and Solihull Mental Health NHS Trust Trust Talk issue twenty March 2008 Spotlight on Deaf Services interpreters support the service each day, with specialist knowledge, experience and training in mental health. “Over the years, Deaf Services has rescued people from utter misery. Our goal at BSMHT is to enable deaf people to have the same access to treatment as hearing people.” In fact, Deaf Services are doing such a great job that they were the fi rst unit at BSMHT to be featured in the national Star Ward newsletter. An initiative within the mental health arena, Star Wards is a project based on working with mental health trusts to enhance inpatients’ daily experiences and treatment. “We are one of only three centres in that offers specialist care for deaf people with mental health needs” says Michael Galvin, the Clinical Ward Manager at Denmark House. “We have 12 beds for in- patient treatment, and we offer an abundance of out-patient care including counselling, psychotherapy, and community psychiatric nurses. We offer patients an activities programme that includes a gardening group, Staff at Denmark House, Deaf Services a video club and community outings amongst others.” During 2008, Trust Talk will be covering all barrier that we are trying to breakdown.” In “We do everything we can to drive directorates across the Trust with a spotlight fact, Denmark House and Denis Shilston House recovery forward for deaf people, and the on one or more services. First up is Deaf day service, are kitted out with minicoms (also Star Ward initiative recognises that,” smiles Services, part of the Specialties directorate. known as text phones) – made exactly for that Michael. Our Specialty Services provide specialised purpose. The team at Denmark House is led by care for people with specifi c mental health By dialling the prefi x 18002, a hearing Christine McPherson, Acting Clinical Manager. problems – in Birmingham and Solihull and person can use a normal phone to contact Christine, herself deaf, said: “We are a small beyond. Services also include eating disorders, a deaf person who has a minicom, and the service with a large area to cover. Although mother and baby services, neuropsychiatry, call is charged at a local rate. “A hearing based in Birmingham, we cover the NHS West personality disorders, psychotherapy and person’s perception of the deaf world is full of Midlands area (which includes women’s counselling. misconceptions. When you use a minicom, you and Staffordshire) also Nottingham, Derby, Anyone suffering from depression or are connected to an operator and converse Leicester, Oxford, Bristol, Gloucester and South another mental illness would fi nd it diffi cult using a third person. Often this can put people Wales.” enough to discuss their symptoms with their off, but type talking this way is 100 percent Commenting on the aspirations of the GP. So imagine how much harder it is for a confi dential – the operators even sign the Service, Sally Austen takes an enthusiastic deaf person in the same situation. Offi cial Secrets Act!” states Adrian. approach. “We have been extremely successful In reality, if you are deaf, you are more in the assessment and treatment of many likely to suffer from a mental illness than deaf patients over the years. But for some of if you are a hearing person. Depression is our clients their problems were avoidable. particularly common, often as a result of With the right support, we can reach out isolation. The stark fact is that 40 percent of into the deaf community and look at more deaf people are likely to experience mental preventative measures.” health problems at some point in their life Similar sentiments are uttered by Adrian, compared to 25 percent of the hearing Joe and Michael. Speaking on behalf of the population. team, Christine sums it up. Joe Taylor, Systems Administrator for Deaf Services at BSMHT understands the challenges continued on page 3 that face deaf service users. “Until about seven years ago, I was a hearing person. When you lose your hearing, the most simple things become time consuming and complicated.” The staff at Denmark House consist of BSL interpreter Alban Welch with Website hearing and deaf people, and according to Joe Taylor Joe, this is a very important factor for the recovery of patients. “Deaf culture is so Communicating affects deaf people’s important to all of us here. It is not a shame access to mental and physical health services that a person is deaf, but it is a shame if at every level: from receiving preventative Survey hearing people don’t understand how to health information via television or leafl ets, to We’re rethinking our website and communicate with us. We do our best to making an appointment and communicating change that.” with the GP, to clinicians in generic (hearing) we’d like your opinion. Access is a key concern. Profoundly deaf services being able to make an accurate mental Do you like our website? How does it look? people can not use an ordinary telephone, and health assessment of deaf clients; to knowing Can you fi nd what you’re looking for easily? often people who wear hearing aids struggle where to refer on that the patient may be If you can spare a few moments, please fi ll in to overcome the background noise. But asking understood. “Our client group has a unique our online survey at - a hearing person to help with the telephone problem in that they are over represented www.bsmht.nhs.uk/survey.htm process often proves diffi cult as most shy away. in having mental health problems but under It shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes. Adrian Harper, a deaf Communication represented in receiving treatment,” said Sally Please tell us what you think – and help us to Offi cer at Denmark House explains why. “So Austen, Consultant Clinical Psychologist. plan our website for the future. many hearing people won’t even contemplate The service caters largely for 18-65 year picking up the phone to speak to a deaf olds, clients may also be blind, have another Thank you. person. It can be so frustrating for patients physical disability, or learning diffi culties. who are lonely and isolated and this is a Freelance British Sign Language (BSL) Healthy Body Healthy Mind reduce hallucinations. The distraction is useful in alleviating the impact of hallucinations and many service users in our experience have also reported this to be the case” said Sue Coffee, Physiotherapy Service Manager. The Trust also provides free classes for service users, such as aerobics, The early part of the year has seen us continue in circuit training, team our quest to become a Foundation Trust with the games and exercise groups Trust Board of Directors meeting with the Monitor th for the elderly. But if you Board on Tuesday 5 February for the Board to don’t like doing anything Board Challenge which is part of the assessment too strenuous or fancy process. some R and R, why not This part of the assessment process is aimed try yoga or one of the at assuring Monitor that the Trust is capable of relaxation classes on offer. operating as a Foundation Trust and that there are There are also acupuncture no signifi cant clinical or fi nancial issues facing the Sharmadene Hepburn - Senior OT and Indian head message Trust with which we are not able to deal. and Antony Green - Physio TI, both at QEPH. sessions on offer to staff. The Board to Board covered a wide range of In the future there will issues ranging from fi nance through governance It’s that time of year again when most of us will be an open clinic for advice on safe exercise, to clinical issues. I am pleased to report Monitor have made New Year’s resolutions and broken available to staff members. For more information indicated that they were assured that we had them already. What is it you tell yourself? Lose on our classes contact our Physical Therapies successfully addressed the issues they raised with the weight; feel great - well you will be happy Service on 0121 685 7430. us last year. However, as part of the assessment to know there is some truth to this. In this article process, Monitor also considers the results of we are looking at the links between physical Top tips to get moving! external reviews and advance notice of reviews health and mental wellbeing. about to be released. Although we have recently Not only does exercise help you lose ● Keep an exercise diary to follow your progress. had some very good external reviews, for example weight and improve your physical fi tness but ‘Good’ in respect to the quality of our clinical ● Make simple changes e.g. take the stairs, research has shown that light exercise (walking) services, it emerged, during the fi nal stages of get off the bus a stop or two earlier than you and strenuous exercise (jogging) are equally our assessment, that the results of a shortly to be normally would. benefi cial to our mental wellbeing. Physical released Healthcare Commission (HCC) Inpatient Review conducted last summer are disappointing. activity causes the body to release endorphins, ● Pick activities that appeal to you personally: opoids, and dopamine, which all help to improve This Healthcare Commission service review is are you more suited to a competitive sport designed to assess the quality of care given by NHS brain functions and modulate stress hormones. or more serene Tai Chi? This is otherwise known to us as the “feel good providers of acute inpatient mental health wards (sometimes called acute admission wards) and factor”, which can help to combat depression ● Set a mixture of realistic short-term and psychiatric intensive care units in England. This and anxiety. long-term goals - having something to work particular review is based on audits and data Exercise is not only useful to those suffering towards makes it more worthwhile. from anxiety and depression; it can be used as produced from 2006 to mid 2007. Although, a coping strategy for people that suffer from ● Fit exercise into your daily routine, it should through our normal clinical governance processes, a wide variety of mental health problems. be fun not a chore. we had last March identifi ed actions we needed “Psychiatrists Faloon and Talbot carried out to take to achieve improvement and consistency a study on 40 schizophrenia patients in 1981; ● Exercise with others, they can motivate you across all wards, there was not much prospect of they found that 75 percent used exercise to and make your work out more varied. overall improvement in relation to this review in the timescale available. The audit took place in July. An assessment team, from the Healthcare Wasting water wastes money Commission is visiting the Trust on the 12- Here in the UK, turning on the tap and having 14th March to review the work we have been clean, fresh running water is taken for granted. Top tips for undertaking and we are extremely confi dent that Did you know that wasting just one drop per our position has moved positively since the Review second from a tap costs £7 per year and a 3mm saving water: was carried out in the summer of 2007, and that stream from a running tap will cost £519 per year combined with our new facilities, our future and the Trust has over 2,500 taps! ● Report leaks and outlook for these services looks very positive. In 2006/07, BSMHT spent over £330,000 on dripping taps. Monitor has asked that the results of this water alone. independent assessment by the Healthcare However, with just a few small tweaks here ● Ensure taps are turned off after use. Commission, to be shared with them so that they and there, it’s amazing how much water you may be assured of the improvements we have can save at home and in the workplace. To fi nd ● Use a washing up bowl or plug when made. As a result there will be a short delay out more about saving water or to claim your washing up – rather than a running tap. before the Monitor Board can meet to consider free Hippo bag (to save water in your toilet our Authorisation. We anticipate, subject to satisfactory assurance from the HCC that this will system every time you fl ush) and fat trap (to ● With dual fl ush toilet cisterns use avoid sink blockages) please contact Neil Cross result in our authorisation being later this spring. the shorter fl ush whenever possible. [email protected] Sue Turner, Chief Executive It’s all a bit of a mystery A group of service users and carers who may boards and the need to wear name badges at all have been acting very mysteriously, have been times – were all audited. involved in a special project to monitor the Marian Hayes, Mystery Shopper, said: “We services we provide and make suggestions for enjoy doing the checks because we are all keen improvement. to see the Trust do better. We aim to be fair The Mystery Shoppers, as they’re and also offer information to those places with collectively known, have been out and about gaps.” once again visiting our centres, wards and Managers, Modern Matrons and Service units to carry out reviews on good practice Directors have been made aware of the results when using telephones and also in waiting and and the Mystery Shopper Programme for 2008 inpatient areas. has commenced. Overall, the sites scored extremely well. For more information, please contact the Basic issues such as better displaying of patient Trust’s Head of Patient and Public Involvement information leafl ets, the importance of taking Mark Hiller on 0121 301 1284 accurate messages, up to date and tidy notice or email [email protected] 2 From front page “We are keen to work with mainstream Moving Forward mental health services and other agencies to ensure that deaf people who have mental health needs receive appropriate access to services and receive the same quality of care as hearing service users receive.” If you would like more information relating to Deaf awareness or British Sign Language, please contact [email protected] or [email protected] A Man with a Mission

QEPH staff member reads a service user’s poem at the Moving Forward performance evening On 13th December, a special evening support as possible to service users and staff of performance took place at the Queen Elizabeth the existing QEPH in preparing for the move to Psychiatric Hospital (QEPH) to mark the the brand new treatment facilities that are being culmination of ‘Moving Forward’– a creative made available for BSMHT as part of the BNHP. writing project organised by Consort Healthcare We have therefore arranged a creative writing Jonathan Lloyd is our new Director of for staff and service users at the QEPH, which project for the services users and staff which will Strategic Review and Innovation and is a man has been running since September. provide an opportunity for them to focus their on a mission to help us all provide the best Louise Stokes, a local performance poet and thoughts and record them in written prose.” possible services we can. With over 15 years writer who led the creative writing workshops NHS experience Jonathan is no ‘new kid on at the QEPH, hosted the performance evening. the block’ and has a wealth of experience in Work was also exhibited for staff and service All That’s New the public sector, in particular performance users to browse. During the evening, staff management. and service users not only took to the mike to Making sense of all that’s new Jonathan started work with the NHS perform some of their work from the project in primary care and then worked at but also ad-libbed and undertook a few musical Exciting, confusing, stimulating Nottinghamshire Healthcare and in Rampton duets! High Secure Mental Health Hospital in a variety and challenging The Moving Forward project focused on the of roles including planning and governance. transition for staff and service users from the Since then he has held various roles within the current service at the QEPH and the transferral Being part of something special NHS, Local Government and the Department of of services into the new hospital in 2008. The Health, his most recent post was at NHS West project was designed to help staff and service Wanting the best for us all and Midlands as Director of Performance. users during this transitional phase. working hard to make it happen. It is his love of mental health services and Ian Woosey, General Manager for Consort the patient focused nature of what we do that Healthcare (Birmingham), comments, “Consort ANONYMOUS has brought Jonathan back into this sector of recognise it is important to provide as much the health service. Jonathan also has a great passion for travel and that is obvious from the fantastic pictures of far off places that adorn his offi ce walls! Moving Is Big News Jonathan said; “Everyone I have spoken to has a great idea and it is my job now to work All the talk at the moment is about The Big Our new units make a big departure out how the Trust can make all those ideas Move, scheduled for May 14. from traditional dormitories and connecting become a reality.” The Trust will receive the keys to the new corridors to an open design that emphasises the He is keen to ensure the Trust learn not mental health hospital and Showell importance of mind, body and spirit. They have only from other NHS organisations but look Green Lane unit in March, with patients moving single, en-suite rooms, light therapeutic spaces to the private sector for best practice, to in two months later. and courtyards and gardens. help ensure we continue to evolve to meet The Edgbaston development includes a 64- The renaming of the wards refl ects people’s the needs of service users, communities and bed hospital, together with a 10-bed psychiatric ideas about what the change means to them. commissioners. intensive care unit for men and services for The Edgbaston site will see wards one to four Contact [email protected] women suffering mental health problems during renamed Melissa, Japonica, Magnolia and pregnancy, those with eating disorders and deaf Tazetta suites, with the old Chamberlain ward people with mental health issues. The site will redesignated Caffra suite. The mother and to operate the new buildings safely. With this in also feature an education and training centre baby unit will be renamed Chamomile, eating mind, we are introducing a Passport for every and the ’s Department disorders will be Cilantro, National Deaf Services staff member who will be working in the new of Psychiatry. is Jasmine and neuropsychiatry is Vitivier suite. buildings. This includes tuition on psychological At the same time, a smaller unit will open at At Showell Green Lane there are two 16- mindedness, customer care and diversity, along Showell Green Lane, , serving the local room suites – one for women and one for men with a package of personal alarm, fi re, access community with personal support, crisis care and – called Lavender and Saffron. control and help desk training. in-patient beds. Five colours have been chosen to create All training Passports must be completed feature walls in each of the buildings. before May. The fi rst phase of the training, These same colours will appear on which included service excellence, 21st Century hospital signage, to guide you through people and Psychological Mindedness, was the sites. successfully completed in Jan/Feb through seven The buildings themselves have events. The latest edition of the Big Move has a been renamed and an announcement full feature on the training sessions. will follow soon, along with details of Three big moves have already taken place when you can visit as we plan for the with older adults moving to their new homes in opening and explain the new services Ashcroft and E block at and Pharmacy available. relocating to the new central pharmacy site at Among the challenges we face Highcroft. All moves went very smoothly thanks in preparing for The Big Move are the to the hard work of everyone involved who recruitment of an additional 130 staff worked so hard on the day and in the planning and the training of approximately 700 to ensure everything went well. Members of staff at the training event 3 Everyone’s a winner at Board Challenge 2007 The Board Challenge is an annual event, which is spread across fi ve categories based on the Trust’s CATEGORY THREE - Healthy Workplaces/ strategic goals. Environment: Supporting our staff The aim of the challenge is to celebrate and share ways of improving the services, to help shape mental health across Birmingham and Solihull. Each category winner receives a £1,000 grant and the overall winning project receives £5,000 to develop it further. The results of 2007’s Board Challenge are: OVERALL WINNER from Lead Nurse and Pharmacy. The benefi ts of this pilot were extensive and Medicines Management, Eden Unit included: Patrick Cullen, Sheila Pierre and Erica Young ● More appropriate prescribing earlier in admission ● The improvement of service user safety by reducing the incidence of supply or administration errors in hospital ● The implementation of two levels of Winner - How Green is our House? administration: Mandy Egan, Mandy Dolan, Di Baines and all staff and service users at Denis Shilston House (a) Administration of medicines by registered nursing staff Joint second - Educational Programme for (b) Self-administration medicines under CMHT supervision of registered nursing staff Vinod Mehta ● Establishing a Multidisciplinary Medicines Enabling fl exible working for all Management group that will now go IM&T SPOTLIGHT ON Directorate wide Medicines Management, Eden Unit ● Signifcantly improved communication Managing Madness Errors in medication are the second largest process between inpatient area and Fiona McGruer and Jan Birtle category of mistakes after slips, trips and pharmacy CATEGORY FOUR - Involving Service Users in falls reported to the National Reporting and ● Quality assured approach to medication developing and and/or delivering our services Learning System (NRLS). Approximately 5,000 administration processes patient safety incidents related to medication are reported to the NRLS every month, although ● Structure for local action for NPSA fewer than one per cent result in serious harm or alerts/practice guidelines death. ● Development of visual Standard Operating For our Trust, drug administration errors were Procedures for all aspects of medicines one of the top fi ve incident categories during management and administration 2005/6. The majority of the 16 errors, none of which caused harm, involved dispensing either ● No errors the wrong medicine or giving it to the wrong patient. We believe the project succeeded beyond Consequently, Lead Nurse Patrick Cullen our already high expectations and offers an analysed some of the issues that may have excellent, cost effi cient, user-focussed approach underpinned some of these errors. to a vital area of practice. A key driver (and Six techniques, including focus groups benefi t) has been the multi-professional of registered staff and service users plus the collaboration between nursing, medical and observation of medicines administrations pharmacy colleagues. processes were employed, and a dozen issues We are planning to mainstream this project Winner - Involving Young People in Producing identifi ed. and roll it out into our non-acute areas. Through Medication Information Leafl ets This resulted in the creation of Medicines the Directorate Medications Management group Megan Smith and Colin Lees, Head of James Management Nurses (MMNs) to take part in a (which we are developing as a by-product of this Brindley School, Ardenleigh pilot programme that ran for three months from initiative) we are looking at how aspects may be May to July. implemented in community teams to improve Second - On Yer Bike The Pilot was developed in collaboration management and service. Michael Betts, Denise O’Connell, Stuart Williams with Pharmacy and led by a Band 6 nurse, with As for the prize money – we will put this and Matt Brayshaw support of two Band 5 staff. They worked across towards an information project to streamline the two Eden Units (Male and Female Inpatient recording of the interventions of the Medicines Third - Sunday Service (Club) areas) from 8.00 am to 4.00 pm on every week Management team and remote accessing of Ken Jackson, Peter Lewis, Nargis Kapasi, Nikayla day. There was also enhanced training/support information such as hand-held devices for use Gayle and Sandra Smith when working with service users. CATEGORY FIVE - Tackling Inequalities CATEGORY ONE - Clinical innovations and CATEGORY TWO - People Management / improvements in practice Development: New ways of thinking Improving the service user experience

Winner - Reed Unit Service User Group Programme Winner -“State of Mind’’ Mags Sumel Newman Leung, Sandra Long, Maxine McLaney, Ross Carter, Samira Winner - Patient Information Cards Katherine Archibold and Jan Dunford Mohammed, Joy Rawlinson, Steve Reckless, Tim Dr Nasr, Charlotte Maybury and Lynne Bollard Newbold and Shirley Mattis Second - The medium secure ICU single team Second - Multimedia Approach to Learning about model pilot project Second - Ladywood CMHT: Working with Asylum Psychosis Dr Dinesh Maganty, Dr Richard Bennett, Mr Seekers and Refugees Shameemara Rajpar Wilton Chiswo, Dr Carol Knight Paul R. Ngobeh

Third - Introducing Assistive Technology for Older Third - Admissions and Discharges Liason on Third - Promoting Diversity Awareness Adults Acute Inpatients Kevin Coyne Ella Creedy and Joanna Lee Patrick Cullen and Julie Goodwin 4 routes for staff to use where they have a concern at work

Disciplinary policy ensuring codes of professional conduct and practice are maintained and helping support changes in behaviour at work

Performance Management providing a framework within which standards of performance at work are set out clearly and supporting staff to work towards achieving those standards

Bullying and harassment providing mechanisms for tackling issues of potential bullying and harassment in the Human Resources - workplace and helping support a culture of respect amongst all staff, and promoting anti providing leadership and support across the Trust discriminatory practice. The latter has recently been supported by the Trust wide promotion of a The Human Resource Team (“HR”) plays a key Workforce information ban bullying initiative which has involved the role in providing professional advice and support using the electronic staff record to provide distribution of ‘ban bullying boxes’ across to managers and staff on a range of issues from managers with a wider range of workforce Trust sites. Members of staff are encouraged workforce planning to attendance management. information and pursuing new initaitives to help confi dentially to record any issues of potential for example improve training administration bullying and harassment that they may have Outlined below are some of the areas of work HR been subjected to, in the boxes. One immediate is involved in : Occupational health and safety response to the issues raised through this through the Trusts provider and its own initiative is a joint HR / Diversity bullying and Workforce planning and development staff support team, helping promote safe and harassment “Summit.“ helping the Trust recruit, retain and develop its healthy working practices and giving staff access This will be held later this year as part of a current and future workforce including devising to occupational health, employee counselling further series of measures to promote an anti- and implementing plans to help staff new service and welfare support services bullying culture and to encourage staff to developments including the new hospital project raise their concerns openly and with the HR governance confi dence that there will be a positive outcome. Managing organisational change through the Workforce Forum monitoring the helping to support managers and staff composition of the workforce and in conjunction Management of attendance through organisational change including the with the Diversity Team putting strategies and the newly revised policy helps support reconfi guration of services and job redesign initiatives in place to help the Trusts workforce managers in dealing with absence from work profi le match the communities which use our and ensures all staff are managed fairly and Improving skills services sensitively as a result of short or long term equipping managers with the skills to make them absence effective ‘people managers’ - competent in Promoting HR policy and practice delivering the full range of HR policy and practice helping devise workable policies which support Recruitment and selection the management and development of staff and helping acheive fairness and consistency in Partnership working help managers achieve improved performance the recuitment and selection process for both helping build and sustain productive relationships and productivity from their teams. Some of the internal and external candidates with staff representatives and supporting formal key HR policies include : and informal consultation and negotiation The Workforce Strategy sets out the Trusts vision arrangements through directorate based Grievance policy for the future development of the workforce and employee relations forums and the corporate available for all staff to use where they have a is available on the Intranet. joint negotiation and consultation committee (JNCC) concern or issue in connection with their and joint local negotiation committee (JLNC) employment. The policy encourages staff to raise The HR pages of the Intranet also set out the issues in the fi rst instance with their immediate structure of the function and contact details. If National staff survey line manager and to work towards resolving you have a query or want to get in touch. working with managers across the Trust to help these informally. Please do ! In addition the recently circulated ‘speaking devise solutions to the issues raised by staff Chris Berry, Head of HR out leafl et’ signposts the various other internal through the staff survey [email protected]

“It has been 20 years since I last worked in Sue Tapper, now Ward Manager within Overcoming fears to a an admin offi ce and I now have a job working the Trust and Co-ordinator for the project, has in the Trust offering therapies at the QEPH. I supported both the women from the beginning would have never dreamt that I would go from of their journey through to employment. Sue promising future working in an offi ce to being a professional said “Collette and Rachel have been very therapist.” committed, dedicated and have shared the same Two service users who overcame their fears of It was a similar story for Rachel, who was vision, and believed that the complimentary going to college, have now been employed by referred to the Learning and Work Service to therapies should be accessible to all service users. the Trust so that they can put their brand new discuss her options. Indian Head Massage was They have made the service what it is today skills to good use. suggested and although Rachel was unsure, she and encouraged the Trust to invest in Holistic Collette Hart and Rachel Styles, who were decided she would give it a try. Therapies. I am very proud that they now have both referred to the Learning and Work Service “I wanted to meet new people and to full time paid work.” (then Education Link Team) six years ago have make my future brighter. I was suffering with Contact [email protected] completed a number of courses at my nerves pending an operation due to a car College of Further Education which has led to accident.” paid employment from the Trust. Despite the apprehension of going to After being referred in 2001, Collette, who college, Diane met with Rachel on her fi rst day felt she needed something to get her out of the and introduced her to the tutor, Sue Tapper. house and meet new people began a discrete Since then, Rachel has gone on to carry Indian Head Massage course. out voluntary therapies work at mental health “I was seriously ill at the time and it was a centres, carnivals and charities as well as frightening experience going to college and complete a diploma in Holistic Therapies. being surrounded by strangers.” Working now for the Trust offering therapies However with the help of the Learning and at the QEPH and Prison hospital Work Advisor, Diane Tarrant and the other tutors, wing: “It has been 10 years since I last worked in Collette grew in motivation, confi dence and self an offi ce. The learning that I have experienced esteem. Six years on, she has completed courses and being encouraged and supported to do has in Aromatherapy, Refl exology, Indian Head totally changed my life. I have more confi dence Massage, Hopi Ear Candles and Face Massage and motivation and I have learnt a lot of new as well as completing her diploma in Holistic skills and made a lot of new friends.” Therapies. She has also carried out voluntary Whilst working on a voluntary basis at work at a variety of venues and found this very the QEPH offering therapies on the Wards rewarding. and Activity Room, Rachel, Collette and other Back row L to R – Rachel Styles, Sue It is the recent appointment working for the volunteers have between them carried out 4,000 Tapper and Collette Hart Trust, however, that has been the icing on the treatments on service users over the last four Front Matthew Watson and cake for Collette. years. Debbie Mooney 5 Knighthood for Prof George Tadros You could call him ‘Sir’, but he prefers ‘George’ on the wards. Prof George Tadros, consultant in old age psychiatry with Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Trust, has been awarded a European knighthood by the Order of Constantine Magna. The Order falls under the auspices of the Greek patriarch and Austria and knighthoods are awarded annually to professionals throughout Europe for their work in specialist fi elds including medicine, engineering and architecture. George, 45, travelled with his wife Nermyne to Athens this summer to be awarded his knighthood and is now entitled to wear the Cross of St Constantine for formal ceremonies. “I was delighted to receive a letter from His Serene Highness Prince Friedeich, Duke and Local voluntary Prince of Beaufort-Spontin, offering me this knighthood. It is a fantastic honour and my wife and children Maria and Agiya are all very proud. organisation houses “The ceremony in Athens was a wonderful experience.” George trained in Alexandria in his native new support role Egypt and qualifi ed as a specialist in psychiatry and neurology. In 1995 he moved to Britain and A brand new role, building on existing work with continued his training at St Michael’s Hospital, service users of all communities has been set up Warwick. He became a member of the Royal in Handsworth. College of Psychiatrists in 1998. Narender Kaur, who currently provides a He was appointed specialist registrar in old link between service users and Birmingham and age psychiatry for the West Midlands in 1998, and is an Honorary Reader with Staffordshire Solihull Mental Health Trust has taken on the working in turn in Birmingham, Stoke on Trent University. part-time support role for Sikh Community & and Wolverhampton. He has published several papers on suicide Youth Service (SCYS) UK. In 2001 he became a consultant for BSMHT rates among the elderly, including a study of 500 Based at the Information Advice & Guidance at the Queen Elizabeth Psychiatric Hospital and cases within the BSMHT area. It was for this work Centre on Soho Road, Narender’s role centres has since formulated a Masters course in old he received his knighthood. around existing services on welfare, housing and age psychiatry for the University of Birmingham Contact [email protected] language - which can often be issues that service users are concerned about. Working also with Birmingham Carers Advocacy Service (a mainstream advocacy service for carers recommended by the Trust), Narender’s Colour Coding for Cleaning experience will be used to encourage a vehicle A brand new colour coded system, for feedback so that it can be used to continually to reduce the risk of cross-infection improve the Trust’s services. was launched in February. Initially for two years, the new role is in The colour coding of hospital answer to the Diversity Department’s initiative cleaning materials and equipment to address the need for cultural and language- will be implemented under the new appropriate mental health support services for NHS National Patient Safety Agency ethnic minority individuals who are experiencing (NPSA) standards during Colour mental health diffi culties. Coding Awareness Week 11-17 ‘’Our new service is open to all communities February. and the Sikh community is one that needs further Cleaning materials and representation in terms of support for older equipment such as mop handles, people, for example. Research states that many mop buckets, cloths, aprons and people cope with mental distress without the gloves will all be colour coded benefi t of support mechanisms that mainstream under the new standards and will service users might have access to.’’ be designated to the specifi c areas ‘’Supporting independent advocacy services shown in the chart left to reduce shows just how much Birmingham and Solihull the risk of cross-infection. Mental Health Trust is working with changing Red is being used in toilet areas, mental health legislation’’, said Narender. ‘’At bathrooms, washrooms, showers, SCYS (UK) we are also linking up and training blue for general cleaning, green with other BME charities.’’ for kitchens and catering areas and To fi nd out more or to contact Narender, yellow is for isolation rooms and please call the Information Advice & Guidance designated areas of infection. Centre on 0121 523 0147. Full details of the standards will be available on the intranet. Top healthcare award for Estates The Estates and Facilities team have scooped a top healthcare award after submitting entries into a National competition. As part of the Building Better Healthcare Awards, two entries were submitted with one win and another highly commended. The QEPH Hotel Services Team won the award for Best In Class Estates and Facilities Management - Improving Patient Safety Through the Environment. Highly commended and runner up, were the Trust’s Contract Monitoring Team in the Best In Class Estates and Facilities Management - Excellence in Facilities Management category. The news comes in addition to both entries being short-listed in the HEFMA (Health Estates & Facilities Management Association) Regional and National Awards. 6 Diversity Training Day for Psychology Staff Trust taps into new technique A successful technique in helping service users, which uses light tapping to the body, is being introduced within the pain management team. To celebrate the New Year, and the pain management group being back up and running, the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) will be used to help with pain management, physical and mental health conditions.

l-r: Lakhvir Rellon, Sue Turner, Vera Gilbert, Pastor Sandra Thomas, Karl George MBE and Nasreen Fazal-Short Refl ecting on Difference engaged with the panel, to explore and Psychologists within the Trust were recently examine how to help people engage with invited to refl ect on their own practices and services, especially for black and minority ethnic to gain more skills and confi dence in working groups. Presentations and workshops were also well with people from black and minority ethnic organised. Commenting on the day, Vera Gilbert said Sarah Withnall (blue jumper) (Centre groups. Nurse) at the Warstock Lane Health A diversity training day for psychology staff “we challenged the panel to rally us together, Centre and her colleague Benita Jones an was held in November 2007 and was organised inform and inspire. Our day brought together occupational therapist. by the Service User Involvement in Psychology those service users who want to understand their needs, and those who have the power to Working Group. Vera Gilbert, broadcaster and Held as part of the pain management eight help them achieve a better life.” service user representative, inspired the day, week programme, the technique that originates For more information on the event, please which kicked off with a lively panel discussion. from America is based on acupuncture but uses a contact: [email protected] Over 20 psychologists and service users tapping motion instead of needles. Having already carried out the training, the pain management group will begin using EFT at the Warstock Lane Centre, from March. SASH Project Sarah Withnall, Centre Nurse at Warstock Lane, said: “All the way from America, EFT is a Pictured with BSMHT’s Team Manager proven means of helping people with a number for the Support and Advice on Self of emotional issues. Since fi rst being introduced Harm (SASH) project Heather Bartlett, at the Trust, more and more staff in the Trust and Service Manager Hugh McCreedy are starting to pick up the technique, which is is Mayor Councillor Randal Brew. fantastic.” The Mayor of Birmingham visited the The group which is open to service users Stratford Road Centre in Sparkhill to of Warstock Lane Centre, Spring Lane and Ten meet the team and have a chat about the Acres who have been referred by their care work that they do. It was also a chance coordinator, will begin in the next few weeks. for him to meet the service users and For more details on the dates as well as celebrate the launch of the new website information on EFT and other pain management www.sashproject.org.uk techniques, please contact either Sarah Withnall or Mary Heath on 0121 678 3450. Celebration of the work Local MP visits Early Intervention & ED:IT of the Frantz Fanon Lynne Jones MP dropped in to visit clients and addresses the real experiences of service users staff of the Early Detection & Intervention Team and professional staff as part of a programme – ED:IT and the Early Intervention Service at the of mental health education work that includes Empowerment group Vicarage centre in George St on Friday January providing educational workshops for schools 25th and took part in an impromptu discussion and colleges and for any staff working with of changing attitudes towards mental illness young people. Lynne gave her full support to and stigma in Birmingham and how there have the various projects and even agreed to take been some signs of positive changes in recent an active part in some of this work on her days years. away from Westminster! We look forward to Lynne was very interested to hear of the working with her in the future and watch this range of clinical interventions and mental health space for further news of the website. education work carried out by the services and Contact Paul.patterson@[email protected] particularly of EDIT’s ‘nip in the bud’ approach - aimed at identifying very early signs and preventing the onset of serious mental illness in young people at the earliest opportunity – before the symptoms Front l-r Elsie Gayle, Charles Harris (with become too severe. This cheque) Hannah Thomas, Ruth Griffi n and work sits alongside the Frances Sutcliffe. training of professional Back l-r Jacqueline Tame, Joel Spencer, staff in both statutory Winsome Douglas and Suriya Arblaster and non-statutory services in identifying A celebration to mark the end of the use of the early signs of psychosis Greenfi eld Crescent building and the continuing and preventing delays work of a group of dedicated service users has in accessing treatment been held in Edgbaston. across the city. Music, food and speeches were among the Early Intervention and ED:IT are currently order of the day, for the closing ceremony of the L to R – Sara Melo - assistant psychologist; Paul Patterson developing a website building in Greenfi eld Crescent that has housed – project manager; Sarah Farquhar – assistant psychologist; for young people that the Frantz Fanon and Compass services since 1999. Sherri Meese – acting clinical lead; Lynne Jones MP 7 Birmingham and Solihull FOUNDATION Mental Health NHS Trust

News from Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Trust - newsOur aspirations to become a Foundation Trust Getting to know your Governors As we approach Foundation Trust Khalid Ali June Green status, it is all the more important to Public Governor (Rest of Carer Governor England & Wales) get to know YOUR Governors, and to I decided to seek election as understand why they wish to represent I am delighted to have the “a carer Governor following my YOU. We have asked all of the Governors “opportunity to represent the experience caring for my husband to comment on why they wanted to views, opinions, concerns and who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. I wanted to become a Governor, and what FT status to further enhance the lines of communications help maintain and improve the services available to with all members throughout the country. I means to them. patients (and carers). I was invited two years ago to believe achieving Foundation Trust status will speak to members of care staff about the course of provide us with the platform to ensure needs my husband’s illness and my experiences as his carer. Professor Ann Davies and requirements are met, which will benefit I was able to discuss with them ways of improving Stakeholder Governor the whole community. Through an empowered the little things that can make such a difference membership, the FT will truly be able to decide to everyday living. I saw this as an opportunity to I have had a life long how to improve its services, to retain surpluses widen my input into the mental health services for “involvement, as a mental health made and to borrow money to support older people. social worker, academic and plans. You, the member, are helping us to be carer, with mental health issues accountable to local people who live in the ” and services. Since joining the University of areas we serve. Birmingham in 1978 I have played a part locally, Loris Tapper nationally and internationally in mental health Lynne Jones MP” Carer Governor research and education. As the University’s Stakeholder Governor Professor of Social Work and Director of the Over the twenty-five years in which I have been a carer, I have Centre of Excellence in Interdisciplinary Mental Having been brought up “ gained a wealth of experiences Health I think I have a useful contribution in a family with a parent who “ that underpin my reason to be a to make as a BSMHT Governor, based on my suffered from schizophrenia, Governor. I believe this knowledge incorporated expertise and experience. I have a longstanding interest with the skills and the expertise of other members in mental heath. I have chaired the All Party of the Assembly of Governors will make a real ” Parliamentary Mental Health Group since 1997. Brian Sheppard difference to the Trust. As a Governor, I will want to scrutinise the Public Governor (Solihull) My aspiration for the Trust is that its aims and range, quality and accessibility of services and to objectives will be met and exceeded. In turn, I hope help ensure that they are delivered in a manner This is a challenging that it will be effective to eradicate from society the that is respectful to service users and carers. “opportunity to press for stigma that lurks around mental health. greater informed and joined- up involvement to provide Robin Felton ” ” structured help and access in working with Stakeholder Governor service users and carers in shaping the Trust’s Anne McKenzie Carer Governor Mental Health Services. Drawing on my own I am the manager of the practical experience as a carer and in dealing Birmingham and Solihull branch “ I am interested in shaping with mental health issues, we can support of Alzheimer’s Society, a charity the development of high quality positive changes to reduce the tortuous path supporting anyone affected by “ mental health services for local in obtaining consistent care and support for dementia. Being a Governor of the Trust will people. I am particularly hoping service users and carers. I hope to bring an give me an opportunity to ensure that the Trust to see carers become more involved in planning added dimension to the future development listens actively to the needs of all those affected services and working with professionals towards of the Trust’s services from my experience by any mental health condition, and that it ‘Care in the Community.’ in engineering and management in the provides services of the highest quality to those I am the carer of mental health sufferers in addition procurement of services, resources, major capital most in need, wherever they live in Birmingham to being a R.G.N, and feel I have valuable skills utility projects and the provision of supply and Solihull. services. and life experiences to bring to the role and to help make positive changes. I am also a long- ” Sue Rose ” term member of ‘Rethink’, ‘Birmingham Carers Karen Biles Public Governor (Solihull) Association’ and ‘Carers UK’. Staff Governor I wanted to become a ” I am keen to represent the “Governor representing the Faheem Uddin “interests of the non-clinical constituency of Solihull as I Service User Governor (Heart of staff and provide a two way key am passionate about people Birmingham) link to both governors and staff determining how their health care needs are alike and help improve services within the Trust. met. Mental health care should be provided I wanted to become Whilst the Trust continues to work towards as close to the client as possible, and where a Governor because I care Foundation Trust status, my colleagues and I possible within primary/community care. “ passionately about mental health have had an interesting few months in “learning I am also dedicated to a democracy where services. Within this role, I hope to make sure the ropes”. The time we have spent together people have a real say in issues that affect that service user’s views are represented and put has been very useful to us all I am sure. Should them. I hope that Foundation status will allow forward across the Trust. This is an exciting time for anybody wish to contact me, do not hesitate to the Trust to ensure local provision and a real us all, and I am honoured that I have been given do so via the Foundation Trust office democracy in mental health matters. this opportunity. 0121 301 1229. ” ” ”