Happy Birthday, CATSS!

CATSS, Northamptonshire Healthcare’s crisis and telephone support service is one year old on February 2.

Launched in 2009, CATSS provides support for people living in the community who use mental health services and need some immediate support. The service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and is particularly for people who do not feel able to cope without help from a mental health worker.

Since the service began 12 months ago, CATSS has received more than 6,000 calls and is now handling around 800 calls per month.

More than three quarters of all calls are handled solely by the six-strong CATSS team, who have backgrounds in a range of specialties, including elderly mental health, adult mental health and forensic and prison health services.

Their experience is backed up by intensive training.

The team also works closely with community and inpatient mental health services and out-of-hours health services, and can call in additional support for people who need urgent assistance.

CATSS co-ordinator, mental health nurse Eileen Moloney said: “Most of our callers simply need advice or reassurance to help them manage, but a small number of callers require more intensive support.

“I am very pleased that service users trust us and call us when they are experiencing an emergency. We are in an ideal position to reassure them and quickly arrange additional support if required.

“We have also had some very positive feedback from service users and care co-ordinators. We are hoping to gather more feedback to help us refine and improve the service further.”

In the photograph: the CATSS team (left to right): Marshal Mataya, Eileen Moloney, Margaret Carson (seated), Levy Mushayi, Candida Thornton-Scott and Mandeep Gill.

World Mental Health Day is almost here

Each year, on October 10, health organisations around the world celebrate World Mental Health Day. World Mental Health Day was started by the World Federation for Mental Health in 1992 to promote greater awareness around mental health and wellbeing.

This year’s theme is “Tea and Talk”, change lives, have a natter!

Next week is also “Get Moving” week, which starts on 3 October and runs to 11 October.

“Get Moving” is part of Time to Change campaign with a week of physical activity bringing people together to challenge stigma and discrimination and promote the benefits of being active for mental wellbeing.

To celebrate “Get Moving” week and World Mental Health Day, Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is holding two conferences next week.

Wednesday 7 October is the 5th Regional Conference on Early Psychosis. Northamptonshire Healthcare is hosting the conference this year for NHS East Midlands at the Kettering Leisure Village.

“Inspiring hope, changing lives” is a one-day conference for everyone who works with young people in the East Midlands. It will bring together leaders and specialists in early intervention services for young people with psychosis from across the region.

Danny Crates, Paralympic champion and World Cup winning athlete and Louis Appleby, National Director for Mental Health in England are keynote speakers for the day sharing their thoughts on inspiring hope and changing lives.

A series of workshops, ranging from the use of arts and creative activities in recovery to ways to engage young people in treatment and care will form part of the morning.

The afternoon will feature a five-a-side football tournament, with teams from all the counties in the East Midlands, and a dance masterclass.

If you would like to attend the Inspiring hope, changing lives conference, please contact Jane Coe or Val Baumann on 01536 415130.

The Trust is hosting a Carers Conference on Friday October 9 in Northampton.

This is also a one-day conference which will review developments since the first Carers Conference in 2007, and assess the next steps for improving services and support for Carers.

The day will include workshops on the WRAP programme (wellness recovery action plan), Mental Capacity Act, the Carers Charter and NHS Values.

There will also be an opportunity to try out complementary therapies during the lunch period and exhibition stands to catch-up on useful information about local services.

If you would like to know more or attend the Carers Conference, please contact Charlie Manning on 01604 817600.

Improving the patient experience

IMPROVING people’s experience of being a patient on a mental health ward is a top priority for Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, which is looking forward to top ratings from patients in future surveys.

A new survey published by the Care Quality Commission today [SEPT24] looks at the views of people who were admitted to mental health hospitals between April and December 2008, before phase 1 of the new Berrywood Hospital opened in Northampton.

One hundred and seventeen people took part in the survey, which focused on five themes: the ward environment, care and treatment, discharge from hospital, and patients’ rights.

Overall, Northamptonshire Healthcare’s scores were similar to those at other mental health trusts in England.

The trust scored in the top 20 per cent of mental health trusts in six questions, including questions about feeling involved in treatment decisions, explanations about medication, and patients’ rights.

Northamptonshire Healthcare’s results were below average in two areas: information about how to get help in a crisis, and mixed-sex sleeping areas.

The trust has addressed both these issues this year.

CATSS, the Crisis and Telephone Support Service, was launched early in 2009 to provide telephone support for people who use mental health services. The service is particularly for people who do not feel able to cope without immediate support from a trained member of staff and is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The opening of the new adult mental health wards at Berrywood Hospital has helped to make Northamptonshire Healthcare one of the pilot sites for the Department of Health’s programme to provide same-sex accommodation for all NHS patients.

“The Welland Centre and Berrywood Hospital, which will also provide new wards for older people and adult rehabilitation wards from 2010, have set the standard for mental health facilities in Northamptonshire,” said Eugine Yafele, head of acute mental health services with Northamptonshire Healthcare.

“All our new units, including a new inpatient unit for young people, which is being built on the Princess Marina Hospital site, will feature single rooms with en suite bathrooms.

“We are also planning to refurbish older people’s mental health wards at St Mary’s Hospital in Kettering.”

Welland Art Exhibition 2009

WORKS of art by 18 gifted, local amateur artists go on display at Chichele College in Higham Ferrers from Friday August 7.

The works, which include paintings, drawings, photographs and written work, have been selected from entries to an art competition organised by Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust’s occupational therapy team in Kettering.

All the works have been submitted by people involved with local mental health services.

“We are very excited at this year’s exhibition and congratulate all the artists on the excellent work they have produced,” said occupational therapist and exhibition organiser Sue Birchall.

“Taking part in creative activities is very good for your mental wellbeing and an excellent way to reinforce good mental health.”

“There is now plenty of evidence that creative activities aid recovery. They help people to express themselves, to increase motivation and to relax, as well as increasing confidence and social contact.

“This year’s exhibition provides an excellent opportunity for people to display their work and demonstrate their talents.”

The exhibition runs until Monday August 10 at Chichele College, after which it will be on display at the Welland Centre at St Mary’s Hospital in Kettering before going on tour to other venues in the county.

The Welland Art Exhibition 2009 is being shown in association with Steph Valentine, a local artist and volunteer at the Welland Centre, and her own exhibition “The Steph Valentine Experience”.

The exhibition is open from 10am to 3pm on August 7, 8, 9 and 10. Dates and venues for other venues will be available later in the summer.

Privacy and dignity for all

Providing same-sex accommodation in Northamptonshire

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE Healthcare is committed to providing the very best possible care for all our patients and service users. It should be safe, effective and totally focused on the individual needs of each and every person.

Your privacy and dignity is just as important, which is why we have made a number of changes to provide you with same-sex accommodation when you are admitted into our care. And we are planning even more improvements over the coming years.

Our adult mental health inpatient services at the Welland Centre in Kettering and the new brand new Berrywood Hospital in Northampton both provide the highest standards of same-sex accommodation.

We have dedicated male and female treatment wards at both centres and all patients have their own single room with en-suite bathroom.

Patients also have their own single rooms in our psychiatric intensive care and assessment units. These wards, which admit both men and women, have designated male and female-only areas, including lounges, bathrooms and toilets.

Over the next few years our mental health wards for older people will also be replaced by state-of-the-art new facilities, starting with our services in Northampton.

In 2010, older people's mental health services in Northampton will move from Princess Marina Hospital to the new Berrywood Hospital. There, patients will also have single rooms with their own en-suite bathroom.

In the north of the county, we are also planning to upgrade and completely refurbish our inpatient wards for older people at St Mary's Hospital in Kettering.

In the meantime, Bronte Ward at Princess Marina Hospital has been designated as a men's ward and Jennings Ward as a women's ward. Our remaining inpatient wards - Shelley Ward at Princess Marina Hospital and Carlton and Ian Bennett Wards at St Mary's Hospital - now have designated separate men's and women's sleeping areas, toilet and washing facilities.

More information about the same-sex accommodation programme can be found on the NHS East Midlands website.

What do we mean by 'same-sex accommodation'?

Same-sex accommodation is where sleeping areas, toilet and washing facilities are designated as either men-only or women-only.

This means that men and women shouldn't be in beds next to each other and toilets should be clearly labelled. Disabled toilets and washrooms contain specialist facilities or equipment, so are for use by either men or women.

Sleeping facilities

Sleeping facilities in same-sex accommodation can be provided in a number of ways including: same-sex wards where the whole ward is occupied by men or women only, single rooms for one person, or wards where men and women are in separate bays within that ward. In this instance a solid partition will be used as a privacy screen to separate men and women.

Toilet and washing facilities

Toilet and washing facilities should be clearly labelled and easily accessible. Ideally, they should be either inside or next to the ward, bay or room. Patients should not need to pass through the same room as the opposite sex or use toilet and washing facilities designated for use by the opposite sex.

New Horizons on mental health and wellbeing

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has welcomed the “New Horizons” consultation published by the Department of Health this week.

The New Horizons consultation focuses on a new approach to mental health and wellbeing, making mental health everyone’s business. It is also about good practice and providing patients with a better experience while they are in hospital.

Northamptonshire Healthcare has been part of the Star Wards initiative since 2007, which was founded by Marion Janner following her experience as a patient in a London hospital in order to improve patients’ experience of hospital life.

Star Wards covers seven themes:

• recreation and conversation


• physical health and activity


• visitors


• care planning


• talking therapies and self management


• ward community


• patient responsibility

Staff and service users have all been involved in the development of Star Wards at Northamptonshire Healthcare.

This has led to a wide range of new activities across all wards, including therapeutic activities, armchair hockey, arts and craft sessions, pampering sessions, tea dances and more recently music therapy.

Last year, inspired by Star Wards, Berrywood Hospital took on a nearby allotment. Patients, their families and friends, staff and volunteers have taken on growing fruit and vegetables.

More recently, Berrywood Hospital has been holding “Inspirations!” events for its service users. “Inspirations!” is an evening event held monthly for service users, families and carers. The evening’s events range from magicians, arts and crafts, comedians, musicians and cooking.

In February this year, John Hegley, poet and performer attended an “Inspirations!” event at Berrywood Hospital and entertained service users with music, poetry and comedy.

The public consultation period runs until 15 October 2009. You can find out about and take part in the consultation by visiting the Department of Health website at http://www.dh.gov.uk.