networkSeptember 2017 | Issue 182

internal magazine for staff and volunteers

Girls Night Out 2017 - what a night and Listen Learn Adapt - the testing phase

2 September 2017

in this issue

Welcome to network

Senior manager on-call Victoria Barber - September 22 to September 29

Pippa Wilding - September 29 to October 6

Jane Doughty - October 6 to October 11

Barbara Gale - October 12 to October 20

Victoria Barber - October 20 to October 27

Sue Allison - October 27 to November 4

Georgina Bissell - November 5 (from 9am) to November 10

If you need to contact the on-call manager their number is available from the Hospice’s reception and Sylvan Ward.

(out of hours) 01284 766133.

Hello: Hospice Nurse; Sharon Backhouse, Shop Supervisor; Obb Sayers, Speciality Registrars (Honorary Contracts); Daniel Bradbury and Stephen Rose, Associates; Angela Clifton-Brown, Graham Austin, Karen Chandler-Smith and Sarah-Jane Relf; Hospice Neighbour; Kim Lakkides; Volunteer Complementary Therapists; Karen Robertson and Linda Johns, Family Support Volunteer; Jade Hawes, Shop Volunteers; Robert Butler, Lisa Bell, Dubravka Dragoric and Phyllis Daly, Volunteer Trustees; Christopher Minett, Tessa Wright, Michelle Masson and Diane Buddery.

Goodbye: Management Accountant; Emma Richens, Bank Hospice Nurse; Jill Williams, Shop Supervisor; Lisa-Marie Dunhill, Bank Hospice Care Assistant; Eliza Teul, Bank Hospice Physician; Natalie Attwood, Shop Volunteers; Elsie Rush, Patricia Sturgeon and Dianne Loveridge, Volunteer Administrator; Sumathi Sundram, Chaplaincy Team Volunteer; Christine Riley-Moger, Volunteer Weekend Receptionist; Lorna Gough, Hospice Neighbours; Sarah Redpath and Susan Tanis, Volunteer Sylvan Ward Carer; Samantha Alberts, Volunteer Warehouse Assistants; Julie and Preston Sharman.

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Listen Learn Adapt

Award nomination Car parking changes

We remember: Paulene Griggs, a retired volunteer that gave her time to the Hospice for 20 years as a driver

Our Family Support Service which provides emotional support to those living with long-term or life-threatening illness and to adults and children experiencing loss and bereavement is on the lookout for volunteers. The team is looking to recruit a number of volunteers to work with staff in three areas: their adult bereavement services, their Nicky’s Way programme and those willing to become volunteer family support assistants who work alongside staff supporting families and patients in the last period of life.If you are interested in becoming a family support volunteer you will need to let the team know before Friday, 20 October. If you would like further information please contact Jennie Unitt on 01284 715572 or email jennie.unitt@stnh.org.uk.• There is more information on the Hospice’s website in the news section.

3vwww.stnicholashospicecare.org.uk

Listen Learn Adapt

We embarked on our Listen Learn Adapt process to ensure the Hospice can continue meeting the growing needs of the people it supports.

The first phase of this process saw us listen to people as they opened up to our staff and volunteers about their experiences of end-of-life care, death, dying and bereavement. As phase two of this work continues three concepts based on the needs identified during the listening stage have been selected for testing. The concepts are: • A 24/7 service – someone to answer the call• Meaningful moments – creating and facilitating new memories• Journey planning – understanding what’s availableThese three concepts have been selected initially so we do not overwhelm ourselves and ensure that Hospice teams are

resourced appropriately. All of the concepts have an over-arching theme of dignity. With the support of Livework we have begun testing these concepts. Testing is expected to last four weeks, and will see a team of six of the Hospice’s staff present ideas to people we have spoken with earlier in the process. The team of testers includes: Emma Page, Gemma Lockyer, Debra Garside, Sue Allison, Ursula Noyce and Julie Parker.Through this testing more will be learnt about the concepts and their feasibility, and it will also be an opportunity for more information to be gathered. For regular updates please check the Hospice’s weekly emails and the Listen Learn Adapt section on the Hospice’s website www.stnicholashospice.org.uk/listen-learn-adapt/

Listen Learn Adapt journey is continuing with testing

The eighth Classic and Sports Cars by the Lake event pulled straight into the fast lane and raised a record-breaking amount.

Organisers expect that this year’s event, which saw more than 750 vehicles pack into Hall Farm, Fornham St Martin, has raised more than £35,000. Thank you to everyone who supported the event, especially hosts Andrew and Gina Long, organiser Austin Cornish and the Classic Car Committee and its president Max Milburn. Thank you also to main sponsors Ashtons Legal and Ensors Chartered Accountants.

4 September 2017

Award nomination

A tool designed to help people coping with aphasia developed by one of our Family Support Practitioners has been short-listed for an innovation award.

Bianca Neumann-May has had her project – which is a series of picture-based worksheets that enables people with aphasia to explore what has happened to them - short-listed for a Health Enterprise East Innovation Award.Aphasia is a condition that affects the brain and leads to problems using language correctly, and can be caused by strokes, severe head injuries, brain tumours and progressive neurological conditions.The worksheets Bianca has developed give people effected by aphasia the tools to express their wide range of emotions post-stroke and increase interaction about their thoughts and feelings with their families.Bianca, who joined the Hospice a couple of months ago, developed the idea while working for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Trust

and Cambridgeshire Community Services Trust as an Assistant Psychologist in the stroke rehabilitation department. Bianca explains: “The inspiration for this work came from a visit I made to a care home. I visited a patient with aphasia and I became aware she was reduced to using yes and no. “She couldn’t speak and when asked by staff if she was ok, all she was given time for was a nod for yes or a head shake for no. “This patient was palliative and I sensed she had a lot that she wanted to communicate. She was bored and did not want to be in the care home and the little voice she had left wasn’t being heard. “In particular she became very upset about the socks she was wearing. I noticed the socks had cats printed on them, she didn’t like cats and didn’t want to wear them, but no one was able to understand that.“The thought that someone was unable to express something that was making them unhappy was upsetting.“The nod or shake of the

head or pointing to a card which says yes or no can allow someone to communicate that something is immediately wrong but it doesn’t let people explain why something is making them unhappy Bianca is happy to be contacted by anyone who wants to know more about the tool, especially those who think her work could be used to help someone being cared for by the Hospice. “I don’t want anyone to feel what they have to say towards the end of their life is not important and is not being heard,” said Bianca.

• The awards evening took place on September 20, with Bianca’s entry one of four short-listed in the award’s service improvement category.

Project developed to give people their voices back

5vwww.stnicholashospicecare.org.uk

First birthday celebration

Volunteers and staff made sure our Newmarket boutique shop’s first year in its new (ish) home was celebrated in style with stacks of delicious cup cakes and plenty of team spirit.

Everyone came together on Saturday (16 September) to mark a year since the High Street shop first opened its doors in its current location. Customers were greeted by the team and offered the chance to take part in a fundraising tombola and enjoy a cupcake to celebrate the store’s success. The collection of cupcakes (around 90 of them) were baked for the occasion by the shop’s supervisor Cindy Young, while volunteer Dorothy Bowes used her artistic flair to create the all important birthday cake. Shop manager Martin Logan said: “We are all really pleased with how the event went. We have had a great first year in our new home and it was really nice to be able to celebrate it with our customers. “Thank you to everyone who supported our birthday celebrations, but special thanks must go to all of the volunteers who gave their time to the event and of course Cindy our shop supervisor for all of her efforts. She really pulled the event together.”With an information stall outside manned by volunteers letting passers-by know a little bit more about all of the Hospice’s care and support the event also helped to raise further awareness of the charity in the town.On the day the tombola raised £180 with the a street collection adding an extra £231 to the fundraising total. Throughout the day shoppers were also able take advantage of an instore discount which saw all stock (excluding new goods) discounted by 20 per cent.

Staff and volunteers ensure shop’s birthday bash is a hit

6 September 2017

Girls Night Out

What a night! Girls Night Out is another amazing evening

Thank you to everyone who gave their time to help make Girls Night Out 2017 a success. The help of Hospice staff and volunteers made a huge difference.

Women wearing flashing bunny ears put their best feet forward when they stepped out in their droves to raise hundreds of thousands of pounds.

More than 2,100 women pulled on their comfiest trainers and paced the pavements of Bury St Edmunds during Girls Night Out 2017 on Saturday, 9 September. Jenny Smith, Hospice Events Manager, said: “When Girls Night Out first started we had around 350 walkers, now we have 350 marshals and volunteers and more than 2,000 women taking part, who between them will have walked more than 10,000 miles. It is always emotional to see the walkers set off from Angel Hill together and to see such wonderful community spirit across the town.”The evening was filled with laughter and camaraderie, alongside more tender moments in which walkers remembered loved ones.

7vwww.stnicholashospicecare.org.uk

Car parking changes

A daredevil fundraiser has undertaken a canyoning challenge to raise funds in memory of her dad.

Kim Attride decided to try something different and face a few fears by taking part in a canyoning challenge to raise £500 which has been split between the Hospice and Sudbury’s St Gregory’s Church. Kim said: “My dad passed away two-years-ago. The Hospice was there when we

needed help and support and St Gregory’s was so important to him I decided I wanted to do something to help them both.I was really nervous, but knowing it was all to help two good causes really pushed me on. I definitely faced some fears, I don’t know if I have conquered them, but I am so grateful to everyone who supported me.”

Parking changes at St Nicholas Hospice CareThe Hospice is making changes to the way its visitors, volunteers and staff park at the Hardwick Lane site.

What are the important things to know?• We are introducing parking zones• The entirety of car park B (next to Busy Bees Nursery) will belong to the Hospice and will be controlled

by a barrier• When we assume control of car park B we will no longer be permitted to park in car park C• A parking charge will not be introduced in the short-term.

What’s happening?The Operational Management team have produced 10 initiatives which will reduce the number of cars parked onsite and aid better management of our spaces. It isn’t feasible to introduce all the changes at the same time so they will be introduced gradually.

The first step: Changes to the parking of pool carsThe first step is to ensure our pool cars are now parked in their newly designated area as indicated on the map in orange. The main advantage of this is to create spaces in the main car park and potentially double park cars without hindering the experience of visitors.This change comes into effect from Monday, 25 September.

What next?Among the Operational Managers’ 10 initiatives there are ideas on: better utilisation of office space offsite (Barton Road), encouraging working at home and flexible working, car sharing and department targets for offsite parking.

Please be patientOur car parking challenge is complicated and we needeverybody to offer feedback to help guide the development of this new approach. Please share your views with your Staff Forum rep.

Car park B

Pool cars and facilities

Volunteer parking

Disabled parking

Car share parking

Patients and families

Short term parking

Long term parking

(between 8-9.30am)

Key

Drop off

bay

The map’s key shows other car parking zones set to be introduced in the coming weeks and months.

Car parking changes for those parking at the Hospice

8 September 2017

News from the Haverhill Hub

Father Michael Teader, the parish priest of St Felix Catholic Church in Haverhill, regularly gives his time to the Hospice as volunteer for our Chaplaincy Team.

He explains: “I first started coming to the Hospice in Bury as part of my role and commitments as a parish priest, visiting my parishioners being cared for on the Hospice’s ward. Then when the Hospice’s Hub came to Haverhill I started to volunteer as part of the Chaplaincy Team so I suppose you could say officially speaking I have been a volunteer for around two and a half years, but actually I have, been connected to the Hospice a lot longer as part of my role as a priest. When I visited parishioners on the ward I was impressed with the end-of-life care they were receiving so naturally I was very pleased when the Hub came to Haverhill.

“Before I became a parish priest for several years I worked for Cruse, the bereavement support charity, so I had experience of supporting people at the end of their life and I thought those skills, and my background as a priest would be useful in a volunteer role. “I have also lived in Haverhill all of my life and I think that really helps, people recognise me and in some cases I have already built up relationships with them. In terms of what I enjoy about my volunteer role, I would have to say it is exactly what I enjoy about being a parish priest - living a Christian life and being available to people and able to reach out to those who really need support. “I see my volunteer role as an extension of my work. I do really enjoy my role in the Chaplaincy Team, when I first started I used to sit in the cafe on a Thursday morning and speak to people and I suppose it was then I realised that my role wasn’t just to be there for patients, but for all of the Hospice’s staff and volunteers.”

Help us celebrate Hospice Care Week 2017 at the Hub This year the national Hospice Care Week will be taking place from October 9 to 15 and to mark the occasion the Hospice will be holding an open evening at its Haverhill Hub.

The occasion, which will take place on Friday, 6 October, will feature a fashion show as well as displays highlighting the care and support we offer. The fashion show will

feature a variety of clothes and accessories all from the Hub’s onsite shop, with all items modelled by Hospice staff and volunteers and those from the local area that have benefited from the Hospice’s support.During their turns on the catwalk models will pause to share their Hospice experiences. A variety of fashions and accessories will also be on sale. Tickets for the event need to be purchased in

advance and cost £3. There will also be refreshments and nibbles. You can get your tickets from the Hub or by calling 01440 848260. Doors open at 6.30pm with the fashion show starting at 7pm the event is expected to close at 10pm.