Welcome to this month’s edition of the Wathwood Star.
Inside this issue there are interviews with Mike Hedland our new General Manager and Luke Morris one of our Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Ambassadors. There is also some information about the upcoming Wathwood Awards. Also, this blog includes an update on the carers Event and a review of the Triangle of care. Happy Reading!
What role did you have before Wathwood?
I was a service manager in A&E. It was hard work, but I feel like I was set up for future pressures. I have worked in physical health for 18 years. I started off as a clerical officer and progressed to different areas.
What is your vision for the hospital?
My vision is to have an inclusive approach for patients and staff. I want to capture what Wathwood does well. I want to be approachable to both staff and patients. I would hope that they can come and talk to me and feel comfortable doing so. By listening to both staff and patients it will help support and develop the future. My main ethos is that patients are the centre of everything.
What attracted you to working here and the mental health sector?
I had never worked in mental health; however, I had had experience of patients with mental health working in A&E. During this time, I saw a lot of people in crisis, and I always had a keen interest. During my time as a service manager, I helped to develop a unit in A&E for people who are in crisis, so they have a separate place whilst waiting for a doctor.
Staff are leaving, how will you retain and recruit quality staff?
I think retention is the most important thing. We are holding listening to events with staff to hear how they can be more supported which hopefully will help the retention of staff. We have been looking at staff working long days. This will then allow staff to have more days off in the week. Many staff members have worked at Wathwood for years and will be retiring, therefore we need to have a forward view to plan a recruitment strategy.
What do you do in your spare time?
In my spare time I like to spend time with my family and friends. Last year I gained my bike licence. I love motor sport – anything with an engine..
The Wathwood Awards for Patients are coming – The awards are being held on Thursday 27th October from 6pm.
The categories are as follows:
Peer Award – Assessment Ward Peer Award – Continuing Care Ward
Peer Award – Rehabilitation Ward Peer Award – The Lodges
This is an award for someone who makes the ward a better place.
Wathwood Champions Award
Someone who works hard to champion and promote Wathwood Hospital. They may be a representative for the patients. It could be someone who attends the patient involvement group, meetings and/or helps on the interview panels.
Creativity Award
Someone who excels in the arts and has their work displayed throughout the hospital. It could be a patient who is a talented musician, or a creative writer.
Recovery Award
This is someone who has demonstrated a high level of commitment and dedication to their treatment pathway. They attend additional well-being and mindfulness groups and work hard to keep up to date with recovery booklets.
Goodwill Award (3 awards in this category)
This is an individual or a group of people who have come together to help organise events not only to help fundraise for charities but help to promote awareness among their peer group and staff. This can also be a person who has
Health and Wellbeing Award
This could be someone who has overcome a physical disability or someone who has worked hard to eat a healthy diet and lose weight so that they can lead a healthier lifestyle. It may be someone who accesses as many sports and fitness sessions as they can.
Education and Practical Skills Award
This is someone who has shown excellent application in developing educational and practical skills within education and/or horticulture.
Patients and staff have all been able to vote. The nominations and winners will have been shortlisted by panellists. As with the last awards only the winners and runners up will be invited to the event. There will be party food and drinks provided. The band from Rampton Hospital who came to play at the last awards has been invited back.
Good luck everyone!
Tell us about the new Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Ambassador role.
It is a very new role, and we are having a meeting in October to find out more about it. There are three ambassadors at Wathwood, Jaida, and me. We will meet with ambassadors from other hospitals to find out what we want from the role. I volunteered as I want to be the rep for people who feel like their voices aren’t being heard.
What should someone do if they are concerned about being or have been bullied?
I would suggest talking to staff who are present at the time and the nurse in charge on the ward first. If it is an ongoing issue, I am happy for you to come to me, especially if it is a sensitive subject that you don’t feel comfortable talking about to others.
What made you want to get involved in equality, diversity, and inclusion?
As a gay man I know what it’s like to face prejudice and bigotry. I want to make sure that I am there for people who don’t feel confident enough to talk about sensitive subjects themselves. I am hoping to be a positive role model for patients and staff.
How do you think you can make a difference at Wathwood?
I want to make a difference and to promote equality, diversity, and inclusion within Wathwood. I would like to help educate both patients and staff on how to talk about sensitive matters such as age, race, gender, sexuality, disability etc. People can come to me with their questions, and I will be happy to give advice without judgement.
Congratulations to our patients on their success in the Awards this year:
Drawing – Commended Drawing – Commended; Portrait – Highly Commended
Hip Hop, Rap and Grime – Commended Drawing – Outstanding Debut Award
Song Writing – Commended; Portrait – Commended; Ceramics – Bronze Award
Drawing – Commended; Drawing – Outstanding Debut Award
Singer-Songwriter Original – Bronze Award Ceramics – Commended
Portrait – Highly Commended; Portrait – Bronze Award Woodcraft – Commended
Wathwood Carers event 24th September 2022
- Updates from Michael Hedland the new General Manager at Wathwood
- Farm shop reopening 1st Saturday of every month free cake and coffee carers loyalty card.
- CQC compliance visits to assessment Ward on the 2nd of August.
- Updates on the roof work.
- 2022 Koestler awards results. Wells road won 1, Arnold lodge won 4, Rampton won 5, Wathwood won 21
Group exercise – Triangle of Care – communication –
What is the Triangle of care
Feedback from the carers in relation to standard 5 – Communication – all had received an information and welcome pack, suggestion of texting, Wathwood has given them hope, staff very helpful during visits, good at passing messages on, website useful, email about events Value been invited to CPA’s, Choice of venues for family visits has been good, kept updated by staff, to be more involved in care planning or monthly updates, representative from Notts
Information shared on the day in leaflet form about carers need assessments and local support groups. Calendars were presented to each carer and dates given for Wathwood 2023 Forum and suggested carers use this calendar to put in important dates for Wathwood such as relatives CPA’s or upcoming events
Feedback from today’s Carers Forum
- It was a lovely Forum, and we had some great feedback.
- Thank you to everyone that made the day go so well and thank you for your dedication to the carers Forum’s
- Wathwood has given me hope
- Lovely to talk to other carers
- Organisation of the forum excellent and lovely friendly staff
- Communication from Wathwood is good, from the wards to social workers
- Thank you to the chef’s lovely food today
- Having a choice of venues for visits is good
- one relative asked if we could have hot drinks in the child visiting room is there any reason we can’t from your point of view?
- one carer said could we ensure hospital transport isn’t parked in the disabled car parking
Lisa Locking
Clinical Matron
Wathwood Hospital