members’ newsletterWinter 2008

Camden children get an innovative new emotional health website

Children’s champions honored at graduation ceremony

Annual patient survey - results

Younger members - how to beat exam stress 1 Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust Members’ Newsletter

Camden children get an contents innovative new website We have recently begun an exciting project to provide every primary-school aged Camden children get an child in Camden access to an innovative new website emotional health website. Page 1 Funded by Camden Primary Care Trust the site will be launched in the Autumn to Become a Governor and make a difference coincide with the start of the Page 2 new term.

1 in 10 children have some Annual patient survey results kind of mental health Page 4 difficulty while at primary school. Our site will promote good mental health, help Graduation ceremony - them to manage difficult children’s champions honored Page 6 feelings and to signpost routes to specialist services should they be needed. Younger members - beat the Delivering games, interactive exam blues content and child-friendly Page 8 designs, the site will link into Sally Hodges, our the high-quality work already Communications and Public done in schools around and Patient Involvement Lead Editor: Sally Hodges, PPI and Communication Lead emotional learning. and project lead for the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust website is delighted to have 120 Belsize Lane, London NW3 5BA We have already started received funds to develop this 020 7435 7111 consulting primary school site in Camden. Sally www.tavi-port.org aged children. We have commented “there is a great learnt that they would value deal of online information 'someone they could talk to' that covers emotional health EVENTS and who could given them for teenagers but there is very advice, games, a site that is little for younger children. The Board of Governors 2-5 interactive and fun as well as children we have asked Thursday 14 May 2009 being informative and welcome this site and we look supportive. forward to its launch”. Board of Directors 2.30 - 5.30 Tuesday 31 March 2009 Children have suggested that Tuesday 28 April 2009 the site links with schools ”there is a great and with adults, perhaps deal of online All are welcome to these with a section for parents meetings. There is no charge for and for schools. We are information that currently consulting more attendance and refreshments covers emotional widely on these issues to find are provided. Details of venue out exactly what teachers health for teenagers and papers can be accessed from and parents want from the but there is very little the website a week prior to the site. meeting. for younger children” Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust Members’ Newsletter 2 what’s new Make a difference - become a Governor

This October, the terms of office for our Board of Governors will come to an end.

The Trust has 11 public seats to fill. There are 3 Camden seats, 6 Rest of London seats, and 2 Rest of England and Wales seats. Elections will be held in mind- July.

Nominations for candidacy must be received by Friday 5th June. On Monday 8th June, the statements of all candidates will be published and sent to Members. Ballot papers must be returned by Monday 15th July, and the result will be announced on Tuesday 16th July. Why become a Governor? Any Member is entitled to stand for election to the Board of As a Governor you would another but there are usually Governors, and the Trust play an important part in our common themes. welcomes all Members to decision making processes. consider themselves. Our Governors lend their Advisory - providing views on Current Governors have served individual skills and how our Trust can better one term on the Board, and are knowledge at board level. meet the needs of members entitled to stand for re-election Because they can be patients, and the wider community for one further term. students and local residents this is particularly important If you are interesting in standing as it means that the voice of Guardianship - ensuring our or election, or know of someone the local community can be Trust is well managed, who may be interested, please heard right at the top of the holding the Board of Directors do get in touch with the Trust decision-making process. to account for the Secretary for further performance information. Being a Governor also means you can develop your skills. The Trust will be holding Strategic - advising on our workshops where Members can Trust's strategy come in to the Trust and talk to What kinds of things people about being a Governor and what is involved. These do our governors do? Our governors cover a wide meetings will be held from April range of activity, often until June. The Trust will also be dependent on their particular holding short 1:1 sessions, for The role of a governor varies skills and interests. Many sit help with writing the from one foundation trust to on internal Committees. nomination form and having photographs taken. 3 Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust Members’ Newsletter

We have governor us to think about how to discussion forums, blogs representation on our Public engage more effectively with and podcasts. and Patient Involvement children and young people. Committee. Often governors As one of our Governors is who are the parents of our the parent of a young service Design patients are interested in this user seen by our Child and Committee where they can Adolescent Mental Health Our Governors have also share their views and their Services this brings a vital added to work in the Trust children's views about our perspective to this strand of around design, including the services. work. actual building and its art. They have assisted in the We also have governor new project to refurbish the representation on our Membership engagement reception area and in a Communications Committee, wider piece of work to where we make strategic Our Governors hold improve the overall building decisions about our meetings and attend events and its internal and external communications, for example such as the Annual Public spaces. our patient information, Meeting where they are newsletters and website. available to talk with members outside of the Equalities formality of the Board How have our meetings to find out what Ensuring we meet the needs governors made a concerns them. This provides of all communities is of great an essential link between our importance to us. We are difference so far? members and our decision working with our Governors making processes. A to ensure we achieve success Governor also sits on the in equity and fairness for Our Governors have played editorial board for the everyone. vital roles in a number of Members' Newsletter. areas of our work. Having Governors sit on our internal General governance committees has proved Communications invaluable as they have Our Governors have been brought their varied portfolio We have Governor instrumental in setting up of skills and interests. representation on our online appraisal mechanisms Communications Committee, for the Trust Chair. They Some of the areas Governors which is responsible for were also involved in the have made contributions overseeing a number of recent appointment of our include: communications activities new Chief Executive. They including the production of have also contributed to the patient information, the quality agenda, risk Public and patient website and our media management, the accounts involvement presence. process and more.

Some of our Governors sit on One of our Governors has a Ultimately our Governors the Public and Patient great deal of journalism have been vital in bringing Involvement Committee and experience and brings both an internal and bring with them an added invaluable insight to our external perspective to our external perspective. Our media strategy. Another decision making which helps Governors are currently Governor supports our us to be mindful of the contributing to the young website strategy, particularly external environment and its people's agenda and helping around Web 2.0 pressures and demands. technologies such as Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust Members’ Newsletter 4

Feedback from patients: annual patient survey 2008 What is it?

Every year we send a survey to patients whose treatment at the Trust concluded in the previous six months. It is an anonymous patients indicated that their therapeutic approach of the questionnaire which aims to clinician listened carefully to Trust. Over the past year, the strike a balance between tick and them. Over half answered that departmental patient comment boxes. The survey is a they had trust and confidence in information leaflets have been good indication of how our the clinician they saw. Most revised and a number of new patients see us. Both positive and patients found their treatment service leaflets produced. We negative views are welcomed and to be helpful. One fifth did not envisage that the design of often quite surprising thoughts find their treatment to be further patient information are received which help us to helpful. These figures are similar leaflets and the launch of the reflect upon what we are doing to those from previous years. new Trust website will provide from a different perspective, that patients and public members is the patient perspective. More than half of all those who alike with the opportunity to returned the questionnaire learn more about our services. The feedback given to us directs found the Trust's appointment future patient service arrangements to be excellent In addition, a number of development. and 73% of responders stated negative comments were that they would recommend our received regarding the condition services to a friend or family of the building and the ground member. floor toilets. In response to How many responses similar comments received did we get? In terms of cleanliness, comfort throughout the year, all the and the provision of vending toilets have been redecorated Each year the survey is posted to machines, nearly one third of and the ground floor will be around 600 former patients and former patients found the Trust's refurbished over the coming we receive a response rate of facilities excellent and two thirds months. We hope that the new around 20%. This is not bad but of responders found the facilities entrance to the Trust will appear we could do better. We are acceptable. But when comparing modern, welcoming and more always looking for ways to these findings with those from patient-focused. improve upon this and if you other years, this indicates that have any suggestions please get there has been a decrease in the in touch with us. Next year we level of satisfaction with the Thank you plan on placing the survey on our Trust's facilities. website so that people can access We are grateful for the it electronically. feedback we received from our What do we do with former patients and recognise the feedback? that without their views many What did patients important areas of the patients' experiences of the Trust, its say? Consistent with previous years, services and facilities would not former patients expressed a lack be heard. Nearly three quarters of former of understanding for the 5 Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust Members’ Newsletter

Our annual graduation ceremony

On 17 January the Trust held its annual graduation awards Lord Francis needs of young homeless ceremony at the Institute of people during the Education. Collaboratively run by Listowel government’s Rough Sleepers the Trust and the University of East Initiative. Lord Listowel has London, the ceremony was a close links with the Trust. He is Francis Lord Listowel was chance for the Trust to celebrate a member of the Care Matters awarded an honorary the substantial achievement of Partnership, a grouping made doctorate for the dedication some of its 2000 graduates. up of the Trust, the British and commitment he has Association of Adoption and founder Camila displayed to areas of policy Fostering, and Coram. The Batmanghelidjh and peer Earl of and practice that are very partnership was formed after Listowel were recognised at the dear to our heart; namely the publication of the Care ceremony in recognition of their mental health of children and Matters white paper, with the amazing and tireless work to adolescents, children in care, aim of representing mental improve things for disadvantaged families, and the staff who health perspectives on the children and young people. Both work with them. received an Honorary Degree. wellbeing of children in care and the needs of social care Lord Listowel was elected as staff and carers. one of ninety hereditary Significant achievements peers to remain in the Lords Lord Listowel is a patron of in 1999. Lord Listowel was VOICE and the Michael Sieff elected for his work in Lord Listowel is vice chair of the drawing attention to the Foundation. Associate Parliamentary Group for Children and Young People in Care. This influential group has helped young people in care at the time, but has social workers, he has seen to have their voice, and the subsequently seen HMG bring the government create a voice of their carers, heard in in this statutory requirement social work taskforce. parliament. three years later with the Children and Young Persons Lord Listowel played a vital role Bill. in securing, in the Adoption and Children Act 2002, the right to He has continuously created independent advocacy for and taken all opportunities to looked after children when they highlight the needs for all are making a complaint. care workers, but particularly social workers to be given In the course of the Education adequate training, supervision Act of 2005, Lord Listowel was and reasonable caseloads. one of those arguing that He has championed the looked after children should newly qualified social worker have priority in school status, and taken a real admissions and called for it to interest in key developments. be a statutory requirement for each school to have a Recently, having pressed over designated teacher for looked several years for attention to after children. He was defeated be given to the needs of Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust Members’ Newsletter 6

Camila Significant Batmanghelidjh achievements

Camila Batmanghelidjh’s life She has gained a and work have been centrally First Class important in bringing the Honours degree reality of the experience of in Theatre and forgotten children and young Dramatic Arts, a people to the mind of Foundation Art everyone, and, not least, the Psychotherapy policy makers of this country. course, a Masters in the She is the Director of Kids Philosophy of Company, a charity which Counselling and delivers practical, emotional and educational support to Psychotherapy vulnerable inner-city children and has trained become a staple of social work and young people. Most of the at the Tavistock and psychotherapy training children who seek its help Clinic in syllabuses. suffer from severe emotional Psychoanalytic Observational and behavioural difficulties Studies. In 2006 she was named Social resulting from significant Entrepreneur of the Year by experiences of trauma and In her early twenties Camila Ernst, Young and Coutts. neglect. founded her first charity, The Place 2 Be, which now offers a In 2007 charity leaders voted As an advocate for national programme of Camila Most Admired Chief marginalised children Camila emotional support and therapy Executive in the awards of the Batmanghelidjh speaks in primary schools. Third Sector. regularly at national conferences, contributes In 1996 Camila set up the first articles to newspapers and She has twice been named Kids Company drop-in centre professional publications and is among the 1000 most under six disused railway a regular broadcaster, for influential Londoners by the arches in . example to BBC Broadcasting Evening Standard, which placed House on Sunday mornings, her in the top 50 in its 2008 picking her articles to make her She was chosen as Person of list. points with unerring accuracy, the Year by to most stunning effect. Magazine, and she won the in April 2008 Kids Company Woman of the Year award. received a government grant of Camila’s work is of tremendous £12.7 million over three years. relevance to our work at the She was identified as one of Tavistock and Portman NHS the top 50 social contributors Camila has received honorary Foundation Trust. Some of her in ’s Good List. degrees and doctorates from staff are now also training with Goldsmiths, University of us, some on our Postgraduate The Centre for Social Justice London; the University of diploma, MA in has awarded her a Lifetime Warwick; the University of Psychotherapeutic Approaches Achievement award. Northampton; the University of to work with adolescents, and Staffordshire; the University of some of us are working on Her book, Shattered Lives: joint research projects with Kids East Anglia; the Open Children who live with Company. University; the University of Courage and Dignity, was Wolverhampton and London published in 2006 and has Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust Members’ Newsletter 7 younger members

Are exams doing your head in? Ask for help Are you worried about letting Don't be afraid to ask for help if your family, teachers or yourself you need it - whether it be from down? Or it might be that your your family, teachers or friends. family may not expect much If you're worried you have notes from you and you want to show missing, don't understand some them what you're capable of. To bits of your subject or need make matters worse you may be access to revision aids speak to suffering from other stressful your teachers who should be problems,boyfriend break ups, able to help you. You can also not getting on with your dad, find lots of online help, for always skint. It's no wonder that example the BBC have some you can sometimes feel great online tools to help with overwhelmed by it all. So what revision. can you do about it? Remember that if you feel that things are becoming Plan in advance overwhelming for you or if you Around eight weeks before your start having panic attacks your exams get a plan together. Find GP is available to help. out what each exam will consist of, essay questions, short Look after yourself answers. Draw up a revision Spend some time de-stressing. this right now. Everyone has timetable for each week. You Take short breaks during your different skills and exams are may want to spend more time revision and try to do some usually are very restrictive way of on the subjects you find hardest. exercise - exercise is one of the testing these. For example, you Get hold of the syllabuses for best ways of relieving stress. may be great at things they don't each exam as a starting point. Make sure you get lots of sleep - test for, you may be a great Find out where the gaps in your you won't take things in if you listener, understand people really knowledge are, ask your are overtired. Eat well, avoid lots well, be great at motivating teachers what they think your of caffeine and sugary foods as others. What you can offer is so weakness are and look at your they can make you feel more much more than your exam past exams papers or tests. anxious and try to drink plenty of results. water as dehydration affects your If possible get some practice concentration. The dreaded exam day questions from previous year’s Make sure you are fully prepared exam papers. You can ask your Try some relaxation techniques. for the exam, be on time, bring a teacher for these or get them The Mental Health Foundation watch, plenty of pens and pencils online. Learn your topics then has some great downloadable etc. Try not to talk to your find out how much you know podcasts of relaxation friends about what they know or by setting yourself mini-tests. techniques, visit their website for don't know before the exam. It Go through the practice the 15 minute version. always seems that everyone questions and build up a bank knows things you don't and they of 'perfect' answers to use as Positive thinking may mention something you revision aids. You may also find No matter what anyone else have missed which can set you it useful to mock up an exam thinks or says you can only do off in a panic. If you feel your paper, with the same number of your best in your exams and if mind going blank close your eyes questions and the same time you don't do as well as you and take some deep breathes to allowed as your exam. This can would like it is not the end of calm yourself. Once the exam is help reduce the stress of the the world. If you don't do as well over put it behind you and move unknown and help you to as you'd planned there are many on to the next one. Once you're reduce nerves in your actual other options available to you exams are finished give yourself a exam. even though you might not see well deserved break!