Positive September 2010 by Hargrave Design

Nottinghamshire Healthcare

NHS

NHS Trust

SEPTEMBER 2010

about mental health and learning disability

Left to right Back row: Malc, Simon, Clair Chilvers, Richard, Mike Cooke, Adrian Front row: Mick, Noel Oxford, Holly

Addressing Stigma New range of anti-stigma postcards launched see page 3 RESERVE YOUR LIVING BOOK LGBT FORUM INVOLVEMENT UPDATE RIVERSIDE FESTIVAL NEW LOOK ST FRANCIS MENTORING SCHEME

MESSAGE

FROM THE BOARD

We are in the final stages of the assessment and authorisation process for Foundation Trust (FT) status. Last month we all went to the Department of Health (DH) in London for a meeting with some very senior DH, Monitor and East Midlands NHS colleagues, where we were subject to some probing questioning to test our readiness for further autonomy.

autumn; we will review this at our AGM on 24 September, which we are all very much looking forward to. Aligned, Able and Agile will look at how physical and mental wellbeing play an important role in the rehabilitation and recovery of service users. It is set to be informative and interactive; featuring exhibition stalls, workshops and showcases. We will look back over the highlights of the past year, set out future plans and launch the 2009/10 Annual Report, Involvement Report and Quality Report. The event will also feature the Trust’s inaugural Members’ Meeting.

We presented the organisation’s progress, why we want FT status, our future plans, the benefits for all and what our top risks and mitigations are. Thanks to everyone who has been involved in this process; for your interest and ongoing support and commitment.

As we go to press we are delighted to learn that Let’s Build has been awarded direct claims status by City & Guilds. This means that the team, which provides

We hope to have some good news relating to our FT status to announce in the

Profiling our membership Through our membership we want to represent the people and communities we serve as a Trust. As part of our equality and diversity monitoring we ask new members for certain information about themselves to help us ensure we have a representative and balanced membership, although members can choose not to disclose this information if they wish. Here we show the make up of our membership in terms of ethnicity, age and gender. Ethnicity of the Population We Serve 0.60% 1.35% 2.47% 1.46%

Membership Breakdown - Ethnicity

White Black or Black British Asian or Asian British

Mixed Chinese Other or Not Stated

28%

0% 1% 4% 5%

40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0%

Trust Public Membership by Gender

4212 female 2420 male

% of total members

62%

997 unknown

12 to 23 to 41 to 22 40 65

65 +

Not stated

% population

training to staff and volunteers working with people accessing drug and alcohol services, can directly award NVQs to learners who successfully achieve Levels 2 and 3 in Health and Social Care. This status was awarded on the very first inspection by City & Guilds which is very rare and an excellent achievement. Well done. The Trust Board

Reserve your living book for mental health awareness weeks Mike Cooke, Trust Chief Executive, and Clair Chilvers, Chair, are inviting service users to borrow a member of Nottinghamshire Healthcare staff for a very special Human Library. As part of Nottingham’s mental health awareness weeks in October, the Trust is organising a Human Library in reverse, one where service users get to ‘borrow’ the staff for 20-minute loans.

95%

Trust Public Membership by Age

The Board at the Department of Health

1000 2000 3000 4000 5000

Sharron Allen, Service User Volunteer at the Involvement Centre, came up with the idea after reading about the ‘walk a mile in our shoes’ concept in ‘Up for Discussion’ in March 2009. “I thought it was a really good idea and it stuck

One of the new postcards

Postcards: the latest weapon in the battle against stigma A range of postcards featuring portraits of service users and carers, alongside hard-hitting quotes describing their experiences of stigma, were launched last month as part of the Trust’s ongoing anti-stigma campaign. It is hoped that the postcards will provoke thought and discussion about the ignorance and fear that surrounds many of the conditions which commonly affect people, but still remain a taboo subject. The eight postcards are deceptively simple and elegant, but are the culmination of over three months’ hard work. First, contacting Involvement leads in various areas of the Trust, the project team was able to circulate a questionnaire designed to get participants thinking about stigma in the wider context of their lives.

Then, they met each of the individual candidates for a faceto-face interview. There were no set questions, simply a series of free-ranging conversations about the participants’ lives in general, and stigma in particular. Noel Oxford, Involvement Reporter, is proud to have been part of the work. “The interviews were a delight to conduct,” he said. “Every candidate was frank and honest with us about their backgrounds and current circumstances. “We selected the best, most communicative quotes supplied by the candidates, and took them to a design agency, which provided stunning portrait photography and a simple, eyecatching design. Then, using the information gleaned in our

with me,” she said, “so when Involvement was thinking about mental health awareness weeks, a Human Library with staff as books seemed to link the two ideas together.” Sharron, who has taken part in most of the Human Library events since they started in October 2009, went on to say: “Stigma is when people see the label not the person and it’s the same with staff; service users see a psychiatrist or a chief executive and don’t see the person, they just see a suit, which is a different kind of stigma.” There is expected to be a high demand on the living books for this event so reserving your loan will be essential. A living book catalogue will be available at both Involvement Centres or request a copy by contacting Jonathan Wright on 0115 9934525 or email jonathan.wright@ nottshc.nhs.uk. The Reverse Human Library will take place on Tuesday 12 October at Café Art, Duncan MacMillan House, Porchester Road, Nottingham NG3 6AA.

interviews, we constructed 50word miniature biographies, designed to place the quotes in some context. These appear on the cards’ reverse.” The ultimate goal of the project is to show, in a limited space, the real people behind the labels that are often taken for granted. “There is some challenging language, but I would emphasise that each participant’s quote is in their own words,” explained Noel. “We didn’t think it appropriate to edit the truth. “Some of the stories we uncovered inspire heartbreaking sadness; others prompt

outrage. All of them are inspirational, and our potted biographies cannot possibly do these people justice.” “I would like to extend my thanks to all of the participants for their courage and honesty. I would also like to thank Eimear Strong and Jane Danforth for giving me this opportunity, and their encouragement; and Toby Strickland and Dave Probert for their incredible photographic and design work. The postcards will be widely available across the Trust and at many public events including the AGM.

BBC gets Involved A writer for BBC’s Casualty visited the Trust on Thursday 12 August to do some research on an episode she’s writing that involves a character going through mental health services. Dana Fainaru met with a group of volunteers at the Involvement Centre to hear personal stories from service users. Garry Bevis, Service Manager, Acute Care Network, then took her on a tour of Highbury Hospital and the QMC, visiting the 136 Suite, Rowen 2 and A42. “I had a fantastically illuminating and enlightening day when I visited the Involvement Centre,” said Dana. “I was very moved by the great welcome I got, and fascinated by the stories shared. It provided invaluable insight into the subject which I'm sure I would not have got otherwise.

BBC writer Dana Fainaru (centre) with Trust staff and service users

“I'd like to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who came and shared their experiences with me, in whatever capacity. Thanks again for a brilliant day!” Andy Clegg, who helped organise the visit, said: “All too often I watch TV and say ‘it’s not like that in real life’, but Dana showed a real understanding and commitment to getting it right, encouraging service users to talk and displaying genuine empathy. I hope this helps to give a better understanding.” Transmission date for the episode is February 2011.

Positive September 2010

First international health humanities conference A groundbreaking conference entitled ‘Madness and Literature’ was held jointly by The Institute of Mental Health and The University of Nottingham last month. The event was funded by a grant from the Arts and Humanities Research Council as part of the Madness and Literature Network. Delegates came from all over the world including North America, Canada, Australia, Asia, South Africa and Europe. The conference was the first event of its kind worldwide and brought together people from a medical and psychiatric background with literary and humanities experts alongside users of mental health services and their carers to promote collaboration and to enhance the human elements of clinical care. Focused on the topic of madness and literature, the conference explored the

Just plain gay As a Stonewall Diversity Champion, the Trust recognises that staff are happier at work when they are able to be themselves. Jim Walker is a senior manager within the Trust and wishes to tell his story to encourage everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation, to be accepting of themselves and each other. My name is James and I am a gay man. I have been gay now for over four decades and to use the popular parlance have been ‘out’ for over three of them. In the early years, before slipping on the out and proud T-shirt, due to my then career choice in the RAF, with gayness then not being an option, I was not out but more ‘resting’ while making the occasional discreet

link between creativity and mental illness and how fiction, poetry and film has through the centuries transcended the social stigma associated with maladies of the mind. A range of high profile speakers and eminent experts from around the world presented their novel ideas on some of history’s most famous literary names, their characters and their experiences and depictions of mental illness. There were also keynote speeches from Professor Elaine Showalter, Emeritus Professor of English, Princeton University and Professor Kay Redfield Jamison, Johns Hopkins University. Paul Crawford, the world’s first Professor of Health Humanities and conference organiser, said: “I am delighted that the University of Nottingham is leading the way internationally in developing a more

inclusive approach to how the arts and humanities disciplines can inform healthcare. “This approach, which we have called health humanities, is the evolution of medical humanities. It seeks to bring the insights, value and benefits for wellbeing from non-science disciplines to a wider community of health professionals, carers and self-carers. This is the dynamic driving the success of the Madness and Literature Network which is rapidly becoming a key resource globally in this field.” Further information on the Madness and Literature Network can be found online at www.madnessandliterature.org.

cameo appearance. This makes me now a mature gay man in his mid-fifties having wisdom, experience and knowledge of life. Well that is how I like to think of it and on balance I believe it to be true (it’s hard to be modest when you’re wise!). I have worked in the NHS as a clinician and manager for 32 years and me stating my being gay will elicit no surprise from most people to whom I am known and is more likely to engender the response ‘like we didn’t know’ or ‘and so what?’. This is not because I am outrageously camp or an ardent gay politic promoter. I do not regularly ‘mince’ about the place (except for special effect and only very rarely) nor do I rush to the barricades at anything that is seen as a gay injustice. I have just learned to be comfortable with being myself and expect everyone else to get used to it.

Jim Walker

CAMHS on air at Radio Kemet Sue Crosby, one of the tutors, with a group of students who are going through to the level 2 course.

Horticulture training extended A group of 15 service users recently achieved City & Guilds Level 1 qualifications in horticultural skills after joining a new course run in partnership with Nottingham Trent University (NTU) at the university’s Brackenhurst campus in Southwell. The University is now planning to run a second level 1 practical skills course as well as a level 2 work based diploma in horticulture.

I am gay and being gay forms a large part of who, what and how I am but it’s not all I am. I like to think of it as the box I keep everything else in. It provides the framework for how I choose to live my life. I have reflected on whether my being gay has impacted either positively or negatively on my career progression from lowly staff nurse to a seat at the top table and have concluded that it’s a bit of mixed bag. I believe having to work through and sort out my ‘difference’ as being gay and how that fits into the big picture of life and career has helped me be clearer about what I wanted and how to get it. However I don’t believe that being gay has stopped me achieving what I have. In career terms I am convinced that I have been successful for three clear reasons: • I found something I really wanted to do, committed to it and worked hard to succeed

The level 1 course will start in October 2010 and continue through to June 2011 one day a week. The level 2 diploma will be a new course starting in September and delivered through Castle College and NHS horticultural instructors at four city council sites over two days a week until July 2011. Interested service users, care coordinators or Healthcare Professionals who would like to know more should contact the course delivery tutors: Sue Crosby on 07917 590971 or David Moles on 07786 391407 or 0115 9661088 ext: 15012. Places are currently available on both courses. Please note that students wishing to join the level 2 course will be required to have some relevant skills already.

• I used my experience of life, good and bad and the learning to be me, to better understand other people and situations and develop a positive empathy that has served me well in interviews and doing my job • My rugged manly good looks. Actually, if I’m honest only the first two are true. It is only on reflection that I realise that my experience as a gay man is and was different and special, because I now know it is far from the reality of many lesbian, gay and bisexual staff. I have hinted on my experiences, good and bad, sad and funny and some downright bizarre, however what I can say for sure is that ‘I have just learned to be comfortable and find joy with being myself and expect everyone else to get used to it

For the past two months Radio Kemet 96.5 FM, Nottingham’s community radio station, has hosted a series of mental health programmes delivered by Trust staff. Angela Simpson, CAMHS Community Development Worker, has worked closely with colleagues and collaborated with Kemet to raise the profile of CAMHS and raise awareness and reduce stigma about mental health and wellbeing services, as well as encouraging young people and their families to seek help early for mental health problems. Live on air interviewees to date have included Jo Kelly, an advocacy worker based at Thorneywood, who discussed the work she’s doing for advocacy and bravely discussed her own personal experiences of mental health issues; Eric Adjaidoo, BME Clinical Nurse Specialist, who discussed issues of medication management and physical illness; and Calvin Malcolm, a specialist clinic worker and family therapist, who worked with Angela to deliver information about CAMHS, giving listeners an understanding of how mental health issues affect young people. Discussions included what happens if you get referred to CAMHS, what the process involves, and what to expect. Other programmes have focused on eating disorders and depression in young people, giving listeners a bite-size understanding of issues and giving out useful numbers for GP walk in centres and other sources of information and advice. Angela can book further dates for other clinicians, groups or individuals and is looking for service users to take part in order to help break through barriers of stigma to promote mental health care and other services available across Nottinghamshire. For more information please contact Angela on 07500 605683.

Positive September 2010

Living with medication Eric Adjaidoo from the Trust’s Local Services Division recently completed a project looking at service users’, carers’ and clinicians’ views of the impact of medication. Eric worked with various groups including Awaaz, Uhuru, Destiny, Dynamite, Open Door Project, Newark Mind, Amaani Tallawah and the Pakistan Women’s Group. He also engaged with 300 clinicians, service users and carers.

The verdict was that clinicians generally view medication as an important part of treatment, especially of acutely ill patients. It helps to calm patients down and enable them to engage better with others. The focus is on treating the symptoms and making the patient better.

service users experience a lack of information and are unhappy with the way they receive it – often from third parties, especially if their first language is not English; while white service users focus on weight gain, sedation and duration of treatment.

Service users and carers, however, feel they do not have a voice; the impact of physical health is not taken seriously and they have little influence over making decisions about their medicines management.

The project report recommends that clinicians should listen to patients’ concerns about their medication and that changes should not be made without their consent. It also notes that advocacy groups and pharmacists have a key role to play as a critical friend in supporting, monitoring, and advising clinicians, acknowledging that non-adherence is common and that most patients are nonadherent at times.

Looking specifically at issues relevant to ethnic groups, African/Caribbean service users tend to have concerns about the impact sedation has on their quality of life, stigma, libido and physical health. Asian

Open day for new look St Francis Day Hospital Tucked away on the Edward’s Lane side of Nottingham City hospital sits St. Francis Day Hospital, a bungalow building with a relaxed, warm and welcoming environment. This reflects the attitudes of its staff and complements the services provided. It is supported primarily by a multi-disciplinary team of nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, health care assistants, administrative and auxiliary staff. St Francis Day hospital has been in existence for many years and rebuilt twenty five years ago. In the last two years it has undergone significant changes to the service provided and to the interior décor. In the past the hospital acted as a community based assessment service and was a route of entry into other services to maximise quality of life in the community. Since its recent rebirth it has become a nurse led service still catering for the older population with organic and functional (psychological) disorders, but with more of a focus on person-centred management. It covers the Community Mental Health Team’s

The team at St Francis Day Hospital

(CMHT) geographical area of Gedling, City South, City Northwest and Hucknall. The over-65 population of the City alone is 34,800, accounting for 12% of the City’s total population. The day hospital provides a range of psychological therapies for its patients including cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), cognitive stimulation therapy (CST), maintenance CST and a recently introduced group based on the recovery model. In addition, patients can be referred for six week assessments. In contrast to its previous role, the hospital no longer depends on awaiting placement in the community for its service users; instead it can meet the requirements necessary for the wellness of their mental health in a self sufficient manner. To coincide with the refurbishment of the St. Francis Unit there will be an official open day on 29 September from 10am to 3pm. All staff are welcome to attend.

CST or 'cognitive stimulation therapy', is a brief treatment for people with mild to moderate dementia. CST treatment involves 14 sessions of themed activities which run over a seven week period. Sessions aim to actively stimulate and engage people with dementia, whilst providing an optimal learning environment and the social benefits of a group. NICE guidance recommends CST for mild to moderate dementia, irrespective of treatment. CBT or ‘cognitive behavioural therapy' can help people change the way they think ("cognitive") and what they do ("behaviour"). CBT can be done individually or with a group of people. It can also be done from a self-help book or computer programme. It can help with many psychological problems such as anxiety, depression, panic, phobias (including agoraphobia and social phobia), stress, bulimia and obsessive compulsive disorder.

A ‘virtual placement’: taking training to the students In July a small team from the Trust’s Learning and Development department and Involvement Centre travelled to Lincoln University to talk to a group of year 1 adult branch nursing students about mental health, recovery and the nature and range of services provided by the Trust. Sharron Allen, Michael Osborne and Gareth Cobb from the Involvement Centre answered questions about their own personal journeys of recovery. Tony Mitchell and Angela Pemberton from Learning and Development talked about public perceptions, stigma and mental health, explained some common conditions and symptoms and gave an overview of the Trust’s services and recovery strategy.

Gareth Cobb and Trevor Simpson (left), with Angela Pemberton, Sharron Allen and Tony Mitchell (right) and some of the Lincoln University students.

Tony arranged the event with Trevor Simpson from Lincoln University as an alternative to the challenges Trevor was experiencing trying to find placements for a large group of students. Tony explained that the idea was “basically along the lines of if they can’t come to us, we can go to them.” The day was a fantastic success and the feedback and evaluations from the students were tremendous. Everybody responded very positively to the personal

accounts from Sharron, Michael and Gareth and there were many comments that this experience had really changed the way that the students thought about mental health and would positively impact on their future practice. On behalf of the team, Tony would like to thank Trevor and all of the students at Lincoln University for making them feel so welcome and taking part in an experience that truly was Positive.

Research interests needed for MHRN register Since its inception in 2004 the East Midlands Mental Health Research Network Hub (MHRN) has developed into a very effective organisation providing support to a wide range of nationally accredited National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) portfolio studies in mental health.

as portfolio research champions and points of contact for MHRN CSOs and local principal investigators. The aim is to facilitate more rapid set-up and recruitment and encourage continued growth in the number of portfolio studies being supported.

The Hub is hosted by the Trust and a partnership with South Yorkshire Comprehensive Local Research Network employs clinical studies officers (CSOs) who work with clinicians and researchers to recruit to portfolio studies, assist researchers and clinicians with study set up, conduct assessments and interviews and act as local project leads.

To achieve this continued growth Ann Priddey, Research Network Manager, and Michaela Stevenson, Deputy Manager – Development, bid for new studies to be opened in the Trust, conduct feasibility assessments, find principal investigators, assist with governance, claim service support costs, put local studies forward for adoption by the network and manage study set-up procedures.

The partnership is using funding to develop research capacity within the Trust, setting up training and research seminars and developing a network of research liaison nurses who will operate The MHRN team, left to right: David Trevor, CSO; Roy McPartland, Clinical Studies Informatics Officer; Jo Higman, CSO; Liz Andrew, Deputy Hub Research Manager: Studies; Dr Kaela Stevenson, Deputy Hub Research Manager: Research Development; Ann Priddey, Hub Research Manager; Jo Greenwood, Hub Administrator; Sheetal Dandgey, CSO; Jo Parkin, CSO; Amy Shuttlewood, CSO; Adam Greenwood, Student Nurse, Nottingham University.

In the near future Trust sites will be selected centrally according to registered research interests. It is therefore important that all clinicians’, service users’ and carers' research interests are registered with the MHRN Coordinating Centre. To register your interest, please email ann.priddey@nottingham.ac.uk with your research interest/s from the following list: Addictions, ADHD, autism, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorders, dementia, depressive disorders, eating disorders, learning disabilities, mental disorders due to organic causes, personality disorders, psychotic disorders, schizophrenia, somatoform disorders, OCD, PTSD, service delivery studies, sleep disorders, suicide and self harm, pharma studies, any other (please describe).

Positive September 2010

The LGBT Forum: a reflection

Left to right: Emily Millington, Sylvia Lincoln, Gill Lewis

As Simon Hedley, Chair of the LGBT Forum and Sexual Orientation Steering Group, hands over the reigns to Fionn Morven and Lis Gray, we asked him for a brief reflection on his experiences over the years. Simon writes: “I have worked for the Trust for many years, starting out as a Staff Nurse before being promoted to Charge Nurse, then to Community Psychiatric Nurse, and then into management. I have worked with many service users and staff over the years and have many different and varied memories and experiences. “I became involved with the Trust LGBT Forum some years ago as I felt that my personal and

professional experiences as a gay man would be of use to other staff in support, signposting and ‘being there’. In the beginning we were a very small group but the Forum started to gather momentum when senior management realised the powerful role we had in helping to raise the profile of equality and diversity within the workplace. For the past few years I am proud to have been Chair of the Trust LGBT Forum and Sexual Orientation Steering Group alongside my job as a District Health Team Manager. I stepped down from these roles at the end of July 2010 as it was time to give others the opportunity to lead. “The Health Service and Psychiatry Services have always been tolerant of all types of diverse people, however some individuals still have their own issues

with others. Challenging others and educating people around LGBT issues is something that I am comfortable with, but I am aware that not all people are. I have noticed that having high profile out/selfidentified staff has helped give others confidence and security to be themselves and therefore be happier in their work. This is also recognised by the charity Stonewall and is a mantra of this Trust: ‘People perform better when they can be themselves’.” Janet Sheard, Executive Director Nursing and Allied Health Professionals, who holds the Equality and Diversity portfolio for the Trust said: “I would like to thank Simon and the wider LGBT Forum for the work they have done to promote LGBT equality and their support with the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index submission.”

Simon Hedley

Hand washing event helps reduce spread of disease A hand washing event held on Ashfield Community Hospital’s Shelley Ward and Bronte Ward raised awareness amongst visitors and the public of the importance of hand washing and the potential of spreading disease. An information stand displayed leaflets and boards about diseases such as MRSA, C Diff, salmonella and chicken pox and the team put on a Punch and Judy show which highlighted the risk of poor hand hygiene when handling food and the likely effect on the spread of disease.

Stepping Stones working to promote social inclusion Service users and staff in Bassetlaw were invited to Stepping Stones Rehabilitation and Recovery unit for a strawberry tea one day in June as a means of building social inclusion. Stepping Stones is recovery-centred and the service users shape their own care and path to recovery. The team listens to what its clients need and to their dreams for the future and aims to facilitate them to the best of its ability. One of the needs the team finds most apparent is social inclusion, so to address this the unit is holding similar events once a month and inviting service users and staff to come and improve their social skills, network, share experiences, meet new people, build confidence or just relax and enjoy the afternoon. At the strawberry tea event the unit laid on an assortment of freshly baked scones, fresh strawberries and cream and other refreshments. Services users on the unit helped where they could and enjoyed the day immensely. Tables and chairs were set out in the gardens and the weather stayed bright throughout the day. The team would like to thank all who helped and everyone who came along and made the day a success. They look forward to welcoming new faces to future events as a way of breaking the isolation that many people face day to day. For more information contact Gill Lewis or Emily Millington on 01909 502851.

Nottinghamshire Healthcare

NHS

NHS Trust

about involvement

Multicultural Horizon time,” they said. “Service users have Horizon Day Centre became a little helped to decorate the place, and have corner of paradise when it played been getting dressed up. These are things host to a multi-cultural day. Service they don’t get to do very often.” users and carers were treated to a range of globe-spanning treats The Rosehip Belly-Dancers were delighted including belly-dancing and a to show service users and carers the basics percussion circle. Displays of artsThis stems from commitments of belly-dancing. “We seemade dancing as a and crafts and a buffet of nibbles by this government in climate fun way to keep fit, and change it gives people discussions prior to the from around the world completed confidence,” saidCopenhagen dancer Sue Betts. summit which resulted the feel Carbon “People have saidinthey better about the exotic flavour. Reduction Commitment Energy themselves. It’s been really well received.” “It’s a celebration of the culture and Efficiency Scheme. Organisations which consume energy above a diversity of our client group and carers,” level will be expected to take said Dorcas Akyeampong, a staff nursecertain at part in a carbon trading scheme the centre and a mentee of Mike Cooke’s aimed at reducing CO2 emissions BME Executive Mentoring Scheme, who Legislation has been enacted in the UK from buildings, commonly referred to had the initial idea. to limit CO2 emissions and from 1 as “cap and trade schemes”. April next year, the Trust will be one of “To see the service users joining in, enjoying at least 5000 organisations from both Each year, starting from 1 April 2011, the displays of art and telling visitors about the private and public sectors which Horizon is just brilliant,” she added. the Trust will have to purchase will be expected to implement effective carbon allowances at an initial cost of carbon reduction plans or face the £12 per Tonne of CO2. As the Trust Karen Morake and Tina Pearl, day centre consequences which include the loss of officers who developed the idea with currently produces around 23,000 revenue or large fines. Dorcas, agreed. “It’s all about bringingTonnes of emissions from its everyone together and having a great buildings annually it will incur an initial outlay of around £276,000. The Trust will then be assessed on its performance with regard to Simon Smith joins in with the drumming

Climate Change

The day was wrapped up with a thumping drum circle led by Biant Singh, who credits rhythm and music with great therapeutic powers. “It’s a delight to be here,” he said. “Bringing everyone together in rhythm really helped to make the day special. When we come out of rhythm with others, or the world around us, we get into trouble. When we come together with drums, we reconnect on a level that is pure and basic.” Special thanks to The Horizon Day Centre Staff Team for their sterling efforts, The Involvement Team, Paul Theed, Jan & Paul Thompson, Lorraine Everett, Shirley Lavender, Debbie Abrams, Ann Incerti and to Simon Smith, Executive Director of Local Services, for coming and joining in the drum circle. For more information about drumming email biant-singh.suwali@nottscc.gov.uk; for more about The Rosehips email sue.betts@nottshc.nhs.uk.

Positive September 2009 Positive May 2010

9 7

Membership update The Trust now has more than 7,600 public members, some of whom are involved in activities throughout the Trust, making a positive difference in various ways: Planning events for Mental Health Awareness Weeks Involvement volunteers have been integral in planning events at Duncan Macmillan House and Rosewood for Mental Health Awareness weeks in October. The Rosewood Involvement Centre will kick things off on 6 October, with the Involvement Centre at Duncan Macmillan House hosting events throughout the second week. Activities include a human library, barbeque and fundraising car wash. Adult Mental Health (Nottingham City) Development Forum The Involvement Centre at Duncan Macmillan House hosts this forum on a monthly basis for service users, carers and members to have input into the future development of services. Involvement in Forensic Services Some of our involvement volunteers have regular links to the Patients’ Council at Rampton Hospital and the forums at Wathwood and Arnold Lodge. We are also helping to develop a patient information group and are

Communities of Interest shaping the future Community of Interest: a group of people with a shared interest, understanding or passion who want to work together to shape or improve services. The Communities of Interest (CoI) pilot has kicked off with a flourish. Seven groups of motivated and enthusiastic people are turning their dream into reality. All the projects are sponsored by our Executive Directors and each has a senior link advisor within the Trust. Involvement Team advice and guidance is available if needed.

The Involvement Team

working with Community Forensic on patient information about the use of seclusion. Positive Writing Group Members of the Positive Writing Group have been pooling their talents to produce a collection of stories, poems and artwork. The work is being produced by service users and carers themselves and will be launched during Mental Health Awareness Weeks. Service user and carer experience survey We are still sending surveys to every service in the Trust and are pleased to say that responses are increasing. Speaking at the induction programme for new staff More members are getting involved in the Trust induction programme by telling their personal experiences of mental health, learning disability, substance misuse and involvement with the Trust.

Staff interviews Service user and carer members of the Trust continue to be involved in shortlisting and interviewing potential new staff. Stories for Patient Opinion Members have been submitting their personal stories, comments and suggestions on the patient opinion website at www.patientopinion.org.uk. There have been 42 postings so far for our Trust; 16 in the last two months. 40% of these are compliments, 37% personal stories, 18% concerns and 5% suggestions. Workshops are now being run in Forensic Services so that service users there can contribute. Governor members and the Members’ Council Members can now represent their views via the Members’ Council and the governor member for the constituency in which they live.

The projects cover a wide range of issues: • The Aspergers CoI is conducting a survey to produce a document to highlight issues for adults with Asperger syndrome when accessing welfare, employment and health services in the Nottingham City area. • The Domestic Violence & Abuse (DVA) CoI is gathering evidence on the prevalence of DVA and focusing at this stage on the survivor’s mental health. • One CoI is working to empower service users and carers to be involved in the development, delivery and evaluation of services for recurrent and chronic depression. Mike Cooke, Chief Executive and sponsor of the Deaf Wellbeing CoI, is particularly supportive of issues around recovery from mental ill health in deaf people. This group of people is campaigning to provide a ‘deaf friendly’ environment so that their requirements are met.

Another CoI is developing an online community that involves academics and students together with professionals working in Adult Mental Health City Services. This looks at learning through online discussion. Other CoIs include ‘Women, Medication and Mental Health’, ‘Health and Wellbeing’ and ‘The Management of Obesity in the Patient Group at Arnold Lodge Hospital’. The results from the pilots will be published in Positive. For more information about Communities of Interest please contact Jane Danforth at the Involvement Centre, Duncan Macmillan House, Nottingham on 0115 993 4567 or 07786 915464 or email jane.danforth@nottshc.nhs.uk.

Members’ Council update Following the recent elections, we are proud to have an established Members’ Council in place with governor members who will represent the views of fellow members, and have a say in the future delivery and development of services at the Trust. We have 40 governor members in total, including 21 public governors, 7 staff governors and 13 appointed partner governors representing stakeholder organisations. The constituencies are outlined below: 21 elected public governors: Nottingham City – 6 governors • Mrs Jenny Britten • Mrs Sue Clifford • Mr Graham Fraser • Miss Barbara Glover • Ms Zena Goldman • Mr Christopher Law Nottinghamshire County – 11 governors • Mrs Gladys Bombek • Mrs Angela Brooks • Mr David Buck • Mrs Susan Clayton • Mr John Dove • Dr Michael Elliott • Mrs Dawn Fanshawe • Mr Steve How • Mr Stuart Maule • Ms Rachel Murnaghan • Professor Justine Schneider

South Yorkshire and the rest of East Midlands – 2 governors (uncontested seats) • Mrs Joan Beards • Ms Lucy Jones The rest of England and Wales – 2 governors • Mrs Marlene Fielding • Mrs Sheena Foster 7 elected staff governors: • Ms Lynne Corcoran Allied Health Professionals • Mr Tim Wood Clinical Support • Dr Stuart Leask Medical • Miss Beverly Daws Non-Clinical • Mrs Eimear Strong Non-Clinical • Mr Dane Brennan Nurses • Mrs Rachel Garton Nurses 13 appointed partner governors Representing organisations that the Trust works in partnership with: • Ms Angela Kandola Awaaz • Mr Dean Fathers NHS Bassetlaw • Mr Robert Gardiner Carers Federation • Mr Michael Leng Framework Housing Authority • Ms Kath Murphy NHS Leicestershire and Rutland • Professor Ian Shaw NHS Nottingham City • Ms Deborah Jaines NHS Nottinghamshire County • Ms Helen Jones Nottingham City Council • Mr Nigel Cooke Nottingham City Council

I Meet a Partner Governor Member…

Dean Fathers

As the Chairman of NHS Bassetlaw I am delighted to take on this important role. I have always been keen to provide as much assistance as possible to shaping improved services in Nottinghamshire that demonstrate our ability to care effectively and holistically for users and to support their carers.

I've been involved with the NHS at a board level for over 12 years now in various guises and know

• Councillor Stuart Wallace Nottinghamshire County Council • Mr Jon Wilson Nottinghamshire County Council • Professor Martin Binks University of Nottingham • Ms Karen Howell North West Specialised Commissioning Team Role of governor members Governors represent the views of the members within their constituency and feed back to the Trust Board of Directors. They will give views on the future direction of the Trust, quality of services and business strategies. Governors are not able to get involved in operational management, individual staff issues, handling complaints or confidential patient issues. Governors do: • express a view on the forward plans of the Trust • act as brokers for local community engagement • represent the interests of: members, staff and partner organisations • champion the rights of users and carers Role of the Members’ Council The Members’ Council is accountable to members of the Trust via the 40 governor members. The Trust will consult and involve the Members’ Council in the planning and strategic direction of the organisation. The Members’ Council will meet on four occasions during the year, with the first meeting taking place on 28 September 2010. Contacts For more information about governor members contact the Membership Office on 0800 0121623 or email membership@nottshc.nhs.uk.

that effective outcomes can only be delivered through partnership working. I hope that by becoming a member of the Council we will achieve positive outcomes, developing strengths that provide real quantifiable benefits and, importantly, emotional benefits, to our health community and the people we serve. I will continue to listen to the feedback of our community and work hard to ensure their needs continue to be put at the centre of everything we do. Dean Fathers

Positive September 2010

I Meet a Partner Governor Member…

Tim Wood

I’ve been employed by the NHS Mental Health Services in Nottingham for over 20 years, working in inpatient care and most recently as a training area leader for Adult Mental Health Vocational Services. As well as the experience I bring from my employment, I have also experienced mental health issues on and off for most of my life. I feel honoured to have been elected as a governor member for the clinical support staff – thank you to all those who

voted. I look forward to representing the views of this staff group as well as being able to understand the needs of service users within my job. Initially I hope to setup an Intranet site and use email to feed back to the staff that I represent and gain their opinions of Trust developments. I also like to visit the sites where my constituents work to get a better feel of their working environment and how they are coping with the inevitable changes that working in the NHS represents.

Tim Wood

Volunteer goes to Buckingham Palace

trip to Buckingham Palace. When I received the invitation I was so overwhelmed that I was quite stressed about it but with the help of others I prepared and was really looking forward to it.

Gladys Bombek, Trust member and involvement volunteer, was invited to Buckingham Palace on 22 July for the Queen’s royal garden party.

“We set off on the train with our hats in our hands and black clouds followed us all the way down to London. ‘Guess what Mum?’ said my daughter, ‘I haven’t brought my umbrella!’

Gladys attended the event with her daughter Hilary, who works at the Mandala Centre. Gladys recalls her day at the palace: “It has finally happened, my

In being part of the Council I hope to

work with my colleagues and support the development of the Trust’s services in line with the views of the constituents that I represent. I am also keen to be involved in a community of interest and am particularly interested in staff support mechanisms. As a staff governor member I believe I can offer an intelligent perspective on developing services in line with the Trust’s goals and service user needs. I recently attended two governor induction sessions and found both days invaluable. I was able to meet fellow governors while Trust Board members delivered informative presentations about their views of the Trust and their roles within it.

Gladys (left) and Hilary at Buckingham Palace

“Arriving at the gates was unbelievable; there were hundreds of people there – men in suits, forces personnel in their dress suits and diplomats from all over

the world. Footmen had their bright red coats on and two bandstands filled with guards played medleys of well-known songs.

“The sandwiches were good; cucumber and mint and other various fillings. Unfortunately I didn’t get to see the queen but my daughter did. I was quite content to sit and talk to other guests and hear about their volunteering and involvement in helping others. I told them about our Trust and its excellent services, and about the volunteering I do with the Trust.

“Soon it was all over, three hours at the garden party of Buckingham Palace and a wonderful day out.”

Zena Goldman

I Meet a Partner Governor Member…

Zena Goldman

It is a complete honour to have been elected to the Members’ Council this year. I am very excited about the opportunities that lie ahead for the Council over the next two years to shape and influence services delivered by the Trust for local people. My focus will be to help the Trust deliver positive outcomes for service users and carers through care that is meaningful, accessible and person centred. I have a very good understanding of the diverse racial, cultural and social needs that we have in Nottingham City and would advocate that all service users regardless of their background should have the right to receive a service that meets their needs and delivers positive outcomes.

I am looking forward to representing the views of local people in shaping a service that is important to all of us. I fundamentally believe that local people should be at the heart of shaping local services in order to make delivery relevant and meaningful to the people that use them. I currently work in a managerial role in the supported housing sector and have developed many valuable skills, the most relevant to this role being the ability to analyse information and develop new and innovative ideas. The Governor Member induction sessions have been excellent at making all the members feel welcome and valued, along with giving us a very useful insight into the current agenda and direction of travel for the Trust as it moves forward to Foundation Trust status. I really look forward to working with the Trust and all the Council Members toward achieving its aspirations for the future.

q&a

q What is your connection to Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust? a I began my NHS career in Nottinghamshire Healthcare as a nurse at MacMillan Close. I am now the Research Network Manager for the East Midlands and South Yorkshire Mental Health Research Network which is hosted by the Trust in the Institute of Mental Health.

This month the spotlight falls on Research Network Manager Ann Priddey

What do you see as future priorities for Nottinghamshire Healthcare? a To become the best research active Trust in the country with clinical practice based on the best research evidence available.

What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given? a Don’t look behind you, there’s nothing there.

q What was the last CD you bought? a I downloaded Katherine Jenkins, “Living a Dream”. She sings my favourite hymn, “I vow to thee my country”.

q What is your greatest achievement? a My two children who I love dearly. After that, on 22 July 2010 I graduated at the University of Nottingham with an MA in Health Communication.

q What is your favourite hobby? a I draw in pastels and paint, but love

people along the way and exploring towns and villages.

anything creative. I’ve just made two hand painted plates, one for my nephew’s daughter, Ellie and one for my first grandchild, Hallie, who will be born in November. I also love going for long walks by the river Trent with my German Shepherd, Kizzi.

q What keeps you awake at night? a Nothing. q What is your favourite film? a The End of the Affair. Then I read the

Who would you take to a desert island? a Jack Vettriano. I met him at a preview of “Lovers and Other Strangers” in 2000 at the Portland Gallery. As a self taught artist, I aspire to paint the spaces between people that he paints so well; the moments in a narrative that have no closure. I would like to understand how he creates such atmosphere, as he does like to paint it noir.

q What makes you angry? a Prejudice, Stigma, Injustice and Racism.

book and found that the end of the book was completely different to the film. I still love the film, as the end was really just the beginning.

q What are you most passionate about? a Finding creative ways for service users

q What is your idea of bliss? a Inviting my children and family and

and carers to be involved in research.

mum and dad round for Sunday lunch, which my son and daughter then cook.

q Do you have a ‘claim to fame’? a Being the daughter of a farmer,

when I was 16 I won the “milking the cow” competition at Newark and Nottinghamshire County Show.

q What single thing would improve Nottinghamshire Healthcare? a All staff proactively involved in research, which we at the East Midlands and South Yorkshire Mental Health Research Network can support, by working in partnership with clinicians and researchers on the tasks involved in conducting research studies.

What three words would you use to describe yourself? a Creative, fun, happy

What is your favourite holiday destination? a I always prefer the journey, meeting

Where do you see yourself in 10 years’ time? a Hopefully still working in research in the Trust and still painting and drawing. I’d like to write some books too.

How would you like to be remembered? a Hopefully as someone who was nice to be with.

Day unit keeps kids entertained at the Riverside Festival Staff from Thorneywood Children’s Day Unit attended the Riverside Festival for the Children’s Day on Friday 6 August. The team manned a stall with children’s activities such as sock puppets, mask making and spiral animals. For the adults, there were leaflets with information on relevant issues such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Aspergers and parenting topics. The day was a success and the stall seemed popular with both children

and adults (especially the children making sock puppets). It also provided a good opportunity to meet other professionals who work in a similar field. A few families who are involved with the Day Unit came along and reported that they found it an enjoyable and informative day. This is the fifth time that the day unit has participated in the event and they hope to continue in the future.

Left to right: Kayleigh Swain and Hayley Vincent of the Day Unit with Councillor Brian Grocock, Lord Mayor of Nottingham.

Positive September 2010

Relocation of Substance Misuse Service (SMS) Porchester Ward to The Woodlands Substance Misuse Services (SMS) at the Wells Road Centre, will move to the Highbury Hospital site occupying residencies formerly know as Babbington and Denby House in December 2010. The new unit, The Woodlands, has been purpose built and will provide more personalised, single sex, en suite accommodation offering an environment that will promote recovery, where service users feel safe and their privacy and dignity is respected. It will provide a positive therapeutic environment and be more accessible to service users, their families, carers and friends.

areas will provide service users with a structure for both therapy and free time.

recovery of our service users but also act as an inspiring workplace for our staff.”

The new unit is well placed geographically to ensure good access via public transport and major road routes. The site also allows for a positive interface between SMS and acute adult mental health services, which will have additional benefits in assuring a wider integration of clinical care pathways.

The Woodlands management team and service users will deliver a series of presentations over the forthcoming months providing more comprehensive details. More information about the move and the service provision will feature in future editions of Positive.

Sharon Squires, Modern Matron for the service said; “We look forward to moving into this new environment and see this development as a way of enhancing the excellent care we provide. The space will not only provide a great place to aid the

If you wish to discuss the plans please contact Rod Hudspith, 0115 969 1300 ext. 10602 or email rod.hudspith@nottshc.nhs.uk, or Rachel Redford 07836378001, Rachel.redford@nottshc.nhs.uk

The Woodlands will comprise two buildings: • Great Oaks (formerly Babbington) residential facility with 15 beds (an increase of two on current capacity) gender specific sleeping and relaxation areas, as well as communal space. • Tall Trees (formerly Denby) will be accessible to service users on a daily basis, to engage in the Recovery programme. It will also accommodate management and administration staff. Residents will benefit from communal areas such as kitchen, games room, a gym, IT facilities and a garden. These

Mentoring scheme: do you have what it takes to inspire others? 14

L-R: Rob Jones (Capital Planning) Dave Etchells, Mike Deeming & Omar Toray (Laing O Rourke Construction) Rod Hudspith and Rachel Redford (SMS Management Team)

Due to the success of the Chief Executive’s Mentoring Scheme, originally set up to support our Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) colleagues who are significantly underrepresented above band 5, the Trust is embarking on a wider scheme to give other staff in bands 1-5 the opportunity to have a mentor. This scheme is aimed at all staff who belong to any of the following underrepresented groups: Under 25s, Over 55s, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, BME, Trans, Women (in non-traditional roles e.g. Estates), Disabled staff and Men (in nontraditional roles e.g. Admin and Clerical).

This scheme does not replace the BME Executive Mentoring Scheme, but is designed to complement it, and will start in November 2010. Like most organisations the Trust is going through change and the pace is increasing. Often people react positively to change when they are able to take responsibility for their own development. We recognise the importance of our role in offering assistance to people in times of change. Our mentoring scheme is one of the ways we are helping to support employee development, increase employee motivation and retention and develop people for future posts.

Dual diagnosis success and recovery event Main: Speakers at the launch event; inset: the toolkit

Trust launches regional BME engagement toolkit The Trust has launched a regional toolkit: ‘Ensuring Better Involvement of BME Service Users and Carers in Mental Health’. The toolkit offers a coherent framework for increasing and enhancing the involvement of Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) service users and carers in decisions that shape the way mental health services are designed, managed, delivered and monitored in the East Midlands. It provides practical advice on involving and consulting BME mental health service users and carers. The process to develop the toolkit began in September 2009 following a successful bid to the East Midlands Development Centre to fund this important piece of work. After six months of intense work, which involved reviewing legislation and national policy, summarising service user and carer

experiences, and evaluating mental health provider feedback from across the East Midlands, the data was analysed and structured to develop the regional toolkit. A launch event held in July at the East Midlands Conference Centre attracted a national audience of over 130 people including community members, service users and carers, as well as professionals from across the country. A wide range of voluntary, public and statutory sector organisations were represented. Alan Riggott, Programme Manager from the East Midlands Development Centre, chaired the day, with presentations covering the journey towards the toolkit’s development, experiences of helping facilitate service user and carer focus groups, and ethnicity data management. The conference was concluded by the Trust’s Head of Equality and Diversity Catherine Conchar, who summed up the day’s presentations. The toolkit is available for download on Nottinghamshire Healthcare Trust’s website at: www.nottinghamshirehealthcare.nhs.uk/a boutus/equality-and-diversity/

The initial stage of the project is to identify 16 potential mentors from bands 6 and above. We invite you to consider whether you would make a good mentor and if so, to identify what support you would need to fine tune your mentoring skills.

For more information visit the Equality and Diversity pages on the Trust’s website www.nottinghamshire healthcare.nhs.uk/aboutus/equality-anddiversity/ or contact Catherine Conchar on 0115 9934543.

What is a mentor? A mentor is someone who has the skills to guide and empower individuals, to point them in the right direction and help them develop solutions to career issues or worklife-balance. Overall good mentorship is about empowering individuals to self evaluate, understand their needs, follow their instinct and experience their own success.

To apply please email Rachel Parkinson at rachel.parkinson@nottshc.nhs.uk by Monday 20 September 2010. A training session for all mentors has been scheduled for 8 October 2010 in a Nottingham city centre venue. However, if you are unable to make this date an alternative session can be arranged.

Service users, practitioners and commissioners are invited to attend the Dual Diagnosis Forum: “Celebrating Success & Recovery Event” as part of mental health awareness weeks. Come and learn about new developments, share good practice and celebrate together the excellent success and recovery of the client group. The event will take place on Tuesday 5 October from 12pm to 4.30pm at the Council House, Old Market Square, Nottingham. Booking is essential and lunch will be provided. For more information or to book please email maureen.black@nottinghamcity.gov.uk or call 0115 9156360.

Friday night ladies’ Badminton A new ladies-only badminton session is up and running on Friday evenings. Sessions take place at Carlton Leisure Centre every Friday from 6pm to 7pm and cost £2. New members pay just £1 for their first session. All abilities are welcome and the focus is on having fun. Qualified coaches from Carlton Badminton Club will be on hand to help anyone who’d like some tips. For further information please email anders.carrington@nottscc.gov.uk or claire.appleby@gedling.gov.uk or call 0115 9772315/9013635.

Goodbye Diane Bown In July 2010 after ten years of working for the Trust, Diane Bown retired from Voluntary Services. During her time she has touched the lives of thousands of volunteers and service users alike. Diane placed volunteers in Trust premises in roles that enhance services provided to clients by adding the ‘icing on the cake’ as she often quoted. She will be sorely missed by colleagues and volunteers.

Positive September 2010

Are we there yet? City Asperger Service inaugural conference Nottingham City Asperger Service is hosting its inaugural conference in Nottingham city centre in November. The multidisciplinary team was set up in April 2009 and consists of an Asperger nurse specialist (service lead), Asperger liaison nurse, clinical psychologist, consultant psychiatrist, occupational therapist, speech and language therapist, and social inclusion worker. The team offers multidisciplinary diagnostic assessments for Asperger syndrome, postdiagnostic support, and individualised packages of support. Asperger syndrome is part of the ‘autistic spectrum disorders’ (ASDs) characterised by difficulties in social interaction, communication and imagination and by restricted, stereotyped interests and activities. Asperger syndrome is distinguished from the other ASDs in having no general delay in language or cognitive development. Research has indicated a prevalence of approximately 1% of adults within the general population with an autism spectrum disorder, the majority of whom will have Asperger syndrome. In addition,

The City Asperger Service team, left-right: Alinda Gillott, Jackie Dziewanowska, Heidi Keeling, Lisa Timmerman, Lynsey Regan, Clare Astle, (front) Karen Toussaint (Jo Jones not available for photograph on the day).

Asperger syndrome has been found to have high rates of co-morbidity with other developmental disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and there is thought to be an increased sensitivity to psychiatric disorder, particularly when insufficient support related to living with Asperger syndrome is available. The team’s work focuses on supporting adults to understand their Asperger syndrome and increase independence through social skills training, increasing communication skills, sensory integration therapy, daily living skills, social inclusion, psychoeducation and medication. They also provide

consultation and training to staff groups who work with adults with Asperger syndrome and provide support to partners and carers. The conference will take place on Thursday 4 November at the Crown Plaza Hotel, Nottingham. It will be titled: ‘Are we there yet?’ and aims to celebrate the launch of the service, raise local awareness of Asperger syndrome, share experiences of supporting adults with Asperger syndrome, and consider whether the team is meeting local need. Places are free, but limited, so please apply early. For an application form email ann.incerti@nottshc.nhs.uk or telephone 0115 854 2263.

Trust donates £200 to bipolar self-help group Day event at the Rosewood Centre in Ollerton last year and after seeing their stand, Nick Daibell, General Manager, Adult Mental Health (County), was keen to support the group’s efforts. Nick arranged for the Trust to donate £200 to the ‘Equilibrial’, a bipolar self help group, which has been group for the Bassetlaw area, attended a World Mental Health gratefully received and will be A bipolar self-help group in Bassetlaw can be confident they have a meeting venue for the next few months thanks to a donation from the Trust.

used to pay for the rent of meeting premises. Equilibrial is a self-help group for people with bipolar disorder run by people with bipolar disorder. At its regular meetings members discuss and share experiences with others who understand. This helps raise self esteem and improve confidence, helps members self manage the condition, gives them courage to accept they have bipolar disorder and gives them the opportunity to see the funny side of things, which can help normalise the situation. The group accepts that bipolar disorder is a serious condition, but life is not completely bleak.

Many of Equilibrial’s members have said they have found attending the group to be a very positive experience which has helped them on many different levels. The group also has a fun side to it and social gatherings have included a night at the dogs, bring and share suppers, barbecues, meals out and tenpin bowling, with more activities planned for the future. For more information about Equilibrial please call Dave Bacon at Retford Action Centre on 01777 709650, email contact@equilibrial.org.uk or visit www.equilibrial.org.uk.

Nick Daibell presenting the cheque to members of Equilibrial

The Institute of Mental Health welcomes new exchange fellows The Institute of Mental Health Nottingham (IMH) welcomed new exchange fellows Dr Daihui Peng and Dr Jianyin Qiu from Shanghai Mental Health Centre with a strawberries and cream reception. The exchange fellows arrived on 1 July for a period of three months. The aim of the fellowship scheme is to develop and sustain joint research between Chinese mental health researchers and Nottingham IMH. Gerry Carton, IMH Associate Director, said: “We see joint meetings and study exchanges

as a means to build the foundations for future projects. Individuals can use these opportunities to undertake research on their own using the Institute’s networks, or to work with UK colleagues. The ultimate aim is to generate joint publications and to win joint research grants.” Exchange fellow Dr Jianyin Qiu said: “It is my great pleasure to be here. I am looking forward to working closely with colleagues at the Institute and to promoting mental health research in China. I hope our work here will generate good results.” For full details of the exchange programme please visit the Institute’s website at www.institutemh.org.uk. The IMH currently has a call for UK academics to visit Shanghai. For further details on this fellowship scheme please visit http://tiny.cc/3ngd2.

Left to right: Jun Xia, Prof Steven Wong, Prof Peter Liddle, Dr Daihui Peng (Exchange Fellow), Dr Jianyin Qiu (Exchange Fellow), Prof Nick Manning, Prof Min Yang, Dr Elizabeth Liddle, Dr Chris Beeley and Prof Ruth McDonald.

Age Concern to become Age UK Following a national merger last year between Age Concern England and Help the Aged, Age Concern Nottingham and Nottinghamshire is changing its name to Age UK Nottingham & Nottinghamshire. The charity will remain independent, local and focused on the needs of older people in the city and the county and the change in name will not affect the charity’s service.

Celebrate World Hearing Voices Day at Stepping Stones Do you hear voices or look after someone who does? Come and share your views and experiences on World Hearing Voices Day at Stepping Stones Rehabilitation unit, 34-36 Highland Grove, Worksop.

New volunteers join the Millbrook team CSV volunteering in North Notts welcomes new volunteers Lynsey and Chloe to Millbrook Mental Health Unit. Lynsey is a qualified personal fitness instructor and is in her final year of study for a dance degree. She is using her expertise to bring dance and movement to people with learning disabilities and mental health challenges, leading a Monday morning class at Millbrook which is being enjoyed by all who attend. Chloe has joined Janet, a long standing Millbrook volunteer, visiting people staying on Kingsley Ward. She brings a ray of sunshine to the older patients and says she learns something new from them every week. “It’s very rewarding to see the change in people and know that it is your input that’s making the difference,” she said. “One of the female patients who barely spoke a few weeks ago is now becoming a quiz champion!”

Chloe

Chloe has enjoyed her volunteering so much she also supports one of the CSV Rainbow Learning tutors in their flower arranging class. She has also recently been successful in securing a paid role with Rethink and is certain her volunteering experience helped with the application process.

A buffet and refreshments will be provided on Tuesday 14 September between 2pm and 4pm and Peter Bullimore from the Hearing Voices Network will be attending. Donations for unit facilities will be appreciated.

Both Lynsey and Chloe work part time for Gap, which supports its employees’ endeavours by donating an incredibly generous £150 for every 15 hours of Linsey volunteering to the host organisation. Lynsey and Chloe are looking forward to discussing how best to use these funds at Millbrook.

For more information contact Emily Millington or Gill Lewis on 01909 502851 or Andrea Emmens on 07717 832859.

Sue Todd CSV Volunteering Project Manager, said: “We are very lucky to have such inspiring, dedicated young people joining our volunteer team.”

Positive September 2010

On the Trust’s stall at Nottingham Pride. Left to right: Rebecca Smith, Senior Analyst, Applied Information; Elisabeth Gray, Senior Occupational Therapist, Learning Disability Directorate, Rampton Hospital (Co- Chair of LGBT Forum); Rachel Morton, Criminal Justice Integrated Team Drug Worker.

Progress for Afri mental health se

The aim of Nottingham Pride, as with all Pride events throughout the country, is to celebrate lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans culture and identity and with it everything that makes each of us unique: the colour of our skin, our abilities, age, religion/belief etc.

A positive stand at Nottingham Pride The gloomy skies of Nottingham could do nothing to dull the vibrant atmosphere at this year’s Nottingham Pride held on Saturday 31 July. This celebration of diversity at the Forest Recreation Ground attracted a ‘guesstimated’ 20,00025,000 people from all walks of life.

African Caribbean men from Sheffield are taking control of their recovery from mental illness by challenging the stigma traditionally associated with black men and mental health. The group, known as MAAT, came to Nottingham in July to speak to other service users at the Elohim development academy at The Wells Road Community Centre.

For the second year in a row the Trust had a stand promoting the organisation both as an employer and as a provider of high quality patient-centred services. The stand was staffed by members of the Trust’s Sexual Orientation Steering Group and LGBT Forum and with all the goods and information on display they certainly had a lot to celebrate.

MAAT presented a summary of a report they developed in 2009 which highlights

The theme of the stand this year was ‘Celebrating Our 2010 Stonewall Success’: 19th in the 2010 Stonewall Workplace Equality Index; Nottinghamshire’s Top Organisation; Top Health/NHS Trust in the Country; Most Improved Employer Award. With such a party atmosphere it was difficult for the team to remember they were at work, but what a fun way to spend the day! One of the support workers at the event

All the fun of the fair at Nottingham Mela 2010 l-r Samina Naz, Beverley Taylor and Javid Khalique.

The Trust’s Community Development Workers (CDWs) were out in force again this year at the Nottingham Mela. The event was held on 18 July in the Arboretum Park in Nottingham and a Trust stand was proudly on display. The Mela fair, organised by Nottingham Asian Arts Council, was very well attended and attracted people from many diverse communities. It was a colourful and exciting day, offering the chance to enjoy the rich diversity that Nottingham has to offer; the many different languages, colourful dress styles, foods and music. The Trust stall was staffed by Samina Naz, Beverley Taylor and Javid Khalique and although Mustafa Syed was unable to attend she did send her daughters to help out and their assistance proved to be much needed! Catherine Conchar, Head of Equality and Diversity,

had come to the Mela to enjoy the day but she too found herself having to help out on the stand due to the demand of people wanting to speak to the CDWs at peak time. A few years ago the stigma and shame surrounding mental health issues within some Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) communities was so intense that early work to promote the Trust, its services and BME mental health awareness in general was difficult. People would often look the other way and pretend that the Trust and mental illness did not exist. The work of the CDW team over the last two years has begun to make a real difference, as evidenced by the large number of individuals queuing up at the stand to have a discussion about mental health. Although there is much still to do, it shows that the CDW team is beginning to effect real change. The negative approach towards mental health has moved closer towards being a natural curiosity to know more.

ican Caribbean ervice users

Health Informatics Update HIS: new technology supports greater productivity and reduces costs

the experiences of BME service users. The report outlines six recommendations to improve services after 63% of people surveyed said that they were not treated well in hospital. One recommendation is setting up a service user panel working alongside advocacy workers to look at discrimination. Another proposal which the Maat project identified and is currently seeing progress on relates to ‘respect’, an approach that avoids the use of restraint in hospitals.

Did you know that the Trust now offers two new facilities – video conferencing and a new telephone technology known as IP telephony? We’re all under pressure to deliver more with less funding and Health Informatics has introduced these facilities to help colleagues achieve greater productivity and reduce costs.

The report was put together in participation with groups from Nottingham including Dynamite, an informal support group for African Caribbean service users of all ages facilitated by Trust staff. Dynamite provided the entertainment and venue for the presentation as well as food including Caribbean delights such as salt fish fritters, mutton and rice.

Video conferencing enables staff to join a meeting via a video link rather than travel often many miles to physically attend. This facility has been embraced by many management groups around the Trust, not only because of the money it saves in travel costs, but also because it significantly reduces the amount of time taken out of the working day travelling to

The turnout from staff within adult mental health services was disappointing, but Sue Thornton, Adult Mental Health Services General Manger, attended the presentation and was eager to invite the group back to present the report to the acute care forum along with Dynamite facilitators Sharon and Marlene.

meetings. For example, a staff member based in Nottingham is required to attend a meeting at Rampton Hospital; it takes one hour to travel there, about 15 minutes to go through security and one hour to travel back – all for a two hour meeting. The staff member is out for nearly five hours, a huge proportion of their working day. This journey would also cost the Trust around £30 in claimed travel for a member using their own vehicle. Using video conferencing would not only save the Trust the travel expense but would also give the individual three valuable hours to concentrate on their day job. Video conferencing suites are available in various meeting rooms around the Trust and some directorates

IP telephony also supports the smarter working concept. Once set up with an account colleagues can work from any Trust location, log into the phone system and calls will follow them to wherever they happen to be working on that day. This facility is currently in its infancy and offers many more benefits which could eventually see calls being automatically forwarded to mobiles from the internal extension number for staff working off site. Further information about the above can be found under Corporate IT on the HIS Intranet pages or by calling the IT Service Desk.

Highbury Hospital staff – NVQs Staff at Highbury Hospital were presented with NVQ certificates in an event on 30 June. Max Owens, Hotel Services Manager, introduced the presentations before Alison Newton, Operational Manager, presented 26 certificates.

Qualification successes Stuart Lee – BSc Congratulations to Stuart Lee, Estates and Capital Projects Officer in Facilities (Forensic Division), on successfully achieving a First in his Bachelor of Science with Honours in Building Surveying.

are investing in their own suites to support clinical team meetings.

Staff at Highbury Hospital with their NVQs

Anne Clark – MSc Congratulations to Anne Clark, Payroll and Pensions Manager, on gaining her MsC in Payroll Management from Derby University. Anne started her degree course in September 2007 and successfully managed her study time between her work and family commitments to achieve what at times she did think was going to be impossible. She has had the continued support of her husband David and her extended family along with the support of friends and colleagues at work during this time.

Anne has worked at the Trust since 1991, working within Data Input, Finance and then Payroll, initially based at Rampton and then moving to Mansfield when Nottinghamshire Healthcare was formed. Anne has worked through many changes and challenges throughout her career but the last three years certainly rank high up in her list of challenges. Friends and colleagues from within the Trust would like to wish Anne many congratulations on achieving her degree and look forward to working with her on the challenges we all must meet in the coming years.

A special mention and congratulations to Maggie England for achieving level 4 in ‘Managing Food Safety in Catering’. Congratulations also to Pauline Haselwood, who obtained a merit for her Advanced Food Hygiene. Stuart Lee

The Releasing Time to Care team. Left to right: Amanda Land, Kate Steels, Steve Williamson, Louise Randle, Jackie Kennedy.

Releasing Time to Care: half way there The Releasing Time to Care (RTtC) Team is celebrating the approach of the half way point of the project. After 18 months working alongside inpatient colleagues, the team is now looking forward to extending its work into community areas. RTtC aims to enable teams to increase the amount of time they spend in direct patient care by improving efficiency of ward processes and removing unnecessary tasks. 18 wards within the Local Services Directorate are rolling out the project in four cohorts. ‘Showcase wards’ Rowan 1 and Rowan 2 at Highbury Hospital have completed the three foundation modules and are working through the process modules. Rowan 2 has transformed the clinic room by marking out ‘homes’ for medical supplies and streamlining ordering. Standardised operating procedures are in place and there is an identified care and environment coordinator with responsibility for

ordering. This ensures waste is minimal with no duplication or unnecessary ordering. Rowan 1 continues to drive ‘protected time’, ensuring patients receive one to one named nurse time in a routine and structured way. All wards in cohort one have completed the three foundation modules. Ward offices have been refurbished and reorganised to improve access to information and use visual management systems to help locate items within three seconds. B50 has a new and efficient ward office which has enabled the team to lead shifts and coordinate in a more productive environment. This ward is progressing through the medicines module and plans to start selfmedication to promote recovery and independence. Ongoing support from medical and pharmacy colleagues will

enable the nursing team to sustain self medication opportunities. The ‘Knowing How We are Doing’ module has ensured wards are able to evidence and track improvements with data and graphs which are updated monthly. Data evidences increases in direct patient care time and increased staff wellbeing. This ensures safety and reliability and tracks quality issues. As a result of the RTtC work, ward environments are better organised, more productive and more efficient. Wards have received very positive feedback from visitors who have noticed the improvements. Watch out for more about other cohorts within the Local Services and Forensic divisions in future issues of Positive.

Poster competition winners announced Earlier this year the Trust launched a poster competition which was open to all staff, service users, carers and patients. The aim was to get people who were involved in using and/or delivering our services to develop a poster that makes it clear that bullying, harassment and discrimination are not acceptable, that disrespecting or treating someone in a way that makes them feel inferior or uncomfortable because of their age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion/belief or race is wrong. Nearly 50 entries were received from staff, service users, carers and patients across a wide range of services within the Trust and were proudly

displayed on the main wall of the Involvement Centre at Duncan Macmillan House for two weeks. The competition was fierce as the standard of entries was very high. First prize went to the Health & Safety Team at Duncan Macmillan House, second prize to a patient group from Wathwood Hospital and third prize to Avril Anderson, Healthcare Assistant at Bassetlaw Hospital. Two special equality and diversity prizes were also awarded – the first to two young people from Thorneywood Day Unit and the second to a patient from the Learning Disability Unit at Rampton Hospital.

Janet Sheard, Executive Director Nursing and Allied Health Professionals, presents the first prize award to Gill Berridge and Ian Freegard from the Health & Safety Team.

as the basis for a Trustwide anti-bullying, anti-harassment The winning poster will be used and anti-discrimination

campaign and the runners up will feature on a specially commissioned set of postcards.

Positive September 2010

Nottingham Mental Health Awareness Weeks 2010 The unique annual awareness weeks return for the 18th year, running from Monday 4 October to Thursday 14 October 2010. Monday 4 October 12.30pm-3.30pm ‘City Carers Support Event’ at Young Diverse Minds Centre, The Croft, Albert Rd, Alexandra Park. Light refreshments. Tel 955 5446 (Sarah). 1.30pm-3.30pm ‘Unwind with Words’. Poems, stories and conversation at Green Room coffee shop, Keyworth. Tel 914 8567 (Sue). 4pm ‘Launch of Film Festival & MHA Weeks’ hosted by Framework at Broadway, 14 Broad St. 4.45pm buffet, 5.45pm film ‘The Rum Diaries’ (see Broadway’s October brochure). Tel 07837 300919 (Anne). Tuesday 5 October 12pm-4.30pm ‘Celebrating Success & Recovery’ conference by Dual Diagnosis Forum at Council House, Old Market Square. Includes lunch. To book email maureen.black@ nottinghamcity.gov.uk. 4pm-6pm ‘Labels’. Launch of second CD by service user groups with live music at Fopp Record Store, Queen St. Tel 955 5404 (Jonathan). Wednesday 6 October 1.30pm-3.30pm ‘Artful Minds’ art exhibition by Nottinghamshire Healthcare opened by High Sheriff of Nottingham at St Mary’s Church, Lace Market (until 15 October). Tel 952 9464 (Chris). Thursday 7 October 10am ‘Best Foot Forward’. A short walk on The Forest Recreation Ground. Meet at

Mary Potter Health Centre. Tel 919 4877 (Ali). 1.30pm-3pm ‘Introduction to Meditation’. Open to all at Buddhist Centre, St Mary’s Place, Hockley. Also 7.30pm-9pm. Tel 07814 938396 (Serena). 5pm MHA Film Festival (2). Film ‘The Girl Who Played with Fire’ at Broadway. Tel 07837 300919 (Anne). Saturday 9 October 11am-2pm ‘Love Your Mind’ at The Meadows Library, Wilford Grove. Enjoy complementary therapies and visit the Human Library. Tel 915 1168 (Minerva). 2.50pm MHA Film Festival (3). Film ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ family matinee at Broadway. Tel 07837 300919 (Anne). Sunday 10 October World Mental Health Day 10am-10pm ‘10 minutes @ 10 venues’. Join artists Usha M and Penny A on the road for random acts of rhythm celebrating WMHD. See www.rundance.org. 11am-2pm ‘MHA Wellbeing Event’ at Rushcliffe Arena, Rugby Rd, West Bridgford. Tel 914 8567 (Sue). 1.15pm-3.45pm ‘All Ours Soup’er Social’ with Champions of Change and Key Support, at Sneinton Hermitage Community Centre. Soup and cake £2. Tel 07947 656651 (Barbara). 5pm-11pm ‘Drop in at the MadPride Party’ at the Jam Cafe, Heathcoat St. Performance, live music, DJ. Tel 07913 765519 (Alex). Monday 11 October 4pm-6pm ‘Unwind with Words’. Poems, stories and conversation, at Copper coffee shop, West Bridgford. Tel 914 8567 (Sue). 8pm ‘Narratives & Delusion’. Discussion with Lisa Bortolotti (Birmingham University, philosophy) at Edins, Broad St. Tel 960 3111 (Robin).

Tuesday 12 October 12pm-1.30pm ‘SelfHarm Awareness’ for carers and professionals by Harmless at NCVS, 7 Mansfield Rd, light refreshments. To book, email info@harmless.org.uk. 7.30pm ‘Live Music & Social’ at The Maze, Forest Tavern, Mansfield Rd. Tel 925 2516 (Rob). Wednesday 13 October 11am-3pm ‘Visit Ecoworks Community Garden’ via Allotments, Ransom Rd, St Anns. Tel 07973 116291 (Paul) for entry. 8pm MHA Film Festival (4). Film ‘Looking for Eric’ at Broadway. Tel 07837 300919 (Anne). Thursday 14 October 11am-2pm ‘Visit the Human Library’ (information from a person, not a book) at The Hut, Robin Hood Chase, St Anns. Tel 955 5404 (Jonathan). 11am-3pm ‘Visit Ecoworks Community Garden’ via Allotments, Ransom Rd, St Anns. Tel 07973 116291 (Paul) for entry. 7pm ‘Open Evening’ with Roads to Recovery, at Mechanics, North Sherwood St. Film and refreshments. Tel 934 8421. Plus... ‘Express Yourself’ NCHA Art Exhibition at St Mary’s Church, Lace Market. 4-15 October. Tel 933 8100 (Janet). ‘MHA Events’ at Rosewood Involvement Centre 7-9 October. Tel 01623 835210. Also at DMH Involvement Centre 11-13 October. Tel 993 4567. ‘Better with Books Launch’. Wednesday 10 October 2pm-4pm. Join 50+ health group at West Bridgford Library. Tel 914 8567 (Sue). Visit our new website for further details: www.nottinghammental healthawarenessweeks.org

WHO WE ARE... WE NEED YOU! You may have picked up this copy of the newsletter not knowing what Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust is. We provide mental health and learning disability services for the whole of Nottinghamshire. We also manage medium-secure units in Leicester and Rotherham, and the high-secure Rampton Hospital near Retford.

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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 suzanne.aitken@nottshc.nhs.uk. 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. 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 12 November 2010. 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 9691300 www.nottinghamshirehealthcare.nhs.uk