The
Word
Staffordshire and
Stoke on Tresnt Partnership
NHS Trust
Edition 387
2 September 2016
Click here to reserve
your place at:
Social Work
Registration Renewal
8 September
5.00pm – 7.00pm
Rising Brook Baptist
Church Centre,
Stafford, ST17 9LT
We Put
Quality First
We Focus
on People
We Take
Responsibility
In this issue
3 | Freedom to Speak Up
4 | Social Work Registration
Renewal
5 | Equality Delivery System
6 | Staff Friends and Family
Test
From the
Top
5 | Success in Trust’s First
Lockdown
6 | Mindful Moment
7 | Thank You
I regret that from time to time I have to use this column to
recognise and acknowledge the difficulties that are caused
as a result of changes in commissioning intentions. The
commissioners are keen to reduce the number of community
beds and as part of their strategy they are planning to close the
beds at Cheadle Hospital. As we own the hospital and provide
support to the wards this decision has inevitably impacted
significantly on staff in the Trust.
As a result of the proposed changes at Cheadle I recognised
that our community hospital staff may have concerns about
the future of the beds that we run in other hospitals. I was
pleased to be able to visit staff at Haywood and Leek last week
to provide assurance that there are no plans to close wards at
either site.
During my visit to Leek it was good to meet so many staff. In
addition to meeting a number of staff as a group, I was also
able to visit the wards and see and hear the enthusiasm of
clinical teams who are working to support patients. Meeting
staff is one of the best part of getting out and about, and I
was really pleased to see a number of staff who I’ve not seen
in while and have to opportunity to catch up on their progress
within the Trust.
On my visit to Haywood Hospital I was fortunate to see the
excellent rehabilitation services on Broadfield ward, where I
was particularly impressed with the way in which the multidisciplinary
team work in partnership to deliver excellent
outcomes for patients. I also met staff on Chatterley ward and
was pleased to be able to reassure them about the value of the
services which they provide.
Whilst there I took the opportunity to visit the Walk in Centre
and this was a chance for me to talk with staff about some of
the broader challenges that face the NHS nationally, and it was
good to hear strongly held views directly from staff.
In the latter part of last week a number of staffing shortfalls
were escalated by local managers for consideration by Directors
of the Trust. I recognise that the month of August can be
difficult due to school holidays and lots of staff using this time
of year to take annual leave. This coupled with vacancies and
maternity leave has led to a situation where many teams are
under pressure.
I’d like to offer assurance that senior managers and Directors
have been working closely together this week to ensure staff
are able to deliver the highest quality and safest care possible.
Some of the actions which have already been put in place
including additional support from a range of ‘corporate’ staff,
as well and looking at ways to fast track the recruitment
process so that long term clinical support can be put into teams
as quickly and efficiently as possible. In addition we are sharing
our current challenges with commissioners so that we can
jointly agree how our limited staffing resources can be used in
the most effective ways.
Over recent months I have met a number of new staff and it is
good hear that they are enjoying their time with us. Some have
expressed a view that they had regretted not moving to work
in the community at an earlier point in their careers. If you’re
aware of colleagues or peers who would like to experience
work in a community setting please encourage them to get in
touch so that we can find opportunities that meet their skills
and personal circumstances.
Delivering improvement and supporting operational delivery
are key elements of any corporate support functions. In order
to improve the way in which we support improvements across
the Trust we have brought together a number of staff from
different areas to create a new ‘Continuous Improvement’
team. I visited the new team during their ‘launch meeting’ last
week and it was good to see their enthusiasm at first hand.
Finally, I hope that you all enjoyed the recent bank holiday. For
those staff who worked over the extended weekend I’d like to
say thank you for your hard work and commitment and I hope
you have leave planned so that you can have a well-deserved
break.
Stuart
Stuart Poynor
Chief Executive
We Put
Quality First
We Focus
on People
We Take
Responsibility
2
Freedom to Speak Up
Raising Concerns
Freedom to Speak Up
Raising Concerns
See something
you know isn’t right
Say something
to make it better
acted upon?
SUPPORTING OUR VALUES
We Put
Quality First
In August the Trust launched its new Raising Concerns campaign
to encourage staff to speak up and if they See Something, Say
Something. In previous editions of The Word you have been
introduced to Emma Powell , our Freedom to Speak Up Guardian
and Ambassador for Cultural Change and Jo Davies, Customer
Service Officer who is supporting the See Something Say Something
campaign.
We Focus
on People
Please help
keep me safe by
reporting something you
know isn’t right
In this edition we introduce Non-Executive Director (NED) Jane
Gaddum, who is advocating Raising Concerns in her NED role.
“As the Non- Executive Director for Raising Concerns, my role is to seek
assurance that concerns can be raised without fear, that the organisation
acts fairly, answering questions, and that the service to our patients and
users improves as a result. What I tend to ask myself is: would I wish to use
this service as a patient or service user? And as a member of staff, if I had a
concern, would I know how to raise it and would I be confident in how it would be
The NHS is experiencing multiple challenges in the way that it is organised and funded, causing change, sometimes
at short notice. The added complexity of the Partnership Trust and the geographic spread of our sites, many of you
working remotely, means that it is even more important that all of our staff know how to raise a concern and feel
confident in the way that it will be handled. Usual line management and HR processes are often the most effective
route to raise queries, but Emma, our Freedom to Speak Up Guardian, is an important independent resource
available to all staff at all levels, to ensure that any concerns raised are acted upon appropriately.
I encourage each of you to familiarise yourselves with the See Something, Say Something campaign so that you
know how to access the most appropriate support if
required.”
Jane Gaddum
Jane Gaddum
Non-Executive Director
How do I Say Something if I
See Something?
Speak to your line manager formally or informally.
If this does not resolve matters or you feel you can’t
raise it with them, speak to the Trust’s Freedom to
Speak up 07976 Guardian by calling 249701
07976 or email
raisingconcerns@ssotp.nhs.uk
We Take
Responsibility
Helpline
email
raisingconcerns@ssotp.nhs.uk
3
Social Work
Registration Renewal
As social workers in England, renewal of the HCPC
registration must take place every two years and each
profession has fixed renewal dates.
As a registered social worker you will receive a renewal
notice requesting your registration to be renewed.
Notifications will be sent on the 1 September 2016 and
the registration end date will be 30 November 2016.
As a registered social worker a professional
declaration must be signed confirming that you
have;
• Continued to practise your profession since your last
registration; or
• not practised your profession since your last
registration but have met the HCPC’s return to
practice requirements.
You are also confirming that:
• You continue to meet the HCPC’s standards of
proficiency for the safe and effective practice of your
profession;
• there have been no changes to your health or
relating to your good character which you have not
advised HCPC about and which would affect your
safe and effective practice of your profession; and
• you continue to meet the HCPC’s standards for
continuing professional development.
Whenever a profession renews its registration HCPC
will randomly audit (check) the CPD of 2.5 per cent of
professionals from that profession. Those registrants who
are chosen for audit must submit a CPD profile to show
how their CPD meets our standards.
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) can be
a range of learning activities through which you will
maintain and develop throughout your career; this
ensures you retain the capacity to practice safely,
effectively and legally within your evolving scope of
practice.
The HCPC intention is that you will make a professional
judgement as to the type of evidence you will submit
within your CPD portfolio. Your portfolio should be
based upon on-going learning and development, also
focusing on your achievements and how these are
reflected within your practice and service delivery.
For more information on how to complete your portfolio
or for support if your portfolio is chosen to audit please
contact karen.nixon@ssotp.nhs.uk
USEFUL LINK - How to fill in your CPD portfolio - click
here.
The list below highlights some of the
activities that might make up your
continuing professional development (CPD).
Work based learning
Learning by doing // Case studies // Reflective
practice // Discussions with colleagues // Peer
review // Secondments
Formal / educational
Courses // Further education // Research //
Attending conferences // Writing articles or
papers
Professional activity
Involvement in a professional body //
Membership of a specialist interest group //
Lecturing or teaching // Mentoring
Self-directed learning
Reading journals / articles // Reviewing books
or articles // Updating knowledge through the
internet or TV // Keeping a file of your progress
We Put
Quality First
We Focus
on People
We Take
Responsibility
4
Success in Trust’s
First Lockdown
The Trust is committed to following NHS England and NHS Protect’s lockdown guidance and we are pleased to
report that a successful test scenario was carried out in the Trust last week.
Meir Primary Care Centre became the first premises to carry out a lockdown scenario on 24 August. The team
received a visit from the security management team and were informed of an explosive device in the front lobby.
Under the guidance of Joanne Ashcroft and her admin team all staff, patients and visitors were successfully
evacuated to a designated safe area without too much disruption to patients and their clinical appointments.
Norman Walker from the health and safety team said: “This exercise is the first of its type across the Trust so we
are delighted that it ran so smoothly and most importantly, we are very happy with how staff responded to the
situation.”
Lockdown tests will continue throughout the Trust over the next few months.
For more information, please contact Linda Craen or Norman Walker on healthandsafety@ssotp.nhs.uk
Equality Delivery System – your feedback is required!
The Trust has a graded Equality Delivery System (EDS2) which we have developed with feedback
from staff, service users, patients and carers and a variety of surveys and reports.
We have now begun the process of looking at the equality objectives for the period of September
2016-2019. Themes for the objectives have been identified and are featured in our latest EDS2
report – click here
We welcome your comments and/or suggestions on the EDS2 gradings and objectives. Please take a
few minutes to respond to the survey click here or send comments directly to respect@ssotp.nhs.uk
This document and the survey are available in different formats.
Email: interpreterservices@ssotp.nhs.uk call 01782 227772 or text 07540 675095 to request a
format suitable to your needs.
The survey is open until 8 September 2016.
We Put
Quality First
We Focus
on People
We Take
Responsibility
5
Staff Friends and
Family Test
We want to hear more
The Staff Friends and Family Test was launched by NHS England in April 2014. All NHS organisations are required to
ask all of their staff members the following two questions on a quarterly basis:
1. How likely are you to recommend this organisation to friends and family if they needed care or treatment?
2. How likely are you to recommend this organisation to friends and family as a place to work?
The short and simple survey is designed to measure levels of staff advocacy within NHS organisations, provide a more
frequent opportunity for staff to have their say and to help drive and inform service improvement.
The second survey of the 2016/2017 schedule will be launched on Tuesday 6th September and will be sent to all
staff with current, active email addresses.
Please take the time to complete the survey and share your views.
Mindful Moment
Thank you to Desiree Cumberbatch, Interim AHP Manager who submitted a
quote from Joseph Goldstein for this week’s Mindful Moment.
“The greatest communication is usually how
we are rather than what we say.”
Joseph Goldstein
Please send your favourite quotes to tracy.fothergill@ssotp.nhs.uk
SUPPORTING OUR VALUES
We Put
Quality First
We Focus
on People
We Take
Responsibility
6
SUPPORTING OUR VALUES
Thank You
A dental team based in North Staffordshire has been
praised for the care and support which they gave to recent
patient who required emergency care.
“I would just like to pass on my thanks to the dentist
and nurses who treated me on Sunday and today for
severe pain in my wisdom tooth. Thank you for the quick
emergency appointment on Sunday morning as I appreciate
these are in very short supply.
The dentist I saw was extremely understanding that I’m an
anxious patient when it comes to dentistry and took great
care to make me feel at ease, guiding me through the
process step by step.
Unfortunately I didn’t fully catch the names of the dentists
nor nurses who treated me. However, I would be grateful
if you could pass on my gratitude for their help and
assistance.’
A service user of Wombourne and Kinver ILCT has sent
in a thank you note in gratitude for the help which the
team have provided.
“‘Just wanted to thank you for all of your help and support
over the last few months. It’s been a difficult transition for
me and asking for external help has been the hardest thing.
The carers were great and made a difficult time easier.
My PA’s have been with me for 6 weeks now and this has
been fantastic. I’m safe, clean, dressed and getting out of
the cottage! Thank you again for your help and respecting
my erratic sleep patterns, and responding to my queries so
quickly!”
Staff on Cottage Ward at Leek Hospital have received a
heartfelt thank you from a relative of a recent patients.
“On behalf of myself and of all our family we wanted to
thank each and every one of you for the tremendous care
that you all provided throughout her stay. The compassion,
humility and love that was not only provided to her but
also to her relatives was first class and you should all be
exceptionally proud of yourselves.
Please keep doing what you are doing. You are testament
to what can be achieved in the NHS.”
A health visitor (name not given) based at Gnosall GP
Surgery has been praised in an email to the Trust.
“I wanted to email to express my gratitude and thanks for
the support I have received from my health visitor, based at
Gnosall GP Surgery.
Despite being a confident, well informed person, becoming
a parent for the first time was completely life changing and
overwhelming. I can honestly say my health visitor has been
hugely influential in supporting me through the first year of
motherhood.
Her skills are second to none, always listening, never
making you feel like you are making a bad choice and able
to spot and support when you are having a bad week.”
A service user who has recently used the North
Staffordshire Sexual Health service has phoned to say
‘an amazing service and everyone does a fantastic job.’
Well done to the LIS team in Stafford who have received
a compliment which said, “they have been fantastic, they
are all brilliant. They’re polite and will do anything for me.
I’m more than pleased with them. “
Staff can now log their own compliments on the
Safeguard database. Please click here for a guide
on entering compliments from patients/service
users.
When forwarding compliments please ensure
specific details of the message are included so
that all messages can be passed on, and credit
can be given, to the correct teams.
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Trent Partnership NHS Trust
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