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. 

STAFF BRIEFING AT BEAUMONT WARD, 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 staff at Beaumont Ward. It's the second time we've come to this ward. On our first visit to the Bradgate Mental Health Unit (see blog entry for Friday 13 January) we were booked to visit five wards in one afternoon. We met staff in Ashby Ward, Aston Ward and Heather Ward and were also booked to see staff on Beaumont Ward (and Belvoir Intensive Care Unit for that matter) but Beaumont was almost entirely bank staff that day, so we rescheduled this visit.

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.

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.