Monthly archives: December 2022
New Macmillan service to support deaf people living with cancer
A new Macmillan service to support deaf people living with cancer is now available to patients.
The Macmillan Deaf Cancer Support Project offers one-on-one virtual emotional and practical support in British Sign Language (BSL) through trained deaf volunteers. The 2-year pilot, in partnership with Self Help UK, will also support carers, including deaf people who are supporting a hearing person with cancer.
As well as providing one-on-one support, this project will also help to empower deaf people by enabling them to share their experiences through new and existing deaf peer support groups.
The project team can also provide advocacy support in complex cases and conduct electronic Holistic Needs Assessments (eHNA) in BSL.
If you are supporting a deaf person affected by cancer please refer them to www.deafcancersupport.org.uk for more information.
Alcohol care team recognised by Prof. Stephen Powis for Nursing Times award
Our alcohol care team have been recognised by Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS England National Medical Director after triumphing in the Emergency and Critical Care category at the 2022 Nursing Times Awards.
The team were crowned for improving the care and management of alcohol dependent patients in the emergency department, which they achieved with their innovative approach, empowering patients to take ownership of their own recovery.
The event took place at the Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane in London on Wednesday 26 October.
To read the letter from Stephen, please click here.
Congratulations to the alcohol care team!
Job of the week: Support Secretary/Admin Assistant apprentice (Business Admin Level 3 standard) – YHP, Oakham Surgery
Based at Oakham Surgery you will work alongside colleagues to provide a seamless service to our registered patient population. The successful candidate will utilise a variety of systems and the patient system SystmOne to access patient information. Good IT and communication skills are essential to the role.
Please do not apply for this role if you already hold the Business Administrator Level 3 qualification/award (NVQ or Standard)
To find out more and apply please click here.
The closing date for this role is Tuesday 6 December, 5pm.
NHS England: NHS Muslim Network
Are you aware of NHS England’s NHS Muslim Network?
The network aims to:
- To increase awareness about Islamic faith-based practices and issues.
- Provide a safe space and point of contact for our members to create a sense of belonging and community.
- Maintain and expand the membership of our network to provide a forum where Muslim colleagues, allies and friends can share lived experiences and issues affecting them.
- Ensure the talent development of our members.
- Offer a wellbeing service for our members.
- Work with other staff networks to eliminate discrimination within the NHS.
- Provide active representation and be the voice of our Muslim colleagues raising awareness of the lived experiences of our Muslim colleagues.
- Raise the visibility and profile of our Muslim colleagues and members.
- Contribute to the development and implementation of national policies and strategy.
- Organise activities and events for Muslim colleagues, allies and friends.
- Support the physical and dietary health of our members.
For further information please click here.
16 days of action against domestic abuse: Respect
16 days (25 November – 10 December) of action against domestic abuse aims to raise awareness of abuse and signpost people to vital support services.
Are you concerned about your behaviour towards your partner? Are you concerned about your behaviour towards other adults in your family?
Do you recognise yourself in these abusive behaviours?
- ‘I shout at her. She is scared of me’.
- ‘When I see him talking to other women I get so jealous that I hit him’.
- ‘I promised I would never slap her again. I did’.
Respect is an organisation which supports perpetrators of domestic abuse, offering opportunities to become aware of harmful behaviours, the impact and how to stop. For more information on the services offered go to https://www.respect.uk.net/ or 0808 802 4040.
As an NHS Trust we have an important role in supporting victims of domestic abuse. You may also be providing healthcare or line management for domestic abuse perpetrators. Signposting for perpetrators to specialist support is an important safeguarding activity.
As a Trust we have an important role in supporting victims of domestic abuse. For information on domestic abuse, please look on the safeguarding area of Connect.
For advice we have Independent Domestic Violence Advocates based in A&E:
- Sandwell (0121 507 3787, 07929 653 3014)
- City (0121 507 4829, 07866 004 529)
- Safeguarding Children 0121 507 2844
- Adult Safeguarding 0121 507 2612.
Other useful links can also be found below:
Chief Executive’s Message – Friday 2 December
This week my message focusses on the very real impact the current cost of living is having on individuals and families.
Cost of living support is really important, not only is winter dark and difficult, but we also have the added stress and strain for a lot of our colleagues who are really in some distress now over the rising cost of living.
While we cannot influence the national pay rates that are nationally collectively bargained, we have introduced some initiatives to support colleagues.
We have created a new section on Connect called Cost of Living Support where you can find a range of offers available to you including:
Discounts for travel on public transport
- National Express are now offering up to 10 per cent discount on bus fares for Trust colleagues through the ‘National Express NHS Portal.’
- Additional discounts are also available to some local rail journeys and the West Midlands Metro service.
- We are also looking at other support we can offer to colleagues who use public transport to get to work.
Free staff car parking and support with mileage
- Car parking continues to be free for staff on our main hospital sites.
- We are also tracking the average cost of petrol and diesel and paying mileage rates that are much higher than we used to pay.
Catering discounts
- Discounts are available from our catering outlets – including daily a meal deal at £1.50 per portion.
- Very soon we will also introduce high quality 24-hour hot food vending machines – look out for details.
Pop-up shop opening at City
- We are opening a pop-up shop at Sheldon Block, ground floor at City on Tuesday 6 December selling cheap grocery items including tea, pasta, cereal, washing up liquid and toilet rolls and much more. It will be open every Tuesday, 10am – 2pm and every Thursday, 2pm – 6pm and will be staffed by our volunteers.
School uniform swop shop
- Our school uniform swop shop has really taken off. It is intended to help families manage the cost of new school uniforms by rehoming preloved uniforms as well as reducing the number of good quality clothing items that are unnecessarily discarded. Thank you to colleagues who have donated so many items already. Please do take time to visit the shop to see what is available, you can find it on Corridor A, above Main Reception at City Hospital (the room between the Wellbeing room and IT room).
- Please consider donating to the shop to avoid waste and help some of our colleagues in this time of financial crisis. Donation points are available at:
- City: Old management block (ground floor)
- Sandwell: Trinity House entrance
- Rowley: Ask at reception
Financial support
- We are proud to be a Real Living Wage employer and have been for many years. We are now planning to rollout ‘Wage Stream’, an app that enables you to draw down some of your salary to help with unexpected expenses.
- There are also a number of great salary sacrifice schemes such as the technology benefits which is now open until 19 December. It offers a chance to take home the latest technology and spread the cost, with affordable monthly payments from your salary.
SWB Benefits portal
- Look for everyday discounts for a variety of products and services via the SWB Benefits portal.
Local authority support
- We have gathered information on support available from local authorities and charities which you can see on the cost of living page on Connect.
To access these resources and much more please visit Connect.
We will continue to add to these offers over the next few weeks and months.
16 days of action against domestic abuse
16 days (25 November – 10 December) of action against domestic abuse aims to raise awareness of abuse and signpost people to vital support services.
The Hollie Guard App: The Hollie Gazzard Trust was created by Hollie’s family following her murder by an ex-partner in 2014 she was 20 years of age. The Hollie Guard App a smartphone app designed to offer protection for lone workers, when travelling to an unknown area or around your local area. It has features which allow journey tracking, alerts, alert timers, ‘man down’ and reporting. For more information check the website https://holliegazzard.org/hollie-guard-app/ .
Silent 999 Calls: If you need to make an emergency call to the police but do not want the person you are fearful of to be alerted, it is not always the case that the police will come if you stay silent. The Silent Solution System is to filter accidental/ hoax 999 calls. An automated ‘This is the Police’ message next asks the caller to press 55. The call handler will know there is an emergency, will stay on the line and officers can try to work out the location to send help.
As a Trust we have an important role in supporting victims of domestic abuse. For information on domestic abuse, please look on the safeguarding area of Connect.
For advice we have Independent Domestic Violence Advocates based in A&E:
- Sandwell (0121 507 3787, 07929 653 3014)
- City (0121 507 4829, 07866 004 529)
- Safeguarding Children 0121 507 2844
- Adult Safeguarding 0121 507 2612.
Other useful links can also be found below:
NHS OpenAthens – unlocking knowledge and evidence
For free, secure access to a range of high-quality digital resources from the extensive, NHS-funded collection including e-books, journals, clinical decision support, study aids, databases and more, you need an NHS OpenAthens account.
NHS OpenAthens is the ‘key’ that unlocks a range of quality, trusted, evidence-based information for health and care staff throughout their career, at work, in practice, on call, while studying and at home.
For further information and access with SWB Open Athens account, please email swbh.library@nhs.net or call ext. 3587.
Free webinars supporting sustainable ways getting to and from work
Looking for inspiration, discounts and support with getting to and from work?
Alongside Sustrans, we are running some digital webinars from 11am – 12pm to support colleagues making it easier for them to walk and cycle on the following date:
- Wednesday 7 December
For joining details and to find out more, please email francesca.silcocks@nhs.net.
Harvest View is now open
Harvest View – Sandwell’s new flagship social care and health facility and the first of its kind in the West Midlands – is now open.
Harvest View in Rowley Regis offers specialist support from both social care and health staff all under one roof, with 80 en-suite rooms and friendly communal areas as well as lovely outdoor spaces.
The facility will help people get back home after a hospital visit and also those who need some structured support to avoid a hospital stay altogether.
It has been opened in partnership with the Trust and Sandwell Council.
Harvest View replicates the home environment, where residents can be encouraged back to their normal health in familiar surroundings. The focus is on maintaining and improving independent living rather than specifically treating the medical condition.
Councillor Suzanne Hartwell, Sandwell Council’s Cabinet Member for Adults, Social Care and Health, and Sarah Oley, the Trust’s Clinical Directorate Lead – iBeds, cut the ribbon to open the facility this week.
Councillor Hartwell said: “This is such an innovative and collaborative project. Harvest View is a magnificent building. For Sandwell residents who will be using this facility, for their families and for the staff who will be working there, this is an amazing person-centred place.
“Harvest View offers residents choice and control over their care and also promotes independence, helping us with our ambition for Sandwell people to live well and age well.”
Sarah Oley added: “This is a fantastic example of partnership working between us at the Trust and our partners at Sandwell Council and we look forward to caring for those people of Sandwell who need the reablement support offered here at Harvest View.”
Watch this video welcoming the the opening of Harvest View:
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