westside issue9 - august 2010

Westside Issue Ten / August 2010

Who’s starred in a

NATIONAL social care fi lm?

SEE PAGE THREE

Greater Manchester WestMental Health NHS Foundation Trust

s t a f f m a g a z i n e

Mental Health ‘Open your

mind’How we are involved

in a new campaign to reduce stigma...

pages 6&�

Success for staff in the Dragon’s Den...

page 4

Issue Ten / August 2010

Westside

Choose LifeSelf harm and suicide from

someone who knows... page 10


NEWS & REPORTS FEATURES REGULARS

contents: august 2010

3 New training fi lms and accolade for offender service

4 Seen, Heard and Valued conference

5 Prize for best scientifi c paper

8 Real life quitters

9 Staff Awards and football tournament

11 Staff achievements

4 Success in the Dragon’s Den

5 Introducing the leafl et factory

6&� Mental Health. Open your mind

8 Who’s the Guv? – governor elections & road shows

10 Choose Life

9 Employee of the Month

11 GMW fundraisers: Stuart takes on the Wall

12 Sprituality update and latest event news

From the Editor:Westside is written by staff, for

staff but we want to make sure

we’re tackling the issues you

want to hear about.

So whether you have an idea for a

new feature or just want to make

a comment on something you

have read, then please contact the

Marketing and Communications

team to let us know.

About Westside:Westside is a quarterly staff

magazine aimed at all staff,

volunteers and contractors

working at GMW.

Each issue is available to download

from Staffnet and our website.

Paper copies are posted direct to sites

in each directorate and are available

from GMW Headquarters and the

Waterdale restaurant in Prestwich.

Contact Us:Clare Thompson,

Marketing and Communications Offi cer

Tel: 0161 772 3986

Email: [email protected]

Greater Manchester West Mental

Health NHS Foundation Trust,

Marketing and Communications

Department,

Trust Headquarters,

Bury New Road,

Prestwich,

Manchester,

M25 3BL.

www.gmw.nhs.uk

Welcome to the August edition of Westside

Hot off the press is the news that GMW has been

shortlisted for the ‘Mental Health Services Provider of the Year’ in the 2010 Royal College of Psychiatrists Awards.

The Royal College of Psychiatrists Awards mark the highest level of achievement within psychiatry and are designed to reward excellent practice in the fi eld of mental health.

A big thank you, and well done, to everyone who has been involved with this fantastic achievement. The winner will be announced on 16 November 2010 when we’ll update Staffnet with the result.

In this issue of Westside you’ll fi nd information about a new campaign our staff have been involved in to end stigma against NHS workers with mental ill health.

There’s news about staff and volunteers starring in national training DVDs and an interview with a young

boy who is sharing his story to change public opinion about the serious subjects of self harm and suicide.

As in every issue, we showcase the staff who have won Employee of the Month (p9) and celebrate the staff who have received qualifi cations and awards (p3, p4, p5 and p11).

Best wishes,

Bev HumphreyChief Executive

Page 2

Mike Farrar, Chief Executive, NHS North West, presenting the prize to Dr Jon van Niekerk and Dr Shruti Garg with the panel in the background


As reported in an earlier issue of our members magazine,

NewsforYou, Stuart Eaton, an Early Intervention Worker, has featured in the Department of Health’s national training DVD.

Stuart, who is based in Salford, is one of six people chosen to chat about his role as a social care worker. Stuart’s fi lm is now live on the website: www.socialcarecareers.co.uk.

Stuart is a Support Time and Recovery (STaR) worker and works with 16 to 35 year-olds with mental health issues. The fi lm follows Stuart for a day, and shows

the vital role he plays in putting people in control of their lives.

Stuart was interviewed about his work and shadowed by a fi lm crew during a working day. Stuart discusses his role as an Early Intervention Worker and what motivates him and the value of a rewarding career in social care.

The short fi lm is aimed at young people (aged 16-19) and adults looking at

careers in social care. The DVD was distributed to all Connexions Centres and Job Centre Plus branches in the UK.

As well as starring on screen, Stuart’s story also appears in print in a free social care booklet about working in social care.

Stuart is a star

Geoff Morrison, a volunteer at

the Moorside Unit in Trafford, has contributed to a new training DVD about the Mental Capacity Act (MCA).

The MCA affects the work of all health and social care staff and organisations working with adults who lack capacity.

The training DVD is aimed at mental health professionals and carers who look after people placed under a safeguarding order. The fi lm demonstrates how the MCA potentially affects adults with

learning disabilities, mental health problems, physical disabilities and older people.

Geoff, who is also a former member of the User Action Team (UACT), was fi lmed at the Moorside Unit.

The fi lm will be made into a training DVD for health and social care staff and copies will be available in October.

For further information, please contact Mr. Michel Le-Straad, NHS Commissioner and Named Nurse for Vulnerable Adults, on 0161 8�3 6084 or email: [email protected].

Geoff Morrison, learning disabilities, mental

New training DVD on the Mental Capacity Act

Geoff Morrison with the fi lm crew

Manchester Offenders

Diversion Engagement Liaison (MO:DEL) service has won Greater Manchester Probation Trust’s (GMPT) annual award.

The winners of the ‘10th Annual Probation Stars Awards’, set up to recognise and reward the commitment, hard work and professionalism of probation staff, were announced on 22 June 2010 at a ceremony held at Stalybridge Civic Centre.

MO:DEL service won the working in partnership

award, against stiff competition from a range of organisations including police teams, charities and local associations.

The judging panel praised MO:DEL as an outstanding example of a service that works successfully with probation, courts and prisons.

Professor Louis Appleby CBE, National Clinical Director for Health and Criminal Justice and Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Manchester, visited MO:DEL at Rico House in Prestwich on � July 2010 to meet the team and discuss their work.

Manchester off ender service receives top accolade

(left to right) Hilary Tucker, Chair of GMPT, Kelly Dalton, Administrator for MO:DEL, Sarah Bruce, Clinical Psychologist for MO:DEL, John Crawforth, Chief Executive of GMPT and Matt Paterson, Consultant Nurse and Clinical Lead for MO:DEL.

(left to right) Stuart Eaton with Steven Walton


Two GMW junior doctors impressed a panel of health professionals in a Dragon’s Den

style presentation and secured nearly £10,000 to convert their ideas into practice.

Dr Jon van Niekerk, from the Rivington Unit in Adult Psychiatry based at the Royal Bolton Hospital, and Shruti Garg, from the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) based at the Winnicot Centre in Manchester, presented their ideas at the ‘Junior Doctor Dragon’s Den’ in March 2010.

Dr Jon van Niekerk, a fi nal year Specialist Registrar in general Adult Psychiatry, and Dr Shruti Garg, Child and Adolescent Speciality Registrar, presented their project to a panel of expert medical educators and board level Directors from the NHS and industry.

The money will be used to fund a unique project that will help doctors in their Foundation year understand patients better. The project will pilot a Balint Group to help junior doctors develop increased understanding and empathy for patients, explore how feelings and thoughts affect the clinician-patient relationship and expand their ability to handle diffi cult situations with patients.

Dr Jon van Niekerk, who is now a consultant at the Rivington Unit, will pilot the Balint Group, which is a

group method of training doctors in the doctor-patient relationship. Jon said: “This is a great opportunity to infl uence change as a junior doctor and see innovation being implemented at a local level.”

The Balint Group is due to start in September 2010 and will end in November 2011. Dr Helen Sheldon, Adult Psychotherapist, who has been conducting Balint Groups for junior doctors at the Silverhill Psychology Centre at the Royal Bolton Hospital for several years will facilitate the groups with local GP, Dr David McCauley. The project will also be supported by NHS North West.

GMW mental health team staff, based at Hindley

Young Offenders Institute (YOI), ran a workshop at Rethink’s fi rst conference focused on youth mental health.

The conference ‘Seen, Heard, Valued: young people focused mental health care’ was held at the Ramada Hotel in Manchester on 2� May 2010.The conference was organised by young people that Rethink has worked with over the past three years as part of Uthink, a recovery learning programme for young people.

Beverley Gerrard and Susan Brachfl ower collaborated with Rachel Renwick and Steven Boyd from Ashton, Wigan and Leigh Trust to deliver a workshop at the conference. The workshop, ‘Locked in – Stressed Out: how young men cope with custody and the role of mental health

services’, focussed on the care the mental health team provide at Hindley YOI.

In the workshop, two young men from Hindley YOI talked about their experiences and what causes stress for young men in custody. The young men talked about how being admitted to custody can remove the support of family and friends, which young people often rely on in stressful times. They also talked about the stresses of daily prison life, the diffi culties with family contact, their worries about resettlement, how they cope and what support is available.

Hindley YOI accommodates up to 500 young men aged 15 to 18 years. The group presented the role of the mental health team and how, in conjunction with other services at Hindley, they ensure young men receive appropriate support.

About RethinkRethink is a leading national mental health membership charity that helps people affected by severe mental illness.

To fi nd out more about Uthink and the young people’s work, email: [email protected].

To fi nd out more about ways to get involved or to support Rethink call 0845 456 0455, email: [email protected], or visit: www.rethink.org.

Seen, Heard and Valued

Dr Shruti Garg and Dr Jon van Niekerk

(left to right) Steven Boyd, Speech and Language Th erapist, Bev Gerrard Mental Health Nurse, Rachel Renwick Health Promotion Nurse and Adam and Kieran from Hindley YOI

Two GMW junior doctors impressed a panel

Success in the Dragon’s Den


Introducing the Leafl et Factory

Dr Raghu Paranthaman, a Consultant in Old Age

Psychiatry, based at the Royal Bolton Hospital, has won the Royal College of Psychiatrist’s prize for the best short scientifi c paper presented by a trainee.

Raghu presented his paper on ‘vascular function in late life depression’ to the Royal College of Psychiatrist’s Faculty of Old Age Psychiatry at their Annual Residential Meeting held at the Oulton Hall in Leeds on 25 – 26 March 2010.

Raghu jointly won the ‘Mohsen Naguib Prize’ for his scientifi c paper. Raghu’s paper presented the results of a research project into the role of cerebrovascular disease in late life depressive disorder, which he completed during his higher psychiatric training.

Cerebrovascular disease is any disease that affects an artery within the brain, or supplies blood to the brain. The most common cerebrovascular disease is artherosclerosis, where plaques (fatty deposits) form, leading to narrowing of the arteries.

Raghu and his team completed a

controlled study in which they assessed 25 elderly patients with depression and 21 non-depressed elderly people. All subjects underwent rigorous psychiatric and physical tests to assess the function of their blood vessels.

They found that depressed subjects were more likely to have arterial stiffness, small artery endothelial dysfunction (the endothelium is the thin layer of cells that line the interior surface of blood vessels) and cerebral micro vascular angiopathy (disease of the fi ner blood vessels in the brain).

The results suggest that vascular disease may play a signifi cant role in the cause of depression in the elderly. It is hoped this research may lead to new and innovative treatments for treating depression in the elderly.

Dr Raghu Paranthaman, controlled study in which they assessed

Prize for best scientifi c paperSuccess in the Dragon’s Den

Dr Raghu Paranthaman

A web-based tool is being rolled-out across GMW,

which will make the process of producing professional literature much easier and cheaper.

We are working with CDC Ltd to produce a range of templates for leafl ets, complete with review dates and standardised information, in line with NHS identity guidelines.

There will also be templates for posters, fl yers, postcards and newsletters with additional support for design and ordering. These will be available online from CDC’s ‘Electronic Leafl et Factory’ website.

The templates are inspired by our brand, vision and values. Using them will make it easier for people outside GMW to get a picture of who we are and what to expect from us. They will help us to communicate effectively with our stakeholders, and make our vital work for patients look even more, professional, inspiring and effi cient.

Some examples of page layouts which are available for leafl ets on the Printing System

Please use the Leafl et Factory to order your service’s literature. Standard design is free; all you need to pay for is the printing costs. Delivery will be around fi ve working days after the artwork is approved.

Leafl et Factory templates have been developed in consultation with heads of service and the service user and carer information review group (SUCIRG). The Leafl et Factory will be launched during August and September.

If you have any questions about the Leafl et Factory, our brand or vision and values, please don’t hesitate to contact

any member of the Communications team, who will be happy to help.

P.S. Many thanks to everyone who responded to the communication questionnaire, which was sent out with the last issue of Westside.

The results are being used to improve communications across GMW. We can send the survey to you electronically if you missed the hard copy. Please keep a look out on the front page of Staffnet where there will also be an opportunity to fi ll the questionnaire in online.


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NHS Employers has launched a national campaign to end

stigma against NHS workers with mental ill health and GMW are fully behind it with staff contributing to the campaign.

‘Open Your Mind’ aims to improve employment rates for people with mild, moderate and severe mental health conditions and help trusts to create a better working environment for all staff.

Mental ill health will affect one in four people at some point in their working lives. It is estimated that 80 million work

days are lost each year due to mental health conditions, with ten per cent of GDP lost due to work related stress.

Evidence suggests that when adults with mental ill health have either a job or are engaged in employment focused activity, their health and well being is improved. Fewer than 16 per cent of people with a mental health condition (excluding depression) have a job and yet between 86 and 90 per cent of those want to work.

NHS staff storiesThe campaign aims to raise awareness throughout the NHS of the recognised benefi ts to patients, staff and organisations of employing and retaining staff with mental health conditions.

Two GMW staff members who shared their stories for the Open Your Mind campaign talk to Westside about why they felt it was important to speak up.

Dr Michael HoworthDr Michael Howorth recently joined the Reach Beyond project within Later Life Services in Salford as an Open Doors Support Network Facilitator. Mike was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease three years ago and now works with patients with Dementia.

GMW is the fi rst NHS Trust in the UK to employ someone with Dementia. Mike’s role is to engage with patients to create a dedicated forum to give them a voice and somewhere to put forward their opinions.

“I applied for the position so I could share my experience of Dementia with others. I can empathise with patients and I hope this will give them confi dence to offer their views in the forum.”

Retired Orthodontist Mike wanted to slow down the affects of the disease as much as possible by continuing to lead an active life and learn more about his condition.

“Dementia ran in my family and I wasn’t really affected by my diagnosis. I think my medical background was an advantage in the situation. When I was fi rst diagnosed I attended a memory clinic and later was involved in the ‘Reminiscence Project’, which was organised by the Psychology department of the University of Manchester. After hearing my story they wanted me to give a talk to students, which was very well received and gave me more confi dence.”

On speaking about deciding to return

to work in his role as Open Doors Support Network Facilitator, he says “I have been retired for 12 years and going back into employment, to some, seemed nonsensical, but I wanted to help other people with Dementia and also help myself.”

Mike has developed an innovative approach to managing his illness during his working life.

“I have been meeting with patients and forming links with associated organisations in order to develop the forum in the best possible way. It has been a diffi cult process as there is so much to take in, but I have developed a unique approach to documenting my time in the role with the use of a camcorder. This will enable me to refer to any particular event and recap on the discussion easily.”

Mental Health Open your mind

Postcard campaign

“55 per cent of people with mental health conditions identify stigma as a barrier to employment.”

Feeling down?

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Cathy Riley, Reach Beyond Project & Voluntary Friends for Older People, and Mike Howarth

Page �Westside Issue Ten / August 2010

completely pathological, but you just don’t recognise it.”

Andrew has always been very open about his illness and when he returned to work he felt it was important to be honest with his colleagues.

“Being upfront and open was an important part of actually being able to negotiate the changes I needed to stay well. It wasn’t the easiest thing to do, but it did mean that there wasn’t any pressure of pretending, of trying to think what the cover story was.”

Andrew says the support and help he’s received from his NHS colleagues

and managers has been invaluable. “I wouldn’t want to underestimate the support I had from the NHS. There was a lot of help by looking at my workload, timetabling and relationship issues in my unit.”

Andrew says his mental well being is something he has to continue to work on. “I still keep a very careful eye on my mental health, and closely manage my work-life balance. It’s very important that we address the stigma and stop pretending this is something that doesn’t happen to us.”

To see Mike and Andrew’s stories and to find out more about the campaign visit: www.nhsemployers.org/openyourmind.

The Reach Beyond Project is based in the Later Life Services, in Meadowbrook, Salford and also covers the Woodlands Hospital based in Salford.

Andrew ClarkAndrew Clark is a Consultant Adolescent Psychiatrist based at the Gardner Unit in Prestwich. Andrew was diagnosed with depression nine years ago and works with young people aged between 11 and 18 years with serious mental illnesses or significant psychiatric disorders.

Despite working in an open mental health unit when he was first suffering with depression, Andrew didn’t recognise the signs and put his mood down to being stressed at work.

“Even in the mental health field you still get the perception that illness is what happens to other people, not to us. It was only when I went to talk to a senior colleague about career options that she recognised I was suffering from depression.”

Before his diagnosis, Andrew found things increasingly more difficult at work and began looking for a way out.

“When you’re caught up in it there’s an inability to see the depression – an inability to problem solve. Sometimes at work it was taking me one or two hours to dictate a one-line letter. The rest of the team were carrying me.

“It’s amazing how skewed your thinking gets. I got to the point where I was thinking: I could do with a couple of months off – what accident or injury could I give myself that would get me that break? Now, it sounds

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Mental health issues like stress, anxiety and depression, can often affect your quality of life. Sometimes just talking about your problems can relieve the pressure.

How areyou coping?Find out more at www.nhsemployers.org/openyourmind

Campaign supported by:

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Andrew Clark with the film crew

“It took me a long time to realise that all the things I had been saying to my patients over the years might also apply to me.”

Poster campaign


James Cornthwaite, a Community

Psychiatric Nurse from Bolton, has successfully helped nine out of his 23 patients to quit smoking.

James works with adults aged 16-65 years from the Greater Manchester area. He has a caseload of 3� patients with severe and enduring mental health problems. 23 of James’ patients smoke 20 or more cigarettes a day.

All James’ patients who smoke are offered smoking cessation counselling. James works with his patients to explain the health and fi nancial benefi ts of

quitting smoking. He also provides his patients with Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) in the form of gum or patches and runs individual and group counselling sessions. James’ patients can then decide if they want to be referred to a Stop Smoking service. James offers his patients the Stop Smoking service at six monthly intervals as part of their Care Programme Approach.

If you are inspired by James’ success and want to help your patients quit smoking, speak to your Directorate smoke free lead who can offer guidance and support. For more information, or for the contact details of

your local smoke free lead, please contact Ruth Heaton, Deputy Director of Nursing and Smoke Free Lead, on 0161 ��2 3413 or email: [email protected].

If you smoke and are ready to quit or are thinking about quitting, the NHS website:

www.smokefree.nhs.uk provides information, advice, free guides and quit tools. Alternatively, you could call the NHS free smoking helpline on 0800 022 4 332, which is open seven days a week from �am to 11pm.

GMW is launching a new campaign

to promote the role of our Governors and encourage more people to stand up and nominate themselves to become a Governor or join as a member of our Trust.

Our Council of Governors represents the views of our public members, service users, carers and staff. We currently have over 8,500 members. As a member of staff you automatically become a member, which gives you a greater say in how GMW operates as a Foundation Trust.

Governors get involved with our work and help us to develop our services. We also have staff Governors

who are GMW staff that are elected by you to represent you on the Council. We elect new Governors to the Council regularly and this round of elections, which begins in October, is set to be action packed.

If this sounds like something you would like to get involved with, you can come along and meet us at one of our sessions where you can get more information about being a Governor, talk to existing Governors and take part in other activities. Book your place by ringing 0161 ��2 385�.

Visit Staffnet or our website to view the full programme of Governor events or pick up our special Governor edition of NewsforYou, which was published in July.

Who’s the Guv?

James Cornthwaite with a student nurse he is mentoring

James Millington, Senior Clinical Psychologist and Staff Governor

James Cornthwaite, quitting smoking. He also

Real Life Quitters


We showcase the employee of the month winners in

every issue of Westside. Here are the winners from May and June.

Penny Hayward is a Ward Manager working on the Grasmere Ward (Edenfi eld Centre) in Prestwich, and is May’s employee of the month.

Penny was nominated by Shamine Hall, Acting Operational Manager, Edenfi eld Management. Shamine said: “Since taking up the role of Ward Manager in November 2009, Penny

has motivated staff to promote a positive culture.

“She has revamped the ward environment and improved all aspects of Patient Environment Action Team (PEAT) results, which has led to both staff and service users taking responsibility and pride in themselves and in their care.

“During a recent Quality Network Review the patients at Grasmere Ward fed back what a positive impact Penny’s ‘can do’ attitude has had on their individual care and treatment.”

Julie Jones is a Receptionist at the Meadowbrook unit in Salford, and is June’s employee of the month.

Julie was nominated by Jonathan Roberts from the Customer Care Team. Jonathan said: “I have been visiting the Meadowbrook unit to meet with staff and service users for over eight years and I am constantly amazed by the quality of service provided by Julie,

not only to me but to relatives, carers, inpatients and other visitors.

“She often welcomes people by name, engaging them in conversation whilst carrying out 101 different tasks. I cannot remember one occasion when she wasn’t doing everything without a smile on her face.

“People say you can’t make a fi rst impression a second time and I think Julie must instil trust and confi dence in the services at Meadowbrook every time she welcomes a visitor to the unit for the fi rst time.”

Each winner received £50 in high street vouchers and appeared on Staffnet and in Head-Lines. If you would like to nominate someone to be employee of the month, please visit Staffnet and download the nomination form.

Who’s the Guv?e showcase the employee has motivated staff to promote a

GMW employee of the month winners

Staff Awards vote now! Penny Hayward, May’s employee of the month, with Alan Maden, Trust Chair

Julie Jones, June’s employee of the month

The annual Staff Awards are coming

soon, with eight new categories. The Staff Awards are a great opportunity to recognise and celebrate the excellent work that goes on in services across GMW.

The awards are open to staff, volunteers and teams who have made a difference to the lives of people they care for or colleagues they work with.

You can nominate a colleague, service or team that you think deserves some recognition.

Application is through an on-line form, which is available

on Staffnet. Further details of the Staff Award categories and criteria can also be found here.

Closing date for nominations is Friday 1� September. Finalists will be invited to GMW’s Annual Members Meeting on Wednesday 29 September where the winners will be announced.

Something to cheer aboutOver 40 staff took part in the 5-a-side football tournament on 21 July 2010. The following teams took part: Information Management & Technology (IM&T), Human Resources, Manchester Drug Service (MDS), Meadowcate (Meadowbrook), Finance and Moorside (Trafford).

Despite having every type of weather imaginable, spirits were not dampened as the teams fought on for their place in the fi nal. The intense fi nal was between MDS & Meadowcate.

MDS took away the champions trophy with a fi nal score of three goals to Meadowcate’s two.

Individual medals were presented to everyone who made it to the fi nal.

A big thank you to staff supporting this event, Unison for contributing towards the costs, everyone who participated in the event and all the supporters who cheered the teams on.

For more information, please contact Karen Baird, Staff Health & Wellbeing Lead, on Tel: 0161 ��2 4601 or email: [email protected].

Have your sayTake part in the anonymous Staff Survey on staff satisfaction and engagement.

The survey takes less than fi ve minutes to complete and can be accessed here: www.surveymonkey.com/s/gmw1stquarter.


As part of International Suicide Prevention

Awareness Week (ISPAW), running from 4 – 10 September 2010, we’ve teamed up with the Manchester Evening News’ I Love Me supplement to tackle stigma and raise awareness.

We’ve contributed to Augusts’ I Love Me supplement with Dr David Duffy, a nurse consultant from our Salford Directorate, answering questions for the ‘ask the expert’ column on suicide prevention and Gemma Trainor highlighting the work of the Specialist Day service, which is part of our Young Persons Directorate.

Tragically, nearly 6,000 people take their own lives every year in the UK – that’s 16 families bereaved by suicide every day. Nearly twice as many people die from suicide as they do in road traffi c accidents.

People with mental health problems are increasingly talking openly about their illnesses, speaking out about their experiences and changing public opinion. One of our brave service-users talked to us and asked us to share his story…

Daniel’s story‘Daniel’ is 14 and had been self-harming for a year and a half before he tried to take his own life for the fi rst time.

Unwilling and unable to speak to family members or adults about his problems, the Trafford youngster kept them to himself and even came up with a number of cover stories to keep his secrets safe.

Daniel’s parents split up when he was very young and he rarely saw his father. When Daniel was seven, his mother was in a relationship with a man who was abusive towards them both. Several years later, Daniel had a number of abusive experiences which led to him being diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

At 12, he started to self-harm, hurting himself as a way of coping. At 13, Daniel tried to take his own life in the fi rst of several attempts. Fortunately, on the last occasion, his mother found him before it was too late and began to realise the full extent of her son’s problems. After this incident, Daniel was referred to GMW’s Young Person’s Directorate and started to receive the professional support he so badly needed.

He is still coming to terms with what he has been through, but is very positive about his recovery and keen to praise the professionals who have helped him. Every week, Daniel attends the Specialist Day service run by GMW in Prestwich and looks forward to his time there as it often

gives him the break he needs from the pressures of school.

Daniel has spoken at his school assembly about self-harming to help fellow students understand. “Don’t keep it a secret – no matter how minor you think self-harming is it’s serious and you should get help,” he says.

Due to the sensitivity of the subject matter and person, ‘Daniel’ is a pseudonym and Trafford has been used instead of the young person’s home town.

Getting helpIf you have had suicidal thoughts recently, or are worried that someone you know might be depressed of having thoughts of suicide, there are people that can help.

The Samaritans operate a service that is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Call 0845� 909090. If you prefer to write down how you are feeling, or if you are worried you might be overheard talking on the phone, you can email them at [email protected].

Childline runs a free helpline for children and young people in the UK. The call is free and the number will not show up on your phone bill. Call 0800 1111.

Oakdale provides a free confi dential counselling service for GMW employees. Oakdale’s telephone helpline is open 24 hours a day every day of the year and is conducted by trained, qualifi ed and experienced Oakdale counsellors. All you need to do is call 0800 02� �844.

‘Daniel’

Gemma Trainor, Nurse Consultant, with ‘Daniel’

Pictures courtesy of the M.E.N.

Choose Life


A gradate ceremony was held for students who passed

their Post Graduate Diploma in Cognitive Therapy.

They received their certifi cates from Alan Maden, Chair of GMW, at a ceremony at the Waterdale in Prestwich on 29 July 2010.

This was the eighth cohort of students completing the programme, run

at GMW by the Salford Cognitive Therapy Training Centre, and validated by the University of Manchester.

For brochures, application forms and further information about the programmes, visit www.salfordcognitivetherapy.com. Alternatively, please contact Karen Sutherland on 0161 ��2 3439 or email: [email protected].

Stuart takes on the WallStuart Mcilwrick, from the

Lowry Ward in Prestwich, is taking part in the most adventurous trip of his life. Stuart is training for the Great Wall Challenge, a trek across the Great Wall of China. Stuart’s trek will take place on 26 March 2011 to raise money for the North West Air Ambulance.

After 12 months of gruelling preparation, planning and intensive fundraising, Stuart will be ready to conquer this man made Wonder of the World. Starting in the outskirts of Beijing, Stuart will trek for 35 km over six days along some of the most diffi cult and challenging terrain the wall has to offer.

Stuart wanted to raise money for the North West Air Ambulance service in memory of his late father-in-law after two Greater Manchester Ambulance paramedics worked tirelessly to save his life.

Stuart said: “I am training for hours and fundraising constantly to help me achieve my goal. All the money raised will go to the North West Air Ambulance, a life-saving service across the North West.”

Stuart has raised £911 for the North West Air Ambulance so far. His aim is to raise £2,500. If you would like to sponsor Stuart, please visit his fundraising site: www.justgiving.com/stuart-mcilwrick1.

Congratulations to John Denmark Unit staff who

have passed the British Sign Language level 1 course.

Darren Holden, Dominique Barnes, Danny Lang, Stuart McKay, Jenny McVinnie, Louise Murphy, Ruth Pace, Terry Parkins, Samantha Wong, Dr. Waseem Zulfi qar and Katherine Howard all passed the course. Many of the staff will also take the British Sign Language level 2 course, which starts in September 2010.

Staff at the John Denmark unit have developed an updated recovery booklet for use with their patient group who are deaf and do not read English well. For more information, please contact Jenny McVinnie, Service Manager, John Denmark Unit, Tel: 0161 ��2 4639 or email: [email protected].

Wendy Hesford from the Pharmacy team has completed

a two-year Student Pharmacy training course gaining a dual qualifi cation with distinctions in every module.

Wendy has worked extremely hard and has gained recognition from Trafford College who awarded her the ‘Science Student of the Year Award’.

Congratulations to John

Staff learn to sign

Traff ord College Science Student of the Year

A gradate ceremony was held at GMW by the Salford Cognitive

Top Honours for Graduates Students with Alan Maden, Chair of GMW

Good news in HRWell done to Sharon Smith and Nicola Latham who have passed the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development qualifi cation – Post Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management.


latest event news

Remember the personDementia Awareness Week

took place in England and Wales between 4-10 July 2010.

Services across GMW did their bit to raise awareness about dementia and provide information about what help is on offer for those living with dementia and for their carers.

Trafford Mental Health Hospital Liaison Team, within the Older People services of the Trafford Directorate, organised a stand at Trafford General Hospital on Tuesday 6 July 2010.

Staff at the Royal Bolton Hospital from GMW’s Dementia Care service linked with partner organisations, such as the Alzheimer’s Society, to hold information stands at the hospital on Thursday 8 July 2010.

The Occupational Therapy Team, from the Armitage ward at Woodlands Hospital, completed an “I remember when” poster display in acknowledgement of national dementia week. Patients, staff and relatives of all ages contributed to pictures and sayings from a range of periods from the 1950’s through to present day.

Recovery Programme Research Update and Service Support Event

An event to raise the profi le of GMW’s recovery

research programme and to update services on the progress of the research to date was held at Whitefi eld Golf Club on 7 July 2010.

The event was an opportunity to thank the services who have been involved in the research and to promote the Mental Health Research Network who support the programme and funded the event.

Delegates were given the opportunity to hear about the background to the recovery programme, the aims of this work stream and the fi ndings of the projects so far.

Mike Chapman, Non Executive Director and Vice Chair of GMW, attended the event to award cheques for service support costs. The cheques were presented to services in recognition of their support in recruiting to Portfolio studies.

An update on the recovery research programme will feature in the next edition of Westside. For more information, please contact Heather Law, Research Programme Co-ordinator, on Tel: 0161 ��2 36�2. Staff and visitors at the Royal Bolton Hospital

(left to right) Gerald Everingham, Jo Malone, Mike Chapman, Lisa Brandwood and Mark Worsley.

Luke Maguire, 22, a Theology and Pastoral studies student, attended

a 2-week work placement with the spiritual care service at GMW in June.

Luke is training for the priesthood at the College of the Resurrection - an Anglican theological college in Mirfi eld, West Yorkshire.

Luke spent his placement at GMW visiting different services including; Cromwell House, Meadowbrook and Edenfi eld. Luke commented “I was surprised by the variety and struck by the breadth of service. It has been a real privilege to spend my time at GMW.”

Father David Musgrave was invited to be the Catholic chaplain

aboard a cruise liner for three weeks in April, replacing the pastoral care he offers to patients at GMW with church services for people aboard the ship.

Father David carried out his chaplaincy duties for 1,800 passengers and 850 crew on the ship, which sailed around islands in the Caribbean.

Spirituality update

Father David Sutton with Luke Maguire

westside issue9 - august 2010

Documents

westside issue

mental ill health

quarterly staff magazine

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new road

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