Case Study

In 2009 a professional mental health network was set up for the Blackburn with Darwen area, which is very unique in that it is exclusively for mental health professionals from across all sectors, and has a specialism around BME. It allows different organisations to share information, combine resources and undertake joint projects to improve signposting to mental health and mainstream services and has approximately 280 members who can drop in an out as necessary. 

This Specialist Trust in Manchester has been successful in promoting an attendance culture to ensure the provision of high quality services to patients. A revised policy framework  and a new Occupational Health provider have been key in building confidence and consistency in the management of sickness absence and in improving attendance.

The aim of the Merseyside Personal Health Budgets (PHB) pilot was to help the Department of Health evaluate Personal Health Budgets, which can be used to purchase goods and services to help individuals achieve their agreed health outcomes. 

Lancashire Care employed  almost 3800 staff prior to April 2011 when a further 4000 community staff transferred into the Trust. With 110 sites across Lancashire storage and access to the HR files was a continual problem. The creation of electronic records in 2010 which can be accessed from any location has now solved these problems and makes significant progress towards a greener, and paperless HR office.

The Cheshire Occupational Health Service (COHS) was established during 2008 as a collaborative service serving two Acute Trusts namely; Mid Cheshire Hospitals Foundation Trust (MCHT) and East Cheshire Trust (ECT) and two PCTs. Formally launched on 1 April 2009, the service is growing to include neighbouring NHS organisations, public and private sector organisations, including The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, beating stiff competition from commercial rivals.

Stockport’s Occupational Health Department, located within Stockport Foundation Trust’s Stepping Hill Hospital, serves both the Trust and the local PCT, as well as a few private and public sector bodies. This department operates as a Hub and Spoke Model, which has received positive feedback from commissioners and continues to meet key performance indicators within acceptable variances.

Network Employment was set up in 1996 and is a part of Mersey Care NHS Trust, providing  individual support to people with experience of mental ill health, to help them to gain employment. Over the past 12 months, 53 individuals have been successful in making progress towards employment with 21 obtaining paid employment in competitive jobs. By supporting these people along the journey to employment Network Employment contributes  to their recovery and wellbeing.

This case study describes an innovative approach taken by Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust to staff wellbeing. Mindfulness based cognitive therapy (MBCT) helps staff to feel calmer and better able to cope in stressful circumstances, with the potential to improve productivity and enhance the quality of patient care.

A nine-month Mindfulness pilot study was carried out by the Department of Health, in partnership with NHS North West, to help participants from Recovery (former drug/alcohol users), BME asylum seeker and carer communities, to become work prepared, through the use of Mindfulness training. Support was provided by co-attending key NHS/third sector workers. Mindfulness was shown to have a positive effect on the mental health and wellbeing of staff and clients alike and helped 50% of participants back into work. 

In 2010 NHS Cumbria looked at its internal talent management strategy and identified that there was a need to support Band 7 staff, to help them to progress into senior manager roles. As a result a Management Development Programme was developed in order to support talented staff, and six employees from both clinical and managerial backgrounds were recruited as cohorts. This enabled individuals to undergo significant personal development and contributed to improved service delivery.