November 2022
The hub forms part of the Frank Bruno Foundation Centre, which is capable of working with up to 2,000 people each month, delivering free non-contact boxing programmes and wrap-around care services to anyone experiencing mental ill health. Frank Bruno MBE said the launch of the centre, and the hub, have come at a critical time and will help to positively shape the lives of those who enter its doors. He said: “The launch of our Oxford centre is an important milestone and will ensure thousands more people can develop their self-esteem, confidence, resilience and discipline in a controlled and safe environment. Boxing holds the power to inspire positive change to peoples’ lives both professionally and socially. And while significant advances have been made to remove the stigma attached to mental ill health and >>>continues on page 2
A state-of-the-art mental health and wellbeing centre championed by Frank Bruno MBE is to open this week. The former WBC Heavyweight Champion will cut the ribbon on the Keystone Mental Health & Wellbeing Hub and the Frank Bruno Foundation Centre at Oxford Stadium on Friday. The Blackbird Leys and East Oxford hub will be home to a Primary Care Mental Health Team who will take referrals from local GPs and improve mental health care for people in Cowley and Blackbird Leys. The team will include local people who have experience of mental health challenges themselves, mental health professionals, psychologists, peer support workers and employment experts. The team will be a collaboration between the NHS and Oxfordshire Mental Health Partnership. It will be linked to local GP surgeries and by working with the Frank Bruno Foundation and Oxford Stadium.
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>>>Continued from page 1
seeking professional support, we believe more can be done.
OMHP across the county, bringing even more compassion and care to people in their community.” Dr David Chapman the Clinical Mental Health Lead at Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board (which is responsible for commissioning and funding of local health and care services) said:“We are delighted the new service will help and care for patients in their local community in East Oxford.We have worked closely with GPs and other health staff and partners to launch the service, which will support patients to get a better experience of their mental health and wellbeing.We thank all involved.” Other onsite provisions at the Frank Bruno Foundation’s Oxford centre include four activity studios, a coffee shop and a fully equipped gym used by the Foundation and out of hours by Blackbird Leys ABC – the city’s oldest boxing club. The studios will be available for local tutors and clubs to hire for sessions including yoga, nutrition, dance and fitness. The centre’s launch has also created 10 full-time jobs. Kevin Boothby, Oxford Stadium Managing Director, added: “The people of East Oxford and its surrounds have been crying out for a facility like this and we believe it will be a great asset to the community. “I know the Frank Bruno Foundation has gone to great lengths to transform this previously neglected space while the stadium was dysfunctional into a modern, fit-for-purpose, centre where everyone is welcome. “We’re a community -focused venue and hope this launch can help support those experiencing mental ill health start their road to recovery and a prosperous future.” The Frank Bruno Foundation aims to improve the mental wellbeing of participants who are facing or in the process or recovering from mental health challenges. Find out more on the Trust website.
“That’s why partnering with Oxford Stadium and Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust is so important. By working together, we can engage new communities and individuals to our life-changing programmes and inspire lasting positive change. “I feel very privileged to be in a position to support people in need of our help and look forward to opening our Oxford centre.” Dr Rob Bale, clinical director for Oxfordshire at Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust which operates the county's mental health services, said:“ Keystone Mental Health & Wellbeing Hub Blackbird Leys & East Oxford will make it easier than ever for local people to access support and care close to home so they can thrive in their lives and community. “The hub will be an exciting collaboration of local people who have experience of mental health challenges themselves, mental health professionals, psychologists, peer support workers and employment experts. The team will be a collaboration between the NHS plus local charities Elmore and Restore as part of Oxfordshire Mental Health Partnership. It will be linked to local GP surgeries and by working with the Frank Bruno Foundation and Oxford Stadium. We will be here to support people when they experience mental health challenges, respond if their care needs change and enable people to stay well.” Chair of Oxfordshire Mental Health Partnership Chris Keating said:“Supporting someone with their mental health can mean an incredibly broad range of support with many aspects of their life which are impacted or affected by their ongoing mental health challenges. At Oxfordshire Mental Health Partnership we work together, as a partnership of five charitable organisations and the NHS, to support people with mental illness. The hub will further add to the life changing range of services provided by
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Get involved
Council of Governors’ meeting
Join us online for the Council of Governors' meeting November 23. Topics on the agenda include a patient story from Eating Disorder Services; Lead Governor's report and the Trust's Suicide Prevention Strategy. The meeting will be accessible remotely by all those who would normally be able to attend a meeting in public. Please click this link to join the meeting, which will start at 5:30pm. You can access the meeting via your web browser, and you need not download any further application unless you wish to. Agenda See the meeting papers here
• Use the Chat function to suggest questions. Questions should relate to agenda items (see agenda above) or discussion taking place. Questions may be answered during or towards the end of the meeting, but we cannot guarantee to answer all questions, especially if time does not permit. You can contact any of your governors by emailing contactyourgovernor@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk
Please mute your microphone and turn off your camera. Due to the number of participants, we need to avoid issues with microphone feedback, interference or transmission delays. Meeting moderators or the Chair may also mute or remove participants if there are issues; and
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Family, friends and carers: Have your say now!
Oxford Health has launched its annual family, friends and carers survey and wants to hear from you. It is really important that we capture feedback on your experience as family member, friend or carer of someone who is accessing our services in any part of the Trust.
With this information the Trust is able to find out what we are doing well and to highlight areas where we need to improve. This is an anonymous survey. It should take up to 10 minutes to complete. The survey will close on Friday December 9 .
Take part here
Both patient and carer feedback provide a valuable insight into what services are like for you.
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Get involved Online workshops for carers, family & friends in Oxfordshire
You can apply by emailing Diane.Hilson@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk with your name, telephone number and the course/s you would like to attend. Email confirmation with joining instructions will be sent to you for the online session.
There is on session left in this autumn series:
Understanding and supporting someone with bipolar Thursday, December 8 10am to 12.30pm
These workshops are provided for carers of service users who are currently under the care of our Oxfordshire Mental Health Teams.
Online workshops in 2023 for carers, family & friends in Bucks
Provide your name, the name of the person you care for under a Bucks Mental Health team, and workshop(s) that you wish to attend. You will be sent the joining details upon confirmation of your booking for the workshops.
Understanding Personality disorders Thursday, January 12 2023 10am to 12 noon Understanding Suicide and Self-harm Thursday, February 16 2023 10am to 12 noon
The workshops are provided for carers of service users who are currently under the care of Bucks Mental Health Teams. Email: icareyoucare@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk
Understanding Autism Thursday, March 16 2023 10am to 12 noon
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Get involved
The Community Voice
The Community Voice is a group for people who have or have had contact with Oxford Health’s Primary, Community and Dental Services. Anyone who has been in contact with these services is welcome to come along. It is a space for people to come together and for the Trust to learn from people’s experiences to make positive changes in your Primary, Community and Dental Services. The Community Voice’ meets bi -monthly on Microsoft Teams. The meeting usually lasts an hour and a half. If you’re nervous about coming alone, why not ask a friend or family member to come with you?
To get involved, please email communityservicesfeedback@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk .The next meeting is scheduled for:
Tuesday, January 10, 2023 , 11am – 12:30 pm
Expert by experience groups
Our Voice in Oxfordshire and Bucks Voice in Buckinghamshire are expert by experience groups for people who use the local mental health services or care for someone who does. If you would like to attend, please email getinvolved@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk
Wednesday, November 23 1pm to 3pm Thursday, January 12 1pm - 3pm Wednesday, February 8 10am - 12 noon Friday, March 17 1pm - 3pm
Tuesday, December 6 2pm to 4pm
The Trust also runs an Eating Disorder Forum. The Forum meets every third Thursday of the month from 4.30pm to 5.30pm
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Trust news Psychosocial assessment following self-harm
Important new guidance for assessing patients following self-harm was launched in a special conference in Oxford. Funded by the 2019 NHS England Trailblazer initiative and organised by Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust along with University of Oxford’s Centre for Suicide Research, the conference brought together more than 100 clinicians, researchers and experts by experience to discuss various aspects of psychosocial assessment of people who present to services having self-harmed. Psychosocial assessment at that point is important because it can provide a crucial opportunity for an individual in a crisis to share their problems with a mental health professional and be offered aftercare. Research, however, shows a great variation across the UK in whether such an assessment is offered and how it is conducted.
“Congratulations to Karen for her great work and also to the designer Steve Messer. There will soon be an online version of the guide which will include videos of people role-playing certain components of the psychosocial assessment. This will be an excellent training tool for both new and experienced staff and anyone involved in assessing people following self-harm. Andy Watson, Linda Thomson, Keith Hawton and Karen Lascelles .
The newly launched resource Psychosocial assessment following self- harm: A clinician’s guide aims to help clinicians conduct full and effective psychosocial assessments that can help individuals who have self-harmed – and in some cases to save lives. The guide has been co-authored by nurse consultant Karen Lascelles, psychiatric liaison, research nurse Fiona Brand and Professor Keith
Nurse consultant Karen Lascelles said: “Today has been about giving clinicians guidance and important messages to help them carry out meaningful psychosocial assessments with people following self- harm, be that in the emergency department or other settings. Hearing from individuals with lived experience is instrumental to conveying these messages and we are very fortunate to have had such rich
Hawton, Director of the Oxford Centre for Suicide Research.You can access the guide here. It is a fitting milestone in the pioneering work that Karen, Prof Hawton and others have been doing in suicide prevention, and Prof Hawton acknowledged as much in his opening address to the conference.
experiential involvement at this conference.”
Full story here
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Trust news
Children roll up for flu protection with parental consent
The annual national school-based Flu vaccination programme is well underway and Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust is currently
delivering the vaccination to
pupils in 300 schools in the Reception toYear 6
vulnerable such as babies and older people. This is particularly important as COVID-19 is still circulating and people at risk of flu are also vulnerable to the complications of COVID- 19.” For most children, the vaccination is given by a quick and simple spray up the nose. In some circumstances it is necessary to administer the vaccine by injection, but this is always discussed with parents/carers beforehand.You may also choose for the vaccination to be administered by intramuscular injection if you object to the nasal vaccination due to it containing porcine gelatine. There is more information on the flu vaccinations in the Primary age leaflet Flu Leaflet Child flu vaccine – NHS or Secondary age leaflet Flu Leaflet Child flu vaccine – NHS which include details about the programme and the small number of children who may not be able to have the nasal spray. Further information about the School Aged Immunisation Service can also be found on their dedicated website at Oxfordshire SAIS – Oxford Health NHS Foundation TrustOxfordshire School Aged Immunisation Service
age group until mid-December. Later in the season, January onwards, some secondary aged children (year groups to be confirmed) will also be offered vaccination across a further 54 schools. Parents and carers are being written to by the Trust to seek consent for their children to receive the vaccine. Giving consent is essential as the vaccine won’t be given without it and all the information needed to do it is provided in the letter which will be emailed to you by your child’s school. If your child is educated at home you will receive a letter direct form the Trust. If you don’t receive your letter please email the Immunisation Team at immunisationteam@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk Fiona Singleton, Oxford Health’s School Aged Immunisation Service Operational Manager, said: “Flu can be a really unpleasant illness for children and sometimes causes serious complications. The good news is that vaccination greatly reduces the risk and protects the vaccinated person and those around them. “Children can catch and spread flu easily so vaccinating them also protects others who are
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Covid & vaccine update Changes on the way to COVID vaccinations
Changes are on the way to COVID vaccination services provided in Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire by Oxford Health. The National Booking System is the starting point for anyone needing to book a COVID-19 vaccination. If you are eligible for a first, second or booster dose all you need to do is visit the page and your nearest available sites will be shown.You can book a time to suit you. If you are unable to book online you can call 119. Since February 2021 Oxford Health has led on providing jabs and boosters to well over a million people and will continue to offer the same service from its facility at the Kassam Stadium in Oxford. The Reading Centre, based at the Broad Street Mall, closed on Sunday, November 13. Access to vaccinations in the area will then be via GP or local pharmacies and Oxford Health’s small vaccination site in Wokingham. In Aylesbury the vaccination facility at the Guttmann Centre closed due to unforeseen circumstances and will not reopen at this location. The Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board and Oxford Health are working to offer alternative arrangements in the Aylesbury area. Shafik Nassar, Oxford Health’s Head of Service for
mobile and pop-up centres it has been truly amazing.
“As demands change and the vaccination offer in different locations develops we see more opportunities in many areas for people to get their vaccinations at GPs, and the time is right for us to reduce our own offer in some locations. “Getting your COVID -19 jabs and boosters is still the best way to protect yourself, your family and those around you and I would urge anyone who is eligible for a vaccination to book theirs now via the National Booking system online or by calling 119.” COVID - 19 vaccine ingredients The COVID-19 vaccines do not contain egg or animal products. The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine contains a tiny amount of alcohol, but this is less than in some everyday foods like bread. You can find out about the ingredients in the vaccines currently available in the UK: Moderna (Spikevax) COVID-19 vaccine patient leaflet on GOV.UK Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine patient leaflet on GOV.UK Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine patient leaflet on GOV.UK
Vaccination and Population Health, said: “Oxford Health’s contribution to the national vaccination effort has been immense and I want to pay tribute to everyone who has played their part.
“From the very beginning when colleagues were setting up at the Kassam to welcome the very first people, to hitting the million- jab mark and going out on the road to run
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Covid & vaccine update
NHS invites people 50 and over for autumn boosters and flu jab
Millions of people aged 50 and over can now book their autumn booster and flu vaccines, as the NHS COVID-19 and flu programmes continue to protect the country ahead of winter. Online and phone bookings are now open to around 12 million people aged between 50 and 64 to book their Covid jabs. COVID-19 jabs are available at a
range of locations including Oxford Health’s centres at the Guttmann Centre in Aylesbury, the Kassam Stadium in Oxford and the Mall in Reading. Other locations including many community pharmacies and GPs are also offering the jabs. And for the first time, the service will allow some people who are eligible for a flu vaccine to book an appointment online under a new pilot with more than 200 sites across the country. The public can still book flu vaccinations through their GP practice or by visiting a participating community pharmacy. Please call 119 if you need help. Oxford Health’s sites in Aylesbury, Oxford and Reading only offer COVID-19 vaccinations. Those eligible for the flu jab are: • people aged 50 and over • those aged between six months and 49 years with a specified health condition • some secondary school-aged children • 2 and 3-year-olds • pregnant women • primary school-aged children • those in care homes • people who are carers, as set out in the Green Book • frontline healthcare workers
frontline social care staff who do not have access to occupational health schemes household contacts of people with weakened immune systems.
•
•
In line with advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, those eligible for an autumn COVID-19 booster this year include: • residents in care homes for older adults • staff working in care homes for older adults • frontline health and social care workers • all adults aged 50 years and over • persons aged 5 to 49 years in a clinical risk group, as set out in the Green Book • persons aged 5 to 49 years who are household contacts of people with immunosuppression
persons aged 16 to 49 years who are carers, as set out in the Green Book.
•
For a full list of pharmacies offering a free NHS flu vaccination, including those not part of the NHS pilot, please visit the nhs.uk website.
Pharmacies are taking appointment bookings for flu vaccination online.
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Trust news ‘Weigh Forward Bucks’ becomes ‘Way Forward Bucks’
Way Forward Bucks (WFB), part of Healthy Minds Bucks and run in collaboration with Buckinghamshire Healthcare Trust, is the new name for the Tier-Three weight management service. After listening carefully to client’s feedback, the service has moved away from focusing solely on weight loss as a measure of success and has taken the opportunity to relaunch and rebrand. Tom Coates, WFB Lead and CBT Therapist at Healthy Minds, Bucks said: “Way Forward recognises the significance of other health gains that come with a healthier lifestyle and celebrates the ‘non - scale victories’ of positive change to diet, mindset and activity. “Clients have reported improvements such as, better blood results, reducing their medications and feeling less breathless and more confident. “Way Forward Bucks is constantly improving and updating our service in line with current research, recommendations and feedback from our service users.”
Why ‘ Way Forward Bucks? ’ Firstly, the service wants to ensure that these health gains are recognised, even at times when no weight loss is seen by the individual. Secondly, due to weight stigma, focusing on weight loss may trigger feelings of failure and push individuals back into patterns of harmful ‘yo -yo dieting’, unhealthy behaviours or avoiding health services altogether. When will this take effect? Way Forward Bucks’ new name and logo now appears on all of its promotional materials. Click here for further information and visit the Healthy Minds webpage to learn more about improving your wellbeing. therapy and how you can best support and signpost people who would benefit from treatment. These online sessions include an overview of the service remit, referral criteria, treatments offered, staff roles and future developments. There is also plenty of opportunity for questions. Colleagues are welcome from all professional backgrounds including emergency services, GPs, third sector colleagues, schools, and community groups and clubs.
Talking therapies reach out
Our NHS talking therapy services are supporting people in our communities by training and informing other professionals who work with people locally. TalkingSpace Plus in Oxfordshire and Healthy Minds in Buckinghamshire run regular open events for professionals from all backgrounds and disciplines. It’s an opportunity to learn about local NHS talking
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Trust news
New starters at Oxford Health get a very warm welcome
About 100 new starters were welcomed to the Trust at a face-face corporate induction this month, bringing remote inductions to an end. For the first time since the COVID pandemic started, new staff got to meet other joiners in person and hear direct from senior leaders about working at Oxford Health. The first of these new look corporate induction events was held at our offices at Unipart House, Oxford, with a refreshed focus on the Trust’s vision and values, the NHS People Promise and our strategy. Based on feedback from staff, the new monthly programme has been carefully designed to make new starters to feel welcome, valued and excited about their new roles, as well as helping them understand the organisation and its culture. Everyone learnt about the Trust values of being caring, safe and excellent and about our People Promise – and was welcomed into the #OneOHFT family. CEO Dr Nick Broughton personally thanked new starters for joining the Trust. He told them our ambition was for Oxford Health to be the best mental health and community NHS trust in the country – and the best such trust to work for. Nick talked about our culture of openness and inclusion where everybody is valued, saying: “We are one big team. Everyone is valued here. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts. “You all have a voice. Don’t be afraid to speak up – and speak out – if you see something which is not good enough. I value all feedback, all our managers value feedback.” Finally, Nick added:
New starter Assistant Clinical Psychologist Alexandra James -Bott
caring organisation and we need to care for each other, as well as our patients.” The audience, with a broad spread of staff from dieticians and nurses to dental officers and wellbeing practitioners, then took part in a series of interactive sessions providing key information and signposting to services around the Trust. They also got to wander around an induction marketplace, visiting stands representing 18 key teams from across the Trust, including Patient Safety, Patient Involvement and Experience, and Oxford Health Careers. Our new starters praised the new induction programme. Assistant Clinical Psychologist Alexandra James- Bott, said: “It’s been really nice meeting new people from the Trust and getting to know other people joining. “Learning about all the wellbeing stuff and hearing about how supportive the Trust is was great.
“I’ve really enjoyed it.”
“Look out for each other, be kind to each other. That’s what we’re about. We’re a
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Trust news Energy and motivation to see medical trainees succeed
Dr Gerti Stegen has been named Psychiatric Educator of theYear in the Royal College of Psychiatrists RCPsych Awards 2022.This is a fabulous recognition of her achievements in a role she never planned to have but ended up loving. Dr Gerti Stegen is a consultant psychiatrist with Oxford Health, specialising in psychological therapies, and was coaxed into medical education by the Trust’s then Medical Director Mike Hobbs, now a Trust governor. “It wasn’t all planned, but I became an associate college tutor with the
responsibility of ensuring the quality of, training for Foundation doctors, GPVTSs and Core trainees in psychiatry. That gave me the first taste of training and I loved it. You work with trainees from all over the
world, from all kinds of different backgrounds, resolving issues and
educational matters – it was so interesting!” From then Gerti’s career in medical education progressed until she became the Director of Medical Education, a role from which she only stepped down at the end of 2021. And remarkably, it is a role which clinicians carry alongside their clinical work. “It is a lot of work but so energising! The trainees are such a fabulous, fascinating bunch. You work across boundaries, learn together, and create educational opportunities together. It’s a bit like you are allowed to be a kid again – although of course you are also dealing with serious issues,” Gerti says. She also pays tribute to her co-educators and administrators. Gerti was nominated by a group of her trainees and felt greatly humbled by just being nominated, let
Dr Gerti Stegen
alone getting shortlisted. And then she nearly missed the win. The prize giving ceremony was changed from real world to a virtual one because of a looming train strike, and all winners had to be informed by email. “I was hideously busy and dealing with lots of emails, so I just put it on one side – but eventually I did click it open. And I was stunned!” she laughs.
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Trust news
Lift up your everyday with ‘life hacks’ from occupational therapists
In Occupational Therapy Week,
November 7-13, Oxford Health’s occupational therapists are joied the national campaign ‘Lift UpYour Everyday’. Launched by the Royal College of Occupational Therapists, the campaign aims to raise the
profile of occupational therapy and give people ideas for ‘life hacks’ to help them make positive changes to their lives. You can check out their life hacks here.
This support can give people a renewed sense of purpose. It can also open up new opportunities and change the way people feel about the future. Emma Croft said: “OT week provides an opportunity to come together and promote the inspiring work of our occupational therapists, share some of the innovative practice, and celebrate the value they add to patients and service users
At Oxford Health, Emma Croft, Interim Allied Health Professions Lead, equipped the Trust’s nearly 500 OTs with a guide to creating life hacks, and is inviting them to share their work on the @oxfordhealthAHP Twitter account. What is occupational therapy? Occupational therapists help people overcome challenges completing everyday tasks or activities – what we call ‘occupations’. At Oxford Health Occupational Therapists work with people of all ages in the disciplines the Trust covers, in mental health, community health and people with learning disabilities. Occupational therapists see beyond diagnoses and limitations to people’s hopes and aspirations. They look at relationships between the activities you do every day – your occupations – alongside the challenges you face and your environment. Then they create a plan of goals and adjustments targeted at achieving a specific set of activities. The plan is practical, realistic and personal for each individual to help them achieve the breakthroughs they need to elevate their everyday life.
in their recovery. I want to promote the Royal college of Occupational Therapy’s vision to ensure that people everywhere value the life changing power of occupational therapy.”
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Exceptional People Awards PEACEmaker Gavin proves he’s a diamond on Sapphire
Nursing associate and PEACE Champion Gavin Denny from Sapphire ward, Whiteleaf Centre, was awarded the Exceptional People Award for his fantastic people skills. “This is wonderful news. I am absolutely thrilled,” said Gavin. Gavin received his award in a small, cheerful ceremony at the Whiteleaf Centre from Chief People Officer Charmaine De Souza and Trust Governor Jacky McKenna, with many of his team members joining in. Gavin had been nominated by Physical Health Lead Matron Alison Murray, who noted his calm, respectful approach and exceptional skills in de- escalating situations where a patient could be distressed and aggressive. Alison wrote: “Gavin has a really nice manner with staff and patients, which puts everyone at ease and encourages others to adopt his approach.” Gavin has worked at the Sapphire ward for seven years and loves his job. He is currently working towards qualifying as a nurse and plans do a preceptorship, with the ultimate aim to become a ward manager. He told he comes from a family of mental health professionals but came himself to the field later in life, after having a career at a gym and later as a plasterer. “To say I disliked plastering is an understatement!” he laughed. Going to the uni in his age didn’t appeal to Gavin, so he applied to become a nursing associate. “I know it sounds cheesy but when I got the job, I felt this is what I’m meant to do.” Charmaine De Souza was keen to hear more about Gavin’s approach to potentially threatening situations.
“I absolutely want to work on the ward and be the kind person on the ward. I am a calm character and if there’s a situation, I will first talk; ask what’s going on for that person and keep talking. Restraining is a last resort to me,” Gavin said. He added: “We don’t often get positive feedback on the ward, so when a patient says: ‘you know, you are actually quite good at your job’, it’s the greatest feeling for me.” Charmaine and Jacky McKenna praised Gavin for promoting the Positive Engagement and Caring Environments (PEACE) approach both through his own example and as a PEACE Champion and were delighted his good work is now recognised in the awards. Jacky, who is in the Governor panel judging the individual awards, said:
“You were against some stiff competition, but we absolutely wanted to recognise all the good work you are doing.”
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Exceptional People Awards
Consultant psychiatrist Dr Francesca Battisti at the Cotswold House Eating Disorder Service in Marlborough has become highly commended for her motivating leadership and ‘ can do this’ attitude. Vicky Bradley, Acting Modern Matron at the Cotswold House told: “Dr Battisti was presented with the highly commended certificate in our team meeting to her great surprise! Dr Battisti is hugely appreciated by the ward and community team staff. She works so hard to give our patients the best care while always ensuring that staff are supported and listened to.” Dr Battisti had been nominated by sessional charge nurse Carol Bennett who wrote: “Francesca has provided the service with clear leadership and support throughout the pandemic, utilising her own skills and personal strengths to support the team as we moved through the challenges of these past two years. “The one thing that stands out for me in the past six months has been how she has nurtured a sense of ‘we can all do this’ around a very challenging clinical picture within the inpatient service. When staff were floundering and short of energy and hope for a particular individual, Francesca kept us buoyant with her calm, kind, and ever positive outlook on the situation. We are so pleased that we were guided and led by her to get the optimum outcome for the patient, their family and ultimately the rest of our patients in the future. “We are happy to reflect how she led us through this particular struggle, giving us constant reminders of how we can do this, never losing faith in the team she leads, and we have all grown stronger as a result. Her constant reminders of our own strengths have motivated and reminded us of what a privilege it is to work here.”
Nominate now Nominations are welcome at any time from patients, carers, family & friends and col- leagues. If some- one has made a difference, howev- er small, we want to hear about it! Nominate online here
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Exceptional People Awards Praise for an exceptional admin team
Back row from left: Alex Robbins,Wolfgang Fuchs, Chloe Simpson, Debbie Powell. Middle row from left: Keir Garrett, Hannah Hibbert and Caroline Reeves. Front row from left: Diana Benavides, Teresa Curtis, Elizabeth Cook and Dee Kyaagba. Missing from photo are Jasmine Watts, Lesley McFarlane, Dominic Pinion and Andy Allsop, who are also part of the team.
outage of Carenotes, the admin staff worked tirelessly behind the scenes to get processes in place for patient safety to be maintained and took on without complaint a huge increase in workload. “Admin are the glue keeping the AMHT together. They make the clinical job pleasurable and the team a positive working environment. My patients and their carers are confident that when they contact the team, they will be managed efficiently, effectively, and professionally. “Admin seem to magically read clinicians mind and smooth out difficulties before they even occur. They never seek praise or recognition but are the driving force of the team and make a huge unseen positive impact on quality of life for patients and staff alike. “It isn’t glamorous work, but it is a team like this which encapsulates all the best bits of the NHS!”
"It isn't glamorous work, but it is a team like this that encapsulates all the best bits of the NHS!" This is praise for the administrators in the City and North East Oxfordshire Adult Mental Health Team, and quite rightly they became highly commended . “The team are delighted. The award will take a place of pride in the admin team office,” said team manager Teresa Curtis. She managed to get almost all of the team to the group photo (above.) The team were nominated by locum consultant psychiatrist Sophie Behrman who wrote: “The admin staff are exceptionally caring and navigate a tricky path of balancing requests of patients and staff members to ensure that patients receive safe and excellent care and clinical staff are afforded time and facilities to do their jobs.With the
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Trust news
Saving lives, changing lives - Bala’s inspiring career
After a varied career of nearly 50 years in the NHS and a string of qualifications to his name, nurse Bala Moddia is finally planning to retire for good. Unless, of course, he carries on acting as a mentor for the younger generation, a role he has performed for decades now along his other assignments. Bala grew up in Malaysia and was inspired to become a nurse seeing his mother care for people of all ages in their village. “She was a very caring person and lots of people came to her with all kinds of ailments. She cared for them using traditional South Indian medicine which she had learned from her father. She never charged anyone. It was embedded in me to look for a profession doing something like what she was doing. “So, I applied to the Windsor School of Nursing – just by correspondence. In those days there were no interviews. And in May 1975 I arrived in Windsor and started my nursing career at King Edward the VII Hospital and Wexham Park Hospital in Slough,” Bala tells. And what a career it has been! Along the years, Bala has qualified in general nursing as well as mental health and learning disability nursing, done a master’s degree in Medical Science and gained a doctorate specialising in epilepsy. He has worked across a great range of disciplines – from A&E to eating disorders – but most of all with people with a learning disability. “I was working in orthopaedics when I had
a patient with Downs Syndrome, and she was just so lovely. Working with her really was a trigger for me to study learning disability nursing,” Bala says. It is also how he ended up in Oxford: “This was the best place to specialise in learning disabilities,” he says. Bala then worked as a senior community nurse for learning disabilities in the north of the county, covering Kidlington, Banbury and Bicester. “I absolutely loved my job. I was able to
use all my three disciplines – general, mental health and learning disability nursing – and really provide comprehensive, holistic care to service users,” he says.
Read the full story here, including how Bala was involved in transforming care for people with a learning disability and closing the Manor Hospital in Aylesbury.
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DAISY Awards
Jude’s wisdom and support for young mother
A grey November morning brightened up when Judith Richardson received a DAISY Award in a surprise ceremony at the Slade in Oxford. She had been nominated by a mother who said:“Without Jude's wisdom, encouragement and support, my son's first year would not have been as settled and happy as it was.” Jude works as a community psychiatric nurse in the Infant Parent Perinatal Service (IPPS), and the whole team had been invited to a team meeting under the pretence that the newish team manager Fern Bronock wanted to get to ‘know everyone a bit better’. DAISY Awards celebrate extraordinary nurses and part of the international DAISY Foundation’s guidance is that the award should come as a surprise to the winner. Team leaders and managers then need to come with elaborate plots to invite everyone to an in-person meeting without revealing the reason. The IPPS team were happily chatting away when senior leaders Chief Nurse Marie Crofts, Deputy Chief Nurse Britta Klinck and Service Director for Oxfordshire, Bath, North East Somerset, Swindon & Wiltshire Mental Health Katrina Anderson joined the ‘meeting’. Marie gave a brief background to the DAISI Awards and emphasised that choosing the winner each quarter in by means an easy task. “The panel is made up of patients, carers and nurses of types, so it’s not just us. All nominations are anonymous, so we don’t know who we are judging. Every quarter we get 30-40 nominations, and it is always a hard decision.” Britta Klinck added: “For the DAISY Award, what we are looking for is the essence of nursing; how a nurse has really made a difference to someone’s life.” Marie then revealed that the leadership team were there to present the DAISY Award to Jude, and read out the nomination, warning that tissues may be needed – and they were!
Jude had been nominated by a young mother who wrote: “Jude supported me towards the end of my third trimester and throughout the first six months of having my second child. My first pregnancy had been very difficult, and my anxiety levels were increasing as I prepared our family for welcoming a sibling for our daughter. During the time I worked with Jude, I also discovered that our daughter is neurodivergent and combined with the joy and challenges of a new-born, I was supporting and advocating for her as she made the transition to primary school with undiagnosed special educational needs. Jude was an ever calm, pragmatic and insightful constant during that time – offering me a safe space to process my feelings and giving me the confidence to trust my instincts.Without Jude’s wisdom, encouragement and support, my son’s first year would not have been as settled and happy as it was.”
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DAISY Awards
Truly amazing nurse Kelly
Well done to Oxford Health’s Kelly Bevan who has scooped one of the latest DAISY nursing awards. Kelly, who works in the Neill Unit at the Warneford Hospital, was called to an unexpected meeting to hear some ‘important news’. It was only when she had been in the meeting room with colleagues listening to Chief Nurse Marie Crofts explain what the awards were about that she realised what was happening. She explained:“It was a huge surprise. I had thought I was attending a meeting for supervision, however when Marie said that I had won the DAISY Award I was overjoyed! Kelly, who has worked for Oxford Health since 2007 when she joined as a graduate, was nominated by a patient who she has been working closely with in her current role. The patient described how Kelly “is a truly amazing nurse and care co-ordinator. She is so kind, calm, compassionate, and caring she has made an enormous difference to my experience of mental health services and my wellbeing.” Marie Crofts, Oxford Health’s Chief Nurse was joined by Deputy Chief Nurse, Britta Klinck, who teamed up with Kelly’s colleagues to spring the surprise. Marie said:“We get lots of nominations for the DAISY awards each quarter and each one is special and reflects just how caring and committed our nurses are. “There was something really special in Kelly’s nomination as it came from a patient who knew exactly how special the support was that she received and got it down in writing so beautifully.” The DAISY Awards is an international recognition programme that honours and celebrates the skilful and compassionate care provided by nurses. The awards are an opportunity for patients and colleagues to say thank you to someone they think provides exceptional care by sharing their story of how a nurse made a difference. As well as hearing what the patient had written, Kelly was presented with her certificate, badge and commemorative sculpture. The DAISY awards presentation package also
includes a pack of special tissues, which were handy for what turned out to be an emotional moment. Kelly said: “A key part of my role has been working with patients and caring for people with mental illness in the community. It can require persistence and perseverance but all nurses just get on with the job. “Helping people is what we do and getting thanks for it is greatly appreciated but not expected. But it is really nice and I would urge anyone who has received great care from an Oxford Health nurse to put a nomination in.” Nominate an extraordinary nurse for DAISY Have you or your loved one been met with extraordinary kindness and compassion by a nurse from Oxford Health? If so, nominate them for DAISY! You can do so online here.
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Charity news
What a result for our young MIU patients!
A new mural has transformed the children's waiting area at Abingdon Minor Injuries Unit. With puffins, a helter -skelter, whales and
a lighthouse, the children’s waiting area at Abingdon’s Minor Injuries Unit looks more like a day at the beach — thanks to Oxford Health Charity. This bright and cheerful new facility was recently opened, by Chief Nurse Marie Crofts who hailed the area a fabulous success. “It’s so much better for our young patients and such a great example of the value that teamwork and what our wonderful charity can achieve.” A fun mural by local artist Tom Cross, who worked alongside staff at the unit to co-design a bespoke seaside scene, features a beach with changing huts, fish and starfish swimming in the sea, while the town hall has been transformed into a sandcastle. To honour the association with the area’s military links Chinook helicopters are depicted. There are even red kites flying through the sky – a common site in Oxfordshire skies. New toys have also been purchased, and, in keeping with the seaside theme, there is a captain’s wheel and a seaplane. Rachel Caira, Clinical Lead in the Minor Injuries Unit said: “During the pandemic we had to significantly simplify our children’s waiting area due to Infection Control and it became obvious it was tired and dated. We put in a
bid for support from Oxford Health Charity to create a new safe, fun and interactive environment. “We have managed to design a bespoke mural to cover the walls with objects specific to Abingdon and the surrounding areas. “We have also brought new toys for the children’s waiting area as well as a safer flooring for our younger visitors to play on. “Children have been completely blown away and reluctant to come into the treatment area as they have been having so much fun in the waiting area! We have also had lots of lovely compliments surrounding the diversity depicted in the mural as well as spotting lots of local landmarks. “We would like to say a huge thank you to Oxford Health Charity, as without their support we wouldn’t have been able to make this transformation.
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Research news
Dr Max scores a hat trick: three RCPsych awards in five years
. Dr Maxime Taquet has been named the Core Psychiatric Trainee of theYear in the Royal College of Psychiatrists RCPsych Awards 2022.This is the third national RCPsych award Max has received in five years: he
drove his career move to medicine and specialisation in psychiatry.
was awarded the Foundation Doctor of theYear in 2020 and Medical Student of theYear in 2017 – quite a hat trick! Max said: “It is a great honour – especially when you see what the other shortlisted candidates have done!” Max is an Academic Clinical Fellow within the Department of Psychiatry at University of Oxford and Senior Research Fellow with NIHR Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre. He has done the majority of his medical placements with Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, gaining clinical experience from a great variety of services. Right now he is working in Aylesbury within a Community Learning Disability Team and will return to Oxford in February to work with the CAMHS Neurodevelopmental Conditions Service. Prior to his medical career, Max was an engineer and gained a PhD in brain imaging technologies. His keen interest in complex systems and the brain
“It is a the most fascinating of all medical disciplines and tackles the biggest health burden, on a global level,” Max says. “As clinicians, we psychiatrists still have time to listen to the patient and their life story (although not enough at times). That allows us to get a deeper understanding of the person as whole.” “And from a scientific point of view, it is the complexity of mental health that makes psychiatry so interesting. We need to look at biological, psychological, and social factors, and their interaction.” Max is grateful that he’s been allowed to combine his medical training with his research fellowship at NIHR Oxford Health BRC. “It’s been fantastic. I work 80% as a clinician and do research one day a week.” Max’s current research focuses on mental health consequences of COVID-19 infection, with a specific focus on brain fog, the study of which he finds hugely important.
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