HATE CRIME VICTIM BACKS APPEAL TO REPORT ATTACKS

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Hate crime victim backs appeal to report attack

A transsexual who was punched and knocked unconscious within moments of walking into a pub has spoken out in support of a campaign to highlight hate crime.

Giovanna Del Nord was hit in the head without warning by a stranger as she waited to be served in a pub in central Leicester in October.

The 46-year-old, who moved to the city last year, believes the man attacked her because she is undergoing sex change therapy.

She is a year into a four-and-a-half year course of therapy which will result in a sex change.

She spoke out yesterday at Leicestershire County Council's offices in Glenfield to support a campaign which encourages victims of hate crimes to come forward.

Stop and Tell is highlighting the plight of people who face abuse – physical, verbal or written – because of their race, religion, age, disability or sexuality. It is placing particular emphasis on crimes against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people.

Awareness-raising events including displays at libraries and council offices, school assemblies, roadshows and staff training are being held across Leicestershire.

Giovanna said: "I spoke because I wanted to let people know that they should tell the authorities about crimes committed against them.

"What happened to me has happened to many other people but they have never told anyone.

"It is important people who carry out hate crimes are brought to justice."

Between April, 2011, and March, 2012, 631 hate crimes were reported to Leicestershire Police – about 40 against gay people. Attacks on transsexuals were in single figures.

Councillor Joe Orson, cabinet member for safer communities, said: "Incidents of hate should not be tolerated and everyone who lives, works in or visits Leicestershire has the right to be treated with dignity and respect and to live without fear of hatred.

"We believe hate incidents are under-reported by people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered and we hope this campaign will go some way to demonstrate that help, support and advice is available."

Darren Goddard, Leicestershire Police's hate crime officer, urged people to contact the Hate Incident Monitoring Project (HIMP), which is monitoring the extent and nature of such crimes.

He said: "Sadly, incidents of hate often go underreported.

"HIMP is another way for people to report their experiences.

"Working with HIMP enables the police to better protect our communities and ensure those responsible are held to account."

Stop and Tell has been co-ordinated by the county, district and borough councils, Leicester LGBT Centre, police and Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust.

Contact the Hate Incident Monitoring Project on 0116 305 8263 or visit the website below.

Alternatively, visit a council office or library, which are reporting centres for hate incidents.

In an emergency, call 999.

www.leics.gov.uk/reporthate

LEICESTERSHIRE PARTNERSHIP NHS TRUST, SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENT, FINAL REPORT

Following extended discussion and a number of meetings, a Service Level Agreement (SLA) between Leicester City PCT and Leicester Council of Faiths was signed on 31 March 2009. This contract ended formally on 31 May 2012. Here's an amended version of the final report on this agreement, that I submitted today. All these topics are covered extensively throughout this blog.

We were originally contracted to work with Leicester City PCT but got caught up in redeployment issues within the NHS locally, both of staff and of responsibilities. Management of our contract was put into the hands of the Integrated Equalities Team at Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust. Consequently (and through no fault of our own) it took longer than we would have liked for actual work to take place in furthering the aims of our SLA.

NHS Staff Multifaith Resource

Following a year and more of consultation among the eight member communites of Leicester Council of Faiths and a variety of other communities of religion or belief (Humanist, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormon, Pagan, Rastafarian, Spiritualist), Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust published a Staff Multifaith Resource. This pack provides the following information in the same order, for each of the communities of religion or belief included:

• Introduction and local information
• Mode of greeting
• Birth
• Examination of patient
• Particular sensitivities
• Washing, ablutions and personal hygiene
• Modesty and dress
• Special dietary requirements
• Fasting
• Family planning
• Abortion
• Care in serious (or final stages of) illness
• Blood transfusion / transplants
• Organ donation
• Spiritual advisor / counsellor
• Death
• Religious symbols
• Post mortem
• Burial / cremation
• General considerations for community nurses visiting patients at home

The Multifaith Staff Resource was officially launched during Inter Faith Week 2011 with three lunchtime meetings on consecutive days in the Brandon Unit, Glenfield Hospital. (Tue 22 Nov), Mansion House, Glenfield Hospital (Wed 23 Nov) and at Leicester General (Thu 24 Nov).

Shortly before the end of 2011, a programme of induction began for ward staff in the city, county and Rutland and for Community Teams in the same areas and for the Trust’s Spiritual and Pastoral Care Team. This induction programme was delivered alongside Abida Hussain, the Trust’s Equalities and Human Rights Officer.

Faith Community Health Ambassadors

The idea for this project originated in a full meeting of Leicester Council of Faiths at the Welcome Centre (13 July 2010), on the topic of health inequalities. This meeting was addressed by Deb Watson (Director of Public Health, Leicester City PCT) and her Assistant Director, Rod Moore.  Deb also presented a refined version of this proposal at the Council of Faiths AGM (21 Oct 2010). Since this programme kicked into action, around 30 short video interviews have been conducted with individuals from a variety of backgrounds of religion or belief for use in training of staff with Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust. In these videos, subjects answer questions about how their religion or belief impact on their health and how they access healthcare services. Contributors identified with a particular religion or belief as follows: 

• 2 Baha’is
• 5 Buddhists
• 4 Christians
• 7 Hindus
• 1 Humanist
• 2 Jews
• 6 Muslims
• 1 Rastafarian
• 1 Secularist
• 3 Sikhs

Equality Delivery System

We were invited to take part in community consultation on LPT’s equality objectives at two meetings: 10 March 2011 at the Towers and (with an extended group of stakeholders)  8 March 2011 at Mansion House, Glenfield Hospital.

These meetings led to progress on the development of LPT’s Equality Delivery System (EDS). I was asked to participate in a meeting with a variety of stakeholders to grade LPT’s Equality Delivery System at the Peepul Centre, Orchardson Avenue, Monday 27 February 2012.

The same individuals who were recorded for the Faith Community Health Ambassadors project were contacted and asked to take part in a community engagement review of LPT’s Equality Delivery System in a meeting at Merlyn Vaz Health & Social Care Centre, Spinney Hill Road on Wednesday 28 November. Although only two people turned up in person, several other responses were received by post.

Impact attendant on proposed closure of children’s heart unit at Glenfield Hospital

I was asked to coordinate the Council of Faiths’ response to impacts attendant on the possible closure of the children’s heart unit at Glenfield Hospital. Following a one-to-one briefing with Christina Marriott, ?? at LPT HQ, Lakeside, Grove Park, Monday 28 May 2012, members were canvassed for their responses, then a three page-long response was submitted, 30 May 2012. 

FAITH FOCUS ON MENTAL HEALTH

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Faith focus on mental health

More than 40 people were expected at a meeting of faith leaders today to mark World Mental Health Day.

The event, being hosted by Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, was due to consider the role faith communities play in promoting mental well-being.

It was due to be held at the Bradgate Mental Health Unit, on the Glenfield Hospital site, starting at 6.45pm.

HEALTH HELP IN VILLAGE AT CARNIVAL

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Health help in village at carnival

A pop-up village at the Caribbean Carnival on Saturday will aim to help people with mental health issues.

The idea is part of the national Time to Change campaign to tackle discrimination.

The village will be staffed by volunteers with mental health problems – including some from the British Caribbean community – with the aim of encouraging people to talk more openly about issues.

Staff from Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, which runs mental health services in the county, will also be on hand.

There will also be entertainment including face painting, arts and crafts and jewellery making.

Sue Baker, director of Time to Change, said: "By being at this event we will bring people with and without mental health problems together to get new conversations started, which helps to tackle stigma and misunderstanding."

Saquib Muhammad, from the trust, said: "If we can tackle discrimination, people will find it easier to seek help."

The village will be open from 2pm to 8pm in Victoria Park.

IMPACT OF CLOSURE OF CHILDREN'S CONGENITAL HEART UNIT, GLENFIELD HOSPITAL

This afternoon I’m at the headquarters of Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust. I’ve been asked to attend a briefing with Christina Marriott, Manager of the Integrated Equalities Unit at Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, on potential impacts of the closure of the Children's Congenital Heart Unit at Glenfield Hospital. No such decision has been made yet and consultations on the impacts of closure have to be discussed before the decision can be taken.

Christian is having meetings with representatives from organisations standing for each of the relevant Protected Characteristics as defined in the Equality Act 2010, asking for their responses and collating their contributions.

This consultation is not on the subject of whether or not the Children's Congenital Heart Unit at Glenfield Hospital should be closed or should remain open. A long-running consultation on that topic has been held and is now closed. That decision will be made at national level and it is not possible now for us to make any contribution to the process.

What is going on now is the gathering of information about potential impacts of closing the unit at Glenfield - from our perspective, if this is done, how will it affect communities of religion or belief in the city (and in the county and Rutland)?

There are four options on the table and the final decision will favour one of them. In Option A, Glenfield stays open. In the other three options, Glenfield is closed and the nearest site for treatment is Birmingham Children's Hospital. Nothing more can be done at this stage to influence the eventual decision. Christina is very interested in seeing what we have to say in terms of foreseeable impacts of the closure - and, just as importantly, ways of mitigating those impacts.

The response from Leicester Council of Faiths to this part of the consultation process is shown below. This was circulated around our Board of Directors and their comments solicited before it was submitted.

"Safe and Sustainable – A New Vision for Children’s Congenital Heart Services"

Response from Leicester Council of Faiths, drafted following a meeting with Christina Marriott, Manager of the Integrated Equality Service at Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust HQ, Lakeside House, 4 Smith Way, Grove Park, Enderby, Leics LE19 1SX, Monday 28 May 2012.

This response has been made as promptly as possible, but it should be noted that it is still a provisional one. There is a clear need to keep talking and keep thinking about the possible impacts of rationalising Children’s Congenital Heart Services nationally. If, as a result of decisions made at national level, Glenfield Hospital does not retain its surgical unit, then deeper consultation will be required, perhaps including direct engagement with representatives of different communities of Religion or Belief in the city, county and Rutland.

We appreciate the fact that the Joint Committee of the Primary Care Trust (JCPCT) is showing due regard to the groups it serves in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. We are aware that the conversation with Leicester Council of Faiths is part of a wider ongoing process of consultation, in which JCPCT is talking with other organisations representing people and groups identifying with Protected Characteristics as enumerated in the Equality Act 2010. We know that that these groups include, for example: Leicester Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Centre; Leicestershire Centre for Integrated Living (LCIL); and The Race Equality Centre (TREC). In the context of this knowledge, we hope that nothing in this response will come across as special pleading on behalf of those people and groups who identify with the Protected Characteristic of Religion or Belief. We welcome and support the involvement of a wide range of stakeholders and expertise in the consultation.

JCPCT has to demonstrate awareness of possible or likely impacts on families, groups and / or communities who identify with the Protected Characteristic of Religion or Belief – and to show that proportionate actions that may be taken in mitigation of those impacts have been discussed, recorded and forwarded to those involved in deciding the outcome of this review.

Given the nature of the Protected Characteristics enumerated in the Equality Act 2010, we are aware that many of them overlap, meaning that individuals, families and communities identifying with any Religion or Belief will most likely also identify with one or more of the other Protected Characteristics (i.e. age, disability, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, sex, sexual orientation, transgender). In keeping with the current understanding of equality, it is clear that communities, families and individuals no longer align themselves with just one characteristic, but tend more to see themselves as bundles of characteristics. Sometimes these bundles work in harmony with each other within the same community, family or individual, at other times they may compete with each other. At times, one of these Protected Characteristics may come to the fore and be of greater importance, or it may fade into the background and be superseded in importance by others. For example, it may be the case that sometimes individuals, families or groups who identify with the Protected Characteristic of Religion or Belief may speak out more strongly on an issue related to age or disability.

Anyone who identifies with any particular Religion or Belief wants to obtain the same level of service in hospital as any other person: adaptable, competent, sensitive and well-trained staff at all levels; clean and well-kept wards, free from risk of infection; speedy responses by staff members and by NHS institutions to changing needs and situations; the willingness and ability to treat patients, family and visitors as whole people.

People of Religion or Belief are, in the end, people after all. They do not necessarily bring special problems associated with Religion or Belief with them. However, there are particular needs associated with the Protected Characteristic of Religion or Belief, which we hope can be clarified here.

One issue that will surely be raised by all respondents is increased travel time between a unit in Birmingham and home in Leicester, Leicestershire or Rutland. Given that the patient is a child, it’s normal to have an adult family member with the patient at all times, if possible. Family members tend to work in shifts by the patient’s bedside (assuming that a sufficient number of family members are available to do this). This will normally bring about considerable disruption to the family’s routine – which is of special significance if that routine involves playing an active part in the community life of their place of worship. We would want to be assured of decent facilities for parents and/or other family members  to sleep when staying with the patient, and not be subjected to the ordeal of travelling longer distances (especially if they have to drive).

It’s fairly easy to come up with a wish-list that would appear to cover the bases in terms of the Protected Characteristic of Religion or Belief (e.g. family and visitors have access to a well-maintained prayer room or quiet room; appropriate washing facilities for ritual ablutions; a range of sacred scriptures and other appropriate texts in a variety of languages; a display of artifacts and/or symbols for devotional use; food and drink that fits in with Halal, Kosher and vegetarian and vegan dietary regimes). Such a list is important, of course – but in this day and age, these things may be said to be the minimum that would be expected under any circumstances. In relation to these requirements, we would be concerned that, if the unit at Glenfield were to be closed, one impact would be a squeeze on existing facilities, an increase in demand, that could not be coped with comfortably. To mitigate this impact, there would need to be, at the very least, an expansion of such facilities existing at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, in close proximity to the site of Congenital Heart Services.

Over and above all this, however, there is another kind or level of response from the perspective of the Protected characteristic of Religion or Belief, a more nuanced and subtle one, which we would like to see taken into account.

The city of Leicester is known for its distinctive religious profile. If the surgical unit at Glenfield Hospital is to close as a result of this national review, then the religious profile of potential service users from Leicester has to be taken into account for effective functioning of the site to which Leicester-based patients will be referred.

In terms of this religious profile, can we be sure that appropriate training has been or will be given to staff on those other sites, that suitable resources have been or will be made available (to service users and staff), that a relevant multi-faith chaplaincy service is currently or will be accessible (to all who may need it)?

What is the religious infrastructure locally? Even if another city is known for diversity in its own right (e.g. Birmingham) it should not be assumed that this will match up with the sort of diversity found in Leicester. While it is important to be able to demonstrate that Religion or Belief has been taken as seriously as the other Protected Characteristics, it is also important to be able to show that the issue of diversity has been considered to the same degree. There is no generic, universal, “one size fits all” solution to issues that arise in relation to Religion or Belief. There will be variation, perhaps tension (if not actual conflict) between the needs or wishes of different communities of Religion or Belief. There may be competing demands on resources, space or funding that means if one thing is done, another cannot. This may be the case not only between distinct communities, but also within those communities themselves.  When it comes down to it, it may be said that no two families who identify with a particular Religion or Belief may be expected to respond in the same way.

In the midst of all this discussion of equality and diversity, care should be taken not to make it look as though nominal affiliation to the Church of England is “normal”, even for families with no particular religious affiliation.

Issues related to end of life care assume the greatest importance for families who identify with a particular Religion or Belief. Under such circumstances, the stakes are obviously raised. A religious person will probably want to pray more, preferably at their chosen place of worship, for the recovery and well-being of the child. If they are unable to attend their normal religious services or observances, this will put an extra strain on family members.

This potential impact would be mitigated if relevant staff know the location of places of worship (with proper awareness of differences between denominations, sects, etc.). This kind of knowledge can be captured in a multi-lingual resource, but should also be part of the family and patient’s initial care plan. This sort of conversation should be triggered when a child is scheduled for surgery. It would mitigate all kinds of impacts to be able to “front-load” the service in this way, rather than end up trying to take remedial action.

This response submitted by George M Ballentyne, Equality & Diversity Officer, Leicester Council of Faiths, 28 May 2012

INTRODUCTION TO AYURVEDA 2: DISCOVER YOUR MIND-BODY TYPE

At Christchurch, Clarendon Park, for the second session in the course, "Introduction to Ayurveda", offered by Christians Aware as part of their Faith Awareness programme.

This evening, course leader Neena Joshi is joined by Dr Dave (photo above), who presents most of the session. Dr Dave worked within the NHS as a gynaecologist at Leicester Royal Infirmary for ten years, then as a GP with a practice off the Narborough Road. Now retired, he's following in the footsteps of his father, who was an Ayurvedic practitioner. Dr Dave's lengthy professional experience and deep knowledge allow him to make meaningful comparisons between allopathic and Ayurvedic medicine.

The goal of Ayurveda is to establish and maintain internal equilibrium. There are three ways in which this desired equilibrium may be disturbed: of external physical origin; of internal physical origin; and of mental origin. In Ayurveda, the mind is the root, seat and origin of all conditions, good and bad. Therefore, control of the mind is the first and most effective step in controlling the body. The mind cannot be controlled by the mind itself, but it can be influenced by control of the breath. At the end of the session, Neena leads us through a short exercise of alternate nostril breathing to demonstrate this effect on the mind. She also gives us homework: a sheet listing characteristics, internal and external, which would help each of us determine our own dosha - our mind-body type. We should all have a go at this before we meet up again for the next session.

As we're breaking up, I make an appeal for volunteers to take part in our Faith Communities Health Champions project with Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust. I'd like to have a few people who have a lively personal interest in non-conventional medical treatment. It seems like I might have a few willing participants from this evening's group.

RETHINK YOUR MIND LAUNCH EVENT

This evening I'm at The Cookie Jar (downstairs at The Crumblin' Cookie on Leicester's High Street) for the launch of Rethink Your Mind. 

Rethink Your Mind is an innovative new mental health project from Safe Inside Safe Outside (SISO), a well-being organisation run by service users for service users, supported by Advance Housing and Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust. SISO encourages and empowers service users to engage in creative outlets (e.g. music, writing) as part of the process of dealing with their conditions.

I found out about this project through Pete Hirst (who is a member of the board of SISO). Pete has gained a strong positive reputation with his band Refuge. I first met him when I taught Creative Writing for ReMit (Leicester City Council's education provision for adults with long-term mental health issues) at the Watershed Youth Centre. Pete was in my Tuesday afternoon group there. That’s Pete in the photo above (all smiles, on the left) with Lyndsey Shaw, Manager of SISO.

Rethink Your Mind will feature a competition, starting October 2012, based around the positive brief, "With good mental health I have ...”. SISO ran a similar competition last year, the entries of which were quite dark. They’re going for a different outcome this year, hoping to create a new public profile for mental health.

Cllr Manjula Sood, Assistant Mayor, who holds the Cabinet brief for Health and Adult Social Care (and, of course, Chair of Leicester Council of Faiths), speaks in support of SISO, of this project and of Pete in particular.

Lord Kamlesh Patel, Patron of SISO, will host an award presentation for the completion in the House of Lords next year.

When event kicks off, there are two dozen people in the room. By the time I leave, some two hours later, that’s grown to at least three dozen. And the evening wasn’t over yet as Refuge were yet to take the stage for a live set.

MBE HONOUR

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

MBE honour

A doctor visited Buckingham Palace yesterday to receive his MBE.

Dr Marcus Solanki, a mental health clinician with Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, was told he would get the honour for services to the community in June but his medal was presented to him yesterday.

Dr Solanki is chairman of Savera Resource Centre, in Leicester, which helps Asian people using mental health services, and a spokesman for the city's Gujarati Christian community.

The article doesn't mention that Marcus is a long-standing member of Leicester Council of Faiths and that he served for four years as its Assistant Secretary (2007-2011).

FAITH COMMUNITY HEALTH CHAMPIONS

In recent months, Leicester Council of Faiths has been working with Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust on a few interesting projects.

One we're working on now is called "Faith Community Health Champions". This project is intended to help local NHS staff understand how the religion or belief of individuals impact on their experience of health, illness and well-being and how it influences their access and attitude to health care services locally.

This is being done by means of short video interviews, which will be used for internal training purposes.

Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust has asked me to film a number of these video interviews with individuals from a variety of religions or beliefs living in Leicester, Leicestershire or Rutland. That includes Secular Humanists and people of no particular beliefs.

We're not necessarily looking for dramatic, life-threatening medical conditions. While that would be interesting of course, we're also keen to talk with those living with conditions such as insomnia, gastric reflux, flat feet - the kind of everyday niggling things that don't grab the headlines but can still make life miserable. They are all of interest in this project. If you have any kind of medical condition, have experienced illness or are in recovery from a medical procedure, then you could help.

The interview should last no more than ten minutes. The whole experience should take no longer than half an hour. Respondents are asked to sign a Release Form, giving Leicestershire NHS Partnership Trust permission to use the video interview for internal training purposes.

There's a set of seven simple questions which everyone will be asked. Nothing personal or confidential is involved:

1. What’s your name?
2. Do you identify with any particular religion or belief?
3. Do you have any kind of medical condition?
4. How does your religion or belief impact on your health needs and how you access health care services?
5. Would you like to say something about your experiences with the local health service (good or bad)?
6. Has anything happened to you with the local health service that you found either frustrating or supportive?
7. If you could change one thing in your relationship with the local health service, what would that be?

Abida Hussain and I film the first of these interviews with one of our respondents this afternoon. We're hoping to do a dozen or so within the next two weeks. Any offers from volunteers will be gratefully considered.

NHS EQUALITY DELIVERY SERVICE GRADING GROUP

At the Peepul Centre today, for the Equality Delivery System (EDS) Grading Group, sponsored by the Integrated Equalities Service for Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust and Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland PCTs, working in partnership with University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust and East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust.

This event is being held to allow participants to review the information NHS organisations have published and evidenced as part of their EDS self-assessment work and decide whether the proposed grade is appropriate.

The Equality Delivery System (EDS) is a new structured method designed by the NHS to assist its organisations in meeting the Public Sector Equality Duty under the Equality Act 2010, covering all nine protected characteristics. In order to get an accurate and comprehensive perspective NHS organisations using the EDS are encouraged to work with staff-side groups, community organisations and local interest groups in tackling inequalities in their areas. The EDS is broken down into four structured goals over:

• Better health outcomes for all
• Improved patient access and experience
• Empowered, engaged and well-supported staff
• Inclusive leadership at all levels

This has been planned and promoted as a two-day event: day one looking at the first two goals with the focus on patient services and experiences; day two looking at the last two goals with a focus on employment, staff support and the organisation’s leadership. Each day is scheduled to run from 1200-2015.

But it doesn't quite work out tha way. Attendees voice concerns about the kind of information evidenced (and that which has not been evidenced) and their competence to comment on what's been put before them. There's recognition of conflation between what's interesting and useful to the organisation and what's interesting and useful to service users and the kind of organisations represented here today. So during an impromptu break, the organisers rejig the whole event, cancelling tomorrow's session, bringing forward the close of today's session to 1700 and setting us the collective task of spending the next few hours discussing, devising and deciding upon the kind of evidence that would work for all of us.

I say good on them, for listening to what attendees were saying today and responding to it as a matter of urgency. I haven't seen that done very often at this kind of event. As I said to Christina Marriot, Manager of the Integrated Equalities Service, if they (and particularly she) don't get a gold star on the evaluation forms today for thinking on their feet, then there's no justice in the room!

STAFF BRIEFING AT BELVOIR ICU, BRADGATE MENTAL HEALTH UNIT

At Bradgate Mental Health Unit, Glenfield Hospital this afternoon, promoting the NHS Staff Multi-Faith Resource that Leicester Council of Faiths has helped produce for Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (LPT).

I'm here with Abida Hussain, Equality and Human Rights Officer in the Integrated Equality Service for LPT and the city and county Primary Care Trust (PCT) cluster, as we continue the process of briefing those most likely to use this resource.

We’re here specifically to meet ward staff in the Belvoir Intensive Care Unit. This is the second time we've come to Belvoir ICU. On our first visit to the Bradgate Mental Health Unit (see blog entry for Friday 13 January) we were booked to visit five wards, including Belvoir ICU (and Beaumont Ward, for that matter) in one afternoon. However, there had been some miscommunication and our visit wasn't in Belvoir ICU's diary, so we couldn't get staff together and deliver the briefing that day. Today we pop in an hour before our visit proper (scheduled at 1400) just to make sure that the briefing is in the  diary this time: it isn't. Rather than reschedule again, we agree to come back at 1400, even if only to speak to a couple of staff members.

After half an hour or so spent in the Involvement Centre, we come back to Belvoir ICU, where we deliver our briefing to three members of staff, who receive us warmly and listen to the briefing with interest.

LPT SPIRITUAL NEEDS ASSESSMENT TOOL

At a meeting with members of the Spiritual and Pastoral Care Team for Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (LPT) this morning, I'm given a copy of their Spiritual Needs Assessment Tool, recently developed for use with patients in ward settings. It's a fairly simple and straightforward questionnaire, which I've copied out below.

Spiritual and Pastoral Care

Chaplains from the Spiritual and Pastoral Care Team are available to visit on wards to provide spiritual and pastoral care for those of any faith or none. You do not need to be religious to use our service.

If you would like support from the team please could you fill in the form and return to use. Thank you. [Then, after space for Name, Ward and Date]:

1. Do you follow any faith or religion?
2. If so, which one?
3. Do you wish to practise whilst in hospital? (If "No", go to Q4)
4. What do you need to do this?
5. Would you like pastoral or spiritual support from the team?
6. Is there anything that gives you a sense of meaning or purpose?
7. What are the sources of hope, strength, comfort and peace for you?
8. What keeps you going in difficult times?
9. What or who helps you most when you feel anxious or need help?
10. What are your fears about the future?
11. Have you had any major losses recently?

BRIEFING LPT'S SPIRITUAL & PASTORAL CARE TEAM

I'm at the Chaplaincy Centre, Daisy Peake Building at The Towers on Gipsy Lane this morning with Abida Hussain, Equality and Human Rights Officer, Integrated Equality Service, Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (LPT).

We're briefing members of the Spiritual and Pastoral Care Team on the NHS Staff Multi-Faith Resource. Four of their six-member team are here this morning:

• Revd Sally Martin, Lead Chaplain;
• Revd Frances Ballantyne (no relation), Christian Chaplain who covers Ashby, Coalville, Hinckley and Loughborough community hospitals as well as one afternoon per week at the Bradgate Unit;
• Revd Rowenna Bass, Christian Chaplain who covers Lutterworth, Market Harborough, Melton Mowbray, Oakham community hospitals;
• Imam Fazlur Diwan, Muslim Chaplain who covers the Bradgate Unit, Arnold Lodge, and also works with Community Teams.

Sally was helpful in the development of the resource, which contains appropriate information about the services of the Spiritual and Pastoral Care Team.

Abida and I have done a number of briefings on the resource to ward staff at various hospitals over the past few months (see blog entries passim). These tend to be brief (though, hopefully not rushed), catching staff at the times of handover between shifts. This morning, it's good to be able to speak longer and to discuss the content and use of the resource in greater depth.

We also talk about the Prayer Room at Lakeside, LPT’s new company headquarters. I offer a copy of the dossier compiled by Rosemarie Fitton when we were working with Highcross on their Prayer Room, so that LPT can benefit from its collection of examples of good (and bad) practice, not only for this facility at Lakeside, but for Prayer Rooms operating at its other sites.

We discuss the proposed Staff Inter-Faith Forum, which is still in embryonic form. We talk about how use of social media (particularly podcasting) can play its part in making this project a success.

DON'T LET PROTESTS TEAR OUR CITY APART

This open letter from City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby to the people of Leicester appears on the front page of today's Leicester Mercury:

Don't let protests tear our city apart

Hundreds of people are expected to arrive in our city today to join marches led by the English Defence League and Leicester Unite Against Fascism.

There are very few people who want these marches to take place. But, fortunately, we live in a democracy and people have a right to demonstrate.

This means that we have to allow them to come here, but can impose controls on what they do.

In October 2010, marches were banned but there were demonstrations that brought the city centre to a standstill for much of the day.

This time, by allowing controlled marches with very strict conditions, we believe we can greatly reduce the disruption and get things back to normal much more quickly.

Leicestershire police have been working incredibly hard to prepare for today.

I would like to commend Chief Superintendent Rob Nixon, the city centre commander, and all of those involved for their professionalism and expertise.

I would like to ask all of our citizens – young and old – to remember these marches will be over in a couple of hours.

We must not do anything that will allow them to pull our communities apart or have any kind of lasting impact.

I also call on those planning to join the marches to follow the conditions that have been set by the police for your safety, and to show you can exercise your democratic right in a peaceful way.

All at the council have been working very closely with the police to ensure that in the main it will be business as usual this weekend.

Saturday night sees the second night of Leicester Comedy Festival – one of the biggest and best events in the city's cultural calendar.

Several hundred people will be coming to the city for this, and they are very welcome.

This is what Leicester is all about – a warm, friendly and peaceful city with something for everyone.

Please come into the city and enjoy the shows, the shops and restaurants and let's ensure today is remembered for the right reasons.

NHS STAFF INTERFAITH FORUM

At the Chaplaincy Centre in George Hine House, the Towers, this afternoon, discussing preliminary arrangements for establishing an Interfaith Forum for Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust staff. I'm meeting with Abida Hussain (Equality and Human Rights Officer, Integrated Equality Service) and Sally Martin (Lead Chaplain).

Abida, Sally, staff and volunteers in the Pastoral and Spiritual Care Team will form the core membership of this group. We don't think that anything of this kind has been provided before. It’s not intended to be a "support group" in the sense that existing groups for BME staff, LGBT staff, or staff who are carers are.

It’s hoped that this can be a forum for seeking and giving advice, for consultation and discussion, for sharing good practice and sounding out new ideas.

It can be a forum in which the organisation can consult with staff on issues regarding religion or belief that impact on their work. Staff input is required to fulfil requirements of the Equality Delivery System recently adopted by Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust.

It can also be a forum for sharing updates and information regarding relevant issues (e.g legislation and case studies). Chaplaincy staff and volunteers could be invited to attend and speak about their experiences. 

We discuss the relative advantages and disadvantages of different venues as well as other related topics, such as the possible role of social media in amplifying and extending the reach and influence of the forum.

The next stage is for Abida and me to attend a full meeting of the Multi-Faith Chaplaincy team on Wednesday 22 February at which this will be discussed further and brought closer to implementation.

STAFF BRIEFINGS AT ASHBY, ASTON & HEATHER WARDS, BRADGATE MENTAL HEALTH UNIT

At Bradgate Mental Health Unit, Glenfield Hospital this afternoon, promoting the NHS Staff Multi-Faith Resource that Leicester Council of Faiths has helped produce for Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (LPT).

I'm here with Abida Hussain, Equalities and Human Rights Officer in LPT's Integrated Equality Service, as we continue the process of briefing members of LPT staff most likely to use this resource.

We've booked to deliver induction to staff in five different wards; after all, each briefing should take only 15-20 minutes. However, that that turns out to be a bit too ambitious. Our visits are timed to coincide with the handover of shifts, so we can see both incoming and outgoing staff. But a workplace like this is not always routine or predictable and (for reasons beyond our control) we're able to see staff on only three out of the five scheduled wards:

• Ashby Ward
• Aston Ward
• Heather Ward

To paraphrase Meat Loaf: "three out of five ain't bad". Abida also visited the Orchard Resource Centre in Hinckley earlier today to offer one of these brief induction sessions on her own.

STAFF BRIEFING AT OAKHAM HOUSE

At  Oakham House, Herongate Road, this afternoon, promoting the NHS Staff Multi-Faith Resource that Leicester Council of Faiths has helped produce for Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (LPT).

I'm here with Abida Hussain, Equalities and Human Rights Officer in LPT's Integrated Equality Service, as we continue the process of briefing members of LPT staff most likely to use this resource.

Oakham House is for young people aged 11 to 18 years with psychiatric, emotional or behavioural problems or an eating disorder that cannot be treated through outpatient appointments. Oakham House is open seven days a week but many of the young people being treated there go home to their families or carers at weekends.

Abida visited two wards St Luke’s Hospital, Market Harborough, yesterday to offer one of these brief induction sessions on her own there.

NHS STAFF BRIEFINGS AT CLARENDON & COLEMAN WARDS, EVINGTON CENTRE

At the Evington Centre, Leicester General Hospital this afternoon, promoting the NHS Staff Multi-Faith Resource that Leicester Council of Faiths has helped produce for Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (LPT).

I'm here with Abida Hussain, Equalities and Human Rights Officer in LPT's Integrated Equality Service, as we continue the process of briefing members of LPT staff most likely to use this resource.

We’re here specifically to meet staff on Clarendon Ward and Coleman Ward, our visits timed to coincide with briefing points when handing over shifts, so we can speak to both incoming and outgoing staff members.

The Evington Centre provides care to older people with long term mental health needs. Clarendon Ward has historically served people in the county, while Coleman Ward has performed the same function for people in the city.

We have further visits to this venue scheduled for later in the week, but other wards have been closed to visitors because of an outbreak of D&V (figure it out, faithful reader). So we'll need to check if those visits can still go ahead on the day.

INTER FAITH WEEK, DAY 5: NHS STAFF MULTI-FAITH RESOURCE BRIEFING AT DAISY PEAKE

At the Daisy Peake Building, the Towers, this afternoon, promoting the NHS Staff Multi-Faith Resource that Leicester Council of Faiths has helped produce for Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (LPT).

I'm here with Abida Hussain, Equalities and Human Rights Officer in LPT's Integrated Equality Service and Revd. Sally Martin, Lead Chaplain of LPT's Spiritual and Pastoral Care Team, as we continue the process of briefing members of LPT staff most likely to use this resource.

This is the last of three lunchtime briefings this week which we (and LPT) are counting as part of our respective activities for Inter Faith Week.

INTER FAITH WEEK, DAY 4: NHS STAFF MULTI-FAITH RESOURCE BRIEFING AT MANSION HOUSE

At Mansion House, Glenfield Hospital this afternoon, promoting the NHS Staff Multi-Faith Resource (or "Multisave" as its billed on the whiteboard in reception) that Leicester Council of Faiths has helped produce for Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (LPT).

I'm here with Abida Hussain, Equalities and Human Rights Officer in LPT's Integrated Equality Service, as we continue the process of briefing members of LPT staff most likely to use this resource.

This is the second of three lunchtime briefings this week which we (and LPT) are counting as part of our respective activities for Inter Faith Week.