Chief Executive’s Message – Friday 23 September

September 23, 2022

Next week, over 200 colleagues from the Trust will meet together at our annual Trust Leader’s Conference. This event has been hampered in recent years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, we were able to hold the conference last year, with some COVID-19 restrictions and we are confident that this year’s event will take place with no such limitations. We have come a long way.

This year our conference is themed around one of our three strategic objectives: People – to cultivate and sustain happy, productive and engaged staff. This means that we are focusing all of our attention on how we can improve the wellbeing and experience of our workforce. I make no apologies for putting all colleagues front and centre at this event, where the Trust’s top leaders will jointly learn how to best support staff, encouraging them in their potential as well as with their own health and wellbeing. We know from the latest evidence that not only does investment in the workforce pay dividends in terms of quality of care for patients, but it also fosters a culture that is enjoyable, where work is fun and all staff feel valued.

Later in the year, we will be running conference follow-on sessions for all colleagues to participate in – the responsibility for looking after our co-workers is all of ours, no matter your role or position within the Trust.

Among the busy and fulfilling conference there are for me, two stand out items…one is the launch of our Trust Values accompanied by a clear behavioural framework. The values are now settled (and thank you for all those who contributed…) as Ambition, Respect and Compassion. The missing link is a description of the behaviours that exemplify the values. You have had an opportunity to select which of these behaviours most describes our values and these will be shared widely over the next few weeks. The other strong theme throughout the day is “inclusion” and we can often not be clear about what this means. Our “Respect” value is perhaps the one that best aligns with inclusion. It is about listening to others, walking in their shoes, valuing everyone’s contributions and ensuring that everyone has a voice. Holding up those who need extra support and building an environment where truly everyone matters, which has long been a core strapline of this organisation.

The event attendees also have an opportunity to learn from different parts of the Trust and our Research and Development department will be showcasing their service as part of the exhibitions during the day. Our R&D team play a key role in our organisation, supporting us to be leaders in research which contributes to improving health care treatment and care worldwide. Some of the research done here at SWB has led to changes right across the world, particularly in the fields of cardiology and diabetes. But of course, research opportunities cross all specialities and disciplines. The R&D team are holding their second Research Forum on 30 September at City Hospital. This free event is aimed at anyone interested in research and covers a range of talks and workshops including engaging patients in research, the journey from NHS staff into academia, how to get funding for your research and navigating the regulations. The closing date for registrations is Monday so please don’t delay in booking your place or talk to Kelly Hard, our Head of Research and Development for more information.

Finally, a reminder to be on your guard. Our NHS email accounts are being more frequently compromised by a number of hacking attempts where emails that look very genuine invite you to either click on a link or download a file. Please be alert. These are dangerous security risks and will often come from a Trust email account that has been infected. If you have any doubts DO NOT click on the links or downloads. You may not be expecting to receive an email from that individual so check with them first if they have sent you something to make sure it is genuine. You can talk to our IT Helpdesk for support by contacting them on ext 4050 or via live chat on MS Teams – type “swbh.4050” in the “To:” in the chat function and you can get instant help and advice.

Have a good weekend.

Richard