NECA News October/November 2017

Better Health at Work Pg.2 South Shields Community Event Pg.3 Travel Pg.4 Darlington Sheriff visit Pg.5 HR Pg.6 Paycare 4Work Scheme

In This Issue:

Points of Interest:

NECA NEWS | OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2017 Page 1

From £5.45 per month, paid directly from your salary.

Once registered you can create an online account, where you can submit a claim

online and payment is then made direct to your bank account within 48 hours.

For more information on the benefits available please contact HR;

human.resources@neca.co.uk or Tel: 0191 414 6446

NECA NEWS | OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2017 Page 2

October / November 2017

01-31 Oct Stoptober; https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/stoptober/home

09-15 Oct National Arthritis Week; http://www.arthritisresearchuk.org

10 Oct World Mental Health Day; https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk

01-30 Nov Men’s Health Awareness Month; https://uk.movember.com

01 Nov National Stress Awareness Day; http://isma.org.uk/national-stress-awareness-day

13-19 Nov Self Care Week; http://www.selfcareforum.org

How to look after your mental health 1. Talking about your feelings Help you stay in good mental health and deal with times when you feel troubled. Talking about

your feelings isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s part of taking charge of your wellbeing and doing what you can to stay healthy. It can be a way to cope with a problem you’ve been carrying around. Just being listened to can help you feel supported and less alone and might help other.

2. Keep active Regular exercise can boost your self-esteem and help you concentrate, sleep, and look and feel better. Exercise keeps

the brain and other vital organs healthy, and is a significant benefit towards improving your mental health. Exercising doesn’t just mean doing sport or going to the gym. Walks in the park, gardening or housework can also keep you active.

3. Eat well Your brain needs a mix of nutrients in order to stay healthy and function well, just like the other organs in your body. A diet

that’s good for your physical health is also good for your mental health.

4. Drink sensibly We often drink alcohol to change our mood. Some people drink to deal with fear or loneliness, but the effect is only

temporary. When the drink wears off, you feel worse because of the way the alcohol has affected your brain and the rest of your body. Drinking is not a good way to manage difficult feelings.

5. Keep in touch There’s nothing better than catching up with someone face to face, but that’s not always possible. You can also give

them a call, drop them a note, or chat to them online instead. Keep the lines of communication open: it’s good for you!

6. Ask for help None of us are superhuman. We all sometimes get tired or overwhelmed by how we feel or when things don’t go to

plan. If things are getting too much for you and you feel you can’t cope, ask for help. Your family or friends may be able to offer practical help or a listening ear. Local services are there to help too.

7. Take a break A change of scene or a change of pace is good for your mental health. It could be a five-minute pause from cleaning

your kitchen, a half-hour lunch break at work, or a weekend exploring somewhere new. A few minutes can be enough to de-stress you.

8. Do something you’re good at What do you love doing? What activities can you lose yourself in? Enjoying yourself can help

beat stress. Doing an activity you enjoy probably means you’re good at it, and achieving something boosts your self-esteem.

9. Accept who you are We’re all different. It’s much healthier to accept that you’re unique than to wish you were more like some-

one else. Feeling good about yourself boosts your confidence to learn new skills, visit new places and make new friends. Good self-esteem helps you cope when life takes a difficult turn.

10. Care for others ‘Friends are important… We help each other whenever we can, it’s a two-way street, and supporting them uplifts

me.’ Caring for others is often an important part of keeping up relationships with people close to you. It can even bring you closer together.

Source: www.mentalhealth.org.uk

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The event at Saltwell Park went really well. We promoted the garden and NECA services and made a lot of new contacts and have been invited to attend some more events. Wacky Wednesday started slowly until the word got around about the events then we were getting good numbers and everyone really enjoyed it. We are now going to keep this going on Saturdays. The community day went great with over 250 people turning up. Food and refreshments were kindly supplied by Tracey and Mavis from ASDA. We had line dancers and various different singers for entertainment and the feedback was very positive.

HR13 Appendix A: Vehicle Insurance:

MOT Certificate: Driving Licence: V5c - Vehicle

Registration:

To be completed as soon as you are aware you may need to use your vehicle for NECA Business. A new form must be completed if you change vehicle or use an additional vehicle.

Must be valid, and cover be for: “Class 1 Business Use”. You will not be insured if you do not have this cover. Updated copies must be sent to HR asap.

Must be valid. For first time MOT or for all renewals you must send HR a copy of the MOT certificate. Your insurance will not be valid if you do not have an up to date MOT.

Must be valid and have current address listed. If your licence is renewed (incl. name or address changes) a new copy must be sent to HR.

The full document must be presented to HR. Anytime you change or use an additional vehicle, then the new copy must be sent to HR.

A reminder that Staff and Volunteers should not be using their own vehicle to travel on any NECA Business (including travel to HQ to attend Training) without first providing the following mandatory documents (including all renewals) to Human Resources;

Travel on NECA Business

* IMPORTANT REMINDERS *

NECA reserve the right not to reimburse travel expense claims until such time as all vehicle documentation and any renewal certificates have been submitted.

Expenses will only be paid if documents and associated expenses are produced within the same financial year.

Expenses must be submitted on a monthly basis, not saved and submitted in batches.

Expenses forms must be completed in full, clearly showing any vehicle registration and insurance company details, without these we cannot check against the documents on file and cannot authorise payment.

Travel passes will only be reimbursed for a daily proportion of any days travelled for NECA Business.

HR do not send reminders for documents, it is the employee’s responsibility to ensure all documents are submitted accurately and on time and that they have been received and verified by HR.

HR13 Travelling and Subsistence Expenses Policy and all Appendix Documents can be found in the Staff Handbook and on the Intranet.

* Failure to adhere to Policy & Procedures could result in disciplinary action *

For any queries/clarification please speak with your Manager or contact HR on 0191 414 6446 or human.resources@neca.co.uk

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Darlington Recovery and Wellbeing Services had recently the honour of a visit from both Ada Burns; Chief Executive at Darlington Borough Council and Mrs Caroline Peacock; High Sheriff of Durham. This was no ordinary visit but a request from the High Sheriff to attend our service. Mrs Peacock had expressed an interest in understanding more about the impact of substance misuse and attending Darling-ton NECA to witness what provisions and support was available to individuals. To maximise the potential of the visit and effectiveness of the service it was agreed, through client consultation, to deliver several taster groups during the visit which was explained on the arrival of both The Chief Executive and Mrs Peacock. This resulted in representation of twelve clients attending the Art, Music and SMART groups to which all were given the opportunity to express and discuss their recovery with the visitors. The visit concluded with the music group playing some music and vocals from one the clients. Following the visit, both the Sheriff and Chief Executive expressed how they were impressed at what was available for those accessing the service but more so that the clients had been willing to share their experiences. Further contact was made with the High Sheriff to feedback how the clients had enjoyed the experience and also to establish if they would attend the forthcoming service open day scheduled for the 12th October, to open the event and facilitate presenting ten clients with awards for successfully completing a Level 1 drug and alcohol misuse certificate. Their response was very encouraging and indicative of how they had enjoyed the visit;

“I was hugely impressed by the work you are doing and all the people I met. Thank you for your kind invitation. I would be absolutely delighted to join you on 12th October and have marked the date firmly in my diary. Similarly I am more than happy to open the event and present awards. I will see if my husband may be available to come along too, and also my Chaplain, who is always interested in all the good work that goes on in support of vulnera-ble people”. The response above indicates the impact of the visit and in many ways show cases the dedication and good work all the staff provide in ensuring an effective service is maintained.

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Human Resources

NECA Headquarters Derwent Point, Clasper Way Swalwell, Newcastle upon

Tyne, NE16 3BE Tel: 0191 414 6446 Fax: 0191 414 8124

NECA News Produced by Human Resources

email: human.resources@neca.co.uk

New Starters:

Announcements:

Jackie Farmer started as a Gambling Counsellor in York on 30 August.

John Brodie started as a Recovery Facilitator in Darlington on 04 September.

Christine Howarth started as Finance Manager (Maternity Cover) on 18 September.

Please don’t forget to contact Human Resources if you change address, bank, name. Or if

you wish to update your Expression of Wishes beneficiary form or Declaration of Interest

form (for any 2nd jobs or volunteering you may be involved in).

Please also remember to advise us of any external training / qualifications you complete so

we can keep our records updated

Just contact human.resources@neca.co.uk or telephone 0191 414 6446

Leavers:

Leanne Wordsworth left her role as Deputy Finance Manager on 07 September.

Mimi Greaves left her role as Harm Reduction Worker in Darlington on 28 September.

Reba Begum left her role as Live Life Well Coordinator in Sunderland on 29 September.

Victoria Bignall started her new role as Lead Nurse in Darlington on 11 September.

Internal Transfers:

Congratulations to Clare Armstrong (Finance Manager) on the safe arrival of her baby boy Jack Henry Armstrong