Improving how we learn together to create a safer, kinder and better organisation for the future - Chief Executive Caroline Donovan's blog - 4 March 2024
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Over the last few weeks, we have seen a number of inquests take place across Norfolk and Suffolk, some of which have resulted in learning for our Trust. As CEO and a nurse by background, I am always looking at ways in which we can change how we do things, to improve outcomes and experiences for our service users, families, carers and staff.
As part of our organisation wide transformation programme, how we prepare for, respond to and learn from all inquests is of vital importance. I am pleased to have appointed Jane Christmas, Director of Patient Safety and Safeguarding who will oversee and lead how we learn from inquests. Jane is a very experienced nurse who has significant knowledge in learning from and supporting organisations to work even more closely with families and carers, as well as our staff members and partners across Norfolk and Suffolk to improve processes and respond with humility and compassion. Jane will also provide clinical leadership in relation to how we better implement and embed the national Patient Safety Incident Response Framework across our Trust, as well as strengthening our approach to safeguarding.
Together, we must support and work with families and carers in advance of an inquest and make sure we continue to support them – whether that be providing information or reassurance that action has and continues to be taken to improve outcomes and experiences in the future. Jane is ideally placed to lead this work and I am looking forward to working with and learning from Jane to improve as an organisation, with the support of our wider health and care systems.
We continue to work closely with bereaved families and relatives – but there is always more that can be done. I am pleased we have recruited Family Liaison Officers into our organisation who are engaging with local and national Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations that provide support across Norfolk and Suffolk, specifically for people who have been bereaved through, or personally affected by someone ending their own life.
Our Family Liaison Officers are providing crucial support needed to families and carers who are affected by the tragedy of suicide and specifically, have been working with those who have been bereaved on improvement work within the Trust. We are dedicated to evolving into a safer, more compassionate, and improved organisation, committed to humility in all our endeavours.
Linked to the important work we are doing with bereaved families and relatives, we are developing a new vital forum to help us improve care. We are creating a service user, families and carer council to make sure the experiences of these groups, as well as our local communities have a public platform. Further information will be available about this shortly.
Looking ahead, we recently held our first Listening into Action (LiA) conversation event in Ipswich, Suffolk. I was blown away by the real determination from all staff present to make positive, lasting change. These exciting, buzzy two-hour events led by me are designed to address day-to-day frustrations, bust NHS bureaucracy and make positive changes that will make a big difference to us and those we care for and are open to all staff, taking place between February and April, held at venues across Norfolk and Suffolk.
From both the LiA Pulse Check which took place in December 2023, where more than 2,500 members of staff responded, along with the LiA Conversation events, we will identify quick wins to action and potential projects for our LiA Pioneer Teams. LiA is about action – no matter how big or small, so we can make changes, together, to improve how we work and ultimately, help us collectively, with our partners, service users, families and carers improve outcomes and experiences for our local communities. It’s vital we all continue to embed Listening into Action as our new way of working – we must keep the momentum going.
Finally, a big thank you for everything our service users, families, carers, our staff and partners continue to do to help NSFT become a safer, kinder and better organisation. It is only by working together we can achieve this
Until next time,
Caroline