Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust provides case studies to NHS: Leadership Report.

AS PART OF THE REPORT, CALDERDALE AND HUDDERSFIELD NHS FOUNDATION TRUST INCLUDED THE IMPORTANCE OF EQUAL ACCESS TO SERVICES AND MENTORING.

Equal access to services

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust (CHFT) hosted two special vaccination clinics at Calderdale Royal Hospital during the pandemic for people with a learning disability.

CHFT worked in partnership with both Kirklees and Calderdale community learning disability health teams (South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust) to identify who would benefit from such a bespoke service. As part of the process the Trust: Adopted paperwork developed by another Trust for capacity and best interest documentation.

Created a social story to help people prepare with photos of the building, car park, rooms and the staff who would be at the clinic on the day to help reduce anxiety and fear.

Held it on a Saturday when the hospital is much quieter and car parking was available. Made a bespoke plan for every individual to meet their needs, which included distraction techniques, including listening to Abba and Cliff Richard on YouTube.

Set up the lecture theatre so it was like going to the movies with the Greatest Showman playing and snacks which included popcorn and chocolates. The first clinic had an 83% success rate and all those who had the first vaccine came to the second clinic, which had a 100% success rate.

The importance of mentoring

CHFT runs a mentoring scheme to enable staff to progress in their careers. Below is an interview with one of their mentors.

How long have you been a mentor?

I have been informally coaching and mentoring for years. In 2021 I undertook the level 5 training in coaching and mentoring. That was brilliant and gave me a whole new skill set.

Importance of being a mentor?

I feel coaching is more important than mentoring. Coaching is where we sit and listen, believe in the power of the coachees to find their way to achieve their own goals. Through prompts, active listening, reflective questioning and use of simple tools we can help people to find their way through and find solutions that work for them. Also being a coach is a short term relationship aimed at creating independence, not dependence. We give people the tools to find their own solutions. We can move into mentoring (imagine they are 2 ends of a scale, rather than 2 separate disciplines).

But it’s important to allow the coachee to make the choice, for example ‘I have some past experiences in this area you may find useful. Would you like me to share them now’

What makes a good mentor?

A good coach – listens, believes in the power of the coachee (and absolutely believes in the individual in front of them), uses silence to give the coachee time to consider, engages in coaching themselves (ie is committed to the practice and believes it works for them as well as everyone else). Holds the coachee to account to make progress on their goals. Has regular supervision for themselves to ensure they keep learning. Also enjoys meeting people, is curious about others. Remembers the tough times in their own career and now wants to be the person they would have wanted alongside them in that moment.