NewsLINk Autumn 2011

Sefton Local Involvement Network’s quarterly Newsletter

This Sefton LINk newsletter is available in different formats - please contact Sefton LINk Support 0151 920 0726 ext 203

Welcome to the latest NewsLINk Newsletter from Sefton LINk Sefton Local Involvement Network (LINk) is a voluntary network made up of individuals and groups who work together to improve local health and adult social care services in the borough of Sefton, Merseyside. The main job of Sefton LINk is to find out what people like and dislike about local services and to work with service providers to improve them. For more info on the work of Sefton LINk, please visit our website www.seftonlink.org.uk

A word from our Chair… Sefton LINk Chair Ann Bisbrown-Lee, who was elected as the North West Regional LINks representative on the national HealthWatch Advisory Board earlier this year, takes a few moments to update us on the work of Sefton LINk….

Sefton LINk Chair Ann Bisbrown-Lee (left) with then acting NHS Sefton Chief Executive Janet Atherton at this year’s Quality Awards back in March. Ann was presented with the Chief Executives Award at the ceremony.

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“The season of mists, mellow fruitfulness and Annual General Meetings - Yes, Autumn is here... Achievements have been celebrated and plans for the future have been announced, many of which include LINk members. Planning continues at a national and local level for LINK’s evolvement into Local HealthWatch, and Sefton LINk members have discussed future priorities recently at 3 Road Shows across the borough. Don’t forget, if you feel there are issues that Sefton LINK should be looking at, please contact the Sefton LINk Support team. Finally, I would like to welcome our new Sefton LINk members who have recently joined us - your involvement is really valuable and I look forward to working with you”

www.seftonlink.org.uk

0151 920 0726 ext 203

sls@seftoncvs.org.uk

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Sefton LINk held its 2010-2011 Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 3rd August 2011 at St Stephen's Church Hall in Hightown, Merseyside. Thanks to everyone who attended and a big thanks to NHS Sefton’s Deputy Director of Corporate Performance and Standards Jan Snoddon for delivering a presentation on working in partnership with Sefton LINk to promote quality and safety. Other speakers at the annual event included Sefton LINk Chair Ann Bisbrown-Lee, Steering Group members Libby Kitt who presented Sefton LINk’s work with the South Sefton Practice-Based Commissioners, Ken Lowe who delivered a presentation on the Enter and View Visits Team, and Sefton LINk Vice-Chair Arthur Roberts who closed the event.

Sefton LINk Annual General Meeting 2010-2011

NHS Sefton Deputy Director of Corporate Performance and Standards Jan Snoddon.

Photos and videos from the event are available online at www.seftonlink.org.uk

Introducing… Wendy Carruthers Sefton LINk Support’s NEW Engagement and Participation Officer

"Hello. My name is Wendy and I am the new Sefton LINk Engagement and Participation Officer based at the 3TC Centre in Waterloo. I joined the Sefton LINk Support Team on the 1st August 2011 and I am employed to work 3 days per week. Part of my role will be to talk to you as LINk members to find out your views and opinions on how you would like to be involved and engaged with Sefton LINk, therefore over the next few months I will be contacting some of our existing members. In addition I will be working across Sefton attending various events and visiting local Voluntary, Community and Faith groups (VCF) in order to promote Sefton LINk and to increase the membership. If you are aware of any local VCF groups or health centres where I could come along to then please give me a call. I am looking forward to working with you all over the coming months!” - Wendy

Wendy at one of Sefton LINk’s promotional stands at Southport and Formby Hospital, part of the LINk’s work on Patient Experience Surveys.

Suring September Sefton LINk hosted a series of Road Show events across the borough. LINk members and the general public were invited to come along to informal sessions to share their experiences of how Health and Adult Social Care issues are affecting local people/ organisations. Issues were gathered to inform the key priorities which Sefton LINk should be addressing. The events also provided an opportunity for people to share their views on what Sefton Local HealthWatch (which LINks will evolve into next year) should look like. The events were held in Bootle (South Sefton), Maghull (mid/east Sefton) and Southport (North Sefton). Thanks to everyone who attended our events and Sefton LINk are currently working on a report following the road shows. The findings from these events will be shared with the Sefton LINk Steering Group and issues will be fed in to the Sefton LINK Work Plan.

Sefton LINk Road Shows 2011

Above: South Sefton LINk Road Show at the May Logan Centre, Bootle. Tue 6th Sept

Below: Mid/East Sefton LINk Road Show at the Kensington House, Maghull. Wed 7th Sept.

Sefton LINk Coffee Mornings Sefton LINk held it’s first Coffee Morning event on Friday 29th July at SING Plus Resource Centre, Seaforth. The informal event was an opportunity for members to come along for a cup of tea or coffee and listen to guest speaker Marie Rice – the new Managing Director of NHS Sefton. The next Sefton LINk Coffee Morning takes place on Wednesday 26th October, 10am-12noon at Christ Church in Southport. The guest speaker will be Claire Lee - the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) Compliance Manager for Sefton and Liverpool.

The first November Coffee Morning takes place on Tuesday 1st November, 10am-12noon in the patient area at Waterloo Day Hospital, Waterloo. The guest speakers will be the project leads for Mersey Care’s South Sefton Neighbourhood Project (RE: Changes to Waterloo Day Hospital) The second November Coffee Morning takes place on Thursday 17th November, 10am-12noon at Netherton Park Community Centre and features guest speaker Sue Pierce from NHS Sefton talking about how YOUR personal medical information is shared.

Managing Director of NHS Sefton Marie Rice speaking at the Sefton LINk Coffee Morning.

Sefton LINk influences new NHS Stop Smoking

Campaign Sefton LINk have played a valuable role in influencing Healthy Sefton’s latest Stop Smoking campaign. Sefton LINk members submitted a number of comments and suggestions to NHS Sefton on the existing SmokeFree posters currently used by NHS Central Lancashire. The feedback was welcomed by NHS Sefton who have since improved the campaign posters following Sefton LINK’s comments. Not only have Sefton LINk influenced the campaign’s posters and flyers, but following a concern raised by a member, Healthy Sefton now provide a SmokeFree brail book for blind and visually impaired service users. The campaign will be launched across Sefton in early October.

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Above: The NHS Central Lancashire original campaign poster (left) next to the new and improved NHS Sefton poster (right). Not only is the poster now much brighter, it now includes subtle improvements such as the road sign’s reflection and the more colourful ‘Healthy Sefton’ logo.

Last year, Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust made changes to some of the services they provide at their Aintree Hospital Site. This means that some patients will now need to travel to the Trusts Crown Street site in Liverpool. Knowsley and Sefton and Local Involvement Networks held the Trust to account over this issue and are working in partnership with Liverpool Women’s Hospital to look at possible solutions. Sefton LINk is continuing to look at the public transport routes to Liverpool Womens Hospital in Crown Street and to identify issues faced by local people living in South and East Sefton. Keep an eye on our website and email updates for the latest on this ongoing work!

Sefton LINk’s work with...

Join Sefton LINK and HAVE YOUR SAY

You can now join Sefton Local Involvement Network (LINk) using our online membership form at www.seftonlink.org.uk. Visit the ‘Join Sefton LINk’ page to complete a short form and click ‘Submit’. As a member, you will receive weekly email updates on the latest local Health and Adult Social Care news, meeting and event invitations and regular updates on ways to get involved with the LINk. Don’t forget, you can get involved as much or as little as you like! If you would like more information about getting involved, or would like to meet and chat about joining Sefton LINk, please contact Sefton LINk Support on 0151 920 0726 ext 203 or email sls@seftoncvs.org.uk

New Sefton LINk Governor at The Walton

Centre Kate Taylor has been appointed the new Sefton LINk Stakeholder Governor at The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust. Kate’s role as a governor is to represent Sefton LINk and other Local Involvement Network (LINKs) and be a critical friend to the Trust. Governors hold the Trust Board to account and provide feedback on proposals and plans.

Sefton LINk member Kate Taylor in her ‘Race For Life’ fundraising T-Shirt ahead of this year’s campaign.

Aintree University Hospital’s Listening To You events

Thanks to everyone who attended Aintree University Hospital’s Listening To You event on Wednesday 28th September at SING Plus Resource Centre in seaforth. The event was organised in partnership with Sefton LINk and was aimed at finding out what patients, carers and the local community think about Aintree Hospital’s services and access to healthcare . The event featured a number of presentations from Trust representatives including Deputy Director of Nursing Gail Hewitt and Head of Equality and Diversity Shabir Abdul.

One of the workshop at the Sefton Listening To You event, Wed 28th Sept in Seaforth

Aintree University Hospital will be holding it’s final Listening To You event at the Trust on Monday 24th October 2011 at the Clinical Science Building’s Lecture Theatre, 10am-12.30pm. The event is open to all LINk members and the general public . For more information and to register for the event, please phone 0151 529 600, text 07875707186 or email Shabir.abdul@aintree.nhs.uk

If you have any issues regarding The Walton Centre and the services provided, please pass on any details to Sefton LINk Support who will share the information with Kate.

Sefton LINk Support is managed by Sefton Council for Voluntary Service 3rd Floor, Merseyside 3tc Centre, 16 Crosby Road North, Waterloo, Liverpool, L22 0NY.

Tel: (0151) 920 0726 Fax: (0151) 920 1036 email: sls@seftoncvs.org.uk Registered Charity No. 1024546 Company Registered by Guarantee No. 2832920

The views expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of Sefton LINk or Sefton CVS. Whilst every effort is made to ensure that accurate

information is provided, Sefton CVS, Sefton LINk, the Board of Directors, the editor nor contributors undertake any liability for any errors or omission.

If you would like to submit any articles for future issues of Sefton LINk’s NewsLINk, please contact Sefton LINk Support

Sefton LINk Patient Experience Survey The Local Involvement Networks (LINks) of Knowsley, Liverpool and Sefton are currently collecting information from people who have recently used local services. The responses we collect will go towards a large, cross boundary study on the quality of patient experience. The aim of this work is to independently gather feedback from patients and the public on local hospitals, GPs, pharmacies, dentists, care homes etc. Sefton LINk have been out and about in the community and holding promotional stands at both Southport and Formby Distirct General Hospital and Aintree University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust site to gather patient experiences. The LINk has also launched an online Patient Experience form which can be found at www.seftonlink.org.uk Don’t forget, if you, a friend, a relative, or a neighbour have accessed health care or adult social care services recently, please share your experiences with us!

Out and about in YOUR community... Sefton LINk are pleased to launch the Patient Experience Survey Drop-Boxes which will be popping up across Sefton over the next few months. This is an opportunity to gather health and adult social care issues and experiences from Sefton residents. The first boxes are currently set up at the following venues:

Follow @SeftonLINk on Twitter to find out where the boxes

will be popping up next!

Netherton Park Community Centre Chester Avenue, Bootle L30 1QW Opening hours 9.00am-9.00pm May Logan Centre, Bootle 294 Knowsley Road, Bootle, Liverpool L20 5DQ Mon-Thurs 8.30am - 9.00pm Fri 8.30am - 5.00pm, Sat 12.00noon - 4.00pm

“There are loads of things to do at Netherton Park Neighbourhood centre for all the family, from the stay and play sessions in the creche for the toddlers and our afterschool youth project for the teenagers to short courses and bingo for the adults”. Visit: www.nethertonpark.org.uk

“The May Logan Healthy Living Centre offers over 60 activities and services including a one stop information point, IT suite, crèche, café, ball pool, toy library, parenting courses, counselling and support”. Visit: www.maylogan.org.uk