Posted on: 15 April 2021
Hello, my name is Tom.
I have the pleasure of writing to you at what feels like a significant milestone in the long journey we’ve all been on over the past year. On Monday our city and local centres welcomed back visitors as shops, gyms and hairdressers opened their doors for the first time in many months, and we can now enjoy some al-fresco dining at pubs, cafes and restaurants (British weather permitting!). The longer days and signs of spring are welcome after a long winter of staying home and missing out on doing the things, and seeing the people, that we love. I hope everyone is able to get back to some of these things over the coming weeks, while staying safe and keeping it outdoors.
Although restrictions are being eased there are still lots of people across our region who need support, from those who are clinically vulnerable and perhaps anxious about getting out more, to people who need to self-isolate. Local authorities have been at the centre of coordinating support for people and businesses- everything from packing and delivering food parcels, paying out grants to local businesses, preventing and managing outbreaks, doing local contact tracing, supporting homeless people into emergency accommodation (and then longer term accommodation), and making sure all communities have access to vaccination.
Beyond what we do as a local council, it is often others in the community who step up to help people who need it. We saw this happen really quickly at the start of the pandemic, when windows were filled with rainbows and people rallied round to support their neighbours in what felt like a really surreal experience. But even as Covid became a way of life, the support for others has steadfastly continued, usually without fuss or fanfare. In Leeds, around 2000 Community Care Volunteers have been delivering food parcels, doing shopping and collecting medicines for others, including some of the 70,000 people in our city who were advised to shield at some point. On top of this, countless others are helping their friends, families and neighbours in everyday acts of kindness outside of any formal role. I know this picture is reflected across our region.
In Leeds we try to take an asset-based approach to working with our communities. This means believing that, given the tools and the opportunity, small groups of residents can change the things they think need changing in their community, and recognising that they’re best placed to do this. Covid has certainly brought this approach into its own. As people spent more time in their local areas, the neighbourhood has become more important for many of us, and this has led to some great innovative ideas springing up at the street level, from afternoon teas and coffee mornings, mini libraries and bike-sharing schemes, to dance classes and craft workshops and even a socially distanced car park disco! Communities have created iPad loan schemes and taught people how to use video calls to stay in touch with their friends and families. When an elderly lady asked to talk to a mother and daughter in a park, they hatched the idea of a socially distanced ‘natter bench’, which is now in place with its own plaque inviting people to take a seat and have a chat.
As a local authority our role is to do what we can to help build strong communities where these wonderful grassroots solutions can flourish. Some of the ways we’re doing this include building an asset-based approach to working across the council, strengthening its role in commissioning, and developing small and micro grants aimed at grassroots organisations with good ideas. The potential of asset-based approaches is increasingly recognised across the health and care system, and some exciting work is being developed through Local Care Partnerships to use health funding to support community building. This should help to facilitate a shift of resources, power and decision-making towards local places.
This asset-based approach to working with communities is closely linked to how we deliver social work and social care services. We call this a strengths-based approach, which means that we seek to understand a person’s strengths and capabilities, and how the resources available to them in their communities can support them to live a good, independent life. The approach is rooted in conversations, so we set up pop-up Talking Points to bring social workers to community settings. Covid has made a strengths-based approach more challenging as face to face contact in community settings had to cease. However, social work has continued throughout the pandemic, with essential visits and Mental Health Act work continuing in person. On top of this, social care colleagues have found novel ways to deliver services and keep people connected, including video calls with people and families to discuss their care needs, and using Whatsapp to keep in touch with young adults with learning disabilities. For those without access to devices, an iPad loan scheme from libraries has given people an opportunity to keep in touch with loved ones- in our area, social isolation is one of the main reasons people contact adult social care services. But not all solutions have been digital- one social worker helped to support a young person transition to adult services by meeting with her in a park to do craft activities from a picnic blanket.
As is the picture across all health and care services, the coming months will be about finding a balance between the new solutions tested out during lockdown that have worked well, while bringing back the valuable face to face contact that is so important for wellbeing and building relationships. When it’s safe to do so social workers will be able to re-connect with the community resources in their patches and link in with new community groups that have formed during the pandemic.
In a similar way, colleagues working with children and young people have found ways to stay connected, always guided by our commitment to restorative practice- that is, working with children and young people rather than doing things to or for them. The impacts of the pandemic on young people is a cause for concern- a recent national study by Young Minds found that two-thirds of young people surveyed believed that the pandemic will have a long-term negative impact on their mental health. Locally, we’ve seen a mixed picture, with about half of children who took part in a pupil wellbeing survey reporting no change to their mental health. For around a quarter their mental health has improved, and for another quarter it has worsened. Young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) have reported feeling concerned about what is ahead, and a fear of losing loved ones. This shows how important it is to understand the issues directly, and our Voice, Influence & Change team have been working with young people to make sure their experiences are heard in decision-making processes, including through directly contributing to board meetings.
Some of the ways young people have continued to be supported during the pandemic include resources and activities shared over social media and the Child Friendly Leeds blog, with outdoor activities taking place when restrictions have allowed. During Easter, 23 families took part in a socially-distanced outdoor Easter egg trail. As ever, it has often been the broader community that has rallied around, like our community of Child Friendly Leeds business ambassadors who contributed 2550 Christmas gifts and 1500 Easter gifts for children and young people. While there is still a lot of uncertainty around larger events, there will hopefully be more activities in person over the course of the year. Luckily we’re very adept now at doing big events virtually! Hopefully the annual Child Friendly Leeds Awards will be back in 2022, which celebrates the children, young people, adults, organisations and places that are helping to make Leeds a child friendly city.
Coretta Scott King once said that “the greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members” and I think during Covid we’ve seen how individual kindness is really the bedrock of strong communities that look out for each other. Across West Yorkshire and Harrogate, colleagues are doing fantastic work to help people and communities to have the resources they need to come together to get through life’s biggest challenges.
This week has been particularly important for many communities with the start of the month of Ramadan on Monday and Vaisakhi on Tuesday. This year once again families and communities will have to change how they get together but I hope that next year will be different. Ramadan Mubarak and Happy Vaisakhi.
Finally, everyone will be aware of the sad news about the passing of HRH the Duke of Edinburgh last week, and the Royal Funeral which will take place on Saturday. The Royal Family has asked people not to gather or leave floral tributes at this time, instead inviting people to sign an online book of condolences or make a charitable donation.
Have a nice weekend and stay safe.
Tom
What else has been happening this week?
Bulls Foundation relaunches its health and wellbeing programme, Back Onside
The Bradford Bulls Foundation has re-launched Back Onside, the exciting health and wellbeing initiative for over 35s designed to encourage participants to get back to enjoying exercise.
Delivered successfully in 2018 and 2019 in partnership with Rugby League Cares, the Foundation has gained support from West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership to bring the programme back to Bradford at a time when everyone's health and wellbeing is of paramount concern.
Previously a men-only activity, Back Onside is now aimed at men and women aged 35-64, however it is open to all age groups and fitness levels and is free to join.
Primary Care and Community Service Programme Board
Board members received an update on next steps for Primary Care Network Development (PCN) support. A West Yorkshire sub group met to explore how to best focus PCN development fund resources to target changes in care. Primary care colleagues are working closely with Improving our Population Health Programme to develop an approach that can be applied within PCNs to deliver targeted improvement in health and reduce health inequalities. This includes working up a package of support tools with a suggested supportive framework. Further information will be available shortly.
National Funding is available as part of the National Access Improvement Programme to support improvements in general practice. Board members were consulted on high level plans on how best to utilize the funding in West Yorkshire. Discussion with places will support the more detailed development of a West Yorkshire plan.
West Yorkshire will be allocated additional monies to support primary care workforce transformation. Draft proposals were presented and board members agreed for the Workforce Steering Group to develop these further. Initial outline projects included:
- Rotational and preceptorship models
- Mid-career fellowship programme
- GP mentorship
- Placement and supervision
- Workforce strategy review
- PCN workforce planning.
Board members received an update from Ashley Moore on Ageing Well and community services. The programme covers national priorities, local place priorities, integration and future design relating to improving care and outcomes for older people – and in a way that brings together the original ambitions of the Long Term Plan with the progress and learning over the past 12 months from the COVID-19 response. A particular key focus for 2021-22 is establishing across West Yorkshire two hour urgent community response services, and improving information through the community services data set. Delivery of improved and more joined-up care for older populations will also continue to be enabled by the on-going development of primary care networks, as a way of bringing further together teams working across primary care and community services.
Anti-racism movement project group
The project group met on Monday to discuss the next steps in the coproduction of the work which includes a series of focus groups set up to test the visuals and messages for the movement which we hope to launch by the end of summer.
Being an Essential Care Giver
Watch this film about how Andrew cares for his wife, who is a care home resident, the impact on both their lives during the pandemic - which is all about their love for one another.
Future Design and Transition Group
New measures have been set out in a new government White Paper which includes modernising the legal framework to make the health and care system fit for the future. The proposals set out in the White Paper support health and care partnership like ours to deliver quality care to their communities, in a way that is less legally bureaucratic, more accountable and more joined up.
Many of the proposals in the White Paper are things that we already do as a Partnership, with local places continuing to manage and provide care locally. Our Partnership will continue to be inclusive, with arrangements in place that work for us locally and at a West Yorkshire level, and most importantly for the people we support.
The Future Design and Transition Group come together every other Wednesday. The aim of this group is to provide oversight of the work that our Partnership is undertaking in preparation for the move to statutory arrangements from April 2022.
The Personal Protective Equipment Board
The Board met on Wednesday and was chaired by Mel Pickup, CEO for Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
The group has been meeting since the 1 April 2020. It includes colleagues from across the Partnership, including clinicians, procurement/supply specialists and representation from West Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum and NHS England. The work also covers primary care, smaller healthcare providers. The clinical reference and procurement sub-groups support the programme.
The purpose of the group is to ensure PPE supply chain arrangements are in place to maintain, manage and forecast need across all partner sectors. Across West Yorkshire and Harrogate, the PPE Board works to maintain a supply across all health and care providers in collaboration with the West Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum.
Staff Mental Health and Wellbeing Hub
The staff Mental Health Wellbeing Hub held an online workshop for VCSE colleagues before the Easter break. More than 40 people attended, with discussions in breakout groups ranging across what is needed to support people working in the sector, sharing insights into what is happening now in terms of helping people to manage their stress, burnout and trauma and what plans are in train for additional support in the coming months and post-Covid.
The success of this event has encouraged the Hub project team to plan further events for specific groups and we will publish details as they become available. You can find out more about the Hub here.
Looking for new panel members for cancer community panel
Are you passionate about improving cancer services and patient care within your area? Would you welcome the opportunity to get in involved in cancer projects from your own home? The West Yorkshire and Harrogate Cancer Alliance Community Panel are currently recruiting new panel members.
Please visit https://
Applications from all areas of West Yorkshire and Harrogate are welcome and we’d particularly like to increase patient representation across North Yorkshire and in our more rural communities.
The Partnership’s Improving Population Health Programme Board
The Improving Population Health Programme Board meets today, Friday 16 April. Members will catch up with highlights around climate change, diabetes, health and housing, health inequalities, and preventing and reducing violent crime.
The West Yorkshire Smoke Free Forum will share proposals for a whole system approach to make the area smoke free as part of the Government’s 2030 ambition. This would be a massive step forward in eradicating health inequalities for the 2.7 million people living in the area. Members will also discuss the Improving Population Heath Programme Plan for 2021/022 to help improve the lives of the most disadvantaged.
The board is chaired by Dr James Thomas, Chair of Bradford District and Craven Clinical Commissioning Group and Robin Tuddenham, CEO for Calderdale Council and Chief Officer for Calderdale Commissioning Group and includes representatives from public health, VCSE, council and the NHS.
Area Partnership Group (unions)
Colleagues meet with the Area Partnership Group this afternoon (Friday). The agenda includes an update on the Partnership’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Hub to support colleagues and an overview of the work taking place around the NHS legislation proposals for integrated care systems. Seeking union views on the approach we are taking to engaging colleagues is an important part of the way we work.
One minute national silence to mark the death of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh
To mark the death of His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh on 9th April 2021, there will be a national one minute silence at 3pm on Saturday 17th April.
Dr Sara Munro, CEO for Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, and our Partnership lead for Mental Health, Learning Disabilities and Autism Programme has been selected as a Trustee and Non-Executive Director
As a not-for-profit organisation committed to the development of an improved and sustainable workforce across the UK’s Policing, Community Justice, Fire and Rescue, Local Government and Armed Forces sectors, the board includes members who come from a broad spectrum of organisations and employers, who come together to inform, set out and direct our strategy to achieve this.