It is officially Autumn, which we can tell from the evident change in weather conditions. We know that the coming months will be difficult for many with the ongoing cost of living crisis; the inevitable ‘do I or don’t I’ question of putting the heating on or pulling on another jumper or blanket adds to the stress many already feel. Please remember that there are a number of resources available to support you via the Trust Well-being service and they are also able to signpost to lots of useful community services and support.
It’s important that I mention the Panorama expose relating to a mental health service and poor care delivery. I want to assure everyone that at Arnold Lodge patient safety is one of our primary areas of focus and we provide safe, compassionate care. We have systems and processes in place which should prevent anything like the scenes present from happening here. Safety of patients is everyone’s responsibility and I want to remind staff and carers that if there are concerns about any aspect of care please speak to a member of our clinical or senior team.
This month is Black History Month (BHM) and this year’s theme is ‘Sharing Journeys: Time for Change – Actions not Words’. I encourage you all to have a look at the resources shared on Connect and attached to this newsletter. As someone from a Caribbean heritage, BHM for me is significant and I want to share the various contributions of Black British people to health and other areas (https://connect/black-history-month). Black History Month 2022 – Time for Change: Action Not Words
I can’t end without mentioning Halloween which I know is widely enjoyed…who can resist a sweet treat!! Have fun and be safe whatever your Halloween plans are this year.
Best wishes, Natasha
General Manager Arnold Lodge
10th Annual National Service User Awards 2022
The Awards took place recently in the Lakeside Pavillion at Colwick Hall in Nottingham. After the last two events had to be hosted online due to the pandemic it was amazing to be able to get all the finalists together in person to celebrate their incredible achievements. Altogether, almost 200 people joined us to celebrate the important work they have each done in raising mental health awareness, reducing stigma and supporting people’s recovery journeys.
We are proud to say that Arnold Lodge won the Excellence in Co-Production Award – ‘Co-Produced Patient CPA / Ward Round Training’, Arnold Lodge, Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust & IMPACT Collaborative.
Sylvia, a former service user, and now expert by experience with IMPACT, won an award in 2019 and was also heavily involved in the project that won this year’s Excellence in Co-Production Award said, “When you are a service user a lot of the time you feel like you don’t have a purpose so to see people who are taking part and leading these projects getting that purpose back and hope back is really inspiring. I’m so proud of them all.”
This month is Stoptober – a month focused on supporting individuals to stop smoking. The messaging of the campaign this year is ‘You’ve got what it takes to quit this Stoptober’, encouraging smokers to quit not only by promoting the benefits of quitting, but also to give them confidence that they can quit successfully.
Vocational Placements at Arnold Lodge
Vocational Placements at Arnold Lodge are developed with the aim of providing a work experience which mirrors real life experiences, allowing individual patients to develop a range of key work and employability skills which will assist them in working towards long term vocational and educational goals. The patient shop currently offers 3 vocational placements to patients which are for 8 weeks. These are called: Purchasing Assistant Placement, Shop Prep Assistant Placement and Shop Assistant Placement. The placements are facilitated and supported by Senior OT Support Staff and OT Assistants – Joe Lynne, Emma Genna, Ben and Fadhila They work hard to provide a positive experience for each patient completing the placement. We also offer a Gym Cleaning placement which is facilitated by Sports and Leisure staff. We have had many patients from all care streams successfully complete these placements and continue to encourage patients to engage and participate.
Patients can be referred to complete these placements by their Occupational Therapist, however, do have to meet certain criteria or access levels to be considered for each role which has to be agreed by their clinical team. OT Assistant Practitioner – Sima co-ordinates these referrals and placements monitoring the patient progress by setting targets and completing midway and end reviews for each placement.
The Shop Prep Assistant placement – Tuesdays 2-4pm (2 Patients)
The role is to assist OT staff to unload delivery of shop items and replenish stock on the shop floor and stock room. Paying attention to checking invoices of delivery, stock rotation of items and general cleaning duties of the shop. General manual handling and back care awareness training is offered to patients.
The Shop Assistant placement – Thursdays 3-hour shift (2 Patients)
The role is to assist and facilitate Therapy Services staff to operate the Patient Shop on Thursdays for a duration of 3 hours. Patients can complete a morning shift 9:30 – 12:00 or afternoon shift 12:30 – 15:00. They have responsibilities to operate the till, serve 3 to 4 wards a shift, ensure levels of stock are maintained, provide customer service to peers accessing the shop and maintain the cleanliness of the shop.
The Purchasing Assistant placement (1 Patient who must have Town Leave)
The role is to visit retail shops in the city centre to purchase items to be sold in the patient shop. These items can be arts and crafts, stationary, greeting cards, toiletries and board/card games. Patients are required to use public transport, visit shops and search for suitable items paying attention to prices and budgeting costs.
All patients completing these placements are required to complete a ‘Reflective Log’ at the end of each session to review and reflect on how they have performed and any concerns they may have.
A full job description can be provided to patients who are interested to complete these placements. An interview and inductions are offered to patients before commencing their placements. They would also be required to sign a contract to ensure they understand what is expected of them whilst on the placement. A certificate is awarded to patients who successfully complete their placement.