures, music and uses interactive approaches. the group has similar aims to the reminiscence Group, but has more of a focus on assessment of behaviours, early warning signs of dementia and the management of challenging behaviours. the session always finishes with structured relaxation time in holly lodge’s sensory room.

For more information about the groups contact Joanne hammond on 01623 610727.

A member of the Dementia Group

Members of the Newark Falls Prevention Team

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Mental Health Awareness WeeksA variety of events were held across the Trust and with partner agencies as part of the annual awareness raising weeks in October. Here are a few highlights.

The Nottingham Contemporary event

Attendees at the event held at the Nottingham Sikh Temple

Sikhs helped to understand dementiaon tuesday 11 october Jonathan wright, involvement Centre manager, and Javid khalique, Community Development worker, ran an event on ‘understanding dementia’ as one of a series of mental health events held at nottingham sikh temple.

the talk formed part of the trust’s mental health awareness weeks activity programme and was introduced by Jonathan who also spoke about other scheduled events. Javid presented the talk on dementia, answered questions and showed a short film, all in Punjabi, about living with dementia.

there was standing room only as over 30 people attended from the local temple and the film had to be shown a second time as more people arrived and were keen to find out more.

another talk is now being planned, as well as a similar event for English speakers.

Art helps raise mental health awarenessOur own Arts in Health team (Penny Coulson and Kate Deamer) organised two events for the two weeks of Mental Health Awareness this year.

The first was the Art For Art’s Sake exhibition in Café Art and their newest gallery space, The Long Gallery, both at Duncan Macmillan House. The exhibition was opened on Mental Health Awareness Day (10 Oct) by Ruth Hawkins, Executive Director of Finance & Performance and Deputy Chief Executive, and artist Janis Noble who gave a moving speech, sharing her experiences of her own mental health journey and achievements within the arts.

Over 50 artists that use, or have used, our services from across the county and city had the opportunity to show everyone just how talented they are and

the collection has been admired by many.

The second event was a one-day event held on 14 October at

the prestigious Nottingham Contemporary, who were generous hosts and kindly waived the cost of using ‘The Space’ to help make the event possible.

The Nottingham Contemporary event

Artist Janis Noble and Ruth Hawkins, Executive Director of Finance & Performance and Deputy Chief Executive

Below: The Art for Art’s Sake exhibition

Above, left to right: Marie Armstrong, Nurse Consultant; Caroline Prance, Clinical Nurse Specialist; students Megan Walsh and Hanna Lane; Janine Smith, Clinical Nurse Specialist.


Rosemary Renouf MBE, Mental Health Awareness Weeks Chair (left) and Pam Abbott, Mental Health Awareness Weeks Project Coordinator cut a cake to celebrate 19 years of mental health awareness weeks.As well as a huge projected art exhibition, showing the work of many of our fantastic artists, there was a variety of participatory arts activities including felt making and several types of animation. Huge chimes sat in the space like a giant metal spider ready for visitors to learn to play. Over lunch there were poetry recitals by Patricia and N, and The Sonic Doctors (a service user band from Social Inclusion and Well Being) entertained everyone with a lively performance.

Guests and visitors were welcomed to the event by Ruth Hawkins and Janis Noble once again. The event was a happy and successful one and attended by over 150 members of the public of all ages.

Penny and Kate were delighted with the success of both events and the real ‘celebratory’ feel of the occasions.

Human Library 25th successon saturday 15 october the human library returned to nottingham Central library on angel row. the venue was home to the very first human library in 2009, and the visit was a welcome return. the event was our 25th human library and marked the first time we had a living book talk about learning disability.

working alongside City library services and incorporated into a day of wellbeing activities, the human library achieved 27 loans.

Involvement team cleans up On Monday 24 October the final Involvement activity for Mental Health Awareness Weeks was a car wash for staff based at Duncan Macmillan House. The Team raised £48 by cleaning cars.

CAMHS brings mental health awareness to schoolsAs part of Mental Health Awareness Weeks the Thorneywood CAMHS self harm team visited the Becket School

and Bulwell Academy, with both visits proving to be informative and fun.

Stalls were set up during break times stocked with mental health information leaflets, stress balls, key rings, stickers and more. As stocks rapidly diminished, young people were asked “what one thing do you do that helps you cope with stress?”, which opened up conversations about mental health in an informal way.

The team also addressed a group of sixth formers and then a larger group of third and fourth years. A mental health quiz requiring ‘true’, ‘false’ or ‘don’t know/dunno’ responses introduced the sessions with the aim of challenging stigma. Statements included ‘most people who have mental health problems end up in hospital’, ‘you can tell someone has a mental health

problem by looking at them’, ‘if you think you have a mental health problem you should talk to someone about it’.

Many young people spoke of their own experiences, and how important it is to them to be able to trust. Some worried that school staff or peers might talk about them to others in an unhelpful way which could lead to bullying or being viewed as different. Others were able to respond to these concerns, highlighting how the right support had made a difference to them.

Using the Time to Think campaign material the session ended with each young person making a pledge to improve their mental health. Examples included:• To not give up on myself• To talk to someone when I am stressed• To use rugby to deal with my stress

The team would like to thank all the young people who took part and also the school staff who facilitated the day.

Andrew Stewart, First Aid Learning Manager, Red Cross, and Maria Storry, Drug Worker at The Health Shop.

Mental health awareness at HMP Lindholme The Offender Health Team at HMP Lindholme was also busy holding Mental Health Awareness Week events across the prison and Lindholme Immigration Removal Centre from 10 to 16 October including:

an event in the immigration removal Centre hosted by lindsey woodhall, hCa and health Promotion lead and Diane ross, senior mental health nurse. they spoke to the detainees about mental health and explained how to spot signs and symptoms of deteriorating health. they answered many questions from the group who took away information and referrals were made to see members of the team on an individual basis.

sam Greenway from minD gave a talk in the libraries of the wings to prisoners. Dealing with anxiety was the top topic from the prisoners and leaflets specifically about this issue will be provided following the event.

Posters were displayed in a multitude of languages.

Crossword and word search puzzles relating to mental health were given out to the prisoners to engage them and get them thinking about mental health.

a 30 minute ‘walk and talk’ session was held in the yards of the three main wings. this was an informal way of engaging the prisoners and offering an opportunity to discuss any issues. almost all of the prisoners accessing the yard at this association time engaged with the group. Comments included: ‘i enjoyed the session, i took a lot on board and a lot of credit goes out to health Care staff.’, ‘the staff were very approachable and informative. they took time to talk to me about the problems i am experiencing and gave me some advice that helped me see a different perspective. they patiently advised me of the services that were available within health Care’. ‘they were walking around the yard and i was sat on my own. they asked if i was ok, i said yes and they said you don’t look ok are you sure, and they stayed and talked to me for a while, i told them about the pains in my legs, and they cared.’

an event was held in the visits centre giving an opportunity for parents, carers and friends of those in prison the opportunity to discuss signs and symptoms of deteriorating mental health, gain information about the services available to their loved ones and advice about what to do and who to contact if they have any concerns or notice any changes in their loved ones/friends.

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British Red Cross teams up with Nottingham Health Shop The Health Shop and the British Red Cross have teamed up to teach life-saving skills to people with drug and alcohol problems in Nottingham.

Staff and volunteers from the Red Cross have been working with staff at The Health Shop, a Trust service that gives advice and support around sexual health and substance use, to teach them how to deliver everyday first aid. Six staff from The Health Shop have been fully trained by the Red Cross to deliver basic training as part of their overdose training courses.

Andrew Stewart, First Aid Learning Manager at the Red Cross in Nottingham, said: “Over the past few months we’ve given staff at The Health Shop the training and confidence to give basic first aid training to their clients so that they know what to do in an emergency, proving that you don’t need to be a first aid or medical expert to teach someone how to save a life.”

Maria Storry, Drug Worker at The Health Shop in Nottingham, said: “We are extremely pleased to be working in partnership with the Red Cross. It is an incredibly important extension to our service and ensures that we are able to empower and educate service users, some of whom are very vulnerable and are at an increased risk of facing a medical emergency.”

Staff from the two organisations have now signed a ‘memorandum of understanding’ setting out the terms of the partnership which will include ongoing support and training from the Red Cross. Over the next 12 months the Health Shop aims to give first aid training to around 100 people as a result of the partnership.

To find out more about first aid courses in Nottingham or becoming a first aid volunteer contact Andrew Stewart at [email protected].


q What is your job title and what does your role entail?a team leader for newark Child & Family health team: i manage the day-to-day operation of the integrated health visiting and school nursing service within the newark area. whilst maintaining my clinical role as a health visitor i provide both clinical and professional leadership and line management to the team and support the head of service for Child & Family health (who oversees the operation for the newark & sherwood locality). i have responsibility for the day-to-day delivery and maintenance of a high standard of care to the children, young people and their families within the newark area. i also contribute to the strategic direction and take a lead role in facilitating effective positive partnerships with the local authority, Clinical Commissioners, Primary Care and the wider health and social care community, and key stakeholders.

q How long have you been with Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust?a since 1 april this year following the transfer of services from nottinghamshire Community health to County health Partnerships.

q What do you see as your priorities for Nottinghamshire Healthcare?a modelling the ‘health promoting practitioner’ role and being visible as practitioner, partner and leader. i aim to contribute to improving morale nationally through being a champion for health visiting and school nursing; tailoring new service models to fit local communities’ needs and bridging organisational boundaries, as well as contributing to the

commissioning of local services utilising public health skills and knowledge of health needs of local communities and families. i also want to ensure that training plans and CPD incorporate new knowledge and skills around prevention, health promotion, early intervention and public health; listening to and acting the experience of children, young people and families; embracing professional and service innovations.

q What is your employment background?a i started my nurse training in 1980 at nottingham City hospital and qualified as a srn in 1983. i moved to lincoln to train as a midwife, qualifying as a registered midwife in 1986. in 1998 i graduated from the university of nottingham with a ba (hons) Degree in social Policy & administration. i then started my health visitor training in 2001, graduating with a ba (hons) Degree in specialist Community Practice (Public health nursing – health visiting) from sheffield hallam in 2002. i was employed as a health visitor (based in Collingham) until my promotion to team leader in april 2010.

q What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?a “ask for forgiveness not permission” (thanks mike Cooke!)

q What was the last CD you bought?a amy winehouse, ‘back to black’.

q What is your greatest achievement?a Qualifying as a health visitor – it was a very intensive year juggling family life with travelling to sheffield, working in Practice Placement and studying, studying, studying!

q What makes you angry?a injustice.

q What are you most passionate about?a health visiting and school nursing.

q What single thing would improve your working life at Nottinghamshire Healthcare?a a more efficient it system.

q What is your favourite hobby?a shopping!

q What keeps you awake at night?a reading.

q What is your favourite film?a Evita.

q What is your idea of bliss?a having a lie-in at weekends.

q What three words would you use to describe yourself?a loyal, fun, passionate.

q What is your favourite holiday destination? a austria.

q Who would you take to a desert island?a robbie williams.

q Where do you see yourself in 10 years’ time?a as an older health visitor ha-ha, but hopefully in a position of influence and hopefully still within the nhs.

q Do you have a ‘claim to fame’?a no, unless being asked to do the Q&Ain‘Positive’magazinecounts?!

q How would you like to be remembered?a as being someone who cared enough to try and make a difference.

This month we meet Newark Child & Family Health Team Leader Rachael Isaac-Pascoe q&a

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You may have picked up this copy of the newsletter not knowing what Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust is. we provide integrated healthcare services including mental health, learning disability and community health services. we also manage medium-secure units in leicester and rotherham, and the high-secure rampton hospital near retford and provide healthcare in 12 prisons across the East midlands and yorkshire.

WHO WE ARE...

WE NEED YOU!If you have any ideas or suggestions for the newsletter, please contact Suzanne Aitken in the Trust Communications Team on 0115 955 5403 or via email at [email protected]. we are always pleased to receive articles for possible publication, but ask that they do not exceed 300 words.

wherever possible when naming individuals, please include details of their job titles/roles and the organisation they are from. if any individuals other than yourself are mentioned in what you write or featured in accompanying photographs, please make sure you check with them that they are happy to be potentially featured. it is your responsibility to ensure this consent is given. Please send photos as separate image files and not in word documents.

Please note that the Communications team has full editorial control and may have to edit articles appropriately. therefore, if you want to see the final version please ensure you send your article in with plenty of time before the deadline and state clearly what you require.

if you would like copies of any past editions of Positive, or if you are having any ‘distribution issues’ with the newsletter – whether you’re receiving too many copies, too few, or none at all – then please contact us.

if you would like your story in the February issue of Positive, please contact us by 6 January 2011. however, due to space constraints we cannot guarantee the publication of all articles received by the deadline.

Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, The Resource, Duncan MacMillan House, Porchester Road, Nottingham, NG3 6AA tel 0115 9691300www.nottinghamshirehealthcare.nhs.uk

Offender HealthYou will notice a number of pieces of news this month about the healthcare services provided by the Trust in prisons in the East Midlands and Yorkshire. These services are managed and delivered by the Offender Health Directorate within the Trust’s Forensic Services Division. Next month we will be introducing you to the Offender Health management team and explaining more about Offender Health services and the people who work in the prisons delivering high quality care equal to that provided in the community. There is a great deal happening, so look out for more news in future issues.

lindsey was joined by colleagues from the offender health team at the prison and from nhs Doncaster and the Doncaster royal infirmary including a dietician, hepatitis C nurse specialist, community cancer champion and health improvement officers to deliver advice and information.

all of the different information stalls were well attended:• 57prisonershadbloodpressurechecks

and were given healthy living advice and a number have been referred for follow up appointments for nurse checks. almost all of these also saw the hepatitis C nurse who gave out lots of information and dispelled myths about the condition.

Health Promotion for prisonersA Health Promotion day was held for prisoners on six wings at HMP Lindholme recently. The event was hosted by Lindsey Woodhall, Health Promotion Lead, in the chaplaincy area of the prison and was attended by more than 70 prisoners.

• 30peoplevisitedthecancercare/health improvement stand

• 28attendedthedietician’sstand,learning about healthy eating/five a day campaigns

• 35wenttothesexualhealthstandand the Gum service received eight new referrals

overall it was a very successful event. thank you to everyone involved.

as this issue goes to print, the offender health team at lindholme has also been busy delivering campaigns to raise awareness of diabetes and winter health. watch this space for more information.

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Positive December 2011