LOROS Internal Communications
Welcome
Hello everyone and welcome back to the second issue of the Hospice Pin Board; I hope you all enjoyed the first issue. Please keep your feedback coming – it is great to hear what you like, what you don’t and what you’d like to see included in future issues.
Just to keep you up-to-speed on the planned CEO update sessions in May. We announced the sessions via email at the end of January and I have had a few people have ask how to book onto these sessions. We are still working on this as we want to make sure it is as easy to attend and engaging as it can be for you all! John Knight, Caroline Baker and Liz McIntyre are meeting soon and we should be able to confirm the details to you shortly – sorry for the wait.
Happy reading, Sophie.
Good news
Baby news!!
The best kind of news to start our March issue. Charlotte Graham, one of our lovely Event Co-ordinators, gave birth to baby Ayda Lynn on Tuesday 11th February, weighing 7lbs 13oz. Mum and baby are doing well and Charlotte and her family are totally smitten. Welcome to the world gorgeous baby girl!
Save the date - LOROS is 35 this year.
Happy birthday to us; this year LOROS celebrates its 35th year and we are celebrating on Saturday 26th September with a Big Birthday Bash (instead of our Hospice Care Week Open Day). More details will follow but make sure the date is in your diary. If you would like to help out on the day then please contact Anna Shutt in the Marketing office or via email.
Digni-Tea Event
Donna and the team of Dignity Champions held their annual Digni-Tea in the Hospice social area for Dignity Action Day. The day is to highlight and promote championing the rights of all patients to be treated and valued as unique individuals. As well as drinking tea those who took part also made some lovely Digni-Tea bunting. A huge thanks to our dignity champions for coordinating such important awareness-raising - great job!
We have a new PAT Dog
We were lucky enough to have a visit from the adorable Alice and her owner, Paul. She brought some puppy power to the Ward, visiting patients for a chat, fuss and even had a cuddle or two!
It was amazing to see those patients who have pets at home interacting with her. Dogs really are wonderful and we can't thank Paul enough for taking the time out to bring Alice in. Pets As Therapy is a brilliant charity that enable well-behaved pups to visit places like hospitals, hospices and nursing homes.
Senior Management Committee (SMC) update
The Hospices’ senior management committee is made up of John Knight, Karen Ashcroft, Jo Kavanagh, Liz McIntyre, Caroline Baker, Wayne Matts and Dr Luke Feathers.
Every two weeks they meet to discuss current strategic and operational Hospice business and review ongoing and future projects.
Each month there will be an update on what the committee has been up to.
Business Continuity Planning day
The business continuity or ‘incident management’ planning day took place at the beginning of February. Representatives from LPT, the CCG and Leicester City Council helped our incident management team work through several scenarios which included fractured gas pipes, injuries at LOROS events, only 40% of staff in work due to illness, fraud, fire and digital hijacking. Identified improvements to the Hospices’ plans are being implemented.
Remote consultations for Patients 
A company that designs online software that would allow our Consultants to conduct clinics remotely and see patients in their homes from the Hospice paid us a visit. They discussed a trial of virtual appointments at LOROS which would mean patients wouldn’t need to leave their homes to access our specialist palliative care.
Combined Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Clinical Commission Group (LLR CCG) visit
The new Chief Executive of the Combined LLR CCG, Andy Williams, is visiting the Hospice on 1st May. He will meet with the SMC team and do a walk around of the Hospice, talking to LOROS staff about our services.
2020/21 Budgets
Wayne and his team are currently meeting with HoDs to confirm 20/21 budgets. For more information see the ‘Money Matters’ section of the Pin Board.
New meeting style pilot.jpg)
Veronica Mickleburgh is piloting a new style of meeting which will hopefully make our meetings more efficient, less time consuming and improve on the completion of assigned actions – which sounds brilliant! If successful this could be rolled out across the Hospice.
LOROS Board Strategy Day
All our Trustees recently met to review our new three year strategy, which was presented to them by Karen Ashcroft. Lots of topics were debated including what would LOROS’ position be on physician assisted suicide be if the law were to change in support of it and the role of the Hospice in the care of Dementia and frailty.
Each of the Trustees was also given a task to complete before the next Board meeting which included spending time on LOROS Local, visiting a LOROS shop, shadowing on the Ward and participating in a team meeting.
Hellos and goodbyes
Hellos
Welcome to our new starters. Here are our lovely new team at the Crown Court Cafe- Tina, Clare, Margaret and Anna. Welcome to LOROS!.
If you fancy having a look at anyone else, they are then you can access staff profiles via Select HR.
Goodbyes
Trustees
LOROS Trustee Pauline Tagg stepped down from her role at the Hospice in January.
The Hospice will be actively recruiting four more Trustees to our Board in March, hopefully with a focus on retail, nursing and politics.
Policy and clinical updates
New and revised policies are available to view within Organisation Information on the Common (G) Drive: G:\13. Organisation Information\Policies
Paper copies of polices can also be found on the Inpatient Unit behind the Ward Clerk’s desk.
Coronavirus Information
The government is closely monitoring the spread of the Coronavirus and is taking action at home and abroad. The overall risk of Coronavirus to the UK remains moderate, with the risk to individuals low.
LOROS would like to reassure patients, families, friends and supporters that we continue to monitor the situation and follow the latest published advice.
Please do not come to the Hospice, or attend any of our events or activities, if you have lived in or travelled to/from any of the identified countries, or been in close contact with someone with confirmed coronavirus.
Please do not come to the Hospice, or attend any of our events or activities, if you have returned to the UK from any of the other recognised countries or specified areas in the last 14 days and have developed symptoms of cough or fever or shortness of breath.
As these situation develops, the countries identified and the advice given is updated daily, so please visit the NHS website for the latest information.
More information and advice can also be found here.
There are things you can do to help stop viruses like coronavirus spreading:
Do
Lotteries and Credit Card payments.jpg)
Not a policy update, but useful to know. The Gambling Commission recently announced as of the 14th April 2020, credit cards will no longer be allowed to purchase gambling products remotely. This includes over the phone and online and has been introduced to help tackle problem gambling.
To ensure we are fully compliant and remove the risk of taking a payment in error, we are removing the facility to pay by credit card across all Lottery products completely. We are implementing this as of the 1st April 2020 and our web pages and printed material will be updated accordingly.
The Gambling Commission have allowed exceptions to this in retail outlets therefore LOROS shops will still be able to take credit card payments through their card machines for scratch cards and raffle purchases.
If you have any questions or concerns please speak to Colette Norman or Michelle Whitmore in the Lottery team.
For you - Wellbeing, HR and personal development
The LOROS Leadership Values Guide
Organised and well-informed managers help staff to feel valued and motivated, which is how we want everyone who works at LOROS to feel.
Improving the quality of leadership at LOROS was identified as an important work stream following CREATE 2020 and as a result our Culture Champions have created the LOROS Leadership Values Guide.
The Leadership Values Guide identifies the leadership behaviours which support the values of LOROS and is a starting point for a development discussion about how a manager operates and how they model LOROS values. It lists the managerial duties that all managers need to be familiar with; especially important for those new to management.
The document is for all staff and will be used when a new manager starts, in the PDR process, general staff supervision meetings and in the development of Leadership programmes by our Education team. You can find it here on our common drive: G:\LOROS Leadership and Values Guide
The Beach Room
The Beach Room within the Enablement Suite is a designated quiet space for staff to use with patients and families or for group work. It is bookable via a clinical administrator on SystmOne Ledger and will be prioritised for clinical use but can be used by anyone in the Hospice (not for staff meetings). The room can accommodate seven people sitting and opens on to the central courtyard. If you would like to use the space please be mindful that it is a working clinical area.
Any questions, queries or suggestions please don’t hesitate to contact either Hannah Bold or Angela Baxter to discuss further.
Mindfulness Taster sessions for staff
You have probably heard all about the benefits of mindfulness - well now you can try it. Mindfulness can help improve decision making, problem solving and leadership skills, improved communication and listening skills, enhanced compassion for others and self, and reduced fatigue.
LOROS is offering three, half-hour mindfulness drop-in taster sessions for LOROS staff and volunteers on:
Contact the Education department to book your place today.
Funded courses for LOROS Staff
Our Education team has released several interesting courses that will be run throughout April in the LPDC. These are all funded for LOROS staff to attend and are listed below:
There are also a final few places available for staff at our annual LOROS lecture titled ‘A Good Death in Dementia’ on 24th March. Please contact Tina Court in the Research team if you are interested.
Aromatherapy Massage, Indian Head Massage and Reflexology appointments
Wellbeing appointments continue to be available on Fridays (and some Tuesdays). Go see the lovely ladies in HR for further details and to book in for your slot.
Business development and money matters
The purpose of our business development work is to explore new income sources for LOROS which will go directly to support our patients and their families.
If you have any ideas and thoughts please do contact Caroline Baker, Director of Income Generation and Business Development, who will be delighted to hear from you.
I Experience Virtual Reality
A fresh new marketing campaign is underway to promote the I Experience VR Partnership to other Hospice’s, medical providers and companies. If you would like to see the new marketing materials please don’t hesitate to contact Caroline Baker directly.
The Philharmonic orchestra paid a VR visit to Day Therapy on 25th February. All those who watched the concerts thoroughly enjoyed it.
Care for a Drink
Our Care for a Drink mobile drinks van is coming to the Hospice for an open day on 24th March, serving drinks from 10am to 3pm. It will also be open for everyone to look around and see how the van works.
The Care for a Drink team are also looking for volunteers to help out at bookings, so come and have a coffee and hear about how the van is being used at different events and how you can help.
Our ‘balanced’ budget
By John Knight
Wayne Matts, our Director of Finance, and his team have been working hard to develop the Hospice’s budget for the coming year. This is a lengthy and challenging process.
LOROS is a complex charity and the budget is informed by many differing areas of activity from clinical delivery, to site maintenance, shops, lotteries and partnerships with many external bodies.
This year the prediction is that the budget will be tighter than in previous years. Legacy income is predicted to fall and there are increased pressures on funding, whether it be through the NHS or charitable trusts and foundations.
We are aiming to achieve a ‘balanced’ budget – simply put, where funds generated match funds spent. The truth is however that this may well be a stretch too far and, this being the case, we will work to what is called a negative budget meaning we may need to access some of the charity’s reserves.
This approach is generally accepted across the sector as a short-term strategy (one or perhaps two years) however during that time it will be essential to regain a balanced budget or ideally achieve a very small surplus of funds.
Every penny counts – please do make your contribution by helping to save funds wherever you can and direct as much money as possible towards patient care.
LOROS needs you
Office recycling
To help our wonderful domestic team and the environment, please separate recycling and rubbish waste in your offices.
Recycling can be taken to one of these points:
Or, if you put next to your bin or in a specific recycling basket, our lovely domestic team will take it away for you. Currently they are having to dive into some office bins and separate it out which isn’t nice for them so your support with this is really appreciated.
Please continue to ensure that any confidential paper waste is disposed of appropriately in the blue post room shredding bin.
Also good luck to the wonderful Karl, who is leaving us to start a co-ordinator role at Glenfield Hospital!
Lymphoedema Awareness Week 2nd-8th March 2019
Lymphoedema affects almost 430,000 in the UK. It is a long-term swelling which can affect any part of the body and can be a potential side-effect of cancer and its treatments.
Our team at LOROS will be socking it to Lymphoedema by wearing odd socks during 2nd-8th March. Please join us! We’ll be sharing pictures on social media using #SockIt.
You can also email your pics to the Marketing Team.
Inter-Hospice Games
John and the chief executives of Rainbows, Treetops and Myton are planning to set up a games table where groups of staff travel to the different hospices to play games such as rounders, darts and board games.
The idea behind the games is to get staff visiting other local hospices and encourage links between teams at different sites. So if you hit the bullseye every time or knocked it out the school field every PE lesson then look out for further information coming from John Knight shortly.
LOROS Photo Calendar Competition
Do you love taking photos? Are you a dab hand with a DSLR or skilled with your smartphone?
LOROS has launched a photo competition and is inviting you to submit your images! Twelve winning entries will be selected to form the LOROS 2021 calendar which will be sold across LOROS’ 29 shops.
Entries must be submitted online – click here to enter and for terms and conditions. The deadline to send in photos is 5pm on 26th April 2020. Good luck!
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Consultation
Sandy Zavery, our Workforce and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Lead, needs your input on the Hospices’ development of our Draft Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Approach 2020 – 2023.
Our vision is to ensure that everyone with an incurable illness has excellent care and that our services reach and meet the needs of the diverse communities in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. As well as ensuring that services and employment practices are fair and equitable.
Our commitment is to embed and mainstream the EDI agenda into everything we do and outlines the work over the next three years to start addressing the health inequalities experienced by groups of people.
Please complete this short questionnaire and return to Sandy by 27th March 2020.
Team spotlight
This month the spotlight falls on our Enablement team. Hannah Bold, Clinical Lead Occupational Therapist is going to let you know who the Enablement team are and what they do.
What is Enablement?
Pain, breathlessness, fatigue (extreme tiredness) and low mood and are some of the symptoms that can be experienced by individuals with advanced progressive illnesses. These symptoms can have a devastating impact on physical, psychological, social and spiritual well-being. The Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists and Social Workers work closely with the multi-disciplinary team to help alleviate these symptoms supporting individuals, and those important to them, to achieve the best quality of life possible.
Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy
We provide individual holistic assessments and facilitate patient centred goals; goals that are meaningful and functional, for example sitting out of bed to eat, walking outdoors in the garden and spending time with loved ones. Interventions are tailored to supporting individual needs and promoting independence utilising our Enablement facilities; gymnasium and kitchen facilities, which offer a safe space for rehabilitation and the opportunity to explore and practice every day skills, understanding how symptoms limit abilities, care and support needs.
We facilitate educational groups in day therapy; fatigue management, help with breathlessness, falls prevention, mind and mood, safe and able and keeping active. These groups are adapted to allow participation by all those attending. The 'beach room' offers a quiet space for smaller, quieter activities such as relaxation, Tai-Chi, Yoga and help with breathlessness.
As well as individual assessment on the inpatient ward and day therapy unit our therapy led outpatient clinics include acupuncture; to help alleviate symptoms associated with progressive illness, help with breathlessness; a non-medical approach incorporating self-management strategies and Motor Neuron Disease (MND) and neurology clinics, reviewing, adapting and maintaining function.
We also work closely with local community services and universities, helping to raise awareness of palliative and end of life care and the facilities available at LOROS.
Social work
We carry out assessments of social care needs, including advocacy, signposting, supporting with housing and benefit applications, and work with the wider MDT to ensure patient safety and to advise on assessment of mental capacity and best interest decision making. We also link patients and their families with local support services such as NHS, charities and local authorities.
Our team spotlight section is here for you to showcase you and your team.
Have you just started a new and exciting project, taken on a colleague in a new role or just think you need to raise your profile around the Hospice? This is where you can do it!
All you need to do is write 250-300 words and submit a few good photos (we can help with that if you need us) and you can let everyone know what is going on your area.
If you would like your team or project to feature in a future issue of the Hospice Pin Board then either email marketing, call (ext. 8472) or come and see me in the Marketing office.
Head of Departments meeting - In brief
As HoDs meetings are now held every six weeks there hasn’t been another meeting since the last issue of the Hospice Pin Board.
If you would like to read any previous minutes they can be found in the HoDs folder on the common drive.
You might like to read through these other newsletters to find out what else is going on around the Hospice.
The Volunteering newsletter can be read here.
Our Research teams' newsletter is on our website here.
The Hospice Pin Board deadlines
The newsletter will be released monthly as per the dates below. To make it as informative and useful as possible we need your stories, content and information share.
Please email anything you would like to go into the newsletter or come and speak to Sophie in the Marketing office (ext. 8472).
| Content Deadline | Release Date |
|---|---|
| Tuesday 31st March | Monday 6th April |
| Tuesday 28th April | Monday 4th May |
| Tuesday 26th May | Monday 1st June |
| Tuesday 30th June | Monday 6th July |
| Tuesday 28th July | Monday 3rd August |
| Tuesday 1st September | Monday 7th September |
| Tuesday 29th September | Monday 5th October |
| Tuesday 27th October | Monday 2nd November |
| Tuesday 1st December | Monday 7th December |
Take a break
Take five minutes and get mindful with some colouring.
