DECEMBER 2013

Inside this issue...

Charity Bake off Charity Bake Off PaLS Antrim held a Coffee Morning on Friday 22 November 2013 for the Page 1 victims of Typhoon Haiyan which recently hit the Philippines. Typhoon Haiyan (known in the Philippines as Typhoon Yolanda) is the deadliest Simon McGrattan’s 3 natural disaster in the country's history, killing at least 5,209 people, with Challenge many more still missing. Page 2

Letter of Thanks for

BSO Page 3

Certificate of Thanks Page 4

HR Hughnited FC v DLS Page 5

Video Conferencing Technology Page 6

BSO Board Meeting: January All of those present in PaLS Antrim were welcomed to taste our version of Page 6 the ‘Great British Bake Off’ and everyone enjoyed our varied fare. From the coffee morning a total of £175.00 was raised for this good cause and Health Advice we would like to thank all of those who provided food for the event and the Page 7 staff and visitors to Bretten Hall who donated. Chairman’s Lunch Pages 8-9

Change but Continuity of Service at ORECNI Page 10

Access Awareness Page 11

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BSO Business Matters December 2013 Page 2 Simon McGrattan’s 3 Marathon Challenge BSO’s Assistant Director of Finance Simon McGrattan ran 3 separate in under 6 weeks in order to raise money for children with Down’s syndrome in . Simon received 54 donations and managed to raise £1, 265. All of the proceedings went to the registered charity Down’s Syndrome Association.

“ My name is Simon McGrattan, and I work in BSO Finance. As part of my mid-life crisis I took up running, mainly marathons. I had the good fortune this year of obtaining entry to three marathons:

1. , 21 April 2013; 2. Marathon, 6 May 2013; and 3. Derry/Londonderry (City of Culture), 2 June 2013.

With the proximity of the events to each other I thought, ‘why not package the whole experience as a challenge and seek funding for a charity?’ The BSO charity this year is Down’s Syndrome Association. I met my wife at a Gateway Club, a youth club for disabled kids. Many of the kids had Down’s so I have a particular affiliation with this charity. I raised sponsorship a few years ago in BSO and was amazed by the generosity of staff, and I am confident that the spirit of giving continues.” - Simon McGrattan

Simon sent sponsorship forms around BSO and set up a JustGiving page to allow online donations. You can visit the page and read the encouraging comments from the donors at www.justgiving.com/ Simon-McGrattan/

Simon McGrattan

Encouraging comments from his donors:

“Very well done Simon, a brilliant achievement.” - Pauline McVeigh

“Well done; hope the legs aren't too sore.”- Alphy Maginness

“Congratulations Simon - a great achievement - and for a very worthwhile cause” - Brendan Maguire

“Champion! Well done!” - Paula Shields

“Well done Simon, great running and a great cause!” - Michael Crawford

“Well done Simon!!! 3 marathons in 6 weeks is some going!” - Bronagh Keatley

“Good Luck in the City of Culture - two marathons in one week - you must be crazy!” - Norma Moore

“Good luck Simon, what a worthy cause!” - Caragh Lynch

“Running 3 marathons, very impressive. Good luck for all 3 and this is an excellent cause!” - Rachel Crothers

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BSO Business Matters December 2013 Page 3 Letter of Thanks for BSO

Down’s Syndrome Association (NI Office) Unit 2, Marlborough House 348 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 6GH Telephone 028 9066 5260 E-Mail: [email protected],uk

18th November 2013

Business Organisation Services 2 Franklin Street Belfast BT” 8DQ

Dear Mr Bingham and Staff,

I am writing to thank you for the generous donation of £870.00 that you raised through various fundraising events. We appreciate all the time, effort and sheer hard work that goes into fundraising.

The Down’s Syndrome Association aims to help those with Down’s syndrome lead full and rewarding lives and to provide advice and support to their families, carers and the professionals who work with them.

Here in Northern Ireland we run numerous projects providing a wide range of activities, residential and social breaks for teenagers and young adults as well as organising events, conferences and providing training and support to parents and professionals. We also have 6 youth clubs throughout Northern Ireland.

Again, very many thanks for supporting the Down’s Syndrome Association.

Kind regards

Fiona Wilson Admin/ Project Worker

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BSO Business Matters December 2013 Page 4 Certificate of Appreciation for BSO

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BSO Business Matters December 2013 Page 5 HR Hughnited FC v DLS Match Report Wednesday 11th December at Dub playing fields HR Hughnited were denied a much warranted victory over DLS when a late equaliser by DLS deprived them of a famous comeback. The final 4-4 scoreline did not reflect the total dominance of HR Hughnited throughout the game and after coming back from being 3-0 down due to the arriving presence of Coach Kennedy on the sidelines, HR Hughnited scored the next 4 goals to lead 4-3 before DLS undeservedly nicked a late goal (Peter Carson). Despite this, HR Hughnited produced a late onslaught in ‘Fergie Time’ with a penalty being denied, a post being hit and several goalmouth scrambles failing to produce a justified winner for the better team. Early DLS goals from Conor Cole and Andrew Fox (2) enabled the pre-match favourites to race into what seemed an unassailable lead. Coach Kennedy arrived at this point and after giving the HR Hughnited the hairdryer treatment (and threats of P45s being issued if this performance level continued), the team responded well to this motivational encouragement. Patrick O’Hara muscled off a few DLS defenders to reduce the lead to 2 goals. DLS defender Derek ‘chopper’ Brown then was then penalised for professionally fouling Patrick O’Hara in their box with Colm McGarry scoring the resulting penalty to close the gap to one goal. Mark Harvey then scored the equaliser after DLS couldn’t cope with the continuing pressure on their goal. The momentum was all with HR Hughnited FC at this point with the lead being taken by HR after a classy finish by Patrick O’Hara. DLS’s predatory strikers Alphy Maginness and Mark Scott were being well marshalled by HR Hughnited defenders Paddy Hanna and Dermot Scullion and the DLS midfield of Conor Cole, Andrew Fox and Peter Carson were easily contained by their HR Hughnited counterparts (Mark Harvey and Colm McGarry). In defence for DLS, Derek Brown and Terry Littlewood were always uncomfortable and struggled throughout against the HR Hughnited strike force of Bill Harvey and Patrick O’Hara. Conor Price performed heroically in nets for HR Hughnited and made a few excellent saves to deny DLS when they did manage to escape the clutches of the HR defenders. Conor did however flaunt team rules by wearing a Liverpool jersey. This will be dealt with internally by HR Hughnited FC. Another date is to be finalised for the decider between these two heavyweight teams and it may need to be moved to all ticket affair such was the crowd size at Wednesday’s game. Attendance – 1 (Coach Kennedy) Created by Customer Relations & Service Improvement

BSO Business Matters December 2013 Page 6 Video Conferencing Technology

As video conferencing technology continues to improve, there is more and more of a push for businesses to integrate this into their communication package.

Communication Among Offices

BSO has multiple offices, and many colleagues may have to occasionally partake in conference calls or regional meetings in which they have to travel to a specific location to take part. Often there will be a certain amount of paperwork which must be distributed, meaning it will have to be prepared before the meeting or sent via e-mail or postal mail to the offices beforehand. This means that you have to put a lot of preparation into your meetings. Think of how much time and money you could save if you were able to have most of your meetings via video, with all relevant information displayed on the screen when it is needed and true interactivity among the people at different offices. Video conferencing can allow you to set up a video system and microphones at each location letting them see and hear the points raised by the other offices as well as any material that you choose to display within the meeting– all without travel or excessive preparation beforehand.

BSO has now 2 of these facilities, one on the 6th floor and one on the 7th and Bill Harvey ( Head of Counter Fraud Investigations) or his staff are more than happy to give instruction on the system.

BSO has invested £18,000 into video conferencing technology for the 6th floor meeting room and the BSO Boardroom in 2 Franklin Street. This will allow staff based in the periphery of Northern Ireland to communicate face to face in real time with colleagues at meetings based in BSO headquarters (2 Franklin Street). Traveling from locations such as Derry/Londonderry to Belfast may cost up to £250 per manager and take on average 4 hours. Several managers may use the video conferencing technology simultaneously. It is therefore estimated that the cost to implement the video conferencing technology will be recuperated within 3 months.

The technology was first used on 17/12/2013 which allowed David Bingham to communicate directly with Martin Bradley MBE. Without the video conferencing technology Martin would have had to travel from Derry/Londonderry to Belfast city centre for a 15 minute meeting. Forthcoming Board Meeting

The next meeting of the BSO Board will take place on Thursday 30 January at 2:00pm in the BSO Boardroom, 2 Franklin Street, Belfast, BT2 8DQ

If you would like any further information or details of the agenda, please contact Amanda Mills in the Chief Executive’s Office.

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BSO Business Matters December 2013 Page 7 Don’t let excessive alcohol ruin the festive fun With the festive party season in full swing, the Public Health Agency (PHA) is urging people to watch their alcohol intake over Christmas. Many people across Northern Ireland will be gearing up for office parties, family gatherings and nights out with friends when it will be all too easy to overindulge. Owen O’Neill, the PHA’s Drugs and Alcohol Lead, said: “Most people will be looking forward to relaxing and enjoying themselves over Christmas and we are asking that they keep an eye on what they are drinking and set themselves limits. Don’t let your drinking spoil the holiday for you and your friends and family.” It is recommended that men drink no more than 3 to 4 units of alcohol a day and no more than 21 units over a week. For women, it is recommended that they drink no more than 2 to 3 units of alcohol a day and no more than 14 units over the course of the week. It’s important to spread the units throughout the week—you can’t ‘save up’ your units for a particular day or a party. Binge drinking can have a major impact on health, such as causing damage to the liver, heart, brain and stomach. Alcohol can also affect your mental wellbeing and hangovers can leave you feeling low and anxious. “If you are feeling down over Christmas, drinking can make it worse, so cutting down may put you in a better mood generally,” said Owen.

“Alcohol can also disrupt your sleep patterns. Stopping you from a deep sleep can also add to low mood. Perhaps one of the biggest impacts can be on our relationships. No one wants to spoil Christmas so plan ahead and take it easy if you do drink alcohol.” If you do decide to drink alcohol over the Christmas period try to follow these simple tips:

 Have something to eat before you start drinking to slow down the absorption of alcohol;

 Alternate each alcoholic drink with a non-alcoholic drink; for example water or a soft drink;

 Take frequent five minute breaks from drinking to give your body time to recover;

 Avoid drinking in rounds or having a kitty as this may make you drink more;

 Keep track of your drinks and don’t let anyone top up your drink until it’s finished. For further information about alcohol limits visit www.knowyourlimits.info More information on looking after your mental health and the support which is available across Northern Ireland can be found at www.mindingyourhead.info If you or someone you know is in distress or despair, call Lifeline on 0808 808 8000. This is a confidential service, where trained counsellors will listen and help immediately on the phone and follow up with other support if necessary. Their helpline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also access the Lifeline website at www.lifelinehelpline.info www.publichealth.hscni.net

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BSO Business Matters December 2013 Page 8 Chairman’s Lunch Following the December meeting of the BSO Board, the Chairman hosted his annual lunch at which he paid tribute to the dedication of BSO staff during the past year. Reference was made to the standard of application and innovation displayed in all of the 28 nominations for the Staff Recognition Awards, including the Accelerated Pharmacy Payments Project which successfully achieved payment within 30 days. The Chairman also thanked members of the BSO Social Committee for their enthusiasm and hard work in organising a number of fund-raising events for worthwhile causes throughout the year.

L- R: BSO Social Group: LeeAnn McKay (HR Information Manager), Martin Mullan (Legal Assistant) ,Helen Hanna (Legal Assistant) and Geraldine Doherty (Learning and Development Manager).

L - R: Desie Graham (Senior Manager). This was Desie’s last day working at the BSO as he is set to retire at the end of the month. Also pictured, Hugh McPoland (Director of HR) and Eddie McSorley (PaLS, Warehouse Manager)

Rita Marsden (Assistant Director of Customer Care and Performance) and Siobhan McGrath (Head of ORECNI)

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BSO Business Matters December 2013 Page 9 Chairman’s Lunch

Karen Bailey (Director of Customer Care and Performance) and David Bryce (Assistant Director, ITS)

L-R: Alex Coleman (Chairman), Brian McMurray, Geraldine Fahy, Greg Irwin and Robin McClelland (all Non - executive board members)

Paddy Anderson (Director of Finance) and Mark Harvey (Assistant Director of Counter Fraud and Probity Services).

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BSO Business Matters December 2013 Page 10 Change but Continuity of Service at ORECNI At the ORECNI we are settling into a period of change. As of 17th February 2014 the current Health and Social Care Research Ethics Committees (HSC RECs) 1, 2 and 3 at the Office for Research Ethics Committees Northern Ireland (ORECNI) at BSO, will be merged into HSC RECs A and B. The new Chairs are Dr Catherine Hack (Lecturer in Bioinformatics, University of Ulster) and Professor Patrick Murphy (Social and Economic Policy Advisor) respectively. The new Vice Chairs are Dr Alastair Walker (Former Head of Educational services CCEA, Education Consultant) and Dr Anne Moorhead (Lecturer in Health & Interpersonal Communication, University of Ulster). Congratulations to all! Each REC is made up of members of the general public as well as social care and healthcare professionals, who provide a voluntary service to protect the rights, dignity and safety of research participants by ensuring that these research projects conform to generally accepted ethical principles and standards. The committees will be recognized by the UK Ethics Committee Authority to review all Clinical Trials of Investigational Medicinal Products (CTIMPs) (including Phase 1). Both committees (HSC REC A and B) will also be able to review a wide range of research in the field of Health and Social Care including medical devices, research involving children, persons with mental incapacity and prisoners. Additionally, HSC REC A will be able to ethically approve Research Tissue bank studies and HSC REC B will be able to ethically approve Research Databases. The majority of the original memberships of HSC RECs 1, 2 and 3 have been subsumed into HSC RECs A and B, so knowledge and expertise will be retained. In addition, the memberships have been supplemented with additional pharmacists and biostatisticians. A significant change to the service will also include reviews of studies (from all over the UK) which are assessed as low risk. These studies will be ethically reviewed by a rolling rota of 3 members from a pool of the combined memberships of HSC REC A and B; a system known as Proportionate Ethical Review. HSC RECs A and B will be reviewing all historical work approved by HSC REC 1, 2 and 3. The HSC REC members are supportive of the change as a result of a recent consultation process. All customers who use the service have been informed and I am in the process of meeting with all key customers. We have had to say goodbye to some long -serving REC members who were coming to the natural end of their appointments. Of particular note is the departure of Mr Mark Nelson (Chair of HSC REC 1), Dr Paul Boreland (Vice Chair of HSC REC 1) , Dr Ronald Atkinson (Chair of HSC REC 2), Professor Donna Fitzsimons (Vice Chair of HSC REC 2), Dr Stanley Hawkins (Vice-Chair of HSC REC 3), and committee members: Dr Marilyn Armstrong , Professor George Kernohan, Mr Mike Stevenson, Dr Marian Traynor, and Professor Robert Welch. These members had been with the ORECNI service since its formation 10 years ago. Also thanks to other long serving members (greater than 6 years), Mr Stephen Brown (Alternate Vice- Chair of HSC REC 3), Dr Kathy Burnett, Mr Paul Davidson and Dr Grant Jordan who have stepped down. I think you will agree that this is evidence of dedication to the ORECNI in what is, after all, a voluntary membership role. I would also like to take the opportunity to thank the staff at ORECNI who are highly experienced and will continue in their roles as the HSC REC Managers - Ms Jan Daley, Mrs Katrina Greer and Ms Kathryn Taylor and Ethics Assistant, Mrs Christine Fawcett. I would also like to welcome Ms Jane Keenan who has joined us temporarily to cover for Katrina Greer (who has just become a new mother to a bouncing baby boy, Noah Matthew, on 21st December! ) I am confident that my experienced staff and committee members will continue to provide a high quality ethical review service within the HSC and wider NHS. So it is business as usual at the ORECN!! Happy Christmas - Siobhan McGrath

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BSO Business Matters December 2013 Page 11

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