Better Together e-news Spring 2017

"It is over three months since I introduced the last edition of Better Together. Whilst this is a short time that has passed very quickly, it has been an important time for LPFT. Some of the big things that have happened are reflected in this issue.

This e-newsletter edition of Better Together includes lots for us to be proud of, and I am delighted we are able to share such good news. There is a report on the Staff Excellence Awards, which was a great chance for staff and the public to nominate individuals and teams for particular recognition. Paring the 160+ nominations down to the ten categories was a pleasantly tough job for the shortlisting team! I am pleased that we have also been able to report on some of the many awards and nominations that our staff have recently achieved. Such awards are a way of us taking a little time to pause and reflect on innovative, good work, and all nominees are to be congratulated.

You will be aware that the Care Quality Commission (CQC) spent a week with us in April carrying out a full re-inspection. At the time of writing, we do not yet know the outcome, but I was particularly pleased that the CQC again commented on the openness from all the staff, patients, carers and governors they met. We hope to get the published report from the CQC over the next few weeks. The visit came hot on the heels of the publication of the annual national NHS Staff Survey results. The Board of Directors was pleased that many more of our staff were able to complete the survey, and that the feedback showed marked improvements on the previous year. The survey highlights areas where we still need to do better in making LPFT the best place that it can be to work, and the Board has oversight of  work being done to build on the improvements  reported this year.

Like me, you will probably have welcomed the recent reflections on mental health from a number of members of the Royal Family. In particular, Prince Harry’s personal reflections that ‘it’s good to talk’ chime with many of our services, including our steps2change service. As part of Mental Health Awareness Week, we have particularly focused on how aspects of improved physical health can contribute to our good mental health. An example of this is our football for mental health event.

You can also read about the opening of our super new facility in Skegness – Holly Lodge. We have invested significantly in the building and I was very impressed with the facility when I attended its formal opening with our Skegness Governor, Pat Massie, who formally opened the unit.

There is also a mention of some of our innovative work in dementia care, including the new 1950s Ladies’ Lounge at Langworth Ward, and the introduction of robotic cats at Manthorpe Ward. It is so important that we use a variety of ways to help and support our patients who have dementia, and I hope you’ll find these new ways of working interesting.

By the time we get to the next edition of Better Together in August, we will know the results of the CQC inspection and whilst we can't predict what will be in this, I am confident that our staff and volunteers will continue to strive to provide the very best mental health and learning disability services for the people of Lincolnshire. And I thank them for their continued dedication and commitment.

With very best wishes."

Paul Devlin, LPFT Chair.

During the first week of April over 30 inspectors and specialist advisors from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) completed their week-long re-inspection of the Trust.

It came 16 months after their previous inspection of LPFT in December 2015 and gave us the opportunity to show how we have been continuously improving our services.

The team visited our units, inspected our wards and talked to many staff, patients, service users and their families and carers.

Preliminary feedback highlighted the positive way staff made the inspection team feel welcome and how honest and open they were at all interviews and visits.

They also recognised the hard work that had been put in since the last inspection, the many improvements that have been made and how enthusiastic and motivated staff were.

The CQC’s final report is not expected to be published until the end of May and a full report on our official rating will be included in the next edition of Better Together.

Staff on two wards looking after patients with dementia, have been using innovative forms of therapy to engage with those they care for.

Patients at the Manthorpe Centre in Grantham got a ‘purrr’-fect surprise with the arrival of two robotic cats.  In addition to the furry felines the ward has also invested in a robotic parrot which can blink, yawn and even respond directly to voice control.

I was reading about a man who was struggling to communicate with his mother after she had been diagnosed with dementia,

said Occupational Therapist Liz Lester.

He designed Pete the Parrott – a robotic bird that looked as good as the real thing - and then reported how it had an amazing effect on how his mother responded to the care she was receiving.
I thought we could give it a try at Manthorpe and it has received a positive reception. Our patients are in unfamiliar surroundings and these animals are great at helping us build positive relationships with them and add value to their lives.

Meanwhile, at Langworth Ward in North Hykeham, Lincoln, female patients are journeying back in time in the newly-opened 1950s-themed Ladies' Lounge. Staff hope that the sights, sounds, smells and touch of the 1950s fixtures and fittings will evoke memories which they can share.

The lounge will help patients reminisce about their past lives and share their experiences and stories, so staff can get to know them better and deliver more personalised care,

said Occupational Therapist Carol Rogers.

Developing activities that are person-centred, offer long-lasting benefits that can be transferred to any setting when the patients leave the ward, be it in a care home or back with their families.

We’re pleased to announce the Trust’s national NHS Staff Survey results for 2016 showed a number of improvements since the previous year, demonstrating that we are performing above the national average in 12 of the 32 key findings in the report.

Areas of improvement included staff feeling that the Trust takes action on their health and wellbeing, an increase in staff reporting errors, near misses and incidents and a decrease in staff experiencing discrimination at work over a 12 month period.

Other improvements showed that more staff feel motivated at work, believe the organisation provides equal opportunities for career progression and would recommend it as a place to work or receive treatment.

LPFT's response rate to the survey was 59 per cent this year - 12 per cent higher than last time - and Chief Executive Dr John Brewin said he was pleased to see staff engagement on the increase.

The NHS Staff Survey is an essential indicator on the Trust's performance as an employer and something we take extremely seriously and I am pleased that so many of our staff have taken the time to complete the survey,

said Dr Brewin.

Alongside patient safety, staff satisfaction is one of our top priorities and having staff who feel engaged and valued in the workplace is important to us.  These results will be analysed to see what areas we can improve on over the coming year, to ensure our staff are continually supported to deliver high-quality mental health and learning disability services to all our patients, service users, their families and carers.

We might not have the Oscars or the BAFTAS but this spring has seen us receive a number of high profile awards and nominations, recognising the work of teams and individuals across the Trust.

Ground-breaking work promoting infection control and good hand hygiene, which included enlisting the help of the Red Arrows and Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, earned specialist LPFT nurse Jane Lord third place in the Infection Prevention Nurse of the Year category at this year’s British Journal of Nursing Awards.

Meanwhile, three Lincolnshire NHS Services - including the Trust's very own North East Lincolnshire Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services team (NEL CAMHS) - have been nominated at the prestigious 'HSJ - Value in Healthcare' awards ceremony.

NEL CAMHS have been nominated in the 'Specialist Services' category, where they were recognised for delivering an outstanding service for their patients and were also acknowledged for designing an innovative care model, which has attracted the attention of similar services across the country.  We wish them the best of luck at the awards ceremony at Grosvenor House, London on 24 May.

Elsewhere, Langworth Ward, at North Hykeham in Lincoln, a 17-bed specialist assessment and treatment unit for people with dementia, has been shortlisted for a Patient Safety Award for the introduction of their Personalised Sensory Toolkit.

The project utilises innovative sensory activities such as a 1950s Ladies’ Lounge, memory boxes, the introduction of Playlist for Life, rummage boxes and animals to assist in managing the behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia and enhance patient safety.

 
The team now move on to the next stage of judging which takes place in London on Tuesday 9 May.

Last, but by no means least, the work of LPFT’s unsung heroes was recognised at the Trust’s Making a Difference Every Day Staff Excellence Awards ceremony held at the Engine Shed, Lincoln.

Staff and volunteers from around the Trust had been nominated by their colleagues or by those they care for and.

As in previous years, there were many outstanding examples of teams and individuals who had implemented innovative ideas or gone that extra mile for the benefit of their patients and carers.
 

LPFT and Lincolnshire County Council’s £300,000 Mental Health Promotion Fund has recently opened for applications from groups and organisations that support or help people manage their mental health problems.

The fund aims to help adults who have experienced mental health problems to participate in a wide range of activities to help them recover and maintain as good a quality of life as possible.

Projects that receive funding will all join LPFT’s Managed Care Network, a group of community organisations which offer support and activities to help people live well.

One of the projects which has received £1,000 of Mental Health Promotion Fund monies in the past is the Sellwood Gardens Memory Support Group.
 
The Horncastle-based initiative meets every Thursday afternoon offering a range of activities to support people living with mild to severe dementia and memory loss, and their carers.

The group offers stimulating activities such as bingo, dominoes, singing, quizzes, outings and film shows – we’ve also hosted visits from singers and musicians on occasion too,

said committee member Keith Baguley.  

When we started in May 2015 we had eight members, now our membership, including carers, has reached 30.

The deadline for applications is 5pm on 8 June.