Welcome to the new members of our Board of Directors

We are pleased to have made two new additions to our Board of Directors, as well as welcomed our new Medical Director. 

Jenna Davies has made a great impact since joining the Trust in May 2022 as Director of Corporate Governance.

Jenna first joined the NHS in 2008, after studying law at the University of Birmingham.

She boasts a wealth of experience having worked at director level at a number of NHS trusts across mental health and acute providers, predominately in the corporate and clinical governance fields.

Alongside this, she has led and contributed to a number of large-scale improvement programmes, including a highly complex organisational development project and preparation for Foundation Trust application status.

We are also delighted to announce that Amy Beeton has been appointed to the new role of Director of People.

Amy has almost 20 years of NHS experience and has worked in senior level roles for over 10 years.

She is an experienced people professional and qualified professional coach, having worked predominantly in NHS provider organisations, including United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust for 12 plus years.

Amy has also worked at Health Education England leading on workforce transformation at both an integrated care system and regional Level.

Girish Kunigiri, the Trust's Medical Director is now in his third month at the Trust and you can read more about Girish in our last issue by using this link.

To find out more about our Board of Directors visit www.lpft.nhs.uk/board.

“It’s amazing to see people get better” - by Becky Walker, Healthcare Support Worker

As healthcare support workers, we are central to the running of Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LPFT), supporting nurses, doctors and other staff to provide top quality care.    

I’ve been in my role for the last two years, working on one of our inpatient wards.  

It’s such a rewarding opportunity to know that when I come to work I make a real difference to the lives of our patients, who are at the heart of everything we do.

The job is so varied and exciting. One day I’ll be supporting a patient getting out of bed, or helping them with their meals and personal care. Other days I will just talk and listen to them, or we can play games, do some colouring, or help to write down their feelings and plans for the future.

I remember working with a lovely gentleman who was going through a rough patch – he thought there was no way out and would never see his children again, but by spending time working with him and his family to understand and approach things in different ways, he got better and was soon reconnecting with his family.

A lot of the time it is just being there with a smile, a listening ear and a positive focus. Everyone needs a bit of help now and again!

I’m so passionate about my job and I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who likes to help people. Alongside making a real difference to our patients, you get to work with some amazing people.

The team is made up of nurses, doctors, occupational therapists and healthcare workers amongst others. We all work really closely together, supporting each other and getting on really well – it’s a bit like a big family!

It is really flexible too and there’s plenty of training and job progression opportunities if you want them.

If you’d like to join the team, visit www.lpft.nhs.uk/hcsw.

LPFT provides mental health services and a number of learning disability, autism and social care services in the county of Lincolnshire.

Lorena Hall helps to inspire the next generation of nurses

Lorena Hall is helping to inspire the next generation of nurses.

She explains more about her role and why she wants others to get involved.

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“We provide an excellent opportunity for the medical students,” beams Lorena, who can’t hide her smile as she opens up about her role as a Lived Experience Educator, which she has held since February this year.

The 44-year-old is helping to pioneer a new way of working by inviting patients to come in and share their stories of living with a mental health condition. Their experience of services help to guide nurses who are taking their first steps in their career.

Lorena understands the challenges mental health conditions pose. Lorena is also an autistic person and has a son with complex health needs.

With that in mind, Lorena, who lives in Lincoln, jumped at the chance of becoming a Lived Experience Educator when she saw an opportunity to share those experiences to help others.

“I am so passionate about sharing lived experience. It really makes a difference” she says.

“Understanding how service users want to be listened to is invaluable if you want to provide the best care you can.”

Undergraduates at the University of Lincoln come in on six-week cycles, where they gain valuable experience on psychiatry rotations, working across key themes such as psychosis, mood and anxiety.

A number of experts by experiences have offered their time to share their experiences and Lorena has even stepped in to share hers too.

“It’s worked really well for the last year,” she says. “We have been delighted with the feedback.”

The Trust are always on the lookout for more experts by experience to share their stories. If you know anyone or want to find out more, please email Lorena at Lorena.hall@nhs.net

Steps2change boosts referrals for talking therapies with new chatbot

Almost 4,000 people in Lincolnshire have referred themselves to steps2change NHS talking therapy services using a new chatbot assistant via the steps2change website.

In the six months since the chatbot launched, feedback from service users has been incredibly positive, with 92 per cent saying it helped them to access care. People who have used the chatbot have said how easy it is to use , with it on average taking just over six minutes to complete the referral.

The service provides a range of evidence based talking therapies for problems such as depression, anxiety, post-trauma reaction, panic, phobia and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).

Nick Harwood, Associate Director of Operations in the Adult Community Division, explains how it works:

“This is a great option for referrals to our service, making it easier than ever to take the first step towards accessing mental health support. People can refer themselves online, whenever and wherever they like. Not only that, the chatbot can also offer information about additional support services such as the Lincolnshire Mental Health Helpline.” 

To refer yourself online or read more about how steps2change services can help, visit www.steps2change.nhs.uk

Update on our new acute wards

Boston

You might have seen in the press that we are currently asking for comments/feedback on our plans for a 19-bed mixed gender facility on the Norton Lea site. We’re also hoping to co-locate other mental health support services, including the crisis team – making it a real support hub for the people of Boston and the East Coast. You can see the plans and find out more on our website by using this link. 

Lincoln

We are moving at pace now. The scaffolding is now down, the roof is on, and we’re starting to decorate and furnish areas. In the past few weeks we’ve welcomed our fine art students from the University of Lincoln to start designing the wellbeing artwork for our courtyard areas. We’re also starting to show staff around the building, so they are ready for opening in the spring 2023. Watch this space!

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Welcome to our new governors who have joined the Trust

We are delighted to be able to share with you the results of this year’s Council of Governor elections and by-elections.

This year’s elections focussed on the service user and carer constituencies, with by-elections facilitated to fill vacant posts in the older people and adult inpatient staff divisions.

We would like to extend our thanks to all members who took the opportunity to vote. 

This year the results brought a mix of new and familiar faces to the council, with the results of the election listed below.

Congratulations to the following individuals who took up their posts from 1 October 2022:

Service user/carer elections

Service user (1) (uncontested) - Michael Regan, re-elected

Service user (2) (uncontested) – Rebecca Mezzo, re-elected

Service user (3) (uncontested) – Zachary Kellerman, re-elected

Service user (4) (uncontested) – Jessica Riley, first term

Service user (5) (uncontested) – Kelvin Hallam, first term

General carer (1) (uncontested) – Amanda Whitehead, first term

General carer (2) (uncontested) – Sally Spencer, first term

General carer (3) (uncontested) – Diane Fox, first term

Young people carer (uncontested) – Lucy Picksley, first term

2 service user seats remain vacant

Staff governor by-election

Older adult services (contested) – Valerie Shaw, first term

Adult inpatient services (uncontested) – Aidan Hart, first term

To introduce our governors, we have collected their thoughts on their roles by asking them to inroduce themselves and their governor role and to explain what made them run to be a governor and what they hope to achieve during their time as a governor.

Rebecca (Bex) Mezzo

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I'm a re-elected service user governor and as of January 2022 I am the elected deputy lead governor.

I attended an LPFT engagement event about dementia, as I have a large interest in this and heard about the opportunity to become a governor. I thought that this sounded interesting and decided to go for it.

I hope to help with the community in promoting what LPFT does; services like the Recovery College and those that many people don't know about. Being a governor is a special role because it means giving back and helping those that maybe can't voice their own concerns. 

Michael Regan

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Hello, I am a service user governor and have been re-elected to work together with the Council of Governors to ensure that the service user voice is heard by the Board of Directors. 

After being a service user in Lincolnshire and another county, I felt that I could give back some of the experiences I've gained and help other people.

As a member of the Council of Governors, I will aim to achieve the best possible outcome for all service users, carers and the general populace of Lincolnshire. 

Zach Kellerman

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Hello - I'm Zachary (or just Zach!) and I'm an re-elected service user governor on my second term - coming up to four years in the role.

Service user governors give vital representation for all of those using mental health services under the Trust umbrella and help to advocate for the best quality in care provision for our constituents across Lincolnshire.

I have always had a passion for mental health advocacy and campaigning. I've been a service user under LPFT services for many years - since the age of 13 until recently. 

On top of this, I have a decade's worth of experience across the mental health sector in both clinical and non-clinical roles - from lecturing to hospital inspections, to nursing and as now as a psychotherapist. 

I believe having an insight into both the lived experience and professional helps give unique insight into being able to serve in governance and for service user interests well.

Amanda Whitehead

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I am a newly elected carer governor, as a carer for my daughter who has accessed various parts of LPFT over a lengthy time. As a holistic health and nutrition coach, I am passionate that everyone should be viewed as a whole being, mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually and this is how I believe the care system should work too.

My mission and passion is to make a difference in this world and impact lives in a positive way, starting with those closest to me in Lincolnshire.

I know that through my knowledge and experience, I can work with others to help bring positive change and let those we represent be guided through the darkest times in their life.

Sally Spencer

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My name is Sally Spencer and I am a carer governor, being carer for my son who has autism and mental health issues and I also previously cared for my mum who had dementia.

Caring for others has given me insight into the caring role and the impact this can have. I am part of LPFT’s Carer Education Group, which I have attended for over five years and I am also a member of the LPFT Carers Council. Being part of these groups has helped me gain knowledge and increased confidence in my caring role and enabled me to learn how I can best support my loved one.

I am very passionate and would like to help other carers have a voice in their journey, as well as work with services in partnership to help make positive change for everyone involved.

Diane Fox

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I am a carer governor, and have lived experience of autism. I want to support the work the Trust is doing to help the nerodiverse community in Lincolnshire. Representing autistic families and improving their autism journey. 

I was interested to learn about the challenges the Trust has to overcome to provide service to the community and want to raise the voices of the autistic carer community to support decision making in the Trust. 

Lucy Picksley

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I’m so pleased to be newly elected as a governor representing children and young people.  I am mum to two wonderful boys, one of which has accessed LPFT services as a child with autism, ADHD and anxiety. 

I work at the University of Lincoln in health and social care; working with service users and carers to share their experiences with our students. Mental health, wellness and education are central to all that I do.

 I am a parent that has advocated for good quality services for my child and family for many years. Most of my experiences have been questionable and as an individual I simply stopped coping in 2018 and allowed myself to fall.  At a time when I was broken, the system stepped up and the mechanisms that allowed my family to start healing started to turn, one small cog at a time. 

The reason I ran for governor is clear; to support others like me by effectively challenging, advocating, supporting and changing the infrastructure designed to improve young people's lives giving them the best outcomes possible.

Valerie (Val) Shaw

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My name is Val, I have been working for the NHS in excess of 13 years, both within the community, and inpatient areas of work, but my experience extends further with previous working experience with public services under the umbrella of social care, GP practice and in the private sector.

I am passionate about looking at issues we face day to day and helping my colleagues to overcome with solutions that are achievable within the capabilities of the service. I am a firm believer in listening to everyone’s viewpoint, at every level in order to make positive changes.

With the backing of staff maybe I can help further improve conditions for our already hard working, empathic members that I am so very proud to be one of.

Aidan Hart

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I am the new staff governor for adult inpatient services. As a qualified psychologist, I have considerable experience of inpatient settings in the form of our open and locked rehabilitation wards, as well as our low secure forensic unit. 

I am passionate about the delivery of high quality care to our service users and in supporting our hard-working staff in doing so. From my time working within inpatient settings, I have first had experience of the issues and difficulties that staff face when working to provide high quality care.

It is my intention to be a passionate and effective voice in support of our inpatient staff needs and will do my best to ensure that your voice and needs are heard at a management and board level.

You can view all of our Council of Governors on our website. 

If you have any questions about the elections, or governor roles in general, please contact the membership team at lpft.governor-member@nhs.net.

Celebrating success

Inspirational staff and volunteers celebrated at the Team LPFT Values Awards

On Thursday 6 October, we celebrated our amazing staff and volunteers at the Team LPFT Values Awards.

The eleventh annual LPFT awards ceremony was attended by over 200 staff and volunteers.

The awards recognise LPFT staff and volunteers who are making a difference to the lives of people with mental health conditions, learning disabilities and/or autism in Lincolnshire. It was the perfect opportunity to show gratitude and praise individuals and teams who demonstrate dedication and personify the LPFT values.

The ten categories include awards for everyday excellence, leading by example, innovation and improvement, and working together. We also presented the people's award and the volunteer of the year , for which service users, carers, families, and members of the public submitted nominations.

Mental health nurse, Chantelle Irikok, accepted an award on behalf of the international recruitment team. She said:

“I am so delighted for the team. We work really hard to attract people from across the globe to our Trust. We help them settle into UK life and train them to become mental health nurses. So far, the programme is doing amazingly well and we’ve recruited and trained nine nurses for our inpatient wards.”

The event was sponsored by a number of local and national businesses, including Mayden, Pipework Services, IHP - Integrated Health Projects, Browne Jacobson, Civica Prescribing, CPD Consultancy, Peachy Events, SF Taylor and Lindum.

A full list of the winners for each category can be found on the Trust’s website at www.lpft.nhs.uk/LPFT-awards.

Congratulations to our latest LPFT Heroes

Celebrating the dedication of our staff continues to be a high priority for us. We would like to thank our latest LPFT Heroes for their contributions to our service users, carers and colleagues. You can read more about why our heroes were nominated, at www.lpft.nhs.uk/lpft-heroes.

Bank Staffing Unit

The bank staffing unit have worked tirelessly through the pandemic, including some periods of working seven days a week. In 2021/22 the team recruited over 116 new bank staff and have filled 29,690 bank shifts for the Trust to support safe staffing.

Lucy Pearce, steps2change Team Manager

Lucy is a team manager in the steps2change service and was nominated for LPFT Heroes for her outstanding leadership. Her door is always open and she goes above and beyond to support her team. Lucy works in a patient centred and caring way to ensure a high level of experience for service users and staff.

Chris Daubney, Clinical Team Manager, Spalding Adult Community Mental Health Team

Chris demonstrates all the Trust values in his approach to delivering patient centred care. There is consistently excellent feedback from staff about Chris’ leadership abilities, even during challenging times. His team commented that he cares deeply about the wellbeing of his team, is a good listener, and always takes their concerns forward. 

Steps2change Employment Advisors

Steps2change Employment Advisors provide an individually tailored service to meet the needs of people experiencing stress, anxiety or depression. They support service users to identify solutions to work-related issues and overcome the barriers to accessing employment. Recently, the team have received excellent feedback and have been sharing their expertise with new members of the team. They are passionate about what they do and always act with compassion and kindness.

Urgent Assessment Teams

Our urgent assessment teams include our psychiatric clinical decisions unit, health based place of safety, and mental health urgent assessment centre. Even in challenging circumstances and throughout the launch of a new service, the teams continue to support and show compassion towards service users, carers and colleagues. The statistics for the teams show the difference they have made in keeping patients closer to home and finding alternatives to hospital admission through support in their local community.

Spring Lodge reaccredited with ‘Quality Mark’ for sexual violence services

Lincolnshire’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) has once again achieved the Lime Culture Quality Mark for Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA) Services. This highlights the team’s commitment to ensuring a high quality service for survivors.

Spring Lodge is a free NHS service run by Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LPFT) and part funded by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC).

The centre’s Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA) service offers practical and emotional support to anyone who has been raped or sexually assaulted, both recently and in the past.

The independent accreditation programme is run by Lime Culture, the UK’s leading sexual violence training and consultancy organisation, and looks for quality and consistency in service provision. It measures twenty standards across four themes; leadership and governance, access and engagement, service delivery, and outcomes and evaluation. To achieve the ‘Quality Mark’, the team had to submit evidence of meeting all quality standards.

The centre will retain the independent accreditation for a further two years, having first received the award in 2020.

Anyone struggling with issues surrounding sexual assault or abuse can learn more about Spring Lodge and the support they offer by going to www.lpft.nhs.uk/spring-lodge.

Children’s mental health services awarded Carer Quality Award

Several teams within the Trust's children and young people services have been formally recognised for how they engage and involve carers and relatives, having been accredited with the Lincolnshire Carers Quality Award.

All of the Trust’s core children and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) teams, as well as their learning disabilities team, eating disorders team and Healthy Minds, have successfully achieved the award. This demonstrates their hard work and dedication to supporting carers.

The award programme, funded by Lincolnshire County Council, is delivered by Lincolnshire based organisation, Every-One, which works to support unpaid carers and those they care for.

The teams join the Trust’s adult inpatient, crisis and community teams, as well as the veteran service, which all already hold the award.

Amy Butler, Head of Service for Children and Young People Mental Health Services at LPFT, said: “I’m delighted our teams have received this award, recognising their commitment to identifying and supporting carers.

“Supporting a loved one who is struggling with their mental health is a worrying time and our teams work really hard to ensure they not only provide the highest quality of care to all our service users, but also do everything possible to provide support to carers and relatives.”

For more information about the support offered to carers and relatives within the Trust, please visit www.lpft.nhs.uk/carers-support.

LPFT re-awarded silver award in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme

We are delighted to announce that we have been re-awarded the silver award in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS).

The award is an acknowledgement of the Trust's role in supporting members of the military community working in the Trust, particularly within the Veterans service.

We were first awarded the silver award in 2017, but it has to be renewed every five years.

After getting the good news, Doug Wing, East Midlands Regional Lead, Veterans Mental Health Services, said the Trust will now work to progress to achieve the gold award over the coming years.

He said: “I am delighted that we have been re-awarded with the silver award.

“This is a testament to the great work the Trust has done in supporting it’s veteran employees over the last five years.

“It is now our intention to grow and develop the Veterans service and strengthen our ties with the local military community even further, as we strive to attain the gold award.”

The silver award was officially awarded at the Bomber Command Centre near Lincoln on Thursday 13 October to Doug and Sarah Riseborough, a community support worker, in the veterans high intensity service, who has also served in the Army.

Cost of living and your mental wellbeing

The rising cost of living is understandably causing a lot of anxiety for many people.

Feelings of uncertainty can have an impact on your mental health and wellbeing, but it’s important to remember that you are not alone and if you are struggling, support is available.

The below tips could help you, a friend or family member who may be finding things difficult:

• If you are struggling, talk to someone - whether it’s a friend, family member, colleague or a professional. You can call our 24/7 Lincolnshire Mental Health Helpline, which is available for anyone over 18 who is feeling low, anxious or stressed on 0800 001 4331. Our Here4You advice line is also available for children, young people, parents and carers 24/7 on 0800 234 6342.
• Check out organisations that provide information and advice about cost-of-living support. Visit Connect to Support's Cost of living support page and their Managing money and debt page for advice.
• Look after your physical health. Exercise helps to boost your mood and support your wellbeing. Why not stay active by going for a walk or a run either on your own or with a friend?
• Ensure you are getting enough sleep. Getting enough rest is extremely important for your physical and mental wellbeing.
• Take some time for yourself. When things are feeling overwhelming, it’s important to make a conscious effort to take some ‘me time’ to recharge your batteries. This could be an activity as simple as having a bath or reading a book. Why not have a listen to Samaritans hopeful songs on Spotify.
• Tackle one thing at a time. Stress is our body’s response to pressure and when we feel we have little control over a situation. Make a list and tackle one thing at a time, one day at a time.

We asked our Council of Governors to share some of their cost saving tips – see what they had to say below.

“A £1.50 box of veg from supermarkets is great for making soups that you can pop in the freezer – ready for another day!”

“When boiling your kettle, fill up a thermos flask or thermos jug with the remaining water. That way you can save on boiling your kettle each time you want a hot drink!”

“Use your dressing gown/robe over your clothes around the house. It helps to keep you warm and cosy.”

“Halogen heaters are more cost effective on electric usage.”

“Make a large casserole with either mince or veggie mince, just add onions, mixed herbs, any frozen vegetables and gravy. This casserole can last three days or more and you can just heat up what you need each time - one day with mash, another with a jacket potato or add some curry powder and change it to a curry with rice.”

Christmas is often a great cause of stress for many, with the expense of gifts and food and the pressure of shopping and social interactions.

Below is some advice from Emma Slack, our East Lindsey constituency Governor.

“Spending time with family and friends is more important than getting into debt buying expensive gifts, which could impact your mental health in the long run.

More often than not, the day becomes very stressful trying to meet standards that are fictional.

You know your family and their preferences.

If like my family, you have members with autism and/or learning difficulties or another condition, we already engineer the day to meet their needs, and that’s OK.

If your child or adult wants what they normally have, that's OK.

If it suits your family or yourself to eat later, that’s OK.

If it takes three days to open presents, that's OK.

Christmas can be very difficult when caring for someone, but I hope you all have a lovely, less stressful Christmas.

And please remember, you are not alone.”

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Spotlight on activities on our older people wards

LPFT has two older people acute inpatient wards. Brant Ward, which specialises in complex and acute mental health and Langworth Ward, which specialises in complex needs relating to dementia/memory impairment.

Carol-Anne, an activity coordinator on Langworth Ward, explains:

 “We are able to offer person-centred activities by collecting life histories and encouraging patients and their loved ones to tell us about their interests and what matters to them. We do quite a number of activities as a group which include singing, dancing, cooking, going for walks, as well as activities specific to the individual – such as map reading, wall papering, decorating, DIY, gardening, board or card games or beauty therapy. It really is about what people like to do, what they are able to do and what they are in the mood for.  

"We have also incorporated themes and events and over the last few months, have included nutrient week, Remembrance Day, Children in Need, Halloween, Bonfire Night and birthday celebrations.

"It’s a wonderful feeling of achievement seeing our patients engrossed in an activity - they are being creative, showing their dexterity skills, maintaining their and expressing their feelings, reliving memories and having positive experiences.”

For more information about the services we offer, visit www.lpft.nhs.uk/olderadults.