60 seconds with... Sarah Connery, the Trust's Chief Executive
Following a robust recruitment process, Sarah Connery has been officially appointed as Chief Executive at LPFT. We catch up with Sarah to find out a bit more about her.
Congratulations on the new role, how are you settling into the role now it is permanent?
Thank you! I am loving my new role, although it feels like there aren’t enough hours in the day – or days in the week - to get everything done.
Can you give a bit of insight into your experience that has led you into the role you do now?
I’ve worked in the NHS now for 18 years - six of those at LPFT. I have a broad background in retail management and the accountancy sector, but once I joined the NHS I never looked back.
What do you love most about your job and working for LPFT?
Getting out there meeting service users and teams and listening to our dedicated staff about how it feels to work and provide care in LPFT and what we could do better. I love the “Team LPFT” feel and the fact our values are lived and breathed every day by the whole organisation.
How excited are you about the plans for LPFT going forward?
I hold to three simple outcomes for LPFT; deliver outstanding services, be an outstanding employer and deliver services sustainably. There’s so much quality improvement happening across the Trust to deliver these outcomes. It makes my day to hear about it when I’m out visiting services.
What advice would you give to anyone looking at starting a career within the NHS?
Go for it. You won’t look back and it gives you such a sense of social purpose as you can make a difference every day – no matter how small – to make the world a better place.
New Director of Finance and Information
Following a thorough recruitment process, the Trust is pleased to confirm that Mark Platts has been appointed as the substantive Director of Finance and Information.
Mark has successfully acted up in the role for the past 12 months, demonstrating a real commitment to improving mental health, learning disability and autism services and clearly demonstrates the Trust’s values.
Having worked for the Trust for over 12 years, Mark is committed to delivering sustainable, high quality services, that are right for patients and carers. He will continue to build on his already strong relationship with system partners to maximise the funding the Trust has available to invest in mental health, learning disability and autism services, helping to enhance and develop the care the Trust provides.
Mark added: “I’m really proud of how well we all work together to get the best value out of every £1 we invest in our Trust. I will work to ensure we are able to provide you with the best information and understanding of our services to help us continue to give our patients great care now and in the future.”
Caring for Carers – Carers Quality Award
We’re delighted to share the news that our community teams have successfully been reaccredited with the Lincolnshire Carers Quality Award, recognising our staff’s hard work and dedication to carers.
The award programme is delivered by Lincolnshire based organisation, Every-One. Every-One work to support unpaid carers and those they care for and the Carers Quality Award is funded by Lincolnshire County Council.
The teams reaccredited include:
- Early Intervention Team
- Perinatal Team
- Community Forensic Team
- Lincoln North Community Mental Health Team
- Lincoln South Community Mental Health Team
- Grantham and Sleaford Community Mental Health Team
- Spalding Community Mental Health Team
- Gainsborough Community Mental Health Team
- Stamford Community Mental Health Team
As a Trust we are committed to supporting and involving carers, recognising the invaluable and vital role carers play in supporting our service users.
All of our inpatient and crisis teams are also accredited with the award and will be going through their reaccreditation process in January.
New courses at Lincolnshire's Recovery College
Virtual courses continue to be available at the Lincolnshire Recovery College and a whole host of new courses added.
All courses are co-produced with people who have their own lived experience and those from a healthcare or education background. The groups work collaboratively, with all points of view respected and explored. This blend of knowledge and skills forms a unique learning platform where students are encouraged to develop their knowledge and tools for self-management. The College is shaped by the learning needs of students and actively responds to feedback, involving students and the wider Recovery College community as much as possible.
This term, the College has introduced a number of new courses, including the first course designed specifically for carers, by carers and healthcare professionals. This course focuses on what compassion fatigue is, how to recognise the early warning signs, and how to manage its impact and reduce the likelihood of it occurring in the future.
Visit www.lpft.nhs.uk/recovery-college to book.
Volunteers continue to make a difference
The pandemic continues to highlight the value of volunteers and our own LPFT volunteers are vital in supporting service users through a range of befriending, arts or therapeutic activities. Our volunteers continue to make a difference from home until face-to-face volunteering can resume, by getting involved with a variety of projects.
There was a tremendous response by volunteers who supported the ‘Langworth Ward flower appeal’ project at Witham Court (read more in the article below), demonstrating their creativity by crocheting or knitting beautiful flowers to decorate their courtyard. Volunteers have also been meeting virtually with governors for a monthly virtual ‘cuppa’, joined by various guest speakers who share their passion for working in mental health.
Langworth Ward Flower Appeal
Langworth Ward at Witham Court in Lincoln cares for older adult patients with complex care needs, including those with dementia. Activity coordinators on the ward engage patients to participate in basic 'do it yourself' tasks, however it is often too difficult for patients to take part in gardening without causing damage to plants or putting themselves at risk.
Lincolnshire NHS Charity is working with activity coordinators on the ‘Langworth Ward Flower Appeal’ to encourage volunteers and members of the public to create knitted or crocheted flower heads which can be attached to a stem and 'planted' in the courtyard area outside the ward.
Langworth Ward have so far received over fifty individual flower heads which will be attached to green balloon sticks and planted in the courtyard area. If you are able to help and would like to find out more, please visit our website at www.lpft.nhs.uk/our-charity
Managed Care Network Wave 11 projects released
The Managed Care Network is an alliance of county-wide community groups and organisations which deliver a variety of support activities, services and projects. These projects provide people with structure and choice in their lives, contributing to their wellbeing within their own community.
The Mental Health Promotion Fund that underpins this network is a partnership which has historically been provided by Lincolnshire County Council and Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LPFT). The management of the network has now been handed over from LPFT to Shine Lincolnshire to administer in the future and we are pleased to see the launch of the 2021/22 wave 11 projects. This year's funding will support 34 projects across Lincolnshire, undertaking a wide range of activities to support people to live well in their communities.
Activities and services promote outcomes such as reduced social isolation, positive mental health, improved resilience, new social connections, and learning new skills.
Shine is a well-established and knowledgeable mental health support service with strong local connections, which will continue the fantastic work delivered to date through the network and LPFT will continue to support as a close local partner.
Find out more about the wave 11 projects on Shine's website at www.lincsshine.co.uk
New research study for service users experiencing psychosis
As a Trust we are proud to be offering the opportunity for our service users to participate in the Prevelance of Pathogenic Antibodies in Psychosis 2 (PPiP2) study.
Some autoimmune diseases may affect the brain and in the early stages of the disease can manifest through symptoms of psychosis. We can diagnose some of these autoimmune diseases using blood tests to detect specific antibodies known to cause psychosis symptoms. The Trust is now providing this screening to service users that are experiencing either first episode psychosis, or relapse following a period of stability.
The PPiP2 study aims to investigate the prevalence of autoimmune antibodies in service users experiencing psychosis, additionally identifying people who may wish to take part in a further treatment study called the SINAPPS2 trial.
For more information on the PPiP2 trial please use the below contact details or University of Oxford website by using this link
Principal Investigator: Dr Umesh Sira Ramaiah - u.siraramaiah@nhs.net
Lead Research Nurse: Kelly Moran - kelly.moran1@nhs.net
Healthier planet, healthier people
Climate change poses a major threat to NHS staff, patients, and their communities. There are direct links between the health of our planet and the health of our people. The NHS is acting to reduce the harmful gases it puts into the atmosphere. Fewer emissions will mean fewer patients with asthma, heart disease, and cancer. It will also reduce any disruption to the delivery of the care we provide.
Since 2010, efforts across the health service have resulted in NHS emissions being cut by 30%. This is already improving care, as well as the health and wellbeing of our patients. The NHS is committed to investing in greener medicines, greener transport, greener buildings, and greener energy consumption.
Despite such brilliant progress, there is still more to be done. Together, with the help of staff across the NHS, we hope to achieve even more. With more people involved, we stand every chance of meeting our target of becoming a net zero health service by 2040. We were the first health service in the world to make the commitment and intend to be the first to reach that status.
