P3 P6 P12 P12 P 13 - Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS ...

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Issue 49 - Spring 2014

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Tamarind first birthday

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Time to Change – 300 Voices

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Community Experts Network

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Listening into Action

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Quality and Excellence Awards

Read about our Trust charity, Caring Minds, and how you can get involved on pages 8 and 9


Chief Executive’s message

Change is a word we hear a lot in the NHS. We need to continually review and improve our services as the needs of our communities evolve. Sometimes making changes can have an immediate impact, whereas sometimes change is more incremental and happens over time, but the impact on the quality of care for our service users is no less dramatic. It’s useful to stop now and again and reflect on the changes we’ve made and what they’ve helped us to achieve. At a recent Trust Board meeting we discussed our estates strategy and changes in this area over the last five years. We’ve invested £135 million, opening new modern sites like the Barberry, Oleaster, Zinnia, Juniper and Tamarind units, whilst reducing the overall number of sites from 90 to 51. This is against a backdrop of changes in the way mental health services are provided over the last 20 years and has allowed us to provide a better quality and more appropriate environment for our patients, as our scores in the Patient Led Assessments of the Care

Council of Governors Meetings 2014 - 2015 Date Thursday 16 January 2014 Thursday 13 March 2014 Thursday 8 May 2014

Thursday 10 July 2014

Thursday 11 September 2014 Thursday 13 November 2014 Thursday 15 January 2015 Thursday 12 March 2015

Venue Tavistock Room, Uffculme Centre, Moseley, Birmingham

Plymouth Room, Uffculme Centre, Moseley, Birmingham Lynton Room, Uffculme Centre, Moseley, Birmingham

Plymouth Room, Uffculme Centre, Moseley, Birmingham Plymouth Room, Uffculme Centre, Moseley, Birmingham Plymouth Room, Uffculme Centre, Moseley, Birmingham Plymouth Room, Uffculme Centre, Moseley, Birmingham Plymouth Room, Uffculme Centre, Moseley, Birmingham

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Environment (PLACE) show. This is a large investment involving major change, but small changes in environment and culture within an individual service can also have a big impact. Through this type of improvement our Eden psychiatric intensive care unit has seen the number of incidents on the ward each month more than halve in the last two years, and whilst we should never be complacent it’s great to see positive changes of this kind happening across the Trust. Reflecting on examples like these reinforces how important it is for us to be receptive to change, to constantly listen to our patients and understand their needs, and to keep challenging ourselves to ensure that we continue to provide the best quality care possible.

John Short Chief Executive

Trust Talk deadlines

Trust Talk is published quarterly, so please note its copy deadlines below for 2014 All copy to be considered for inclusion must be submitted by the dates below: ISSUE

DEADLINE

Summer

June 30

Winter

December 31

Autumn

September 30

Do you have a story which could feature in Trust Talk? If so, then contact Samuel Grant in the communications team on 0121 301 1274 or email [email protected]. Deadline for the next issue is June 30, 2014


‘Street triage’ launched in partnership with West Midlands Police and West Midlands Ambulance Service Our Trust has joined forces with West Midlands Police and West Midlands Ambulance Service to pilot a new project to ensure people with mental health issues are kept out of police custody and receive the right treatment and care. The West Midlands is one of a number of regions to be selected by the Department of Health to pilot the ‘street triage’ scheme, which sees mental health nurses and paramedics accompany police officers to incidents where it’s believed people need immediate mental health support. A dedicated car is operating every day throughout the Birmingham and Solihull area and will involves police officers, nurses and paramedics working together. The aim is to ensure people who need mental health care get the right support and at the same time reduce demand on the emergency services. The pilot follows in the footsteps of other schemes that have taken place elsewhere in the country. Our Chief Executive, John Short, pictured at the street triage launch, said: "We are looking forward to working more closely with our

police and ambulance service colleagues to ensure that people in urgent need of mental health care receive the most appropriate support. This pilot will not only support people in crisis, but it will also help to further strengthen our relationship with West Midlands Police and West Midlands Ambulance Service for the benefit of our local population." Chief Inspector Sean Russell, from West Midlands Police, said: "In emergency situations we want to make sure that people with mental health problems are correctly assessed, cared for and treated as quickly as possible. "Officers are already trained to deal with these kinds but this additional support from health professionals will help officers to treat vulnerable people in emergencies.” The West Midlands street triage scheme was recently highlighted on national television on BBC’s One Show.

Tamarind Centre celebrates first birthday The Tamarind Centre had a lot to celebrate on December 3, 2013. Not only was it the first anniversary of service users being welcomed into the building, it also marked the official opening of our men’s medium secure centre in Bordesley Green, Birmingham, with staff, service users and external partners coming together to celebrate this special milestone. Special guest, former Premier League footballer Stan Collymore, visited wards, met with service users and even had a kick about! He then finally did the honours of officially opening of the Tamarind on its first birthday with the ceremonial cutting of the ribbon. To an audience of staff, service users and the local community Stan spoke candidly and shared his own experiences of mental health and the support he received, as well as the benefits of being cared for close to family. Whilst an advocate of mental health in social media, Stan also talked about the prejudices he still faces today through Twitter and other media, but felt that things were changing for the better. He finally praised NHS staff and carers and told them never to never underestimate the role they play in helping people help themselves. Jeremy Kenney-Herbert, Clinical Director for secure services then went on to speak about the commitment of staff in driving forward the Tamarind centre from a

formative idea, to what it is today, something that wouldn’t have been possible without the creativity and drive of many staff. He also talked about whilst the building may be state of the art, what also really counts is what goes on within it, and that too is something he is very proud of. Sue Davis, our Trust Chair, spoke about the importance of the role of carers and the local community in recovery, and also the

previous issues faced by the West Midlands of not having enough secure bed capacity meaning service users were often placed out of area, and so were often away from their family and carer support networks. A view that was also echoed by Mrs C, a carer of a service user at Tamarind who spoke highly of her son’s care, and who also said “what we have hoped for so long has finally become a reality”.

Jeremy Kenney-Herbert, Stan Collymore and Sarah Beasley celebrate Tamarind Centre first birthday.

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Call 111 – When it’s less urgent than 999

NHS 111 is a new service that's been introduced to make it easier for you to access local NHS healthcare services in England. You can call 111 when you need medical help fast, but it’s not a 999 emergency. NHS 111 is a fast and easy way to get the right help, whatever the time. This new free to call number has been brought in to improve access to urgent healthcare, and to help people use the right service for their needs first time. NHS 111 will link in with all existing primary care services, as well as providing advice to allow people to care for themselves at home. You should call 111 if:  you need medical help fast but it's not a 999 emergency  you think you need to go to A&E or need another NHS urgent care service  you don't know who to call or you don't have a GP to call  you need health information or reassurance about what to do next. The service has already had initial success in the West Midlands. Between November 11, 2013 and January 19, 2014, 152,000 calls were taken through NHS 111, with 97% answered within 60 seconds against a national target of 95%. The service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Calls are free from landlines and mobile phones. NHS 111 calls are answered by highlytrained call handlers, supported by experienced clinicians, who will assess your needs and determine the most appropriate course of action to help you. This replaces the previous NHS Direct number.

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Have a cake and a brew with BITA Pathways

Established in 1963, BITA Pathways is a leading provider that engages with adults experiencing mental health problems on a pathway towards personcentred recovery. Centrally located in the Digbeth area, the charity offers a unique combination of work and training that supports people experiencing mental ill health in their recovery. They continue to challenge the stigma of mental illness through a positive approach to recovery and provide opportunities for everyone to achieve their full potential through learning and work activities that aid personal development and recovery. BITA Pathways also offers one of Aston’s best kept secrets at the Park Lane Garden Centre (Park Lane, Aston, Birmingham, B6 5DL) - a surprising little haven which offers a retail outlet, training and well-being activities. The centre provides a dual role in the

community; an accredited City & Guilds training venue offering horticultural and floristry training courses to people experiencing mental ill health, and also a developing social enterprise in the form of a thriving commercial garden centre selling a range of shrubs, perennials, bedding plants, vegetable plants, hanging baskets, compost etc. The centre also offers an on-site tea shop, serving tea and homemade cake as well as goods produced by BITA Pathways volunteers which include homemade chutney, floral arrangement, woodcraft and pottery items. Their opening hours are Mon-Fri, 9am – 4.30pm and Saturday, 10am – 4pm. On Tuesday, March 18 2014, the shop will be launching a ‘Tuesday Special’, offering customers a cup of tea and homemade cake for just £2. For more information on BITA Pathways, visit www.bitapathways.co.uk


Trust welcomes new Executive Director of Nursing We are pleased to announce that Sue Hartley joined our Trust on April 1 as our new permanent Executive Director of Nursing.’ Sue was previously Director of Nursing at Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust having joined the organisation in February 2008 as Director of Performance, before taking up the role there of Nursing Director. Sue has a strong background in nursing, performance management and service redesign. Sue is a qualified Registered Nurse and trained in Birmingham at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, before beginning her career working in older people’s services, often caring for with patients with dementia and associated conditions. She has since held various nursing and management posts and has worked in a number of senior management positions including Deputy Head of Performance at the West Midlands Strategic Health Authority. Sue is keen to both contribute to and learn from our services and comes with substantial experience and expertise in performance management. Perhaps most importantly she also has a real passion for nursing and allied health professional (AHP) leadership, with a real focus on the quality of care given to patients and their carers. Sue said about joining our Trust: “Although this is my first position as a Director of Nursing within a mental health Trust, as in all of my previous roles I am absolutely committed to the fundamentals of high quality, compassionate care, coupled with an excellent, consistent patient experience. As someone who lives in the local area I

am thrilled to be joining the Trust, for its reputation and work in such a diverse area as Birmingham and Solihull, a challenge I am truly looking forward to.” We’d like to take this opportunity to welcome Sue to the Trust. We would also like to thank Dee Roach, who left the Trust in January 2014 to return to Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust as Executive Director of Nursing and Governance. Dee has previously already worked at Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust as Deputy Director of Nursing where she also led on a major service redesign as Clinical Director. We would like to thank Dee for her time at the Trust and we wish her the best of luck for the future.

Sue Hartley

MP visits Place of Safety suite

BSMHFT nominated for national mental health award

Jo Neale at the MFHA awards evening.

BSMHT was nominated for a Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England Award in recognition of our exemplary work in the field of mental health, and attended a awards ceremony at the House of Lords on Wednesday 26 February. We were shortlisted for the MHFA England Champion Award for the work that has been done in partnership with the police in relation to mental health awareness training for Prevent officers. The West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit has been working closely with BSMHFT staff as part of the Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE) agenda. The provision of mental health awareness - specifically Mental Health First Aid training - for Mentors and Security and Partnerships Officers was crucial. Staff from the Regional Channel and Interventions and the Association of Chief Police Officers have ensured that over 50 officers are now Mental Health First Aiders. There are also plans for future training so that more police staff can benefit from the course. In the UK, 1 in 4 people will experience mental ill health and MHFA is a practical way that people can use to support those who are affected. In their fourth year, the awards identify examples of excellent projects and individuals, acknowledging innovation and high performance in raising mental health literacy across England. Over 65,000 people in the UK are now MHFA trained and have been taught to:  spot the early signs of a mental health problem  feel confident helping a person experiencing a problem  provide help on a first aid basis  help protect a person who might be at risk of harm  help prevent a mental health illness from getting worse  help a person recover faster  guide a person towards the right support  reduce the stigma of mental health problems.

Jack Dromey MP visits our ground-breaking Place of Safety suite at the Oleaster Centre.

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Samaritans launch film to highlight the importance of seeking help For 60 years Samaritans have been on hand to listen to people in crisis, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The first call to the helpline was answered on November 2, 1953 and since then 127,000 volunteers have answered over 115 million calls for help. To celebrate this special milestone the Solihull branch of Samaritans has been working on an outreach project to help raise awareness of its service. Ele Read, Deputy Director for Outreach at Solihull Samaritans decided to produce a short film highlighting the importance of seeking help. Titled ‘Scary Conversations’ the film shows how people have taken the first step by talking to someone about their problems. The film was debuted at a special celebration event at John Lewis conference suite in Touchwood Centre, Solihull on December 16, 2013 and was a chance for

Samaritans to talk about the work they do supporting vulnerable people in the community Ele commented: "As an organisation and as a branch we want to be more pro-active about reaching out to vulnerable people in our community. We want to raise awareness of who Samaritans are, what we do and how we can complement existing support networks to ensure that we are there for callers who are in distress and despair

when they need us." Naomi Hawkins, Partnership Development Manager at BSMHFT who attended the launch said: “We know that not everyone who dies as a result of suicide will have been in touch with mental health services. We know that suicidal thoughts and feelings are really common. We realise how important it is that people have a range of support mechanisms and networks that they can turn to when they feel at crisis point. When Solihull Samaritans contacted us about their outreach project we understood the importance of their work and we wanted to help publicise the services that they offer.” You can access the film via YouTube by searching ‘Solihull Samaritans’ or you can find out more by visiting http://www.samaritans.org/

Time to Change and BSMHFT working together to give people a voice

Over 120 people from the local community, organisations and staff from BSMHFT came together on January 21 to celebrate the launch of an exciting new project that aims to address some of the challenges and discrimination faced by our service users. There was a lively start to the event, which was held at the Centennial Centre, Birmingham. The Drum Cafe, a local organisation got delegates raring to go by involving them in a mass/group drumming session. After such a musical start it was down to the business of the day, the launch of the project. 300 Voices is a partnership between BSMHFT and Time to Change that seeks to engage with young African and Caribbean men to hear their experiences of inpatient care. As part of the year-long pilot, 300 men will be interviewed along with 900 staff from our Trust and partner organisations. Following these interviews key themes will be explored and a bespoke model will be created to address some of the issues raised. Over the next few months BSMHFT will be working closely with Time to Change identify service users and staff who will take part in the project. Alongside this piece of work, our Trust supported the Stereo-Hype festival, a free two day festival aimed at creating the space to discuss and explore mental health

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John Short, Sue Baker, Director Time to Change and Sue Davis sign up to partnership agreement for 300 Voices project.

stigma, discrimination and wellbeing issues within African and Caribbean communities through performance and visual arts which was held at the mac in Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham on March 14 and 15.

For more information on the 300 Voices project please contact [email protected]


A word from the Chair

STAR teams share tea with the Chair The winter chill hasn’t stopped our Trust Chair Sue Davis from visiting teams across our Trust as part of our special thanks and recognition scheme. Our latest teams to be recognised as part the scheme are Hollyhill Complex Care team based at Hollyhill unit in Rubery, North Assertive Outreach Team (AOT) based at Northcroft and Zinnia Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) based at the Zinnia centre. Every month a team who receives a high number of STAR cards gets the chance to

have Tea with the Chair. It’s an opportunity for teams to get a bit of recognition for what they do but also for them to raise their profile with our Trust Chair. STAR cards can be given to staff for a number of reasons including hard work and dedication, excellent attendance, showing the way for others, putting service users in the spotlight and being a real team player. To give special thanks and recognition just simply click on the STAR card icon on the home page of Connect to send a message.

Sue Davis, CBE, Chair.

At the beginning of February, nonexecutive directors held the first of a series of drop in sessions for staff at Holyhill. Four of the non-execs met with a very varied group of staff from different settings, and we had some fascinating round-table discussions on issues raised by the staff themselves. One particular theme really struck home, as domestic staff and HCAs forcefully spoke of the importance of their roles, and demanded that this not be overlooked as the pressure for increasing qualified staff on wards and in teams steadily grows. This was supported by two students from different clinical backgrounds, who said that on going onto a new ward, they were more likely to get good information about the service users and about the unit in general from the cleaner or the HCA than anyone else. This is certainly a message non-execs won’t forget as they look at the question of appropriate staffing ratios in the coming weeks. We also talked about the difficulties of getting Trust-wide messages to all members of staff, and how important it is that the lessons from serious incidents are learned by us all, not just the people involved. Ideas on how we can improve in those areas would be gratefully received! All the staff there also said how interesting it had been to meet each other, as well as the members of the Board. There are three more sessions of this sort planned for later in the year, so why not come along to one of them for a relaxed opportunity to meet and quiz your non-executive directors – another way of ‘making the Trust a smaller place’.

Zinnia CMHT at Zinnia Centre.

Complex Care team at Hollyhill.

North AOT team at Northcroft.

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.Support our Trust charity,. .Caring Minds.

Why we need your support

The Trust charity ‘Caring Minds’ directly funds projects within the Trust, and the money we raise helps to provide the much needed extras that traditional government funding does not usually provide. Caring Minds can make a real impact. Whether it is a piece of equipment, refurbishment of a service area, research, trips or special days for service users, we help to provide the items that our service users, carers and staff need. The Trust receives government funding for healthcare, but there is always more that we can do. So whether you’re holding a coffee morning or running a marathon, why not think about supporting our Caring Minds charity? If you decide to make a donation, your gift will be used carefully and sensitively. Money donated is distributed where it is needed, as we support all areas of the Trust. Any ward or department can request money from the charity fund which is governed by the Charitable Funds Committee. BSMHFT is the one of the UK’s largest mental health trusts. Each year over 50,000 people are seen by our services, from not only the Midlands area but also nationally for some of our more specialist services. Many of our patients face incredibly difficult

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emotional and social pressures, possibly brought about by loss of income and the side effects from drugs. The emotional and physical impacts of their illness can last many years and sometimes a lifetime. Enhancing a person’s visit to us can make all the difference to their wellbeing, improving recovery and overall experience of our services. We are committed to providing the best possible facilities and environment for our patients, visitors and staff, and with your help we are able to do just that.

Ways to get involved

 Volunteer – perhaps you would prefer to give your time to the charity, whether you have a few hours free each week or each month, there are plenty of ways that you can make a difference. Please get in touch with our Fundraising Manager – Tracey Goodwin, who will be happy to discuss this with you. You can call Tracey on 0121 301 1287 or email [email protected]  Hold your own event – if you enjoy getting together with your friends and family, then why not hold a coffee morning or a bake sale and raise some money for a good cause? We have our own fundraising pack for this called ‘Care for a Cuppa’, which you can download

from our website www.caringminds.org , or contact our fundraising team on 0121 301 1287 or [email protected] and they will send one to you.  Regular donation – this is the most efficient way to donate, and helps to provide the charity with on-going income that helps us to plan ahead for key projects and expenditure. You can either complete the form on this page, or visit our donation page at www.virginmoneygiving.com  Single donation – of course we understand that you may simply want to make a one-off donation. To do this, you can either go to the virgin money page (link shown above), or send a cheque, made payable to ‘Caring Minds’ c/o Tracey Goodwin, Fundraising Manager, Communications and Marketing Team, Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, B1 Trust Headquarters, 50 Summer Hill Road, Birmingham B1 3RB. Please remember to include a covering letter, so that we can acknowledge receipt of your gift and send you a thank you.  Fancy a challenge – if you fancy something more active, why not join our Caring Minds Team and run in the Birmingham half marathon in October? Or slightly less of a challenge there is the


Great Midlands Fun Run/walk in Sutton Coldfield on June 1. Alternatively, there are lots of treks and cycle rides to choose from both in the UK and abroad. Find out more on our website www.caringminds.org, and if you don’t see something that interests you and have other suggestions, just let us know. Whichever way you choose to support ‘Caring Minds’ we would like to say a big thank you. For further information please visit our website www.caringminds.org where you will find useful links and items you can download.

What your support can do

We could not provide the extra support to the Trust without your help. Every single penny, and every hour of volunteer time counts. Even the smallest gifts are put to immediate use, making a big difference to patients’ lives.

In June 2013, for example, money raised by Caring Minds helped to set up the Forensic CAMHS music project for young people at our Ardenleigh site. Over £5000 was raised for the hour long sessions provided by an external musician to help the young people on the unit create lyrics and produce music using specialised computer software. As part of the project each young person is provided with their own MP3 player, which they are able to transfer their compositions on to, so that they can listen to them in between sessions. The sessions have really made a positive impact, promoting confidence in the young people’s musical abilities and increasing their social skills. If you were able to sprinkle some magic through Caring Minds funding, what would you spend the money on? Maybe a piece of equipment could help transform a service user’s life.

Any ward or department can request money from the charity fund which is governed by the Charitable Funds Committee. For more information contact Tracey Goodwin, Fundraising Manager on 0121 301 1287 or email [email protected]

Reaching new heights for Caring Minds

From left to right: Neil Cross, Neil Hathaway, Dave Evans, Dave Bell, Julie O’Connor, Tracey Goodwin (Fundraising Manager), Rosemary Brown, Malcom Partridge, Craig Holland, John Scott.

A team of eight people from our Trust’s Estates and Facilities department will be taking on the mighty Ben Nevis for charity in June. Raising money for the Trust’s charity, Caring Minds, the team will be taking on the UK’s highest mountain before cycling 25 miles on road and then canoeing their way down Loch Lochy - all in 24 hours. Doing all of this in one day is going to take some real determination and the team are already putting in many hours of cycling, gym work and long hill walks to prepare. The Trust’s charity, Caring Minds, helps to provide the extras that normal NHS funding doesn’t provide for our service users such as day trips, musical instruments, gyms and

specialised furniture. Team member Rosemary Brown said: “I enjoy physical challenges and am determined to complete it. My main sport and passion is swimming so I guess I will survive if the canoe capsizes! The last time I cycled was in my youth across the Somerset levels (in the days when these were dry land!). So I am in training! “Other Estates & Facilities colleagues have flocked to support us both in getting us there and ferrying us around, so the support we have is second to none. I think we will have a lot of fun as a team. The opportunity to raise funds to benefit our service users makes the whole thing very special.” If you would like to sponsor the team you

can either make your donation online at www.virginmoneygiving/ben-nevis-challenge or send a cheque made payable to ‘Caring Minds’ with a covering letter, letting us know that you would like to support their challenge. This should be sent c/o Tracey Tracey Goodwin, Fundraising Manager, Communications and Marketing Team, Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, B1 Trust Headquarters, 50 Summer Hill Road, Birmingham B1 3RB. We would like to wish the team the best of luck.

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New forensic CAMHS facility nears completion As the team take a step closer to moving into the new inpatient facility for young people at Ardenleigh, staff within the service are organising a sleepover to get a feel for the new building. The ‘live in’ will take place before service users move into the new build which is expected to be during spring. Staff will be encouraged to spend time testing and evaluating the facilities with the aim using the feedback to improve patient experience. “This kind of initiative is great for staff to get a real feel for the new build”, says Jo Hemming, Interim Service Development Manager for inpatient youth services. “It also highlights our commitment to developing environments that provide positive experiences to young people in our service”. The team are also busy preparing for a number of open days for families and friends and stakeholders to showcase the new facilities and the care received within the service. A programme of training has been running, inducting staff into the new building, but it’s also been a chance to spend time working on

Forensic CAMHS new build due to open in March.

developing the service and creating a strong team identity. Our forensic child and adolescent mental health services will again be calling on the Youth Board to help them develop a DVD tour of services, which will need to be updated following the new build. The team are also producing a DVD for families and

Sharing the knowledge

Raising awareness and reducing the stigma is vital in mental health, but is especially more powerful when done at a young age. OpenMinds is a university society that seeks to do just that - educate secondary school pupils about mental health in the form of fun, Open Minds society at University of Birmingham. engaging workshops. At the heart of OpenMinds are mental Originally started at University College health professionals giving students an London, OpenMinds has now been overview of particular mental health topics. adopted by students at the University of Students will then design and deliver Birmingham and is going from strength workshops to secondary school pupils to to strength.

carers visually depicting what it’s like to visit Ardenleigh, following feedback from carers who have said that it can be quite daunting on the first visit. Take a look at our refreshed service information online at www.youthfirst.org.uk or www.bsmhft.nhs.uk

share their learning and encourage debate and discussion around mental health. BSMHFT has been supporting this work with the first talk on psychosis delivered by one of our consultants, Dr Chinwe Obinwa. Early feedback is encouraging, with over 200 students signed up as members of the society. For more information on OpenMinds email Carol Bergbaum [email protected]

St Paul’s Crossover - help and advice in finding work or self-employment in East Birmingham

St Paul’s Crossover was established in 1993 in response to a community survey which asked residents of Bordesley Green what they would like to see their local church providing in the area. The responses resulted in the establishment of a Community Resource and Learning Centre in the heart of Bordesley Green which specialises in supporting unemployed people and helping them to access employment or to work for themselves. It was realised that as well as matching people to potential employers that the church could become an employer, and in response to the communities’ request for

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affordable childcare, St Paul’s Day Nursery was established as well as the Crossover Community Café. St Paul’s Crossover now employs more than 30 people and has a similar number of volunteers. More than 20 other people work for partners on site, and they all offer services to the community, mostly free of charge. The Resource Centre offers courses to help people with numeracy, literacy and ESOL and other vocational and activity-based courses are on the way. The Community Café at 619 Bordesley Green is really the hub of the organisation for local people and those working nearby. It serves as an easy threshold into the vast

range of services on offer. The café serves freshly cooked food from breakfast to afternoon tea, Monday to Friday. It is a place where people are encouraged to pop in for a coffee or linger to chat to friends, new and old. On Wednesdays the café serves a Roast Dinner for just £4. Reverend Susan Barter from St Paul’s Crossover says: “We feel our role in the community is to serve people whatever their nationality or age, and to work with others to make Bordesley Green a place where people like to live, work and play.” For more information visit www.crossover-centre.org.uk


Building a support network for people with addictions Our addictions team in north Birmingham offered a helping hand to the local community by attending a series of drop-in sessions throughout February. Partner agencies including West Midlands Police, Aquarius, Swanswell and SMART Outreach came together to run a number of information and support days for people who suffer with addictions. These sessions, which took place in locations within Sutton Coldfield and Erdington, were intended to offer friendly, face to face advice and highlight how people can get support from local agencies. Our North Alcohol Recovery Addiction Hub (ARCH) team who are based in Slade Road, Erdington were keen to get involved in these events. “It’s great for us to get out into the local community and get the message out there” Commented Simon Glover, Team Manager, North ARCH. “Sometimes we come across some of the most disadvantaged people who just don’t know where to turn. By working in partnership at events like this, it helps to create a seamless pathway

Leon Kearney ASPIRE recovery coach and Simon Glover.

through services”. Also on hand were our Aspire Recovery Coaches, giving people an opportunity to meet and gain support from those who are currently in recovery. Our Addictions services work as part of a substance treatment system, working closely and flexibly with

Student Nurses: Bedpans to Bandages Training to be a nurse has changed dramatically since the early days of the NHS. Greater demands and added responsibility make it harder to qualify than ever before. At universities all over the country, a new generation of nurses is being born. A short series has recently made its debut on ITV following the trials and tribulations of student nurses on their journey to becoming a qualified nurse. From rock drummers to carpet fitters, Student Nurses: Bedpans to Bandages which began on February 14, follows the diverse backgrounds and lives of trainee nurses in Birmingham and Manchester, with all the pressures, emotions and challenges they face both in training and on the wards. Diane Edwards, one of our student nurses was eager to take part in the programme and was followed during her placement at our Longbridge community mental health team. She was one of only two student mental health nurses featured in the series. During her time on placement, Diane got hands on experience of what it’s like to work in a busy community mental health setting. Episode 4, which was broadcast on March 7, featured Diane alongside other student nurses showing the challenges they face on a daily basis, juggling academic study with home life and work on the wards. Diane was seen talking to a service user about their care plan and giving her first injections at a depot medication clinic.

Christine Holz, community psychiatric nurse who was Diane’s mentor also featured in the film. “I was initially very nervous about being followed around by a film crew, but it was soon apparent that the main focus was Diane, the student in question. Diane was very calm and assertive throughout despite telling us she was the most nervous of us all. It’s great to see the profile of mental health being raised in a mass audience way. By doing a programme like this we hope to inspire people to take the route of mental health nursing, which is something that is often overlooked compared to other types of nurse training”.

Diane Edwards filming the ITV series Student Nurses Bedpans to Bandages.

partner organisations, constantly adapting their services to ensure they provide the right treatment, in the right place, at the right time for our clients. For more information on our addictions services please visit our website www.bsmhft.nhs.uk

We’re changing the way referrals are made to mental health services

Service users and carers are at the centre of how we operate our mental health services. We are improving the way community teams are working and have listened to what our service users have been telling us and are making the following changes. In response to comments and feedback from service users and GPs we have been working to make it easier for GPs and other healthcare professionals to make referrals to the Trust’s mental health and addictions services. From April 28 2014 there will be one number for GPs and other referrers to ring for all secondary care mental health services in Birmingham and Solihull (please note that referrals to our Birmingham Healthy Minds service will not be affected). This will ensure service users get the best care in the right place at the right time by the right professional. There will be a reduction in the time taken to carry out assessments which will lead to a better patient experience. A number of further improvements are planned such greater involvement, where appropriate, of carers and families better plans at the time of discharge from our services. Keep your eye out for a regular bulletin for service users and carers that will keep you informed of these exciting changes.

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New Community Experts Network links staff to communities to ensure personalised care Around 100 people from BSMHFT and the community, including Leader of Birmingham City Council Sir Albert Bore, attended the launch of a new Community Experts Network aimed at helping staff members to understand and better serve the different cultures and faiths of the diverse communities across Birmingham and Solihull. The population we serve includes many different nationalities, cultures and faiths and with new communities arriving the cultural landscape is continually changing. Whilst the Trust has identified the need for training in cultural competency for all of our staff, as well as recruiting staff that reflect our population as means of meeting the needs of our communities, the sheer range of diversity can prove to be a challenge for staff at times. It is a lot to expect staff members to be well informed on so many different cultures and beliefs, to be able to distinguish between pathological symptoms and different but ‘normal’ cultural expression, and to identify culturally appropriate responses in all cases. Sometimes it is difficult for staff to address this due to lack of confidence, or a fear of

appearing ignorant or ‘offensive’. The Community Experts are volunteers from a wide range of communities within Birmingham and Solihull. Their role includes supporting staff in dealing with potentially ambiguous and complex scenarios in an open and non-judgemental manner. They respond to enquiries relating to cultural, religious or spiritual issues from clinical staff via email or phone within 24 hours and are also able to signpost staff to relevant individuals or organisations within the community where appropriate. Salma Yaqoob, the Trust’s Community Engagement Manager who set up the network, said: “Our staff work for the NHS because they want to make a difference to service users, and the Community Experts Network will help them to do this through providing really person-centred care and responding appropriately to complex and sometimes unfamiliar issues. This will help build confidence in serving the different communities across our area.” For more information on the Community Experts Network contact [email protected].

Salma Yaqoob at the Community Experts launch.

Empowering our staff through Listening into Action Back in the summer we told you about Listening into Action (LiA), a national programme to improve outcomes for patients, staff, and for our Trust. LiA is about spreading and embedding a fundamental shift in the way we work and lead, putting clinicians, specialists and staff at the centre of change. Since BSMHFT adopted this approach to staff engagement, Listening into Action has been going from strength to strength. At the heart of LiA is empowering staff and

Listening into Action ‘Pass it On’ event, November 2013.

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supporting them to make changes within their areas that improve outcomes not only for patient and carers; but also for staff themselves. Since the launch in April 2013 teams from across the Trust have been taking on the challenge holding listening events, identifying things that need to improve and finding innovative solutions to improving things in their area. Some of the early ‘quick wins’ have been around improving our patient information system, RiO, reducing recruitment times, reviewing inpatient staffing levels, providing an onsite catering solution for Highcroft site and inviting service users to sit on job interview panels. The next teams to take on the challenge have already been hard at work holding sessions, identifying improvements in

their own areas. Some of the things they will be looking at include senior management visibility, improving therapeutic activities, looking at shift patterns and improving communication within the team. Teams that are currently using the Listening into Action approach are Ashcroft Unit, Bergamot Ward Juniper Centre, Baker Ward Ardenleigh, Bruce Burns Ward, Solihull Hospital, Eden PiCU, Hollyhill Unit, HR Team, Lavender Ward Zinnia Centre, Mary Seacole Ward 2, Meadowcroft Unit, Service User Involvement Team, Solihull Home Treatment Team, Finance Team, Ross House, Japonica, Oleaster, Sycamore Ward Tamarind Centre, ARCH Central and West Hub, and RAID Team at Good Hope Hospital. We are not the only NHS Trust to take part in the pioneering programme, over 50 trusts from across the country have been taking forward this approach to engaging and empowering staff. To find out what other NHS Trusts have been doing visit the national Listening into Action blog at http://blog.listeningintoaction.co.uk.


Regional Dual Diagnosis Forum

The COMPASS Programme, which is part of our addictions service, organised the third Regional Dual Diagnosis Forum of 2013 which took place late last year. The forum which was held at our Orsborn House site in Handsworth, was well attended by clinicians from across the Trust and colleagues from partner organisations. Speakers included Professor Alex Copello, Sandra Pinnock and Robert O’Brien from BSMHFT. Feedback from attendees was positive and

Poetry Corner POEM WRITTEN BEFORE BREAKFAST I may be conscious And when I am The ‘time’ I’m in’s Before the ‘Bang’ I may be conscious – See the child awake! Sense the good news stun As it zaps the fake! You’ll know it’s so When there’s no you, no me, And when all that is Is known as free. And you’ll know it’s so When you feel loved and held When the light is bright, Woven seamless Throughout the world. And you’ll know it’s so When you see us glow. When through us, Co-opting horizons Through the god, Ruach, your eyes burn. And when everything You touch, Turns to gold.

Dianne Aslett

future forums will be organised over the coming months. Dual diagnosis is when an individual has a diagnosis of a mental illness and alongside that also a substance misuse problem. It involves different approaches to treatment and we ensure staff here at BSMHFT are trained it working with service users who may have a dual diagnosis. For more information please contact Jo Leci by emailing [email protected]

Giving staff members a little recognition in our Quality and Excellence awards

Everyday our dedicated staff provide exceptional care for people who use our services. Many work tirelessly to ensure the best possible outcomes for our service users and go out of their way to provide a positive, caring experience. As a Trust it’s important that we recognise their contribution and hard work. To support this we have launched our Quality and Excellence staff awards. These awards have been created to recognise excellence and highlight the contribution individuals and teams are making to improve patient care. As part of the awards we have created a special category where we will be looking for service users and carers to nominate an individual staff member who has made a big difference to their care. Maybe it’s someone who shows compassion in their care, or simply a friendly face who brightens the day and improves your overall experience of services. You can find out more details including how you can nominate on our website, www.bsmhft.nhs.uk. We will also be encouraging fellow colleagues to nominate staff for the Quality and Excellence awards so keep an eye out for further information.

Stepping on the GAS: Improving care planning by using goal attainment scaling

Recovery is a really important focus for our Trust and we work closely with service users and carers to set realistic goals that will help them on their journey to improving their mental health wellbeing. We have recently been trialling goal attainment scaling (GAS) which measures how far a service user has achieved their recovery goals. Firstly, service users set goals relating to the six recovery and wellbeing domains that research suggests are important in developing a meaningful life. These are symptom recovery, physical recovery, functional recovery, social recovery, occupational recovery, and habitation which relates to supportive relationships, accommodation, finances, cultural engagement, faith and general wellbeing. A scaling will be then be applied during our regular care planning sessions with service users, that will measure how far they have achieved their goals. We are currently piloting this new way of working in our Warstock Lane Community Mental Health Team (CMHT), Aston CMHT, Rare Dementia Service, Handsworth Assertive Outreach Team, South hub CMHT and Grove Avenue NAIPS unit. During March we will evaluate both staff and service user experience in using this type of scaling, with early headlines suggesting it has delivered positive outcomes for both groups. Recently the Care Quality Commission visited Grove Avenue as part of their normal inspection programme and they reviewed a care plan where GAS was used. The care plan received significant praise and the CQC commented that it was the best plan they had ever seen. If you would like to join our work or hear more about the pilot please contact Dr Andrew Papadopoulos by emailing [email protected]

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Supporting service users back into training With rehabilitation and recovery such a strong focus for our Trust it’s important that we find creative ways to support service users with their developmental needs. Our occupational therapists within secure services have recently been working in partnership with Bournville College to offer a 14 week accredited programme for services users across our secure sites. The Get Ready for Employment and Training Course consists of seven modules and aims to support service users in developing the skills and knowledge needed for future employment, training or volunteering. Modules include preparing for interviews, customer service, skills for employment and developing confidence for work. Jane Clare Occupational Therapist at Reaside said: “This is an exciting opportunity for our service users as it will help them to build their confidence and prepare for their future. This exciting partnership will ensure that we can provide learning which we hope to build upon in the future”. But that’s not the only thing on offer. Walking around the wood shop at Tamarind Centre you will be amazed at the pieces that have been created by our service users. Ranging from rocking horses to bird tables, there is a whole host of items that have been expertly hand crafted. “It’s very rewarding and satisfying to work with service users who are each on their own journey” says Phillip McGlynn, Technical Instructor at Tamarind Centre. “It’s great to see how happy they are when they have a finished product, I have an enormous amount of pride in helping them achieve what they do.” There are also many other opportunities for our service users within secure services to develop their skills including, shop worker role, cookery, computer skills, residents councils and even a cycling maintenance course. This work also ties in with other initiatives around the Trust which aim to provide a more recovery focused approach by enabling our service users to build skills that they can take forward with them.

Philip McGlynn and Nicholas Lansbury, Occupational Therapist.

Choose Well app helps you decide which urgent service you need

Deciding which health service to use when you need urgent or emergency care can be confusing. The new ‘Choose Well’ app is brought to you by Clinical Commissioning Groups across the West Midlands and gives advice and guidance on which service is best for your needs. Often, there are more appropriate and closer services you can use for minor illness or injury. The free app will help you to choose the right one and the interactive map can even show you the services closest to where you are right now, whether than be at home, in

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the car, at work or out shopping! This app is designed for people living in the following areas:  Birmingham  Dudley  Solihull  Sandwell  Wolverhampton  Walsall

The app is available on the iTunes app store and as an Android app on Google Play. Just simply search for ‘choose well West Midlands’ and download the free app today.


Dates for your Diary

APRIL 1 Youth Homelessness Matters day. Visit www.youthhomelessnessmatters.net for more information. 20 St George’s Day celebrations in city centre. Celebrate St. George's Day with a fun filled family event in Birmingham’s Chamberlain and Victoria squares. APRIL/MAY 26 - 3 Depression Awareness Week. For more information go to www.depressionalliance.org. MAY 12 - 16 Mental Health Awareness Week. The theme of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week is anxiety, one of the leading causes of mental ill-health in the world. 18 - 24 National Epilepsy Week. Help raise awareness about epilepsy, with this year’s theme focusing on diagnosis. Visit www.epilepsy.org for more details. 24 - 25 Birmingham Pride. The biggest two day LGBT party in the UK returns to Birmingham City Centre. For more information visit www.birminghampride.com JUNE 1-7 Volunteering Week, to find out how you can make a difference to your community by donating you skills and time visit www.volunteering.org.uk 9 - 16 Carers Week, annual awareness campaign to celebrate and recognise the contribtion made by the UK’s 6.5 million carers.

Check out our website to keep up to date with the latest news and events at www.bsmhft.nhs.uk

In the Spotlight:

Dr Barry Henley Non-executive director What was your career background before becoming a non-executive director (NED) for BSMHFT? I am originally from Liverpool and studied Chemical Engineering at UMIST. I worked for BOC in industrial and medical gases for ten years in several roles, including production manager in Manchester of what was the largest air separation unit in Europe. In 1981 I moved into the electronic security and fire protection industry. In time I became the Marketing Director of Chubb Alarms and was responsible for the introduction of many new products including the first UK trial of electronic tagging of offenders. Chubb asked me to turn around two businesses, one in electronics manufacturing, and another in fire engineering for oil rigs. As a reward for my successful efforts the company appointed me to run their Singapore operations. I moved to Australia when Chubb needed another loss-making business set to rights. Three years in Sydney allowed me to earn a Doctor of Business Administration degree studying the financial outcomes of corporate acquisitions. I returned to Birmingham in 2000 and became the Chief Executive of Birmingham City University’s faculty of engineering, computer technology and media production, and was responsible for its move up the University league tables and record levels of home and overseas recruitment. I am a Birmingham City Councillor, a trustee of the Academy of Youth educational charity and a committee member of several local amenity groups. My other voluntary work included being a school Governor at Uffculme primary school for children with autistic spectrum disorders, and at King David Primary School. I joined the NHS as a non-executive director of Heart of Birmingham PCT, and then carried on in the same role for the cluster of four Birmingham and Solihull PCTs. For HoB I chaired the Equality and Diversity Committee, the Individual Funding Request panel, and the Provider Arm (District Nurses, Health Visitors, School Nurses and Sexual Health). For the cluster I chaired the Public Health Operations Group and the Finance and Performance Committee.

committee which provides assurance to the Board that we are complying with the legal requirements when we deprive a patient of their liberty. As a new starter I have also been busy visiting the trust’s many locations and catching up with mandatory training. What do you think are the top priorities for the Trust in the next 12 months? From talking to staff I would say one is re-implementing Rio to remove a lot of the data entry complications which have slowed down administrative tasks and reduced the time staff have for caring for service users. Another would be to lower our acute bed occupancy to well below 100% by diverting patients away from that pathway, or increasing the number of wards, or by eliminating the delays to discharge that “block” beds. How do you like to look after your own physical and mental health wellbeing? I am a fair weather cyclist and walker aiming at an average of 5,000 steps a day. Political campaigning on the doorstep and leafleting usually provide most of the exercise I need. I am happy solving problems, the more difficult the better. That’s what I do as a Councillor, as a non-executive director of the trust and in all my other roles in schools and charities. If I haven’t any work to do I like to complete Sudoku puzzles.

What have you recently been working on as a NED? I have been studying the Mental Health Act and the Mental Capacity Act so that I can fulfil my duties as Chair of the trust’s mental health legislation

Contact details: You can email Barry at [email protected]

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Photography Corner

Runner up: Brookvale lake, Erdington by Bernadette Beckford.

Winner: Durham Old Age Bridge by Karen Bullard.

How you can enter

Photos can be colour or black and white images, must not feature people and be the photographer’s own work. Digital entries should not be larger than 4MB. The best entries will receive a £30 gift voucher and be printed in Trust Talk. Deadline for entries is June 30, 2014.

Email entries to [email protected]. If submitting hard copies send them to: Photography Corner, Communications department, FREEPOST Plus RRXE-GTKC-GRBZ, BSMHFT, 50 Summer Hill Road, Birmingham, B1 3RB.

Runner up: Appledore Estuary, North Devon by Lorraine Frost.

Anagrams

Below are 10 words which are linked to features in this issue of Trust Talk. Can you figure out what they are? 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

sgneiintl eynmpltemo wndneos yecveror namgiig pshwkorso aasmitsnra mrnoveieptm bdooyeg ienntfoci

Answers: Listening, Employment, Snowden, Recovery, Imaging, Workshops, Samaritans, Improvement, Goodbye, Infection.

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Word Search Words to find: change

dementia director

download forensic

opening pioneer quality

spotlight triage