February has started in a flurry – with a new end of life care strategy, a mentorship programme, and a sustainability leadership scheme.
But there’s so much more to share, so here’s our latest round-up of the health and care headlines…
Sussex launches health and wellbeing websites
Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust (SCFT) has launched two new health and wellbeing websites aimed at children and young people.
Called Health for Kids! – which is for children aged four to 11 and their parents or carers – and Health for Teens – designed for young people aged 11 to 19 – they will both provide information about physical and mental health in a ‘fun and engaging way’.
It’s hoped the online resources – developed by Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust – will help users to make choices that support their wellbeing through advice, games, activities and quizzes. Both websites offer a read-aloud function for people with visual and/or hearing disabilities, and can be accessed on smartphones.
Ann Podsiadly, Clinical Service Manager of the Trust’s Healthy Child Programme, said: “We hope that with support from their parents or carers when necessary, they will use them and come to regard them as trusted and reliable sources of online help and information on their health and wellbeing.”
CNWL celebrates LGBT+ History Month
Central and North West London (CNWL) will mark LGBT+ History Month – which runs throughout February – with a programme of events.
The theme for this year is ‘Politics in Art: The Arc is Long’ – which will involve exploring art, media, and politics, as well as changing attitudes towards LGBT+ people.
CNWL says it will ‘shine a light on LGBT+ staff experiences,’ and ‘celebrate the importance of art in communicating the pain, beauty and significance in the fight for equality and how this all relates to Equality Diversity and Inclusion at work’.
The programme, which can be viewed online here, includes a mixed media and arts exhibition, a talk, a social, and a session on inclusive language.
Humber Teaching commended
Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust has announced that it’s received ‘positive feedback’ Health Education England on its postgraduate medical training.
The General Medical Council (GMC) National Training Survey (NTS) gathered the feedback, as part of its work to ‘monitor and report on the quality of postgraduate medical education and training’ in the UK.
Out of 77 mental health trust’s in the UK and the 56 in England, Humber has been commended for being one of the best performing for Foundation Training and for the ‘good level of support shown to Foundation Trainees and International Medical Graduates (IMG)’.
Highlights included the trust’s General Psychiatry Training being ranked as 3rd in England, 2nd in the North of England and 1st in North East Yorkshire and Yorkshire & Humber and at a programme level.
Find out more, here.
Volunteering programme to support young people
NHS Best for You – a partnership between three NHS trusts in London and the charity CW+ – has developed a new volunteer programme to support young people with mental health difficulties.
Best For You, described as a ‘new transformative approach to mental health care from the NHS’, was launched last year and aims to help the ‘rocketing rates of young people experiencing mental health difficulties’.
The volunteering initiative launched at the end of January and provides young people with support from those ‘they can relate to’. The programme currently comprises of 10 trained digital volunteers, aged 20 to 29.
The volunteers will coach people on how to use digital tools such as apps, check in on people’s progress regularly, and support the family and friends of patients, among other duties.
Tina Fletcher, Best For You Volunteering Manager, says: “Volunteering is a fulfilling way to help others and has been proven to impart as many health benefits on the volunteer as well as the people they are helping. The top benefits include: building self-esteem; reducing stress; creating a sense of purpose; helping to learn new skills; and it can also help people trying to get back into the workplace after a break in your career.”
Florence Nightingale Foundation’s digital fellowships open
The Florence Nightingale Foundation, a charity that provides scholarships to nurses, midwives and other health professionals, has announced that applications are now open for its 2022 Digital Fellowships.
The fellowships are available to nurses working in England only, specifically for those on track to become Chief Nursing Information Officers and senior digital leaders ‘in the next two years’ or for ‘those already leading digital change and aspiring to take up systems leadership roles’.
Two one-year posts are available: a Band 7 Digital leadership fellowship focused on nursing practice and a Band 8 Digital leadership fellowship focused on research.
The programme includes the provision of a mentor, bespoke development opportunities, residential programmes, and a 12-month secondment.
Applications close on 11 February 2022. You can find out more about eligibility and the application process on the foundation’s dedicated page.
