Mental Health and Dementia Facilities Forum 2019
Taking place on 14-15 November at Whittlebury Park, Northampton, the Mental Health & Dementia Facilities Forum is the ideal platform to hear from experts, explore suppliers, network with your fellow healthcare professionals. It has been specifically developed to help you to fund, deliver and manage the estates and facilities in this vital and diverse sector. The provision of mental health and dementia facilities is set to undergo one of the biggest transformations in recent history with the Government’s pledge to invest £3.9bn to accelerate the NHS estate. This injection of funds will result in around 2 million more people who suffer from anxiety, depression or other problems receiving much-needed help. Building the right facilities is essential to help in the treatment and wellbeing of the many challenges that dementia, mental health, and other related medical conditions provide. “Why design matters – getting it right both inside and out” is the theme for this year’s seminars and we will hear from the following speakers as they share best practice: • Matthew Balaam, Partner, Oxford Architects – Broadmoor Hospital’s redevelopment • Dr Anke Jakob, Research Fellow, Design School, Kingston University – Research findings on positive impact of multi-sensory environments • Phil Ross, Director, DIMHN – Better product decisions for those designing and building mental health facilities • Katharine Lazenby, Mental Health Trainer, Peabody Housing Association – Healing environments: a service user perspective on the factors that truly support recovery • Jeremy Parker, Director, Fira Landscapes – The value of the external environment towards good mental health • Andrew Kingston, Recovery Service Manager, Camden & Islington NHS FT – Landscapes for dementia The format is one-and-a-half days packed with seminars, tailored one to one business meetings, networking and an extensive social programme. A format that has proven to create communities that share knowledge, extend networks and do business better. Feedback Quotes from past delegates: Would certainly recommend attending this amazing event – thoroughly enjoyable and excellent networking opportunities. Will be attending next year. Northwest Boroughs Healthcare NHS FT A well organised and informative event. The venue was ideal, the meetings were very high quality and excellent speakers’ sessions. I cam back with many good products and an excellent network Hamad Medical Corporation, Qatar Excellent networking opportunities and a great forum to learn about the latest innovation and leading-edge products available in the ever-changing health sector. Our industry is all about people and mhdf is all about people. Summers Inman See mhdf-forum.co.uk for more information.
Social care sector urged to back recruitment campaign
A recruitment campaign run by the Department of Health and Social Care is due to launch in a second phase after an overwhelming response from applicants earlier this year. People working in the adult social care sector are being urged by the Minister for Care to back the campaign –the first phase of which generated a 14% uplift in clicks on the ‘apply’ button for care roles on DWP Find a Job and 97% more searches for jobs containing ‘care’ or ‘care worker’. The next phase of the campaign will run from autumn 2019 to April 2020 with the Department calling for support from providers from across the adult social care sector to advertise vacancies through DWP Find a Job and share success stories. Minister for Care, Caroline Dinenage, said: “The social care sector is crying out for talented care workers with the right values. We’ve seen from the campaign already that there are the right people out there but there is still a huge demand and we must reach out to more people to show them that careers in adult social care can be varied, rewarding and flexible. I’m calling on the social care sector to rally together and lend us their support again to bring to life the true rewards of caring and showcase the qualities needed to do the vast range of diverse jobs in care.” Building on the success of the first phase which ran from February to April 2019, the campaign will continue to encourage and inspire people to consider and apply for jobs in adult social care by bringing to life the mutual reward for both those working in care and those they support, as well as showcasing the diversity of roles in the sector. Providers are being urged to send in case studies of those working in the sector and continue to advertise vacancies both on DWP Find a Job and on local jobs boards. A proven increase in applications for social care roles The campaign promises to make a real difference to providers. One in four (26%) care employers surveyed after the first phase saw an increase in either enquiries, applications, interviews or vacancies filled. By supporting the campaign and helping to bring to life the range of roles available, care providers stand to gain from increased quantity and quality of applicants for their own vacancies. Kicking off with an updated advertising creative that captures both the diversity and reality of working in the care sector, the next phase of the campaign will be promoted across outdoor posters, online TV adverts, radio, social media and digital channels, as well as PR and partnerships activity. This will include two big bursts of activity –one in the autumn and another in January – underpinned by a constant drumbeat throughout the year. An updated campaign toolkit and suite of materials free to download from the website will also be available for care providers to use. The first PR activity burst in the autumn will showcase the values and flexibility of working in care through recruitment events where those considering a career in care work, in particular those with existing caring responsibilities such as parents, will be invited to come for an interview with their children in tow. Two events will be held in London and Southampton, with care providers across the UK also encouraged to hold their own recruitment events – a toolkit to help them to do this will be available. The second burst will build on people’s desire for change and self-improvement in the New Year by showcasing how a new career in care could offer professional growth and development as well as more fulfilment. Beyond these bursts, the campaign will put a spotlight on all the types of care roles available in the sector. This will include a focus on mental health and complex needs, domiciliary care, rural care opportunities, individual employers and personal assistants, shared lives schemes and supporting people with learning disabilities. Skills for Care Interim CEO Andy Tilden said: “We fully support DHSC’s adult social care recruitment campaign, and we want every care provider to get involved as closely as they can supporting these critical efforts to find workers with the right values to take on jobs that offer huge professional and personal rewards. The upcoming PR recruitment events offers a great opportunity to speak to potential employees, showing them the flexibility and pride offered by starting a career in our growing sector, so we are confident providers will jump at the chance to get involved.” Ria Lyon, HR Co Ordinator, from Warrington said of the first phase: “At Making Space we have always used the Find a Job Government website to advertise all our vacancies but have never received many applications. Since the recruitment campaign we have definitely seen an increase through this site and our own website.” Claire, Support Worker at Agincare, who was photographed for some of the adverts in the 2018/19 campaign: “When I originally found out I was going to be taking part in the campaign, I was so excited to be sharing the amazing job I do. Unfortunately, people don’t see all of what is involved in being a carer so just sharing a small part is just amazing.” Can you help boost social care recruitment campaign? If you are a care provider and would like to support the recruitment campaign by sharing case studies, please contact everydayisdifferent@dhsc.gov.uk. Over the coming months the DHSC team will also be sharing activity plans and engaging directly with specific members of the sector to help them best showcase the variety of roles in the care industry. See the social care recruitment campaign website at everydayisdifferent.com and the Facebook page at facebook.com/everydayisdifferent
Overcoming loneliness and improving Extra Care at Grand Union Housing Group
by Jan Davis, Dementia Project Officer (Extra Care & Dementia), Grand Union Housing Group At Grand Union, we’ve long seen the impact of loneliness and feelings of social exclusion amongst our older customers, but with new developments in digital technologies, we’ve been able to tackle this problem head-on. By adopting modern ways of care and support, we can ensure our customers continue to live happy, healthy, engaged and independent lives. Digital technology has revolutionised care and support for customers at Quince Court – our Extra Care scheme in Sandy, Bedfordshire – after replacing our analogue system with Appello’s Smart Living Solutions. They now benefit from apartment‐to‐apartment video calls, video door entry system, upgraded smoke detectors and pendants for each resident to wear in case of emergency. Extra Care, extra quickly Most significantly, we have improved speed of access to support down from minutes to seconds, with much better two‐way speech, which can be far less confusing for older people. If someone is ill or unable to leave their apartment, they can call friends or carers for a chat, helping to promote social engagement in situations where normally they might feel isolated. Central Bedfordshire Council’s care team works in partnership with our independent living advisors to give the best level of 24‐hour care and support for customers at Quince Court. If a customer calls for assistance and one of the care team is busy with another customer, the call will automatically get routed to the Appello monitoring centre after a few seconds, to reassure the customer that help is coming. If it’s an emergency, then an ambulance will be called straight away ensuring help arrives as quickly as possible. It is hard to articulate the difference this has made to the carers. Now they know that every customer is getting support, even when they are busy elsewhere and without being torn between calls for help. Carers can prioritise incoming emergency calls and the Extra Care team can now proactively monitor the calls to see when and where support calls are generated, allowing us to proactively improve the services we offer. It’s great that through using digital technologies, we are able to help combat social exclusion and with an ever-growing older population and more people developing dementia and Alzheimer’s, we can subsequently help older people to remain in their own homes, outside of formal care for longer. For more information, see guhg.co.uk
Horticultural therapy for the elderly
Horticultural therapy as a trend is rising, not only amongst the elderly, but across the nation, as mental health stigmas are reduced. In this context however, we will be looking at what this type of therapy is and how it can be beneficial for those looking to get a bit greener with their fingers. What is it? Plant therapy or horticultural therapy involves the use of nature, and gardening as an activity, to evoke feelings of serenity and calmness. In a setting with older people, this can be an excellent way to reflect, but also to rediscover days gone by where gardening would have previously been a key hobby. Whilst you can get those who work full time as plant therapists to come to your care home, there are also simple additions you can make to encourage similar feelings in your patients. Seasonal relevance Whilst, plants and gardening are renowned for their positive wellbeing effects, it’s also important to focus on the season at hand. For example, if it’s autumn, projects involving autumnal leaves, or plants that bloom in this season, like the Crocus, can be a good way to focus on time as a concept, which often helps with dementia patients. The power of reminiscing about seasons gone by should not be ignored and can be a good way for people to interact whilst focusing on this one temporal topic. Practicalities Practically, there needs to be consideration given to the type of products you can use, but also the health and safety of any activity. For example, utilising arthritis-friendly garden tools, or raised planters can allow those with movement difficulties the option to join in. Ensure the plants being used in any therapy sessions are safe, for this reason, those with thorns or nettles are best avoided. Organisation is key As some of those involving themselves in horticultural therapy may have trouble relating to their memory, simple things can make gardening much easier. Use old plant pots and a marker pen to put into the flower beds to indicate what exactly is growing beneath the soil. This can be a huge help when keeping track of plants and flowers, especially if gardeners may have forgotten where exactly certain things were planted and when. It’s simple, it makes use of old plant pots and it’s one of the most useful things for gardeners (of any age!) Ensure it is on view The rehabilitative and wellbeing effects of gardens and plants come from being able to see them. By this we mean, ensure there is ample opportunity to view the greenery as it grows. There could be a particular viewing spot for those who may not be able to get involved, which is why planters at different heights is crucial to provide a varied viewing experience. If the garden is out of view from many people, it’s full potential is being wasted and it’s affects not fairly dispersed across the populace of the home. However far you want to take horticultural therapy, it can be a powerful tool in allowing older people to destress and unwind, whilst also providing something to focus their efforts on. Andy Baxter, MD at outdoor furniture and gardening supplies store, Internet Gardener
Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust recruitment drive
Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust is on a recruitment drive to attract more mental health nurses to work across Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (LPT), which provides mental health, learning disability and community health services for one million people living in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland is looking to recruit more mental health nurses. According to statistics from the Nursing and Midwifery Council, the number of mental health nurses fell from 90,693 to 88,821 between 2014 and 2018[i]. LPT is addressing the shortage across Leicestershire by promoting the region as a leading career destination for mental health nurses, highlighting the many opportunities available. There are vacancies for experienced mental health nurses, including Bank Community Psychiatric Nurse-Band 6 positions which involve working as part of the secondary care services team, providing assessments and treatment packages for a range of service users aged 16-65 years with complex mental health needs. Other opportunities include Band 5 Bank Mental Health/Learning Disabilities staff nurses, ideal for mental health nurses looking for a change of area or more flexibility to better manage their work life balance and a Band 6 Mental Health Practitioner to join the Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment Team at the Bradgate Mental Health Unit at Glenfield Hospital. Joanne Lock is a Ward Matron at the Bradgate Mental Health Unit, part of Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust. She works on an acute ward for women aged 18-65 years and is responsible for the operational and clinical running of the ward and manages a team of 30 staff. The ward is a short-term acute ward, where women with conditions such as paranoid schizophrenia, bipolar and severe depression or severe anxiety will be admitted for around 30 days. Joanne has been a mental health nurse for 16 years and loves her job. She says, “My role is hugely varied, no two days are the same. I love the patient contact and building up a relationship with them and their families to support them to get better. We work with some of the most vulnerable people in society and one of the most rewarding things for me is seeing patients progress and go home. Joanne highlights there are great opportunities for career development and training at the Trust. She says, “The Trust invests a lot into training. As well as mandatory courses, staff can choose courses to progress their careers. I’ve been on several leadership courses, and we’re currently supporting a member of staff to do her degree. We have good links with the universities, so this is a good place to start your career.” “We are currently in the second year of a five year all-age transformation of mental health and learning disability services, working with staff, service users and carers to improve experience within all our care pathways, including innovative new developments such as social prescribing to peer supporters. It is a great time to join and be a part of shaping our future.” The Trust also supports the health and wellbeing of staff. Joanne says, “Mental health nursing is a highly pressurised and challenging role, but the Trust promotes health and wellbeing. There are part-time and flexible roles and the Trust is a strong advocate of achieving a good work life balance, which helps with recruitment and retention. There are yoga session and Zumba classes available and health and wellbeing baskets are sent to staff regularly, which include snacks and drinks such as popcorn, health bars and healthy tea. This is a nice touch and makes staff feel valued.” Joanne is originally from Nottingham and trained there but has been in Leicester for 13 years now. She says, “I love living in Leicester. It’s a wonderfully vibrant and culturally diverse area, with easy access to the rest of the UK. It’s also the tenth largest city in the UK. Housing is affordable, which enables nurses to get on the housing ladder, plus it’s surrounded by beautiful countryside. Leicester City is also renowned now for its sporting achievements, especially winning the football League in 2015/16, which was an amazing time to be in the city”. LPT is part of a recently launched recruitment campaign Y/Our Future that unites five major health and social care employers – University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, LOROS Hospice, Rutland County Council and Leicester City Council – to recruit doctors, nurses and health and social care workers to work in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. Y/Our Future aims to promote Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland as a leading career destination for health and social care professionals, with great career and lifestyle opportunities. For more information on the vacancies visit: https://www.your-future.co.uk/
