MHM March 2006 - West London Mental Health NHS Trust

mental health matters
March 2006 Issue 21
the newsletter from West London Mental Health
NHS Trust
trustwide
news
foundation
trust
going
smoke
free?
my working life
Full story on page 13

in brief...
a full house
The most recent meeting of the trust’s
service user involvement forum was again
well attended providing further evidence of
the value and importance of this type of
communication.
This bi-monthly forum gives service users
the opportunity to bring issues affecting
them to the attention of the trust’s
management. The meetings are chaired by
chief executive, Simon Crawford with user
representation from each service. The
messages from service users are getting
right to the top of the organisation and the
minutes are shared with managers and
clinicians across the trust.
Patrick Nyarumbu
who co-ordinates
user representation
at the forum says,
“It is good news for
those using the
trust’s services that
the forums have
proven so successful.
At the last meeting Patrick Nyarumbu
there was discussion
on changes to benefits which will affect
many patients and the setting up of a
smoking review group. It is crucial for
service users and their carers and for the
development of the trust and its services
that information sharing of this kind
continues to thrive as it has been through
the user forum meetings.”
opening up
to learning
In January and February the Broadmoor Hospital
and Ealing sites each hosted open days
promoting the training, learning and
development opportunities available to staff.
As well as being given an overview of the wide
range of training on offer, visitors were able to
discuss ways of using the individual learning
account funding available from the NHS for all
staff who do not hold professional work related
qualifications.
One of the most popular stands at the
Broadmoor open day was manned by staff from
Newbury College and PI Marketing who provide
a range of distance learning courses. Martyn
Marsh from the social work department, who
has recently completed the drugs awareness
course, said “It was an excellent course for
great self awareness about the whole issue of
drugs. The course itself was very good, the
materials were excellent and I really enjoyed
the distance learning method and am going to
start on the business practices course next.”
Wendy Hiley with the computer training team
literacy training. “I don’t want to sit idly while
I wait for a nursing secondment to come up,”
she said. “It’s better to add anything to your
skills that’s useful.”
Wendy Hiley, learning and development centre
manager at Trust HQ, was pleased with the day.
“The majority of visitors here were interested in
the European computer driving licence (ECDL)
and the NVQ in health & care. We had a good
turnout considering how difficult it is for
community based staff to get here.”
After the Broadmoor open day Ali Webster,
training centre manager, said “We were really
pleased with the attendance as it shows that
staff are genuinely committed to development.
As a result of the information we received
we’ve been able to set up a number of new
training initiatives for staff which meet
individual’s learning needs.”
2
Sue Cumming, head of patient and public
involvement for the trust is thrilled that the
forum is making a real difference for
service users and has a strong and powerful
voice that is respected and really heard.
electronic
staff record
system (ESR)
The trust is preparing for the arrival of the
national electronic staff record system (ESR).
This will replace 29 payroll systems and 38
HR systems with a single system which will
be used by all NHS organisations. Within the
trust it will record and manage payroll to all
4000 staff from September 2006.
Payroll and HR data will be held
electronically, and access to information will
only be available to authorised users. In the
longer term, it may be possible for individual
managers to input and update staff
information about sickness and absence,
appraisal, training, and employment status.
Brinda Sehdev (centre) investigates Skills for Life at the Quantica
training stand
Brinda Sehdev, a bi-lingual healthcare
assistant with older people’s services at Ealing,
has achieved NVQ level 3 and is now hoping
for a secondment to train as a nurse. “Health
care assistants have a great deal of experience
of working closely with patients and would
make good nurses”, says Brinda. At the Ealing
open day she found the course she wants and
then went on to sign up for numeracy and
Broadmoor staff check out training options
Ali Webster talks staff through a training programme

editor’s letter
Welcome to the March edition of Mental Health Matters.
I joined the trust’s communications team last month as head of
internal communications and I am thrilled to be taking over as
editor of Mental Health Matters. I look forward to hearing about
your news and events and sharing them with colleagues around
the trust. You can read more on this page about the new
communications team and what we plan to do.
I spent the last five years of my working life at the Hammersmith
Hospitals Trust where I led on internal communications, running
a popular staff magazine and the staff intranet. I hope to
encourage staff communications here at West London Mental
Health Trust, beginning with updating existing material and
launching a new intranet later in the year (I will update you on
this through Mental Health Matters and Monday Matters.)
And so, your staff magazine is changing. To make sure it really
belongs to you, I would urge you to get in touch and let me know
your news. Perhaps you work with an exceptional member of
staff, or your team has achieved something you think is worth a
mention. If that is the case – I want to know!
Drop me a mail to tara.ferguson-jones@wlhmt.nhs.uk or call me
on 020 8354 8737
Tara Ferguson Jones
getting our message across
One of the big challenges facing our trust is
good communications. It’s not always easy
letting the world outside know what we’re up
to and it’s a demanding task keeping staff
and service users fully informed of what’s
going on. However, the trust’s new
communications team is ready to rise
to the challenge.
Under director of communications Nuala
O’Brien, who arrived last year, the team
promotes the work of the trust both
internally and externally. Many of you may
already know communications manager
Cecilia Coleshaw, and a further two staff
have now joined.
external communications
The external role of the team is to respond
to media queries, promote the work of the
trust to a range of press and media and
work with members of the public,
stakeholders, local and national
organisations to raise the profile of some
of the excellent work being done here.
This will include developing a schools
programme, hosting open days and other
events. Rory Hegarty has been appointed
as head of external relations and will be
mainly responsible for this area of work.
Another of his tasks will be to organise the
communications required around the
trust’s bid for foundation status.
internal communications
As head of internal communications, Tara
Ferguson Jones is editor of Mental Health
Matters, and will oversee the running of
existing staff publications including
Monday Matters. She will be working with
others around the trust to set up an
intranet site to further improve electronic
staff communications and on the back of
this the trust’s internet site will be
enhanced to help with external
communications.
Nuala says, “This is a large and relatively
new trust facing lots of change. Good
communications are key to our success. We
will be working to ensure that staff on all
our sites get access to good quality
information about what is going on.”
talk to us
The communications team handles all
media enquiries and requests for
information from journalists. Enquiries
received by doctors or other staff members
are channelled through communications to
enable us to protect the privacy of our
patients and their families; and to make
sure that any statements given to the media
or general public are both accurate
and consistent.
If there is something you think we need to
know about or could help you to publicise -
within or outside the trust - feel free to
contact us at any time. We operate an open
door policy and are happy to help.
Call us on 020 8354 8737 or email any of
us via GroupWise.
Out of hours press calls
are dealt with
by Nexus
Communications,
which handles
media calls for a
number of NHS
trusts. They
can be
contacted by
pager on
07659
125409.
Cecilia, Nuala,
Tara and Rory.
3

going smoke free?
The Department of Health has set the NHS a
target to be smoke free by December 2006.
This means that smoking would not be
allowed by staff or patients in trust buildings
or surroundings. We are a large trust with
many sites and complexities; we need to
ensure that the human rights of the passivesmoker
and service users who choose to
smoke are both protected. We
need to come up with a smoke
free policy which is right for
our trust.
What have we done so far?
The review of our smoking
policy is being led clinically by
medical director, Dr Liz
Fellow-Smith. The chief
executive has set up a
smoking review committee
which is chaired by one of the
trust’s non-executive directors,
Ann Chapman.
This new committee has been
involving staff side and the service users’
forum in their review, as well as researching
the new legislation and progress of other
mental health trusts.
What are the next steps?
The committee has prepared a draft policy
which the trust board will review at the
March board meeting. We need to have a
smoke free policy but how we implement
the policy needs to be thoroughly planned
with local input. We aim to have a plan
completed by June 2006 to
ensure we meet the national
target of being smoke free by
December 2006.
How can I feed in my views?
You can communicate your
views to the review committee
via your staff side rep or service
user forum.
When will the details be
available?
Assuming the draft policy is
signed off at the March board it
will be published in the policies
folder of the N-drive. We’ll
ensure you’re kept up to date via Monday
Matters and the next edition of Mental
Health Matters.
Where can I get more information?
The best website is
www.smokefreelondon.com.
This provides information on legislation,
advice on how to quit and more!
Recommended reading for mental health
are the presentation slides and resource
references from the 13 October 2005
Smoke Free Conference for Mental Health
available on the website under Going
Smoke Free.
Where can I get support to quit?
Occupational health offers smoking cessation
(or tobacco control) support for staff. You
can contact the occupational health team on
Ealing ext. 8919 or Broadmoor ext. 4310 to
schedule an appointment. The support
includes nicotine replacement therapy (any
costs re-imbursed through OH for a six week
programme) and relevant counselling/support
from an OH advisor.
There is also the national QUIT line on
0800 002200.
Alternatively you can contact your PCT or
GP where you live.
nhs graduates
4
The NHS graduate schemes programme has
been designed to produce the NHS directors
and chief executives of the future.
Competition is fierce for places on the three
training schemes, in human resources,
finance and general management.
Successful candidates are employed by the
NHS and assigned to a variety of
organisations. This gives them an overview of
NHS activities, while allowing them to
attend college on day release and study for a
relevant qualification.
Stacey Greenwood, finance
trainee, currently at
Broadmoor Hospital
WLMHT is Stacey’s first
placement. “You start off
doing the basics, seeing how
different departments work.
That way as you progress
further, you’ll have a better
understanding of where
Stacey Greenwood
everything’s coming from.”
Stacey appreciates the opportunity to move
between organisations. “This means we can
see what works well in one area that could
then perhaps be applied somewhere else.
NHS graduates are selected as
people who are willing to
question things.”
Mark Keilthy, financial
management trainee, currently
in management accounts at
trust HQ.
Mark points out that versions of
these training schemes have
been around in the NHS for Mark Keilthy
decades. “I think the
reason such schemes are still here
is a recognition that the NHS wants
to get young graduates in who they
can open up to the ideas and
culture of the NHS.” Along with his
fellow trainees, Mark is aware of
how fortunate he is to be on the
scheme. “I get a high amount of
exposure to people in more senior
positions, which is great; it allows
you to cross boundaries and people
know you’re keen to learn and are
quite forthcoming. But I have to focus on
becoming technically competent as well.”
Nicola Wise, currently assistant service
manager, men’s south of England
directorate at Broadmoor
Hospital.
Nicola was pleased to have been
given some responsibility as
soon as she started. “I’m doing
new things every day that I
haven’t done before and that’s
fantastic.” She is studying for
an MSc in healthcare
management and leadership and
must present a dissertation after
completing the scheme. Trainees
are stringently assessed throughout. “We
are providing a
management
resource to our
employers and at
the same time
we’re on a steep
learning curve.
There’s a lot
expected of us.”
Nicola knows she’s
privileged to be on
the scheme, but Nicola Wise
there’s no danger of it going to her head.
“The more I learn, the more I realise I
don’t know. That keeps me grounded!”

oard talk
In this new feature, Mental Health Matters will introduce you
to members of the trust board, beginning with the trust’s
executive directors. We launch with Simon Crawford, the
chief executive.
what does the chief
executive do?
I lead the executive team of the
organisation. I am the accountable officer
for public funds and responsible for
making sure the organisation has a
strategy for its services, high clinical
standards and manages its resources
effectively.
what was your first job?
I joined the civil service as an executive
officer with responsibility for audit of the
NHS in Wales. I trained to be an
accountant at that time.
how did you get to be a chief
executive?
As a qualified accountant I worked for
seven years at Gwent Community Mental
Health NHS Trust before joining
Broadmoor Hospital in August 1997 as
director of finance. One thing in my
career I am particularly proud of is that I
have worked my way around all of the key
positions in finance. When the West
London Mental Health NHS Trust was
formed in 2001 I became deputy chief
executive and was appointed chief
executive two years ago.
describe yourself in four words?
Resilient, focused, committed,
approachable
what do you think makes the
West London Mental Health NHS
Trust an attractive employer?
The fact that the trust provides the whole
spectrum of mental health services from
local psychiatric services to low, medium
and high secure services as well as
specialist services such as the gender
identity unit and the Cassel Hospital.
My least favourite part of the job is the
bureaucracy I come across from time to
time which can get in the way of progress
being made.
if you were Health Secretary for a
day, what would you do?
Not a chance! I would never be and
wouldn’t ever want to be the Health
Secretary.
what is your leadership style?
Facilitative, but I have strong views
on the standards we must strive to
achieve. I am not prepared to
negotiate on driving up standards
but I am prepared to negotiate on
timescales and resources required.
what was the first album
you bought?
Beach Boys greatest hits.
what do you like doing when
you are not at work?
Spending time with my family.
what’s the best piece of advice
you’ve ever been given?
I have been given two pieces of good
advice which are linked. It’s better to
make a decision than to make no
decision at all. But don’t act in haste
as it’s never as urgent as people might
have you believe.
what is your favourite and least
favourite part of the job?
I enjoy getting out and about meeting
staff and patients and seeing the
difference our staff make to
people’s lives.
5

moving on up
In this new regular feature we will include photos and write-ups on new members of trust
staff, leavers and staff who have made a move within the trust. We would also like to
feature award winners. So if you know of anyone worth a mention here send an email to
tara.ferguson-jones@wlmht.nhs.uk, or call the communications team on 020 8354 8737
joiners
The Wells Unit, the new pilot adolescent forensic unit based in the Three Bridges regional secure unit at Ealing, welcomed its first
intake of staff at the end of February. The Wells Unit is part of a small national NHS service funded by NSCAG (National Specialist
Commissioning Advisory Group) to provide secure care for young offenders with significant mental health needs. The ten-bedded unit
will open in early May.
MAGGIE QUILL formerly a GCSE and A-level teacher of history and philosophy has career changed and joined Lakeside Mental Health
Unit as an occupational therapist. Maggie is delighted to be working on Kestrel ward.
ALAN WISHART is the trust’s new
associate director of human resources
with responsibility for the medical
workforce. Alan is already familiar
with the trust as he joins from the
North West London Strategic Health
Authority. He also had dealings with
the trust in an earlier role as an
industrial relations officer at the
British Medical Association.
DAWN MILLER has joined the trust as research
governance co-ordinator for the research and
development department (job sharing with Maria
Tsappis.) She comes to the trust from Hillingdon
PCT where she was a research assistant.
As associate director of HR he will
lead the trust’s medical staffing team
in dealing with issues such as
recruitment, pay and contractual
matters. He will also be responsible
for organisational development which
will mean working with the medical
director to ensure the benefits of the
new consultant contract link into the
trust’s modernisation agenda and
service delivery strategy.
6

movers
DIANA WIGGINS has moved from her
role as head of occupational therapy
(OT) and manager of the Tamworth
Day Centre in Hammersmith &
Fulham to become the trust’s head of
leadership and professional
development. Diana started with the
trust in 2000 as a senior OT based in
the Hammersmith & Fulham
community mental health team.
Diana has always had an interest in
training and development and sees
this as continuing to utilise her OT
skills in as much as OT is about helping individuals to reach their
maximum potential as is learning and development.
WENDY HILEY has been promoted from her role as PA to
the director of finance to learning and development
centre manager.
UZMA BHATTI has been appointed as a mental health
worker in the home treatment team. Uzma has been
working at the trust in various roles since 2001 when
she joined as a health care assistant. She says, “I am
delighted to be appointed as a permanent member of
the team as I have very much enjoyed working at the
trust. My role is challenging, every day is different, the
team is excellent and the management are supportive. I
am learning so much working in this environment and I
appreciate the fact that professional development is
encouraged.”
NEW TREATMENT FOSTER CARE (TFC) SERVICE IN HAMMERSMITH & FULHAM
Special congratulations to Hammersmith & Fulham CAMHS staff MÁIRE STEDMAN, family therapist and DR CHRIS ROBERTS,
consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist, who will be seconded into this new service initially for 18 months. The service is the
result of a joint bid made together with H&F CAMHS and the Children’s Trust for a local grant with the Department for Education &
Skills (DfES), to support the initiation and development of treatment foster care within the borough.
leavers
ALF BOWERS, clinical nurse
specialist working with families in
the community retires from the
Cassel Hospital at the end of
April having given 25 years of
service. Alf came to the Cassel
and trained in the practice of
psychosocial nursing. He has
gone on to make many
contributions to the practice of
enabling patients to develop their
strengths whilst working in
partnership with their nurses.
Alf is also a named nurse for
Child Protection for the Trust.
Lead nurse, Rebecca Neeld says,
“Alf, being a man of many
talents, has been the programme
leader for the Cassel’s
psychosocial nursing courses.
This training has developed from
a certificate to a masters level
training and around one hundred
students have benefited from
Alf’s care, attention and interest.
A recent graduate from the
diploma course told me that it is
Alf’s very particular brand of
teaching that has enabled her to
master the academic work and
link it to practice, in such a way
that this facilitates being able to
do it for the patients. Alf retires
while still young (thanks to
mental health officer status) in
body, and in spirit. It is hard to
let him go and he will be
sorely missed.”
JOHN CATTERMOLE, modern matron and practice development nurse has left the trust after
17 years. He joined Broadmoor Hospital in 1989, where he worked as a staff nurse team
leader, and clinical nurse manager on Luton Ward. For the past few years John has worked
as practice development nurse, modern matron within the nursing and London directorates.
John will be remembered for his patience and
commitment to staff and patients. Throughout his
career he showed his dedication to ensuring staff
received appropriate and meaningful professional
development. Many staff will remember John for
his work with NVQ’s and always having time for
people, but also for his rather loud ties and
waistcoats…
At his leaving lunch, both Grant Macdonald,
director of nursing and Jimmy Noak, deputy
director of nursing, thanked John for his
dedication, loyalty and commitment, particularly in
relation to his work in the personal development of
nurses at Broadmoor Hospital.
As one staff nurse said “If it were not for John’s
help and support, I would never have undertaken
my training. He gave me encouragement and
practical help to achieve my goals. Thanks John.”
JESSICA WILLIAMS, one of the executive team,
has left the trust to take up the post of director
of services at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells
NHS Trust. Professor Louis Smidt, chairman of
the trust says, “Jessica worked on the DSPD
unit development at the trust which was
scrutinised by the Department of Health and
Home Office constantly. She brought to the
project an attention to detail and an
unwavering focus. She delivered the project on
time, within budget and to a high standard. We
couldn’t have had anyone better to run this
high profile project.”
7

future of
firm foundations
The trust has been invited to apply for
foundation trust status. Having considered
the benefits for service users, staff and
partners, the trust board has agreed to
apply. Chief executive Simon Crawford says,
“I believe that becoming a foundation trust
will enable us to make our services even
better than they are now. We will have the
freedom to work with partners to develop
fully comprehensive services that local
people want. We will also be in a better
position to support service users and their
families to participate fully in their family
and work life.”
strategy
The first step towards foundation status is
to develop a new vision and strategy for the
trust and this process has begun under the
leadership of Lesley Stephen, director of
strategy, performance and corporate
development and Samantha Knollys,
corporate strategy manager.
Lesley says, “We are asking a
representative group of staff, service users,
carers, partners and the local community
some key questions about the future of the
trust – questions such as:
what would you like the trust
to look like in 10 years time?
What service would you, your family or a
friend want to receive from WLMHT in
2015 if you needed care?
The answers to these and other questions
will shape the strategy, which will in turn
shape the future of the trust.”
why do we need a strategy?
“In having a strategy we will be able to set
ourselves clear priorities so we are not
blown off course by the latest government
initiative or crisis we need to manage. It
will be good for staff and patients to know
the direction in which the trust is going,”
says Lesley.
what is a foundation trust?
While they remain fully part of the NHS,
foundation trusts are free from central
government control and are not overseen by
strategic health authorities. They are
directly accountable to local people, who
can become members and elected
governors.
what are the benefits for
service users and staff?
Service users and staff who are members of
the foundation trust can put themselves
forward for election to its board of
governors, giving them a real say in
decision-making and greater access to
information.
Foundation trusts are free to set their own
strategy, to borrow commercially and to
invest in new patient care facilities. This
gives them greater scope for investing in
new services, setting local targets and
developing partnerships with for example
primary care and local authorities. For
instance working with local authorities to
develop housing for service users such as
short stay hostels.
Lesley (left) and Samantha
8

the trust
can foundation trusts do as
they please, without any
checks or balances?
Absolutely not. They are part of the NHS
and subject to NHS standards, procedures
and systems of inspection. They are legally
required to provide NHS care to NHS
patients, according to NHS standards and
principles – free care based on the needs of
local people. They are accountable to their
members, their commissioners (such as
primary care trusts) and to Monitor, the
independent regulator for NHS
foundation trusts.
will this lead to privatisation?
No. Foundation trusts have been
described as a new form of social
ownership. They exist solely to provide
NHS services to NHS patients: there are
no shareholders, no dividends and they
are prevented by law from being sold or
taken out of the NHS.
who can become a member?
Members are drawn from three categories:
1. People who live locally or have been a
patient in the last three years –
including carers or parents/guardians
2. Trust staff
3. Representatives from partner
organisations
The system is similar to the mutuality of
building societies. Members elect the board
of governors and are able to stand for
election as governors.
what do the governors do?
The governors will take over the role of
the Secretary of State in ensuring the
trust is run in the public interest. Their
duties include advising the management
board on the needs of the local
community and electing the chair and
non-executive directors to the
management board.
will I automatically become a
member if I work for
WLMHT?
The trust board will shortly propose
eligibility criteria for membership. This will
include whether staff should be automatic
members with the choice to opt out, or
whether they should decide individually if
they want to join. The criteria will be
subject to consultation with staff, service
users, partners and members of the public.
more information?
Briefings for staff on foundation status have
been run by the chief executive at various
trust sites over the past month.
If you would like to know more you can visit
the Department of Health website
www.dh.gov.uk/foundationtrusts
Website for the regulator, Monitor -
www.regulator-nhsft.gov.uk
Or send queries to: ft@wlmht.nhs.uk or
020 8483 2179
you said . . .
Mental Health Matters went along to one of the staff
briefings on foundation trust status and asked staff:
“What would you like the trust to look like in 10
years’ time?”
“I’d like to see a trust that
uses its resources – users,
staff and assets – creatively in
order to provide a truly needsled
and innovative service.”
Victoria Wasteney,
occupational therapist
“Modern, easily accessible
and out there in the
community. I would like it to
be a service which puts
patients and the public truly
at the centre of it.”
Andrew Barton, chair of the
trust’s patient and public
involvement forum
“I would be interested in
seeing parishes and faith
communities being involved
in a way that would really
influence how the trust is
run. We don’t have that
direct input at the
moment.”
Rev Derek Barnes,
St Bernard’s chaplain
“I would like to see the trust
as the flagship for excellence
in mental health services,
with a reputation for quality
across all its services that is
reflected by service users,
partner organisations and the
communities in which those
services are provided. The
trust should be acknowledged
as an employer of choice,
with a similar reputation for
its high quality employees and exemplary support
and development arrangements for staff.”
Matt Hawkins, senior occupational health advisor
9

trustwide
In this section of the magazine we would like you to tell us about anything of interest happening in
your part of the trust. Please email tara.ferguson-jones@wlmht.nhs.uk or call the communications
team on 020 8354 8737.
Healthcare Commission
visit to the Cassel Hospital
Staff at the Cassel received great praise
from Anna Walker, chief executive of the
Healthcare Commission, who paid a very
positive visit to the hospital last month.
The Healthcare Commission promotes
improvement in the quality of the NHS.
They do this by assessing the performance
of healthcare organisations through the
annual system of performance ratings but
also by personal visits such as this one.
During the visit, Anna and her team looked
closely at patient care and the particular
treatment approach at the Cassel, by
talking to patients, attending unit meetings
with staff and speaking to the hospital's
management team. They were particularly
impressed with the unique opportunity that
traumatised children, adolescents and
adults receive for their lives and felt that
more should benefit from that. They
remarked on the unusual degree of
responsibility that patients are given in
their treatment and the way this fosters
their strengths. In the discussion with
senior managers Anna Walker appreciated
the important role in the NHS of national
specialist services such as the Cassel. In a
thank-you letter to staff after the visit, Anna
wrote, “Your work seemed to me to be in
line with what is increasingly being looked
for from our healthcare systems, with the
emphasis on partnership working with
others and care in the community.”
opportunities at the Orchard
Women’s services currently operate five women
only wards across Broadmoor and Ealing sites.
An important aspect in the preparation for the
opening of the Orchard unit is integration of
services, ideas and staff across both sites. As a
result staff currently employed in women’s
services who are committed to working in the
Orchard, or those who remain undecided as to
whether to work there are being offered the
chance to work across sites. Senior nurse Jo
Bunton says, “This opportunity is intended to
help staff with the decision making process
which may be around distance of travel, time to
travel, anxieties in working in an unfamiliar
area. It will give staff the opportunity to start to
work collaboratively and understand practices
which occur within other areas of women’s
services. A number of staff have shown an
interest in the secondment opportunities
which will be individually tailored around the
staff involved.”
Senior nurse, Jo Bunton
10

a bit of a racquet at St Bernard’s
Staff and service user gym members joined
forces in February to take part in the third St
Bernard’s gym mixed doubles badminton
tournament, organised by Rashidat Bello of
the physical activity team.
Eight pairs competed in a hotly contested
knockout, but there was never any doubt
that the top seeds would triumph. “No
other team we played got within five points
of us,” said Jatinder from Campion ward.
His doubles partner Bali is an outpatient
who regularly returns to the gym to
practice. “The exercise is good and I enjoy
it,” he explained.
One of the women players only joined the
badminton class a few weeks earlier, but
proved a keen competitor. “It was a real
occasion,” she said. “The level of
competition was very high – in fact it was
quite nerve wracking!”
The tournament competitors with their prizes
The winners were presented with a cup and
a T shirt by Karen Chambers, clinical nurse
specialist on Rollo May ward, and all the
competitors received a well-deserved
medal.
building bridges
at Broadmoor Hospital
machine shop
Mike Chard from the machine shop has started working on
a new project with patients for this year’s Koestler Awards
annual arts competition.
Last year the machine shop entered six pieces and won
prizes for all six which included third prize for a chair
made from horse shoes.
This year the team is hoping to do even better with
their replica of the Royal Albert bridge built by
Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Mick Chard, technical
instructor told Mental Health Matters “I received a tea
cloth with a picture of Brunel in front of the bridge as
a Christmas gift from a friend, which got me thinking.
I took the idea of the replica bridge back to the
patients who were equally as enthused and so the
project began.”
The single track rail bridge, which joins Devon and
Cornwall, is over 2,200ft in length and even the replica
will stretch to 2m taking up half of the machine shop.
In addition to building the replica one of the patients
is also in the process of producing a portfolio to
support the replica in its bid for a Koestler prize – so
watch this space!
11

BME network talent
event is a winner
Bernie Collins
introduces
the event
Readers of Monday Matters will have seen
the ads for the talent event mounted in
February by the Ealing black and minority
ethnic (BME) NHS staff network. The show
was a colossal success, with 11 competitors
taking to the stage at Ealing town hall to
deliver over two hours of non-stop
entertainment in front of a large audience.
St Bernard’s chaplain Derek Barnes had
taken up the challenge of compering the
evening and combined a droll line in patter
with gentle marshalling of the performers.
Competitors of all ages presented a
dazzling array of solo songs, poetry,
Bollywood dance and jazzed-up Mozart. A
10 year old girl in the audience was so
inspired she asked if she could be a lastminute
competitor and promptly performed
an expert piece on the piano.
Tasmia Darr, runner up, adult
here has made it all worthwhile. It’s better
than medicine. It’s cleansed my soul!”
The winners were chosen using the
‘clapometer’ method: the audience
applauded, cheered, banged on tables –
even shrieked – to indicate their
preference. This resulted in a winner and a
runner up each in the adult and child
categories, with the winners receiving a
portable DVD player.
Winner, adult: Ginelle Joseph, cool and sweet
sounding, surely a singing star in the making.
Winner, child: Joel Noel, 14 year old son of
an Ealing PCT employee, who sang Luther
Vandross’ ‘Dance with my Father’ with
sensitivity and maturity.
Runner up, adult: Tasmia Darr, receptionist at
Ealing PCT, rivalled Whitney Houston’s
original with her rendition of ‘One Moment
in Time’.
Onysha Collins, runner up, child
Ginelle Joseph, winner, adult
Non competing guest performers were the
Chiswick SDA gospel choir, who raised the
temperature with two vibrant performances.
Amongst the audience was Arvind Sharma,
the new director of the Ealing race equality
council, who had come straight from work.
“I do a stressful job,” he said, “but coming
Joel Noel, winner, child
Runner up, child: 15 year old Onysha Collins,
daughter of the trust’s own Bernie Collins,
who gave an intelligent and impassioned
performance of a monologue written herself
about Hurricane Katrina, ‘Will You
Remember Me?’
Onysha was sanguine about coming second:
“I just wanted to get the message across
and I didn’t care if I didn’t win,” she said.
Indeed the whole evening was about taking
part and the BME network looks forward to
an even bigger and better contest next year.
Compere Derek Barnes Singer Scorpio The Chiswick SDA Gospel Choir
Bollywood dancer Yasmin
12

cover story
my working life
Mental Health Matters spoke to Thubalakhe Quthu about his
working life at Feltham Young Offenders Institute.
Job title:
Senior staff nurse
Your working life:
We run what you could call a triage service here at Feltham in that
we are called upon to assess a number of the young people coming
into Feltham who, it is thought, may have a mental health
condition. We run an inpatients unit and as senior staff nurse I am
the named nurse for a group of patients responsible for their care
planning and assessment. In communicating with other members of
the multi-disciplinary team we assess each patient and decide what
follow on support they require – or for some we refer them to health
services outside for admission under the Mental Health Act 1983.
Why did you decide to be a mental health nurse?
I find working with mental health patients extremely interesting and
therefore motivating. (I’m a general nurse also.) In my experience I
have found that mental health is an area that tends to be forgotten
and stigmatised, so it made me keen to work with these patients
and positively change their lives.
Multidisciplinary team?
The team is made up of nurses, doctors, psychiatrists, occupational
therapists, art therapists, music therapists, drama therapists and
prison officers.
How long have you been at the trust?
I’ve been in the NHS for five years and here at West London Mental
Health for three and a half years.
High points of the job:
In a way it is like working in an
accident and emergency
department in that you don’t know
what is going to happen on a day to
day basis. There is a high turnover
of patients which keeps it
interesting and I’m motivated by
the fact that I can help those who
may have slipped through the net.
What did you have for
breakfast today?
Cornflakes this morning and a few cups of coffee throughout the
morning as my shift started at 1.30pm.
What would you do if you won the National Lottery?
I would get a new and bigger place in which to live and I would
open a clinic for mental health patients, attached to a GP practice
to make it as accessible as possible. It would be run so that I could
pop in and work on the days of my choice.
How do you travel to work?
Public transport. I travel by train and by bus.
How do you relax at the end of the day?
I listen to music, have a shower, have a cup of coffee,
talk to friends…
songs from the musicals
One Saturday in February, singing ensemble Take Twenty performed to a full
house of patients in the Tony Hillis lecture theatre, Ealing.
Having previously been invited in December to perform their Christmas
repertoire, this time they presented songs from the shows from the ’50s,
’60s and ’70s.
13

women’s forensic
service prepares
for future
The felling in January of the 110ft boiler
house chimney, which formed part of the old
laundry works for St Bernard’s Hospital,
marked the start of significant building work
for the Orchard.
Although enabling work on the site started
last year the demolition of the chimney is
the most dramatic sign so far that the
redevelopment is fully underway.
With the Orchard scheduled to open in
2007, women’s services are planning the
shape of their Broadmoor service during
the interim period. This will see the three
wards in York House realigned to two new
patient communities which will occupy the
ground and middle floor wards. These
changes are being made in light of falling
patient numbers and to prepare patients
and staff for the new service provision.
Debbie Richards, service director
explained: “Two new nursing teams and
two new clinical teams will be created
from the current nursing workforce and
existing clinical teams. This will mean a
change in responsible medical officer
(RMO) for some patients, but clinicians
and managers have been giving a lot of
thought to which patients should be
placed on the two new wards and have
taken into account a broad range of
clinical issues.
“Information from the workforce survey
has also been taken into account and has
enabled some staff who have requested
transfers out of the directorate to relocate
to other services.”
A crane ‘munches’
down the chimney
The site before
demolition
14

a day in the life of . . .
Mental Health Matters spent a working day
in the life of Caroline Garrard, ICT call centre
supervisor. Based at Broadmoor but providing
a service for the whole of the trust, Caroline
heads up the team of three in the IT call
centre and describes her working day as
“non-stop.”
The call centre team is the first port of call
for staff with IT problems. Caroline and team
are able to sort out some calls on the spot,
but others have to be referred on to
engineers in the IT team for resolution. The
call centre is open from 8.30am – 5.30pm
and there is an answer phone for calls
outside of the open hours.
9am
When Caroline arrives in the office,
colleagues Jane and Camelia are
both on the phone – problemsolving.
The first task of the day in the call
centre is to remove and log the
answer phone messages which have
come in overnight and in the early
hours. “There are usually around
twenty but we have been having
problems with our servers and so
there has unfortunately been a
surge of calls in recent days,” says
Caroline. The team deals with the
morning phone messages as quickly
as possible. “Very often the
messages alert us to a more general
problem which we immediately get
on to the engineers about,” says
Caroline.
9.30am
Someone just back from a three
week holiday abroad calls to find
out what their password is. Too
much exposure to the sun has
obviously made them forgetful!
10am
The phones ring constantly in the
call-centre. A doctor can’t get onto
the internet. Caroline talks him
through what needs to be done to
get the access he requires. The caller
is grateful for her help. Asked what
she likes about the job, Caroline
talks about her team and the close
working relationships they have with
the engineers who go out and fix
many of the problems. “We need to
have good working relationships, as
we are such a pressurised
department,” she says. When asked
what she dislikes about the job,
Caroline talks about members of
staff who are rude to call centre
staff. She also dislikes the telephone
ringback function.
11am
People not only contact the call
centre by phone but they also email
their queries too. Throughout the
day Caroline checks the account and
emails out responses. A request has
come in for a GroupWise account to
be set up for a team of users, and
another has come in for help with
GroupWise archiving. Caroline
phones the user back and explains.
12 noon
A member of staff comes
on the phone in floods of
tears. She has managed
to delete a file she has
spent all morning
working on. Nine times
out of ten this is a
problem the team can
solve... and fortunately
for the caller Caroline finds the
missing file. Another grateful caller.
The phones continue to ring with
calls coming in on everything from
problems with GroupWise to
someone who keeps getting internet
pop-ups on their screen. A number
of people report printer problems
and Caroline logs a number of calls
with the engineers. “Throughout the
day I check progress on the jobs I
have handed over to the engineers
to ensure that problems are being
sorted out. If the engineers don’t
deal with things quickly we are on
the receiving end of the backlash
from users,” says Caroline.
2.15pm
Caroline tends to leave the building
for lunch most days to get a break
from the phones. “Although many of
the calls we get are repetitive the
job is kept interesting by constant
changes in IT technology at the
trust. As we are the first line of
support for around 3,000 computer
users, it’s important that as a team
we keep abreast of changes in the
trust’s IT provision,” she says.
We discuss what makes a good call
centre operator and agree that a
cool head, a strong desire to help
people and good manners are
essential. People are easily
frustrated by IT problems and with
over 3,000 calls a month to deal
with the team is kept busy and on
their toes.
4pm
The frequency of calls slows down a
little during the last part of the day.
This gives Caroline time to tackle
some paperwork. The team is
responsible for all administration
relating to IT in the trust. For
example they sort out access rights
to use the IT network to new
members of staff and they are also
responsible for deleting departing
members of staff from the IT
network.
You can contact Caroline and her
helpdesk colleagues on (01344 75)
4600 or (020 8354) 8063.
The IT support team
15

every picture tells a story
Matters around the world
Director of communications Nuala O’Brien is pictured with her copy
of Mental Health Matters at Diyaluma Falls in Sri Lanka. Send your
holiday snaps (holding Mental Health Matters on location) to the
communications team for publication.
The education centre at Broadmoor Hospital accepted delivery of a new
piano thanks to a donation from the Friends of the hospital. Pictured
during music week at the education centre is (from the left) Tricia
Boynton singing and piano tutor, Tony Roche music director, Gordon
Carter from the Friends, Les Martin head of education, Fred Watson,
drum tutor and Eric Hopkins from the Friends. “We are thrilled to
receive a new piano,” says Les. “The old one had served us for
decades and had become quite dilapidated. I’m sure the new
instrument will be greatly used for many years to come.”
For some people the run-up to Christmas provides an excuse to eat,
drink and be merry. Others – for instance some members of St
Bernard’s gym – take it as an opportunity to spend more time on the
treadmill, rower and bike.
The gym’s annual Christmas triathlon invites members to accumulate
as many kilometres as they can during the month of December, with an
Mp3 player as the reward for the toughest competitor. The 2005
winner was Roger Lett, information officer on Tony Hillis reception
at Ealing.
Trust chief executive Simon Crawford hosted a well attended foundation
trust roadshow at Lakeside Mental Health Unit in Isleworth. A number
of roadshows have been held for staff to find out more about what
being a foundation trust means. If you haven’t managed to get to a
roadshow, a leaflet outlining the main points has been sent to all sites
or can be ordered from public-relations@wlmht.nhs.uk.
Roger is pictured (centre) with members of the Ealing physical
activity team.
16