PRESENT:
Jane Lewington (JL) Chief Executive (Chair)
Mike Reeve (MR) Chief Operating Officer
Julie Gray (JG) Head of Corporate Affairs/Company Secretary
John Tucker (JT) Elected Community Member Representative
Pam Bendle (PB) Elected Community Member Representative
Kelly Moore (KM) Elected Staff Member Representative
Richard Watson (RW) Head of Workforce and Development
Courtney Peet (CP) Elected Community Member Representative
Mark Peplow (MP) Elected Staff Member Representative
Kate Pawlowska (KP) Elected Staff Member Representative
Janine Smith (JS) Deputy Chief Operating Officer
Joanne Keen (JK) Head of Tukes/Employment and Commercial Services
Aamer Sajjad (AS) Medical Director
IN ATTENDANCE:Nicola Carroll (NC) Membership Board Secretary
Annie Darby (AD) Service Development Manager
Bradley King (BK) NAViGO Staff Member
Jennifer Clarke (JC) Community Member
George Baker (GB) Public Governor, RDaSH
Jackie Griffiths (JGr) Patient Experience Lead
Anna Morgan (AM) Head of Business Development
Lynsey Ford (LF) Legal Affairs Manager
Lisa Denton (LD) Head of Performance and Assurance
Zacharay Kellerman (KF) Community Member
Kathryn Thompson (KT) Community Member
Rebekah Myers (RM) Staff Member
Jim Mathias (JM) Staff Member
Sam O’Brien (SOB) Community Member
Joseph Adiotomre (JA) Community Member
Rachael Ogley (RO) Community Member
1. WELCOME AND APOLOGIES
Apologies were received from Simon Beeton, Amy Quickfall, Kristina Parker, Kristina Fletcher, Richard Melling, Craig Champion and Claire Withers.
2. QUORUM AND DECLARATION OF INTERESTS
The Chair noted that as there was a minimum of one Executive Director, one officer of NAViGO and at least one Elected Staff Member Representative and one Elected Community Member Representative present the meeting was quorate.
The Chair invited members to declare any interests conflicting with agenda items to be discussed at the meeting. A declaration of interest was received from Anna Morgan in relation to Agenda Item 6.
3. NOTES FROM THE MEETING OF 1st July 2021
Approval of Notes – The notes of the July meeting were agreed as a true and accurate reflection.
A survey was conducted of all meeting attendees and as only 2 people requested a face-to-face meeting it was agreed the meeting will remain virtual at present.
Kelly confirmed that she did not receive any comments regarding the carers strategy following the July meeting. The strategy was therefore approved by all attendees.
4. “IN THE SPOTLIGHT”
Community Mental Health Transformation
Anna and Janine shared a presentation.
The current focus is on joining up services and breaking down referral criteria. Current staffing resource will be divided up to ensure that each PCN has a mental health team aligned to it. This will help to ensure that people will a mental illness are also able to obtain support for any physical health problems.
Links will be made with Tukes and employment services to aid with meaningful engagement.
Repeat assessments will be avoided as the integration will ensure that people’s journey is recorded once.
NAViGO has many specialist services that can’t be aligned to each PCN therefore pathways are being developed to ensure that these can be accessed easily. A project group is currently looking at how Open Minds can be integrated into PCN’s.
Recruitment for the new model is ongoing, and many posts have already been successfully recruited for.
The engagement plan is ongoing and is currently focusing on personality disorder development. People who are open to CMHT have been offered the opportunity to be involved in the development of the service. This will then move to complex rehab, eating disorder, 16-25 service, and older peoples. Attendees were invited to contact Amy if they have an interest in these specific areas.
Internal and external meetings are taking place to regularly review the progress and address any barriers.
Nicola to provide Kat with Mike’s email address.
5. MONTHLY COVID 19 UPDATE
Local infection rates are high which has had a significant impact at the acute hospital.
There are bed pressures across NAViGO, capacity at Field View has increased by 2 beds and the capacity at Brocklesby Lodge will be increased to assist with demand.
Lack of eating disorder beds is a national concern and NAViGO have offered their assistance.
High levels of covid in the community have impacted on staffing, with many self-isolating due to track and trace, this along with higher demand for services has resulted in staff working longer hours at the end of what was already a long and tiring period.
The staff wellbeing offer is being reviewed.
There are currently no plans to move to level 1, and it has been agreed that people within NAViGO buildings will continue to wear face masks. Any review of service levels going forwards will be done on an individual service basis.
Members were advised of the recent passing of Alex Sutherland, and sympathies were sent to Rachel and his family. His death was not covid related.
6. PROJECT OF THE YEAR
Members were reminded that each year, as part of the AGM, NAViGO offer all members the opportunity to influence the direction of NAViGO through voting on priority schemes that will be supported by the organisation with funding to establish the scheme being given by the Gardner Hill Foundation; monies are non-recurrent. Entries are accepted from all members, both staff and community.
The paper identified 6 proposals that have been considered for viability and appropriateness and have therefore been shortlisted for Project of the Year. The membership board were asked to raise any issues or concerns that they felt would prohibit the 6 proposals going forward to the AGM for voting.
All present agreed their support to progress with the 6 shortlisted proposals.
The proposals will be taken to the Senior Management Team for final checks prior to communications being sent out for voting.
7. SHOUT IMPLEMENTATION UPDATE
A paper was received for information.
Research has shown that there is a gap in service provision, and that for every 62 people referred into existing services there could be another 38 people who are unsure of how to ask for help.
It was acknowledged that to develop our own service would be expensive, therefore Senior Managers Team were presented with a business case for NAViGO to commission the service from Mental Health Innovations for 2 years.
The service is a free, anonymous text service. If the user texts a keyword the operator can signpost the user to services available. Work is being done with Shout to ensure that they have sufficient knowledge to do this successfully.
The intention is for the service to commence from 1st September.
The keyword needed to be 6 letters, key to North East Lincolnshire and a word that phones will not auto correct. The keyword proposed is Orange as it is not linked to services so provides greater anonymity for the user. Only one keyword can be selected to ensure that operators can easily identify where to signpost the user to the correct local pathways.
All attendees approved the use of keyword Orange. Web based chat is something that the organisation will look to develop in the future to support people who do not want to communicate by phone.
8. BAME REPRESENTATION
At the last Membership Board an alternative process for filling the fifth Staff Representative position was agreed. This was for the BAME Network to elect two or three candidates from the BAME Network and for the successful candidate to be determined by the entire membership. This proposal was submitted to the BAME Network and was rejected by a majority decision. The Medical Director has since written to the Chief Executive requesting that a separate voting system be adopted.
The rationale behind the request being that a BAME representative would serve to represent the BAME community and therefore the BAME network should have the power to elect the most appropriate person.
Concerns were raised that a separate voting system may serve to segregate rather than include the BAME community. This was countered with the example that staff members vote for staff members, and community members vote for community members, and this does not segregate the two, it ensures that people vote for the people best served to represent them.
Following discussions members were asked to vote on the proposal to adopt a separate voting system to be reviewed in 12 months and the results were -
For – 11 votes
Against – 3 votes
Abstentions – 0 votes
The decision will be taken to the BAME network for them to progress.
8. MEMBERSHIP APPLICATIONS
Paper provided showed 7 applications had been received.
The applications were approved.
Totals to date
Staff Members 418
Community Members 280
Attendees were introduced to the community and staff representative candidates who were in attendance.
9. COMMUNITY AND STAFF REPRESENTATIVE UPDATE
Gardiner Hill Foundation have approved a grant application for a service user to trip to Harlow Carr and have applied to Project Giving Back which invited charities to apply for a grant to stage a garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
The webpage for Experts by Experience has launched.
A group aimed at parents and carers of LGBT+ community has started.
The white goods scheme launched on Tuesday.
10. CARERS UPDATE
There has been an increase in cancellations where people have returned to work following restrictions easing. The service will be adapted to ensure these people are still supported.
The new referral form is being distributed at team meetings.
Options are being explored to how to engage with staff that are carers. Richard will look to include this in PDR paperwork and ask that managers incorporate this into their staff wellbeing checks.
Any key times that carers bring people to Harrison House are being identified to try and ensure someone is on hand to speak to the carer when their loved one is in crisis.
The Carers strategy along with the membership strategy are currently only discussed in detail at membership board. These will be brought to Senior Managers meetings going forwards.
Kelly to ensure that all areas are represented at Carers Champions meetings and create a structure for feedback from the meetings.
11. COMMUNICATIONS, MARKETING AND ENGAGEMENT
Communications and Marketing
Paper received for information.
Engagement
Liaising with the Equality Practise regarding their “ME” program which helps women gain confidence and realise their potential. Joint working with the perinatal team is being explored.
12. POLICIES
None received.
13. QUARTERLY UPDATES
13.1 Workplan Summary Report
Paper received for information.
Mike to liaise with Anna regards a male lead for the promotion of the men’s mental health offer.
A member of the business development team will attend the reps meetings going forwards.
13.2 Finance
Deferred to September meeting.
13.3 PALS/Complaints Q1
The paper received shows the numbers of complaints received regardless of whether they are upheld.
Access to records requests have increased, it is thought that this is due to there no longer being a charge.
Jackie advised that the deciding factors whether a complaint is labelled formal or informal are what the complaint is regarding, the depth of investigation required and how quickly the complaint is responded to.
14. ANY OTHER BUSINESS
As most people confirmed that they would like to attend the September meeting virtually, it was agreed that the meeting would be held via zoom.
15. DATE AND TIME OF NEXT MEETING
Thursday 7th October 2021, 10am via zoom.
Please forward apologies to nicola.carroll5@nhs.net
Papers for the meeting
Papers can be obtained from Nicola Carroll.