Monthly archives: March 2019
Heartbeat: Initiative unearths talent within the refugee community
Hearing about an innovative project to attract qualified medical personnel into local NHS organisations, John Spellar MP for Warley was keen to find out more, so paid a visit to The Learning Works in Smethwick.
Brainchild of Lawrence Kelly, Learning Works Co-ordinator, the scheme taps into a wealth of clinical expertise in the refugee community, which had previously been ignored or inaccessible due primarily to language barriers. But the Health Overseas Professionals (HOP) programme provides training in the English language for medically qualified refugees to find a way to resume their medical careers, whilst putting much needed resource back into the local NHS.
Lawrence explained: “By working with our local communities we’ve found 180 people who fit the scheme criteria. This far exceeds our initial target of 60 when we set up the programme.
Examples include GPs, nurses, pharmacists and even highly trained medical and surgical consultants.
“The feedback from those we are helping has been amazing. The fact is that people who chose medicine as a career did so because they want to help people, and it can be frustrating not to be able to practice, due to being displaced from your home country. As they rebuild their lives here, it is good to be able to offer them the tools to improve their English language skills and get back to work, caring for those who need it.”
John Spellar MP agrees. He said: “This is a great initiative allowing people to provide for their families, rebuild their skills and careers and to give something back to this country. Full marks to the Trust for their initiative and I also want to ensure full cooperation from the medical colleges to ensure this works to the best degree possible.”
NHS Staff Friends and Family Test – feedback on our services
The NHS Staff Friends and Family Test is a simple feedback tool which allows colleagues the opportunity to feedback on our services. It complements the annual NHS Staff Survey and our weConnect survey programme to give a regular, up-to-date picture of colleague experience.
If you are one of the 1,250 colleagues who have been approached by email to take part in the survey, please take a few minutes to give your feedback.
Free eye tests available at City
The eye-care service are now offering free eye tests to everyone within the Trust at City Hospital.
The eye-care clinic will be based outside the hearing centre, on the ground floor of the Birmingham Treatment Centre.
Click here to book an appointment at City Hospital.
They stock over 800 frames from a wide range of budget and designer brands. The basic range starts from only £25. There are exclusive offers available to everyone at the Trust including:
- Buy one Get one FREE starting at £69, including prescription sunglasses
- FREE anti-glare, scratch resistance and anti-static coatings
- FREE single Vision lenses on all prescription glasses
- 30 per cent discount on existing prescriptions
- £25 discount if you are a VDU user
For more information please call 03302233907 or email customer@theserviceuk.com.
Heartbeat: Success in grant to extend volunteer services
Our volunteer service is celebrating after securing a £75,000 windfall to share its’ best volunteering initiatives with other NHS organisations across the country.
The funding will go towards developing volunteering roles which support patients in staying mobile – maintaining their independence whilst they are cared for at our hospitals.
The activity support and mobility scheme is one of 10 projects singled out by Helpforce, the organisation working with hospitals to enhance the benefits of volunteering across the NHS.
We were selected following a competitive process which received 115 applications from 90 trusts.
It will be part of the new Volunteering Innovators Programme devised by Helpforce, which will refine and share projects to help other trusts in the UK adopt effective services.
Jonathan Maddison, Volunteer Project Manager said: “We are delighted to be chosen and be part of this new programme.
“The activity support and mobility volunteer role will be in conjunction with our physiotherapists, helping to improve outcomes for our patients.
“They will encourage patients to get out of bed, wash themselves, get dressed into their day clothes, and walk and exercise, so they maintain as much of their normal routine as possible whilst in hospital. This will help to improve their recovery and enable patients to keep the same level of independence as when they arrived in hospital.
“Volunteers in these roles will receive additional training. This particular role is part of a wider volunteer service that operates here.”
Sir Thomas Hughes-Hallett, Founder and Chair of Helpforce, said: “We are excited about working with SWB as part of our new Volunteering Innovators Programme, which will give us the opportunity to scale and share the most inspiring and effective volunteering initiatives.”
Paddy Hanrahan, Managing Director of Helpforce, added: “We received a huge number of applications from trusts wanting to become part of our new programme, which is testament to the enthusiasm for the development of effective volunteer roles. Working closely with leading trusts, voluntary sector partners and NHS England, we can create a future where safe and reliable volunteering in the NHS is part of our everyday lives, helping patients and our brilliant frontline staff to get the very best from the health service.”
The Volunteering Innovators Programme launches alongside the publication of new Helpforce findings showing the positive impact that volunteers can make for patients and staff, following an evaluation of the organisation’s work with five trusts that have been testing volunteer roles since 2017. The findings include showing how volunteers can free up time for NHS staff to focus on their core roles, support vulnerable patients at mealtimes, and how they can assist with the patient discharge process.
Trust travel survey – share your travel arrangements
Starting in spring 2019 we expect to lose over 200 car parking spaces at Sandwell and City whilst the GP surgery and the multi storey car parks are built. The new car parks will provide a significant number of additional spaces for colleagues and visitors.
We want to capture your views on a number of options that will enable us to manage the limited spaces available.
Please take the time to fill in the short survey linked below to give us an insight in to your usual travel arrangements.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SWBHStaffTravelSurvey2019
All respondents will be entered in to a prize draw with a chance to win high street vouchers.
Join us at City and Sandwell Chapel for Ash Wednesday
The chaplaincy team will be hosting an Ash Wednesday service on 6 March at City and Sandwell.
- 12pm, City Chapel (first floor)
- 1.30pm, Sandwell Chapel (second floor)
All colleagues, patients and their visitors are welcome.
For more information please contact call ext. 3552.
New Sandwell multi agency referral form
As part of the move to develop a ‘one front door’ approach to referrals, and following consultation with all multi-agency partners, the MARF guidance and form have been revised. A new, single form allows frontline practitioners to refer all concerns through one route (e.g. early help, safeguarding and child protection) and is designed to simplify and speed up the process of dealing with referrals, to improve support timescales and information feedback.
All referrals are to be sent to the following secure email address: Access_Team@sandwellchildrenstrust.org
The form and guidance will be available on the Sandwell Safeguarding Children Board’s website and has been uploaded onto SWBH connect safeguarding children intranet page.
The old style MARF will still be accepted but you may be asked additional questions so please ensure you delete any copies of the previous version and save the revised MARF(2019) on your local systems if not accessing this via the intranet.
National apprenticeship week – find out more about our apprenticeships
To celebrate national apprenticeship week the apprenticeship team welcome you to come along and talk all things apprenticeships with the team.
| Date | Time | Event | Venue |
| 5 March | 9am–11am | Staff information and assessment session | Room 14 – Education Centre, Sandwell |
| 7 March | 11.30am-1.30pm | Apprenticeship roadshow | Birmingham Treatment Centre, City |
| 8 March | 11.30am-1.30pm | Apprenticeship roadshow | Hallam Restaurant Foyer, Sandwell |
Please come and talk to the apprentice team if you are:
- A colleague wanting to know what apprenticeships are now available (including degree level apprenticeships)
- A recruiting manager considering recruiting an apprentice to your team and wanting to find out more
- A colleague who knows somebody (regardless of age) wishing to return to work or start their career in the NHS through an apprenticeship
For more information please contact libby.marshall@nhs.net.
Competition – The Wonderful World of Disney On Ice
Would you like to be in with a chance to win a family ticket for four to the opening night of The Wonderful World of Disney On Ice at 6.30pm on Wednesday 3 April at Resorts World Arena Birmingham?
For a chance to win the family ticket simply answer the question below:
Q: In The Lion King, what colour is Scar’s mane?
- Black
- Brown
- Red
Please email your answers to anil.patel11@nhs.net by Friday 15 March, 5pm.
TeamTalk briefing – March 2019
TeamTalk, our refocussed team briefing sessions took place earlier this week where attendees were given an update from the Clinical Leadership Executive and were also briefed on national and regional updates.
This discussion topic this month was trials in trauma orthopaedics, Unity and Brexit.
If you were not able to make one of the sessions you can download a copy of the briefing presentation and the latest TeamTalk video from our Chief Executive, Toby Lewis.
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