Posted on: 20 December 2019
Along with the regular update, this week we are taking the opportunity to look back on the past 12 months. We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy new year.
What else has been happening this week?
West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership’s community campaign ‘Looking out for our neighbours’
The second phase of the campaign launched on Monday. This phase builds on the success of the campaign earlier this year when local people carried out over 46,000 acts of kindness in their local neighbourhoods across Bradford district and Craven; Calderdale, Harrogate, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield. 72% of people believed that the campaign has made a positive difference to their neighbours’ wellbeing and now the Partnership wants to encourage even more people to get involved.
This is particularly vital during the winter months as people, especially those who are older or vulnerable, can easily become isolated or lonely as a result of bad weather or the added social pressure that comes with the festive season.
The launch of the winter phase of the campaign aims to once again inspire people to reach out to those who live alone and encourage them to do simple things that will make a real difference to their neighbours’ wellbeing. This could be anything from offering to pick up something from the shops when the weather is bad, to gritting their paths and drives, to inviting people who live alone to celebrate the festive season together. You can read more here or better still get tips on how you could help here: #OurNeighbours
Join the movement to tackle loneliness. Have you been inspired by neighbourly action in your area? Tell us about it here: ourneighbours.org.uk/
You can also view stories others have submitted at: ourneighbours.org.uk/news
West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health Inequalities Network
A workshop led by Public Health England to look at a ‘place based approach to addressing health inequalities’ took place on Monday. Facilitated by Professor Chris Bentley who has been instrumental in the development of a ‘Place Based Approach to Reducing Health Inequalities’, attendees looked at priority areas for collective working across West Yorkshire and Harrogate to tackle health inequalities. A second workshop will take place to then focus on one priority area to move towards specific areas for action.
The work involves interviewing participants to gain their understanding and motivations for understanding the context of the intervention.
Urgent Emergency Care Programme Board
The Urgent Emergency Care Programme Board met on Monday 16 December, chaired by Rod Barnes, Joint Senior Responsible for the UEC Programme.
The updated Terms of Reference for the Programme Board were agreed for 12 months. The board discussed people who regularly present at A&Es across West Yorkshire and Harrogate and how best they can be supported. The board then heard from the Mental Health, Learning Disability and Autism Programme who are looking at the priorities that overlap with the UEC Programme, how they interface and work together and specific winter schemes across the area that have been funded with transformation money for 2019/20.
A paper was shared with the System Oversight Assurance Group for a West Yorkshire and Harrogate Winter Delivery Agreement and a proposal for an Integrated Winter Room, so there is greater system oversight this winter.
Feedback from the UEC task and finish group, who met following a workshop session at the November Programme Board Meeting was shared with the board. The board supported the proposal to create three task and finish groups to scope strategic priorities for the programme. These include the use of data and intelligence to inform a compelling urgent and emergency care narrative, integrated urgent and emergency care and access to urgent care and how we make sure there are clear and consistent messages to the public, patients and staff.
West Yorkshire and Harrogate System Oversight and Assurance Group (SOAG)
The Partnership’s System Oversight and Assurance Group (SOAG) met on Wednesday. This group takes an overview of progress with our shared priority programmes, and seeks to agree collective action to help tackle shared challenges. This month’s meeting covered two key issues, relating to the maternity programme and preparations for winter. On maternity, there is a national target to offer at least 35% of women continuity of carer by March 2020. We are not currently making the required progress on this across West Yorkshire and Harrogate. SOAG discussed what a credible trajectory for improvement would be, and how quality concerns and health inequalities issues should be addressed. In relation to winter, the group agreed the key elements of a winter delivery agreement for West Yorkshire and Harrogate, including a whole system approach to predicting and managing high demand for urgent care through an integrated ‘winter room’.
Supporting carers
The programme board met on Wednesday. Chaired by Fatima Khan-Shah items on the agenda included an update on all the programme areas with a particular focus on the development of the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Working Carers Passport. The partnership is working together to introduce a flexible working arrangement via the working carers’ passport. This is an agreement between the carer and their manager, on behalf of the organisation. The intention is for the carer to be able to manage their working role alongside their caring responsibilities. It’s a mutual beneficial arrangement. It enables the organisation to maintain staff retention, reduce unplanned absenteeism and to retain the skills they need whilst improving staff morale and loyalty. Our aspiration is to launch the passport across a number of our partnership organisations early next year.
A recent survey in 2019, of NHS working carers showed that only 20% of managers shared this information with their manager. Meaning they were under increasing pressure in and out of work without any support. The working carers’ passport will initially be rolled out across West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts (WYAAT). This phase of the campaign will also include Mental Health Trusts. We will keep you updated.
The board also discussed supporting Carers in primary care and received a presentation on the national GP survey which highlighted a number of areas of inequality for Carers.
Carers programme – voluntary and community organisations
The Unpaid Carers programme Voluntary and Community Sector Network which includes representatives from the voluntary and community sector met today. The network discussed the great work taking place across the region on advanced care planning, delirium and Working Carers. Supporting carers, who are caring for loved ones during the winter period, with an emphasis of the comeback of the ‘Looking out for our neighbours’ campaign, was also discussed. The network also discussed an update on the working carers passport.
Young carers day takes place on the 30 January and the programme are planning the approach with local organisations.
Plans for new Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) unit in Leeds approved
News that Leeds City Council has granted planning permission for a new mental health inpatient unit for young people in West Yorkshire has been welcomed by joint applicants Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust (LCH) and Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LYPFT).
The new unit will be built on the St Mary’s Hospital site in Armley, Leeds, providing 22 inpatient beds and much needed improvements and facilities for children and young people across West Yorkshire. This will include a range of spacious and therapeutic areas, including a multi-purpose activity room, educational facilities, a family visiting room, courtyards and a green communal space for service users and staff. There will also be a health-based place of safety in the unit, where a young person who is thought to be in urgent need of care will receive a mental health assessment to ensure they get the most appropriate support. Work will soon be underway on the St Mary’s Hospital site, with the demolition of some existing buildings due to take place in February 2020, and the construction of the new unit planned to start at the end of April 2020. The unit is due to be open from September 2021. You can read more about the proposed new CAHMS unit here.