Positive October 2011

Fight the Flu Patient artwork exhibited highbury in bloom new aPPrentices Valuing sPirituality

Sharing StoriesSnapshots from the Trust’s AGM and Annual Members’ Meeting start on page 10

october 2011

about integrated healthcare

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MESSAGEFROM THE BOARDOn Friday 23 September I experienced my first Nottinghamshire Healthcare AGM. As an attendee I was incredibly impressed by the scale of the event and the many engaging exhibitions and workshops that shared the stories of

our services; and as Chair of the Trust, I was very proud.

In my nine months as Chair I have tried to meet with as many service users, carers and staff as possible and learn all about the variety of services we provide. I have

been struck by the positive culture across the organisation – a real focus on recovery and moving forward and a commitment from everyone to improve outcomes for the people who use our services. This dedication was evident for all to see at the AGM and it was a great occasion to celebrate and share the successes everyone has worked so hard to achieve.

I hope you enjoy reading the special AGM feature in this issue of Positive. For those of you who were unable to join us on the day it provides just a flavour of what went on.

I am proud to be the Chair of such a progressive Trust and I look forward to working with the Board and the rest of our staff to further improve our national importance, regional relevance and to ensure that everyone who comes into contact with us is, and feels, personally valued.

Finally, a reminder that 9-21 October is Nottingham Mental Health Awareness Weeks. Once again there is a great line-up of events and activities aiming to reduce stigma and promote greater understanding of mental health and mental illness. I encourage you to take a look at the programme at www.nottinghammentalhealthawarenessweeks.org and get involved and show your support if you can.

Professor Dean Fathers, Chair

Fight the fluA flu vaccination programme for all employees will soon be running at various locations across the Trust. The sessions will be publicised by poster, email and on the Intranet.

all staff are encouraged to have the vaccination to protect themselves, but also those people they care for and about. influenza can cause some very serious health complications which can be avoided by having the vaccination. if you protect yourself you can also protect vulnerable patients and your families and friends by limiting the spread of the flu.

both the department of health and royal college of nursing are urging all nhs staff to have the vaccine and are supporting a national campaign to increase uptake.

seasonal flu occurs every year, usually in the winter. it’s a highly infectious disease caused by a number of flu viruses. this year’s vaccine will protect against three types of flu.

if you were vaccinated last year, you should be vaccinated again this year as it is not known how long the vaccine lasts.

there are several myths about the flu vaccine; here are just a few:

Healthy people don’t get seasonal flu ✖ FALSEthe reason that free flu jabs are offered to staff is because anyone can pick up the virus. generally, 15-20% of the population gets flu each year – healthy people included! if you catch flu, you can pass it on to those who are at more risk of serious illness.

The side effects of the vaccination are really bad ✖ FALSEFor the most part, side effects are really mild or often non-existent. you may experience a slight soreness around the site of the injection and occasionally some aching of the muscles or a slightly raised temperature.

The flu jab isn’t safe ✖ FALSEthe risk of having a serious reaction to the seasonal flu vaccine is less than one in a million; much less than the risk of getting seriously ill from having the flu itself. the only people who should not have the vaccine are those who have a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to eggs, as hens’ eggs are used in the manufacture of the vaccine.

The flu jab can give you the flu ✖ FALSEit is impossible to get flu from having the flu jab. the vaccine doesn’t contain any live viruses. side effects similar to flu symptoms might occur, such as aching muscles, but this is simply your immune system responding to what it thinks is an attack from flu.

become a flu fighter and protect yourself, your family and your patients by getting a flu vaccination.

New Director Appointed As we go to press, the new Director of Business Development and Marketing has been announced.

Angela Potter joins the Trust from Derby Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust where she was Deputy Director of Service Development. We look forward to welcoming Angela to the Trust.

Front cover pictures: Top left - Professor Mike Cooke CBE, Chief Executive presents the three annual reports to the meeting. Right - Professor Dean Fathers, Chair, addresses the delegates. Bottom - The Nottingham West stand members looking very pleased at the result.

l-r: Sarah Johnson, Dee Vujkovic, Steve Geelan, Mike Harris, Mike Cooke

Rutland Ward openedMike Cooke, Chief Executive, formally opened Rutland Ward at Arnold Lodge in August. Rutland Ward is a 17 bed Admissions Unit for male patients with a diagnosis

of mental illness. It will be occupied by 14 patients who will live in the main ward area, but may need periods of care and treatment in the Intensive Care Unit which also has a Seclusion Suite.

the overall scheme has delivered trust best practice and incorporates the latest national design guidelines for medium security (which we, the trust, co-wrote with the department of health). the ward, costing £7.25m, will also pave the way for the older wards at arnold lodge to be refurbished.

to further enhance the environment a sculpture, ‘Flight of the osprey’, was

installed. it was a joint project between patients at arnold lodge and aim – artists in mind. the sculptural relief was inspired by rutland water which is home to the first ospreys to breed in england for 150 years. halima cassell was the artist selected by patients and staff and she worked in conjunction with four patients from the unit to produce the sculpture

during his opening speech, mike thanked all of those who had worked so hard to deliver this great patient environment, including dr mike harris, executive director Forensic services, steve geelan, clinical director, hazel hayward, general manager, sarah Johnson, Project manager and dee Vujkovic, ward manager of Pennine and eventually rutland, and her nursing team.

3Positive October 2011

Flight of the Osprey

On 6 August the Trust worked in partnership with Time to Change once again at the Riverside Festival in Nottingham to help end the discrimination around mental ill health.

28 volunteers took part throughout the day along with the Time to Change team, talking to the public and raising awareness of the stigma associated with mental health issues. A total of 1,109 conversations took place.

The Time to Change road show was ideally situated on

the river bank and offered a place for people to sit down and chat about mental health.

John Chambers, an Involvement volunteer, said: “It’s good to be able to talk to people and engage with them in a brief way about the difficulties of various mental health problems and the stigma and prejudice they cause.”

Time to Change at Riverside Festival

Harmless, an organisation that provides support to people who self harm, officially received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service on 8 September.

The award, an equivalent of an MBE for a group recipient, was presented by the Lord Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire, Sir Andrew Buchanan, the local representative for the Queen, at a self harm awareness event at the Broadway Cinema, Nottingham.

The award is a tremendous achievement for Harmless and recognises the significant impact this unique project

has had on many people’s lives. The service, which has been working in partnership with the Trust, has seen more than 200 people face-to-face since it began in 2009.

Director Caroline Roe said: “Harmless is delighted to be given such recognition for our work. We see the changes in the people that we work with and to have this recognised on such a wide scale is extremely important for us to continue to change people’s lives.”

In providing recovery-based interventions for young people and adults who self harm, the service user-led organisation has the message of

hope at its core and delivers a range of professional information and therapeutic and training services to promote health, hope and recovery amongst an under-represented client group.

Zoe Rotherham is a previous client, and now recovered. She said: “Harmless is here to give people the opportunity to turn things around, to start learning to manage their feelings in a different way, and hopefully to enable them to live fuller and more content lives.”

The awareness event featured guest speakers including Caroline Roe, Keith Waters, Clinical Nurse Specialist, and some incredibly moving accounts from Harmless service users. With a large number of guests in attendance including the Mayor of Rushcliffe, the Mayor of Nottingham and representatives of the wider health and community sectors, Harmless celebrated its award in style.

For more information about Harmless contact [email protected] or visit www.harmless.org.uk.

Self harm organisation receives Queen’s award for voluntary service

l-r The Mayor of Rushcliffe, Councillor Gordon Moore, The Lord Mayor of Nottingham, Councillor Michael Wildgust. Adrienne Grove, Caroline Roe, Lord-Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire, Sir Andrew Buchanan, Heather Williams, Darren Whelband, Naomi Stewart, Amy Harris

Above: talking to visitors in comfort in the bright and cheery Time to Change standLeft: chatting with passers by

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one team of researchers is investigating ways in which people with bipolar disorder can use legal powers to plan ahead for severe episodes of illness.

the mental capacity act 2005 sets out how personal welfare and financial decisions can be made on behalf of individuals who have lost the ability to do this for themselves. it gives individuals the option to make these decisions in advance, allowing them to plan for when that ability might be lost, helping maintain control of their affairs. however, pilot research among service users and psychiatrists reveals that awareness of the act is limited.

in this study, the team is looking at whether service users with bipolar disorder are using the act to plan ahead for severe episodes of illness, the types of decisions they make, and how psychiatrists are approaching this issue. surveys, one-to-one interviews and information packs are being used as part of the research.

Project researchers are looking for input from local service users and mental health professionals and would like to hear from service users who have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder by a clinician, are aged over 18 and live in england. they would also like to hear from general adult or old age psychiatrists (at senior house officer, specialist registrar or consultant level) who are practising in england.

to find out more or take part in this project please contact

the research team on 0115 823 1334 or 0115 823 1283 or email [email protected] or [email protected]. more information is also available on the institute of mental health and university of nottingham websites at www.institutemh.org.uk and www.nottingham.ac.uk.

the other research team is comparing the effectiveness of a psychoeducation group and a peer support therapy group for people with bipolar disorder. the team is looking for volunteers diagnosed with bipolar disorder to take part in group therapy.

groups will be based in nottingham and will start in January 2012. a trained service user will co-run both groups alongside two mental health professionals.

For more information or to apply to join this study please contact georgia lykomitrou on 0115 82 31285 or 07553 384315 or email [email protected].


Patient artwork exhibited at Royal Festival HallArtwork by two patients from the Peaks Unit at Rampton Hospital will be on show at a special exhibition at the Royal Festival Hall in London. The exhibition, which runs until 20 November, is entitled Art by Offenders – Secure Patients and Detainees and is a partnership between the Southbank Centre and Koestler Trust.

The artwork displayed has been selected from the entries to the 2011 Koestler Awards in which once again the patients in the Peaks have been very successful.

22 patients submitted 35 pieces of work, boosted this year by the work completed for the Living Narratives project. They received 16 awards; 7 Commended, 2 Highly Commended, The Hazel Alexander Highly Commended Award, 4 Bronze, 1 Silver and 1 Gold award.

Tim Robertson Chief Executive of the Koestler Trust said: “Big congratulations to all at the Peaks Unit for your success in this year’s awards. You are one of only a handful of establishments across the UK that – out of the 7,800 entries we’ve received this year – has had more than one selected for our exhibition at Southbank Centre.”

Perdita Jackson, Peaks Education Co-ordinator said: “This is fantastic news for the Peaks Unit and something we are all very proud of.”

Volunteers needed for bipolar researchtwo research teams from the institute of mental health are looking for volunteers to help with their research into different aspects of bipolar disorder.

Fully funded courses availableA number of fully funded courses are now available to staff in pay bands one to four.

if you fit this description and fancy a new challenge, why not consider signing up for a course? they can be delivered in the workplace and via distance learning and can be fully funded through the Joint investment Framework (JiF).

courses currently available include:· health and social care – levels 2 and 3· maths and english – levels 1 and 2· business administration qualifications – levels 2, 3 and 5· it qualifications – levels 2 and 3· customer service qualification – level to be confirmed· Foundation degrees in various work related subjects

to find out more contact heather Porter, skills 4 work & life co-ordinator, on 0115 9691300 ext 11269 or email [email protected].

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Patients, staff and visitors alike are enjoying a well-cared-for garden at Rowan 2, Highbury Hospital. Ward Manager Ruth Warren oversees the ongoing task of keeping the plants well watered and tidy, while the garden also has therapeutic benefits, with some patients starting to communicate with others whilst tending the garden. Staff and patients often comment on the garden and a past visitor even came back recently to check on the progress of a sunflower they had planted.

“We struggled to cope but then we found Hope”A new service development is inspiring young people in the north of the county.

Hope Group is aimed at young people aged 13 to 18 with mood and anxiety-related difficulties. It works to help them develop life-enhancing coping strategies to enrich their lives in the community.

Hope Group was set up by Community Psychiatric Nurses Rebecca Keating, Pippa Hamilton and Sarah Grainger with Stephanie Page, Trainee Clinical Psychologist. It has been highly successful since it

was launched and the organisers aim to continue to build upon this success to extend service provision and to continue to involve young people in the future development of the CAMHS North Service.

Amongst other achievements the group has worked with the Involvement Team and was the first to pilot the use of an iPad for gaining service user opinion on the Patient Opinion website. The organisers would like to thank the Involvement Team for its support with this.

Young people interested in attending the group should be referred through their GP for the team to assess whether or not the service would be appropriate for them. GPs should make their referral to Mansfield CAMHS.

“At first I felt nervous and

worried about the group, but

after the first week I was a

lot more comfortable because

the staff and the other

members of the group

made me feel a lot more

comfortable, and there

was no pressure to talk

or continue attending”

- Amy, 15

“I used to feel like the world was on my shoulders, but since I’ve been at Hope Group it feels like it’s on my side”

- Paige, 15

Hope Group attendees Paige Storer (left) and Amy Turner (right).

Highbury in bloom


Dovecote Lane goes internationalDovecote Lane staff said ‘merhba’ and ‘velkommen’ in September as they welcomed visitors from Malta and Norway.

the residential rehabilitation unit has been pioneering student placements from european countries as part of the erasmus student exchange programme. theo stickley, Practice learning team lead for the area, explained that in the new curriculum elective placements will be available to all students, with two mental health students from nottingham taking on placements in malta next march.

ian gallon, manager at dovecote lane, said: “having overseas students has been a great experience for the unit; staff and residents alike are really enjoying their presence and their work.”

Ian Gallon (seated) and the staff at Dovecote Lane welcome Paulanne Spiteri, a university lecturer from Malta, and Michael and Silja, third year students from Norway, who are all on placement at Dovecote Lane for seven weeks.

Trust embraces ‘positive risk taking’The Mental Health Services for Older People (MHSOP) directorate is promoting risk enablement or ‘positive risk taking’ for its service users who have dementia.

The familiar saying ‘nothing ventured, nothing gained’ is often used to express the idea that we need to take some risks if we expect to achieve anything. ‘Positive risk taking’ is about being able to do the things we want to do; it is about saying that we will not only do things that are totally ‘safe’; nothing is totally ‘safe’.

‘Positive risk taking’ allows a person to remain independent for as long as possible by managing the risks around activities such as cooking, maintaining bank accounts, holidays and shopping, whereas in the past the risks associated with these activities may have been assessed as too great for the person to carry on doing them.

Andrea Ward, General Manager for MHSOP, said: “Our aim is to improve the quality of life for people with dementia by allowing them to carry on doing what they value and enjoy, even though there may be risks associated with the activity.”

The directorate is working with the co-author of the Department of Health document “Nothing Ventured Nothing Gained” to embed this care philosophy in practice in both inpatient and community settings.

For more information contact John Davies on 0115 9770000 ext 12281 or email [email protected].

The next meeting of the Nottinghamshire Alcohol Forum will take place from 10am to 1pm on Wednesday 9 November in Lecture Room 1 at the School of Nursing, Duncan Macmillan House. the forum brings together different perspectives on alcohol and the treatment of alcohol problems at a local level. the programme will include talks on setting up a self-help group, the need for an alcohol-related brain injury pathway and alcohol-related liver disease in nottinghamshire.

People in recovery, carers, commissioners, researchers, service providers, volunteers and interested members of the community are all welcome to attend.

lunch will be provided free of charge. if you would like to come please let the organisers know in advance so that they can cater for the right number.

For more information or to confirm your attendance please contact [email protected] or [email protected].

All welcome to attend alcohol forum

HealthInformaticsService

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Changing care in Silver Birch & Autumn wardsTwo colleagues on Highbury Hospital’s Silver Birch and Autumn wards have been working to improve activities for service users and their carers.

Paul Jones (left) and Ali Moore (right)

Health Informatics Service: Developing our Vision – Electronic Patient Record (ePR)Health Informatics has recently implemented a central electronic storage area (CESA), to manage elements of the patient record not currently managed in our core patient information system RiO.

cesa and clinical Progress noting in rio are being run in parallel as pilots in order to ‘test the concept’ of an ePr at rampton hospital and highbury hospital.

building on this work, a health informatics partnership event is planned for november 2011 to further explore the requirements and views of stakeholders, with regard to developing the trust’s vision of an electronic patient record. members representing all stakeholder groups have been invited to participate including, service users, carers, staff (all disciplines) and partner agency representatives.

For further information please contact [email protected]

the apprentices will be working in a range of placements in environments including health centres, hospital wards, elderly day services and children’s centres as well as in admin support roles. the placements will last for 15 months and lead to a level 2 qualification within either business and administration, health and social care, adult services or children’s services.

the apprentices undertake the trust

induction programme and additional training during their placement to give them the necessary skills and underpinning knowledge to find a job at the end of their apprenticeship.

apprentices are recruited twice a year and the organisers are now looking for further placements and interested managers who can offer appropriate support for the January intake. if you are interested in offering a young person this valuable opportunity in any of

the specialities identified and can finance the salary of £105 per week over 15 months, please contact the apprentice support leads for further information:

heather Porter on 0115 9691300 ext 11269 or email [email protected] for nottinghamshire healthcare placements

susan stronach on 01623 673588 or email [email protected] for county health Partnership placements.

New apprentices join our ranksOn 5 September Mike Cooke, Trust Chief Executive and Sue Stronach, Skills For Life Coordinator, County Health Partnerships welcomed the second cohort of apprentices to work across a range of services in both organisations.

Mike Cooke and Sue Stronach with the new group of apprentices


Ali Moore, Environment Care Co-ordinator and Health Care Assistant, and Paul Jones, Activities Co-ordinator, began by organising a carers’ meeting and carrying out a survey to find out what carers really wanted. The results showed that they wanted more information and flexibility on ward visiting times; they wanted to share a meal with their relatives and normal social routines and they talked about the anxiety they felt when leaving their relatives.

In response, Paul and Ali arranged a fish and chips meal for service users and their carers on the wards with help from the catering section and voluntary donations. The event was well attended and many service users with ‘challenging behaviour’ enjoyed the event and were stable. For many families it had been years since they had done something like this together and the meal was an extremely emotional experience for everybody. Carers expressed very great satisfaction and wrote moving letters of thanks.

Ali and Paul have since arranged more involvement activities such as carers’ outings, clinical speakers and meetings with psychologists involved with educational formulation. They are now helping to find a balance for each individual from a truly person centred approach.

The work has been profoundly moving for Paul, Ali and others and has reduced stigma and improved relationships and participation on the wards.

Paul and Ali would be happy to share their experience with others. They can be contacted at [email protected] and [email protected].

Supporting ReservistsDean Fathers, Chair of the Trust met with John Wilson, Regional SaBRE Campaign Director, to discuss the Trust’s commitment to supporting members of staff who are Reservists for the armed forces. This is something the Trust is delighted to be involved with as Reservists have an important role to play in supporting our regular forces in areas of conflict.

Alcohol group sees results in print

Since July 2003 Oxford Corner (the alcohol treatment facility of the Substance Misuse Service) has been running a group which encourages self-paced withdrawal from alcohol. the process is aimed at clients who feel the need to drink early in the day to fend off withdrawal symptoms such as tremor, sweating, anxiety/panic attacks or, in more extreme cases, seizure or delirium tremens.

the group is run on a daily basis for half an hour in the afternoon and requires clients to

document each alcoholic drink consumed in the period between sessions. at the group each client reports their alcohol consumption and their subjective physical state relative to intoxication/withdrawal and then they are breathalysed. a plan is then made for the next 24 hours which aims to help the client provide a lower breathalyser reading, without unmanageable discomfort, the following day.

the overall aim of the programme is to encourage clients to take control of, and better understand, their drinking so that they can remove themselves independently and comfortably from ‘dependent’ drinking.

it is currently unclear how effective non-medicated, self-paced alcohol withdrawal is in reducing

alcohol consumption in alcohol dependent clients and so over the course of five and a half years, the breathalyser readings and drink diaries of 405 clients from the group were collected. these were evaluated in collaboration with the university of nottingham and the results have now been published.

it was found that attendance at treatment sessions was associated with a reduction in alcohol consumption, reflected in both breath alcohol and diary measures, and these two measures were significantly correlated. withdrawal seizures occurred in only 0.5% of clients despite 17.2% having a history of seizures in other settings.

the full study report is available at www.plosone.org.

Mike Cooke and Sue Stronach with the new group of apprentices

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Ruth Hawkins, Executive Director of Finance and Performance and Deputy Chief Executive presents the Trust’s financial position to the audience.

AGM and Annual Members’ Meeting 2011 - A Success Story

Sharon Eaton, Jane, Liam and Mike Cooke celebrate Liam’s involvement with the Panthers’ campaign by presenting him with a signed shirt.

Visitors discuss the offerings from the Leadership Academy.

2nd in the exhibition competition was the Equality and Diversity stand.

The Meerkats provided some lively entertainment.

Pulp Friction – Dane Brennan, Lead Governor enjoys making a smoothie with volunteer Ricky.


3rd in the exhibition competition was the Specialist Services Directorate.

The Pacesetters Project represented by Pat Williams and Siyanda Mkweli.

Therapies and Education from Rampton Hospital really pushed the boat out with these beach huts.

Staff from the Living Narratives project show off their beautiful book.

Winner of the exhibition competition was Nottingham West.

The exhibition was very well attended.

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Spirituality can mean many different things to different people. The Trust’s Spiritual and Pastoral Care Service talks about it in a very broad and diverse sense and includes religion, relationships, purpose and creativity.

A growing body of research shows that spirituality and religious practice can have a positive impact on wellbeing, hope, suicide rates, anxiety levels, substance misuse levels and psychosis. There is also a very clear link between spirituality and the recovery approach; both address the importance of finding hope and meaning and connecting with personal strengths.

Simply listening, being non-judgmental and giving people space to explain for themselves can really help, and when we connect with people in this way it can be healing, nurturing and affirming of someone’s humanity and value. This is a key part of what we mean by the term ‘pastoral care’.

One of the key aims of the Service is to help staff feel more comfortable and confident with service users’ spiritual and religious needs. It provides training which helps ‘demystify’ these concepts, allay fears and confusions and encourages

staff to ask about spirituality and faith and to find out about people’s needs and strengths.

The importance of spirituality in healthcare is being increasingly acknowledged, researched, discussed and recognised in policy, as exemplified by the huge interest in our

‘Spirituality at the Heart of Healthcare’ conference earlier in the year. The conference included presentations by Chief Executive Professor Mike Cooke, Professor Peter Gilbert and Consultant Psychiatrist Sarah Eagger. It encouraged people to think about why spirituality and religion are important in mental health and how staff can practically implement what they learn.

The conference also launched the Trust’s new Spirituality Forum, which will provide opportunities for staff, service users and carers to develop their understanding of spirituality, religion and belief, particularly in relation to providing effective spiritual care.

For more information about the forum, training or any other aspects of spirituality please contact Katja Milner on 0115 8542289.

l-r: Professor Mike Cooke, Revd Dr Paul Quilter, Dr Sarah Eager, Professor Peter Gilbert at the ‘Spirituality at the Heart of Healthcare’ conference.

Valuing spirituality at Nottinghamshire HealthcareA service user recently said of their time on a ward: “It’s the spiritual element which has brought me through.” This sentiment is echoed by many who become ill or face challenges in life and it is because service users say that their spirituality and faith are important to them that organisations like the Trust are taking notice and integrating this into people’s care.


An open day at Millbrook Mental Health Unit gave service users, carers and staff the chance to find out more about the refurbishments currently underway to modernise and improve the care environment.

guests at the event on 2 september were able to meet the project team, discuss plans, raise questions and share their views. information about interior design options was on display and visitors helped to select furniture items. some also took part in art activities including creating silk painting artwork for the refurbished wards.

construction work on the unit began in June 2011 and the project includes the refurbishment of meden ward, an adult mental health ward, and maun and kinsley wards, two mental health wards for older people. ensuite facilities will be provided in single rooms and bays on all three wards. a new section 136 suite will also be built to improve existing facilities, providing a place of safety for vulnerable people who need a psychiatric assessment.

the refurbishment will provide excellent modern and accessible facilities, with improved privacy and dignity for people needing to access inpatient mental health services. the section 136 suite will also mean more people requiring these services can be seen locally. the refurbishment programme is due for completion in december 2012.

sharon eaton, business development manager, said: “the open day was a great opportunity for people to come along

and find out more about these important developments. the refurbishment will ensure that people receive their care in modern facilities with a warm and welcoming environment.”

For more information about the refurbishments contact sharon eaton, Project lead (adult mental health county services) on 01623 784770 or nicky brown, Project lead (mental health services for older People) on 01623 785431.

Trust pharmacists become recognised expertsThree Trust pharmacists have become accredited members of The College of Mental Health Pharmacy (CMHP).

The CMHP works to advance education and research in the practice of mental health pharmacy and supports pharmacist members to become recognised experts in their field through a process of accreditation.

Rebecca Walker, who is based at Rampton Hospital and Patricia Mabeza and John Lawton, who both work at the Wells Road Centre, have all successfully

passed the accreditation process, which requires candidates to demonstrate a wide range of competencies through of a portfolio of evidence and performance at a viva voce examination.

The accreditation means that the pharmacists are recognised as competent expert practitioners in medicines use in mental health, providing high quality mental health pharmacy services to healthcare professionals and service users. John Lawton, Clinical Pharmacy Services Manager at Wells Road Centre, said: “This is excellent news for the individuals

concerned and the Trust. Having pharmacists recognised by the CMHP raises the profile of our pharmacy service nationally and should help attract high calibre pharmacists to the organisation in the future.”

For more information about the CMHP visit www.cmhp.org.uk.

l-r: Rebecca Walker, Patricia Mabeza and John Lawton.

Millbrook shows off refurbishment progress

Nicky and Sharon at the Open Day with prizes for a competition held on the day

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The games featured three Olympic arenas with patients invited to take part in various physical activities. The ‘AWiiNA’ hosted the Wii Olympics where participants could test their skill in Olympic sports; in ‘The OLYMPIA’, patients competed in mini Olympic games such as bowls, basketball shoot out and the ‘ultimate egg and spoon obstacle course’; the ‘Gym Valley Stadium’ hosted a triathlon, where patients and staff pulled together to cover 120km on the bike, treadmill and rowing machine. The triathlon target distance was set in honour of Nigel Humphries,

Therapy Services Deputy Manager, who will next summer walk from Arnold Lodge to Wathwood (120km direct) via a number of sites across the Trust.

Before the event each ward had created its own country, providing a fact sheet of its name, population, currency, climate and more. Patients designed national flags and decorated baseball caps and one country even had a national anthem.

After a barbecue lunch in the rain the official opening ceremony of Arnold Lodge’s 12-month Olympic countdown took pace. Each country was presented, the official result of the triathlon was announced (a massive 156km in just two hours and 35 minutes), and medals were presented by judo Olympic gold medallist Kelly Brabham.

The finale was professional drumming group BassToneSlap.tv performing samba beats and encouraging patients to have a go on African Djembe drums.

The day also raised funds for Sports Aid, a national charity that funds British sports people in their training to be future olympians.

The Arnold Lodge Games 2012 are planned for next summer and will set Nigel Humphries off on his journey to Wathwood. Nigel’s first stop will be Duncan Macmillan House. More information and updates on his training progress will be available on the Olympic Forum on the intranet.

Arnold Lodge Games launch Olympic countdownArnold Lodge launched a countdown to the 2012 Olympics in July with the ‘Arnold Lodge Games’, which proved a resounding success with patients and staff alike.

Some of the participants at the presentation ceremony

Racking up the miles for the triathlon

BassToneSlap.tv


and people who are spiteful; i’ve always had a dislike of that trait.

q What are you most passionate about?a making sure i do things well and not taking things for granted.

q What single thing would improve your working life at Nottinghamshire Healthcare?a at the moment i am finishing my mba; it would improve my working life if i did not have to concentrate on that as well. the only other thing would be a bit more sunlight in the office!

q What is your favourite hobby?a i enjoy being outdoors, travelling and keeping fit. i really enjoy running at not a very fast pace.

q What keeps you awake at night?a nothing usually keeps me awake as i

q&aThis issue we talk to Clare Teeney, Head of HR for Local Services

q What is your job title and what does your role entail?a my job title is head of hr for local services. i work with the hr team to provide advice and support to line managers on a range of workforce matters. i also work with staff side representatives, managers and hr colleagues on a range of issues including workforce policy development.

q How long have you been with Nottinghamshire Healthcare?a since June 2011 so the job is still very new to me.

q What do you see as your priorities for Nottinghamshire Healthcare?a my priorities are to get to know my team members and to ensure we are working in the best way we can as a team, to understand the business and what the requirements are of hr for local services and to establish the best ways hr can add value.

q What is your employment background?a i have worked in the nhs previously in an acute hospital, also in local government and in the distant past arts and entertainment (not as a performer!)

q What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?a treat others as you want them to treat you and yours.

q What was the last CD you bought?a adele – 21.

q What is your greatest achievement?a i am very proud of my two children who i believe are hard working, generous and kind and i like to think i have had something to do with that.

q What makes you angry?a when people take advantage of others

tend to be exhausted, but at the moment it is writing my mba dissertation.

q What is your favourite film?a true romance and Pulp Fiction.

q What is your idea of bliss?a being with my family and friends, having a great time.

q What three words would you use to describe yourself?a Fair, happy and honest.

q What is your favourite holiday destination?a Zakopane in Poland – i have fond memories of my times there.

q Who would you take to a desert island?a i’m not sure. someone resourceful who could get me off it once i’d had enough – and my husband does not fit the resourceful criteria!

q Where do you see yourself in 10 years’ time?a happy and hopefully healthy.

q Do you have a ‘claim to fame’?a apparently – according to my son i still hold the long jump and 800m running record at my secondary school so that’s lasted a few years!

q How would you like to be remembered?a as someone who made the most of life and made a positive contribution and, of course, as a good mum.

Thorneywood exam successa group of young people at thorneywood recently sat exams and wrote about the experience:

Nobody likes exams. They’re slow, dull and it is hard to concentrate. Here at Thorneywood Education Base we took ours and got fantastic results! It just goes to show that no matter what problems and difficulties arise in life it does not stop us from achieving.

It is hard to gain motivation when circumstances are difficult, however we have all proved that the difficulties are a stage in our life which we get through. Three of us took our exams in the Education Base this year from the Adolescent Unit. The difficulties we had were tough but we did it and we didn’t let our illnesses take over our lives. It is hard but we all know that everyone can achieve, it is hard but we all can do it.

congratulations to all three students.

BassToneSlap.tv

Community Services UpdateA lot has happened over the past month. Here is an overview of some of the key issues and highlights:

Management structuresclinical directors started on 1 september and they will now be working with staff to confirm the management structure for each locality.

Successful service visitVernon coaker, mP for gedling, recently visited the speech and language therapy service. Vernon met with staff and service users and was impressed with what he saw

and heard. read more about the visit in the ‘talk of the town’ article.

CHP showcased at AGMon 23 september chP took part for the first time in the trust’s annual general meeting and annual members’ meeting. this was a great opportunity to showcase services through stands, workshops and the showcase dVd shown on the day. many thanks to all who took part.

Lings Bar Hospital changeson 17 august 2011, the Pct gave notice of its intention to close 12 beds on the Frank Jacob ward at lings bar, from

1 october 2011, followed by a full closure of this ward from 1 november 2011. i have held briefing sessions with the affected staff and a formal staff consultation process has begun. we will work with staff over the coming weeks to help minimise the impact that this change will have on them and i wish to reassure patients that staff will continue to provide high quality patient care. although staff are going through change at lings bar, they continue to be committed and professional and positive outcomes continue to be

achieved. see the article below for an example of this. thank you all for your dedication.

Bassetlaw Health Partnershipwe are delighted to announce that we have been successful in our bid to provide community services in bassetlaw. services currently provided by bassetlaw community health will transfer to nottinghamshire healthcare on 1 november 2011. more information will follow in the next issue of Positive.

Paul SmeetonChief Operating Executive

Good news this month…

Improving Pathways at Lings Bar

A new and transformational accelerated discharge pilot is underway at Lings Bar Hospital. Castle Ward multidisciplinary team wanted to create an improved pathway for patients to reduce length of stay in hospital, develop a new way of working and to maximise the skills and efficiency within the team.

The ultimate aim of the accelerated discharge pilot is to identify patients who require non complex, non medical rehabilitation and refer them to Castle Ward. Having the patients on one ward helps to provide appropriate therapy staff and maximise rehabilitation by increased and focused therapy such as daily exercise and breakfast groups. The services are Nurse Practitioner led, with available support once a week from an Orthogeriatrician further enhancing nurse led services at Lings Bar.

The Pilot began on 20 June with 14 accelerated discharge beds and will run initially for 6 months. During July,

24 patients used the 14 accelerated discharged beds and the average length of stay was 12.5 days which is a significant improvement.

Sara-Jane Ashmore, Head of Inpatient Nursing said, “So far, the pilot has been fantastic and is having a positive impact on both staff and patients. It has given the teams the drive and energy to pull together and focus on rehabilitation and patients are going home sooner. Patients that have been involved in the pilot are already providing positive feedback about the service they have received.”

The expected outcomes of the pilot are: · Reduce overall Length of Stay· Make best use of resources within

therapy teams· Minimise the need for medical input

to a specific group of patients · Embrace multi-disciplinary working

from admission through to discharge · Provide a model for rehabilitation

that can be further utilised across the remaining wards

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17

A summer of fun for Surestart

during the summer, new woods and summer house children’s centres held various community activities to encourage local families to get involved with the centres. here’s an overview of some

of the events:

Jungle Themed Big Toddle – families came along to search for ‘jungle animals’ on

their walk around sutton lawn

and £69.65 was raised for barnados.

Partying in the park – both centres held annual party in the park events based on themes including circus, mardi gras and bring your own picnic. lots of fun activities were available for families to take part in and partner organisations were invited to promote and showcase their services.

What’s the Story on Sutton Lawn – Four stories were chosen by both centres (three little Pigs; goldilocks and the three bears; the Very hungry caterpillar and old mcdonald had a Farm).

activities at the event were based around the stories and fun was had by all.

Celebrating 2011, the Year of Communication, local MP Vernon Coaker visited the Speech and Language Therapy Team in September to find out about the impact of communication difficulties on children in his constituency.

Speech, language and communication disability is the most common

difficulty experienced in childhood, affecting up to 10% of all children.

During the visit, Vernon had the chance to speak to staff, Therapists, children and their parents to find out more about how speech and language therapy has transformed their life.

Vernon Coaker said: “The work that the Speech and Language Therapy Service staff carry out is fantastic and

makes a real difference to service users with many positive outcomes. I feel that on a national level, Speech

and Language Therapy Services do not get the

attention they deserve and should be recognised as more of a priority.”

Student nurse placements praisedA positive audit was received from Nottingham University regarding Adult Student Nurse placements at Bull Farm Primary Care Centre – thanks to all staff concerned.

The auditor commented: “There are opportunities for many practical skills to be practiced, students can experience all aspects of community nursing and can work inter-professionally. The Bull Farm District Nursing Team should be congratulated for providing an excellent placement for pre and post-registration students.”

Talk of the town

Positive October 2011

18

Improving the Patient Experiencethe salaried dental service embraces its patients and strives for improved service delivery. staff recently undertook a review of the patient journey from reception, through to surgery and follow up appointments.

as a result of the work, improvements included: · Patient information pack created · contacting patients to confirm next

day appointments or follow ups · when visiting patients, jargon free

language used in notes· open days planned to provide further

information on the service

this work has delivered positive outcomes and the service will continue to work with patients, carers and

referrers to look at improving systems and ultimately the patient experience.

“i was uneasy and quite frightened when i visited the service but staff were very kind and sympathetic and explained everything well – this is a very good professional service.”

Staff dedication…Community Rehabilitation – Principiahelen harlock and sharon ward, community support workers at lings bar hospital have successfully completed their nVQ level 3 in health and social care. carol Fenton, karen keightley and linda challands, assistant Practitioners have also successfully completed their nVQ level 4 in health and social care. congratulations to all. the team is very proud of your hard work and achievements.

Senior Nurses at Stapleford amanda Johnson and louise walters, senior nurses at stapleford walk in centre, have just passed the non-medical prescribing course. congratulations.

Family Health Team – Nottingham Westcongratulations to ellen simpson, health Visitor, who has successfully completed a training pathway for health Visitors and school nurses working within the county.

ellen completed 50 days of school nursing

practice and developed a comprehensive portfolio, demonstrating that she had achieved the competencies required to practice as a school nurse.

a number of school nurses, health Visitors, community health nurses, community health assistant Practitioners, health care assistants and partner agencies in nottingham west were instrumental in supporting ellen towards her achievement by sharing their knowledge and expertise, and facilitating the practice experience she was able to gain.

Enrol now for new degree programmeFunded places are available at no cost to participants on a new Institute of Mental Health BA (Hons) course focusing on psychosocial interventions.

Applications are being accepted now for the two-year degree programme which begins in November 2011 and is funded for all East Midlands health professionals by the Regional Deanery – meaning participation is free for students and at no cost to service budgets.

Students attending Sheffield University’s Psychiatry Summer School were given guided tours of Wathwood and Rampton Hospitals.

the four-day august summer school was aimed at undergraduates, junior doctors and psychologists interested

Trust hosts summer school students


WE NEED YOU!

WHO WE ARE...

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. 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 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 December issue of Positive, please contact us by 4 November 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

Printed on cocoon · 100% recycled paper

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.

This is a tremendous opportunity for practitioners who work with people experiencing complex issues associated with mental distress to benefit from the latest thinking in recovery principles and recovery practice skills.

This successful BA (Hons) Mental Health Practice: Psychosocial Interventions course has run since 1999 and has been re-validated by university academics three times over the past decade, most recently in 2009. The programme will build on this track record of success, incorporating the latest in research and new evidence-based approaches.

Ray Woodcock, an Education Practice Consultant with the Institute’s teaching team, said: “The main modules of the programme are well established and always popular among students but it is also a highly contemporary course, incorporating some of the latest theory and approaches. The programme has

recovery values and principles at its core and is delivered in partnership with people with a lived experience of mental health problems.”

The main teaching venues for the course are the Mike Harris Learning and Development Centre at Rampton Hospital and Duncan Macmillan House in Nottingham.

The programme is run on a modular basis with three modules in year one and three modules in year two. Applicants must be educated to entry level (120 credits at level five) and suitably experienced within a clinical practice setting. To apply or for further information, please contact Suzanne Howard, Academic Programme Administrator on 01777 247284 or email [email protected].

The Institute also runs a number of other educational programmes. For details visit the website at www.institutemh.org.uk/-education-/home or contact Suzanne.

Students attending Sheffield University’s Psychiatry Summer School were given guided tours of Wathwood and Rampton Hospitals.

the four-day august summer school was aimed at undergraduates, junior doctors and psychologists interested

in a career in psychiatry and was organised by the university of sheffield in partnership with local nhs trusts.

the school programme included networking sessions, talks, a social evening and a visit to the students’ choice of destination from a list

Trust hosts summer school studentswhich included rampton hospital and wathwood.

both centres hosted visits and the weather in south yorkshire stayed sufficiently favourable to allow a barbecue in the horticulture area where delegates were able to meet staff and patients.

Dr Darran Bloye, Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist, Wathwood Hospital (left) with the medical students.

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Leather

i remember the smell of leatherleather car seats; leather jacket, vintage

leather bags.the excitement of something new.

luxurious, soft, forbidden.it’s cruel, it costs the life of an animal,For vanity.don’t waste that life.use it to its full potential.can we live without it?

Tarmac

The smell of tarmac on a hot summer day

The men are black from the tarmac. Their faces are always dirty,

We weren’t allowed outside. They pinched little girls.

Bubbles of hot tarmac, Jack Tar swizzled on a stick

We’d chew it like Black Jack.

It means roads and pavements and driveways

Grazed knees, elbows, pit marks,Airport runways, holidays and travelHigh heels stuck in the pavement

The Tuck Shop

The taste of flying saucers is tangy, sharp,

A tickle in the throat

The sound of flying saucers is soft, quiet, melts

In your mouth

The smell of cherry lips is like perfume.

The sound of pineapple chunks as they crunch.

The touch of marshmallows is squidgy, when

Toasted all gooey

The sight of the shop, floor to ceiling sweets, eat them

With your eyes

Glowing like jewels, enticing you in.

Poetry cornerA number of women from the A wards at QMC have been attending a ‘WordPlay’ writing group held in the Occupational Therapy Department.

Facilitated by rachel sheppard, occupational therapist, and sue atkinson of the social inclusion and wellbeing team, the women have collectively written a selection of poems, including those printed here:

Haiku 1A touch of luxury – silver lustre,Sensual silver, coffee, wild olive,Fireburst orange and autumn red,Jewels of the season.

Haiku 2Escape to a rose-tinted life,Pretty pink, raspberry meld,Confidence, soft coral.Come see about me.

Haiku 3Big headed poppiesDance and sway in the summer breezeTheir burnt orange petals displayed like a peacock’s tail feathers.

Wild Primrose

wild Primrose, as cool as a yellow desert.walk along the desert sand to feel the

breeze on your face.sanded footprints along the walk,Feelings of a give and take.years ago of acting wildFar and wide, soft and loose,now i know why i call it wild Primrose.

National Staff Survey 2011 – have your say! A sample of staff will be sent a staff survey during October. If you receive a survey please complete it and return it as soon as possible; we want to hear your views, they are important to us. For more information visit www.nhsstaffsurveys.com

Documents

Positive October 2011