Hi all I hope you're all getting used to our new ways of working, as we continue to meet the challenge of Covid-19. Like most of you, I'm learning how to send most of my time engaging online via Microsoft Teams and quite the revelation it is too. Who would have thought we could revolutionise our working practices so quickly? But as the old saying goes "necessity is the mother of invention". As I mention in this months Team Brief, we are doing whatever we can to ensure that we fully concentrate on your safety. This includes focussing as much time as possible on patient care and ensuring that we get the right support to each and every member of staff day in day out. Celebrating outstanding actions is also a must during really challenging times and the messages below provide an insight into what we’re doing to capture and showcase great work. Just before I move onto the next sections of the blog, I’d once again like to say a huge thank you to you all for your efforts and positive energy. This week has once again proved to me what a wonderful group of people we have working at Combined. CLAP OUT FOR WARD 7 - A REALLY SPECIAL MOMENT I am a great believer that tough times often bring the very best out of people and organisations and this was proven to me once again last Friday in a truly special moment. I was proud to stand alongside a whole host of our staff – of course whilst ensuring a suitable distanced from one another - as we lined the reception and corridor at Harplands Hospital to deliver a "Clap Out" tribute to our colleagues on Ward 7. If you haven't seen the amazing video of this very special moment, check out the film below. It has received over 6,900 views on our YouTube channel, which makes it by far the most popular piece of social media we have ever produced - and no wonder, when you understand the context in which it took place and the message it sends about how fantastically supportive NHS staff are to each other. There were also staff in the garden outside Ward 5 joining in who weren't captured on the film, and many thanks to them also. I know this gesture of solidarity was greatly appreciated by the recipients and it was a truly moving experience to be part of. "COMBINED...UNITED" - A CHANCE TO BUILD LASTING TRIBUTES AND APPRECIATION FOR EACH OTHER In a similar vein, I was also proud last week to launch "Combined...United" - a striking new digital initiative we have created to raise the profile of all the amazing things going on to meet the Covid-19 challenge. We know that everyone is united in confronting the challenge. Frontline staff and support staff. Staff working on our wards and people working throughout our community teams. Permanent staff and bank. Service users and volunteers. We are ALL in this together and we want to make it as easy as possible for everyone to highlight, support and recognise everyone else. "Combined...United" enables us and them to do so. “Combined…United” is freely available on our public website and open to anyone – whether they work for Combined or not. Anyone who wants to do so can use an online form to provide their own message of appreciation for something being done by an individual or a team. It can be anything you like, big or not so big. It could be that you simply want to say “I really value what you do and how you do it”. Or a message of support and encouragement. Or maybe you want to give a public profile for something being done that otherwise might go unnoticed. Your message or tribute will be reviewed by the Communications Team, before being included in the Hall of Fame. We will ensure this happens as quickly as possible, as we know you will wish it to be shared. You will receive an e-mail acknowledgement with details of your submission. If you have included an e-mail address for the person, team or organisation you are highlighting, they will also receive an e-mail with details of your submission - so please do include this information if at all possible. Over the coming days and weeks our Hall of Fame will build to become a lasting tribute and record of the extraordinary things we are doing and all we are going to do. You can watch my video launch of "Combined...United" below. HOW TO KEEP UP TO DATE WITH ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW Lastly, I am well aware that the last thing staff need at the moment is to be bombarded with multiple e-mails. We have been working hard to try to keep the number of communications to a minimum, which ensuring everyone gets the information they need. So, to help you cut through, here are the main places and methods for you to keep up to date. Our public website - at https://combined.nhs.uk/coronavirus/ - contains general Covid-19 advice and resources, as well as links to NHS England/Improvement advice and material and support resources made available by Public Health England – including a range of materials in alternative formats such as Easy Read, Large Print and British Sign Language As part of our support to staff during the Coronavirus challenge, we provide regular updates, guidance and advice from our Executive Director of Operations, Jonathan O’Brien and myself. Recognising that many of you will now be working remotely or may not always be in a position to access the internal network or e-mails, we are making them available on our public website as well - at https://combined.nhs.uk/covid-staff-updates/ so they are always accessible and available. The updates in many cases link to underlying material on our CAT Intranet. If any member of staff cannot access any of this material from their device, they can e-mail the Covid Team to request a copy Through our Executive leads we are also providing weekly Q&A updates for our Medical, Psychological and Nursing staffing groups. We are providing strong and wide-ranging support to our staff, via dedicated sections on the CAT Intranet for workforce and HR issues and staff well-being. I hope this is helpful to you all. Peter |