Issue 5
Your Briefing
November 2016
Welcome to your Leeds & York Community Health Branch briefing
The benefits of being paperless As a branch we started emailed newsletters to reduce the amount of paper used. Reducing paper helps the environment. To send out a four page newsletter to all our members it equates to over 5,000 sheets of paper (approx. 10.5 reams). It takes a little more than half a tree to make a carton (10 reams) of 100 percent, nonrecycled 20lb copier paper. One tree makes 16.67 reams of copy paper. Did you know? The average UK family throws away 6 trees worth of paper in their household bin a year. Paper and card make up about a fifth of the typical household dustbin. About half of this consists of newspapers and magazines
If every UK office worker used one less staple a day it would save 120 tons of steel. On average, each person in the UK throws away their own body weight in rubbish every seven weeks. Each Christmas as much as 83km2 of wrapping paper ends up in UK rubbish bins, enough to cover an area larger than Guernsey, one of the Channel Islands.
Website: http://www.unison-lych.org.uk UNISON LYCH
@UNISONLYCH
UNISON Office, St Mary’s Hospital, Green Hill Road, Leeds, LS12 3QE. Telephone: 0113 305 5168
Just a few tips of how you can help at home
Switch to non-toxic cleaning products
Opt out of junk mail
Switch to paperless banking and utility bills
Buy in bulk - save money and reduce waste! Packaging makes up 30% of the weight and 50% of trash by volume.
Your computer may go to sleep, but it's still sucking up energy. Turn your computer and monitor off when your finished using it.
Turn your heating down one degree.
Replace your old light bulbs. Old-fashioned incandescent light bulbs waste up to 90% of their energy as heat. New types of light bulbs, such as compact fluorescent (CFL) and LED bulbs, can dramatically slash your house’s energy consumption for light. Turn off lights when you aren’t in the room.
Reduce - Reducing the amount of unnecessary material (i.e. plastic carrier bags, packaging materials, etc) that you bring into your home automatically reduces the amount of rubbish you throw away.
Reuse - Reusing bags, cups, and containers reduces the amount of rubbish your family generates.
Recycle - Before you throw anything away, stop and ask yourself whether it can be recycled.
NMC Registration Since November 2015, those who have allowed their NMC registration to lapse are no longer able to take advantage of a grace period in which they can pay their fee or submit documentation late but still be authorised to work again within a couple of days. Instead, they are now removed from the register immediately and have to go through a formal process of readmission, which takes up to six weeks to complete and costs more than renewal. During this six week period it will be illegal to practice as a nurse or midwife and registrants may be downbanded as a consequence, thereby affecting their income.
Since September 2016, UNISON have been informed by some branches and regions that large numbers of registrants have had their registration lapsed under this new process. Although the NMC do send four email reminders in the weeks and months before the registrant is due to renew, some nurses and midwives have reported that these emails have gone into their junk mail inbox and have not been seen. Gail Adams, UNISON’s head of nursing has escalated this issue to the NMC and is working with them to ensure that those who have been lapsed are put back on the register as soon as possible.
Please remember to renew your membership when it is due You can sign up to NMC online to receive updates regarding your renewal date https://www.nmc.org.uk/registration/nmc-online/ You can pay your NMC registration fee by quarterly direct debit
Personal Safety It's always better to be safe rather than sorry. Here are some simple changes you can make to decrease your chances of becoming a victim of crime. As we go into winter and darker nights, your safety is paramount.
Walking Follow the light - Even if it takes you longer, stay on the path that is lit rather than taking shortcuts down dark snickets. Stick to streets populated with houses, rather than dark, deserted alleyways. Know which neighbourhoods may require extra precautions.
Walk with confidence and awareness - Attackers are looking for easy prey.
Wear practical shoes that you can move in.
Carry a mobile phone - If you find yourself in an unsafe situation, you can instantly dial 999. Do not call a friend; the police will get there faster, and will be more effective in protecting you.
Hands-free – Don’t use your headphones because they’ll dampen your ability to sense your surroundings. Similarly, if it isn’t raining, keep your hood down so you can see what’s going on around you. The more you cut your senses off the easier it will be for someone to take you by surprise.
Don’t carry your phone in your hand or have other valuables on display.
Attract attention any way you can - If you are fighting but can't get away, try to attract attention. Scream and shout, but use the word "fire" rather than "help" or "rape." This is more effective in attracting people's attention and causing them to call 999.
If there is no other choice, fight and then run - If you are attacked, fight back until you see an opportunity to get away. Mark your assailant - If you are attacked, try to scratch the assailant with keys or fingernails. Any marks you leave may help identify him to the police.
Cars and Parking Lots
Approach the car with your keys out. Relock the door immediately after getting into the car.
Park near your building in a highly visible and well-lit area Park near the attendant, if there is one, or near the stairs or a well-lit exit in an underground garage.
Use the main building entrance - avoid rear or secluded exits. Keep your valuables out of sight - always lock them in the boot if you have to leave them in the car.
Be alert for suspicious circumstances - For example, if a van is parked beside your car or if there's a man sitting in a parked car next to yours, consider asking a guard or policeman to escort you to your car.
Approach your car from the passenger side. Attackers are expecting people who are alone to enter their cars from the driver's side. Someone lying in wait is less likely to be prepared for you to enter from the passenger side.
Keep the car windows rolled up. While driving, keep the windows high enough so no one can reach in to unlock the car door.
Don't linger in your car. Sitting alone in your car makes you a very visible, vulnerable and easily cornered target. Lock the car when you get in and promptly drive away.
Maintain your vehicle. Keep your car in good working order to avoid breakdowns.
If you think you're being followed, take evasive action. Make several turns to verify your fear. If possible, note the follower's license plate number, car model and make. Dial 999 on your mobile. Do not go home; instead, get on a main road, drive to a well-lit public place where there are people, and honk your horn to attract attention.
Stress is one of the biggest causes of health problems in the workplace. In general terms, stress is a reaction to pressure or harassment at work. The Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) definition of stress is: “The reaction people have to excessive demands or pressures, arising when people try to cope with tasks, responsibilities or other types of pressure connected with their job, but find difficulty, strain or worry in doing so.” Stress can be difficult to identify in an organisation as employees may not admit to feeling stressed. Stress can be caused by a number of factors including: long hours and shift work; lack of control or insecurity; lack of job satisfaction, boredom or isolation; fear of violence, bullying or harassment; bad relations with other work colleagues; problems with the working environment (such as noise, temperature, overcrowding and poor facilities); low pay. Stress can cause mental and physical illnesses such as anxiety, depression, altered appetite, headaches, backache or difficulty in sleeping. Over time, heart disease or ulcers may also develop. People may also try to reduce the symptoms of stress with alcohol, cigarettes, tranquillisers or other drugs, which can lead to further, more serious health issues. What are the laws on stress in the workplace? The law says that employers are responsible for the safety of their employees while they are at work, and this includes stress. Certain levels of stress are normal and may even be helpful. However excessive levels of stress can be destructive and lead to psychiatric injury for which the employer may be liable for a claim in a county court, or Sheriff Court in Scotland, for negligence depending upon the circumstances. Once an employer knows that a worker is or may be at risk of injury, they must investigate the problem and find out what they can do to resolve it. Your Health & Safety Rep can offer support Contact the branch if you need some advice
NHS Credit Union 6 years old and growing stronger every day The NHS Credit Union was started in November 1998. Founder member Robert Rae had started the ball rolling about 18 months earlier in his role as UNISON Branch Secretary of the Southern General Hospital Branch. With the support of the trade unions and the employer, Southern General NHS Trust, the original volunteers set about establishing the Credit Union. Since then, your Credit Union has grown steadily, reaching a number of landmarks along the way, from opening our office at the Southern General and employing our first staff member, to developing to cover all NHS employees and their family members across the whole of Scotland and the North of England. At the start of this financial year, we had around 11,500 members; had issued loans totalling more than £50million - and our members' savings were more than £13m.
To find out more and to join click here— http://www.nhscreditunion.com/
Communicating with you As a branch we are committed to communicating with our members. This is why we have created these regular newsletters.
We would also like to hear from you. Do you have a story you want to share or information you think other members would benefit from knowing?
Please send this to us at: contact@unison-lych.org.uk
Inter Faith Week: 13 - 20 November Inter Faith Week aims to strengthen good inter-faith relations, increase awareness of different and distinct faith communities and increase understanding between people of religious and nonreligious belief. Celebrating and building on the contribution which members of different faith and non-faith communities make to their neighbourhoods and wider society is central to these aims. ************
Anti-Bullying Week: 14 - 18 November Anti-Bullying Week shines a spotlight on bullying and encourages all children, teachers and parents to take action against bullying throughout the year. ************
Transgender Awareness Week: 14 - 20 November Individuals and organizations around the country will participate to help raise the visibility of transgender and gender non-conforming people, and address the issues these communities face. The final day of Transgender Awareness Week is the Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR), an annual observance on November 20 that honours the memory of those whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence. ************
International Day for Tolerance: Wednesday 16 November The International Day for Tolerance is observed to educate people about the need for tolerance in society and to help them understand the negative effects of intolerance. ************
International Men's Day: Saturday 19 November The Theme for 2016 is Stop Male Suicide. The objectives of IMD include a focus on men's and boy's health, improving gender relations, promoting gender equality, and highlighting positive male role models. It is an occasion for men to celebrate their achievements and contributions, in particular their contributions to community, family, marriage, and child care while highlighting the discrimination against them. ************
Universal Children's Day: Sunday 20 November To promote international togetherness and awareness among children worldwide. UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund, promotes and coordinates this special day, which also works towards improving children's welfare.
Your feedback matters to us. You can send feedback at any time to contact@unison-lych.org.uk or by post.
I am extremely satisfied with the service offered by UNISON members of staff. I was able to see my rep when I needed to. I liked the speed of the response and the experience of my rep. UNISON are very firm and supportive all the way through. Brilliant, very professional … gave me strength in my difficult times.
Rang them and got no answer. Left a message for them to ring me back. Rang me back 3 days after me contacting them - I was at work all day, so never spoke to anyone. It is very difficult to contact UNISON over the weekends.
Following the negative feedback we have made some changes to improve our service The Branch has now employed a full time admin worker so that calls are answered on a daily basis. A new referrals system is in place so that no member should wait longer than 24-48 hours to receive a call back from a trained rep.
Our core office hours are 9am—3pm Monday to Friday. The branch office is not open on a weekend. Please leave us a voicemail and we will call you back as soon as we can. Alternatively you can call UNISONdirect on 0800 0857 857 (lines are open from 6am to midnight Monday to Friday and 9am to 4pm on Saturday). They will take your query and pass it onto us.
Health Service Group Executive update on Agenda for Change talks UNISON confirms there are no negotiations on unsocial hours
Agenda for Change refresh – UNISON health executive busts the myths UNISON’s Health Service Group Executive met on Tuesday 25 October and confirmed that UNISON stands ready to fight any attack on unsocial hours. The Executive dismissed recent media reports speculating that negotiations had begun on Agenda for Change, and that unsocial hours were being discussed. UNISON has very clear policy not to negotiate on unsocial hours, and to respond to any attack on them with industrial action. We have been crystal clear on this point with employers and they have been left in no doubt about our stance. Discussions on the pay framework have taken place through the NHS Staff Council as covered in previous “Time to Talk About Pay” bulletins. Both trade unions and employers think the existing pay scales could be improved. There is broad agreement that there would be benefit in reducing the number of pay points in each band and reducing the overlaps between pay bands. UNISON has a clear set of goals. We want to make your pay better and get you to the top of your pay band faster. We want to do this by: restructuring bands 1-3, removing poverty pay from the NHS; raising starting salaries; and shortening pay bands to get to the “full rate” for the job quicker However, UNISON is absolutely clear that making gains on pay cannot come at the expense of unsocial hours. How UNISON sets pay policy UNISON policy on pay is set by UNISON’s health conference. In April 2016, UNISON members from branches and regions across the UK discussed, debated and voted on UNISON’s approach to pay, terms and conditions in the NHS. The decisions those conference delegates took set our policy on pay. The Health Service Group Executive, made up of representatives elected by UNISON members across all regions, makes decisions on pay policy between health conferences.
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How NHS pay, terms and conditions are agreed UNISON participates in the NHS Staff Council, along with other trade unions and the employers. The Agenda for Change agreement is owned by the full NHS Staff Council and terms and conditions can only be changed through agreement. If we are able to make progress on the pay discussions, UNISON’s Health Service Group Executive will ensure all UNISON members are consulted in good time.
Want to talk more about pay? Talk to your local UNISON branch and find out more about how you can get involved in the union.
Want to be more involved? There are different role in the branch:
Workplace contact
Elected workplace steward
Health & Safety reps
Union learning reps
Equality reps
To find out more click here or call us on 0113 305 5168
Support for Migrant Workers UNISON is aware that many members have come to work in the NHS from overseas, they have carried out excellent work and without them, bluntly, the NHS would not have been able to deliver safe services. Often despite our best efforts they feel isolated and unsupported and this has only worsened with Brexit. There are three migrant workers networks available for our African. Members of these groups come together to share experiences and support each other. The details are as follows: UNISON EU Members Network Facebook: UNISON EU Members Network Contact: Katia Widlak k.widlak@unison.co.uk
African Migrants Network Facebook: unisonamw Contact: Monica Hirst m.hirst@unison.co.uk
Filipino Migrants Network Facebook: UNISONFilipinoNetwork Contact: Susan Cueva s.cueva@unison.co.uk
NHS students overburdened by extra work and rising debt On 21 October, UNISON launched its report In the red: student nurse debt, which was conducted between September 2015 and June 2016, to coincide with UNISON’s national NHS bursary constituency lobby day. The survey was completed by 726 healthcare students. The report argues that paying healthcare students would enable them to focus on their studies to become the best nurses, midwives and allied health professionals without the pressure of worrying about spiralling debt or working excessive hours to reduce exposure to debt. Summary of main survey points The overwhelming majority (95%) of students believe they should be paid a salary. Just under half (47%) of students have considered leaving their course because of financial difficulties. The proportion of students forced to supplement their income by taking extra paid employment jumped from six in ten (61%) in 2006 to over two thirds (68%) in 2016. The proportion of students working more than 16 hours a week continues to rise from just over a quarter (27%) in 2005 and now over a third (35%) in 2016. The proportion of students who say that time consumed by additional paid employment detrimentally affects their studies was almost two thirds (64%) in 2016. The majority of students (86%) are currently in debt.
UNISON Debtline Debt can cause a great deal of stress in your life. A small change in circumstances can turn a manageable situation into a debt problem that threatens your home or your family’s wellbeing. UNISON’s Debtline service is available to all our members to help you manage money and deal with debt. We offer free confidential advice to help you clear your debts. Debtline can help you deal with: credit card debt, mortgage arrears, home repossession, county court judgment claims. Our Debtline service is provided by debt management experts, Payplan. Using this service you get: immediate advice; a debt management plan to suit your circumstances; a case officer to advise you throughout your repayment programme and negotiate with your creditors; a reduction of multiple debt repayments into a single, affordable monthly repayment; a choice of payment methods free and confidential service with no hidden charges. Call the UNISON Welfare Debtline—freephone 0800 389 3302 Help with debt is just one of the benefits of joining UNISON
Young Members Event