Inspiring staff event showcases Listening into Action improvements
NSFT teams took to the stage to showcase a variety of 20-week projects at its first Listening into Action (LiA) Pass It On event.
Two hundred people attended the special event at Great Yarmouth to celebrate how the Trust is improving together, including service users, carers, experts by experience and partners from local NHS Trusts.
Chief Executive Officer Caroline Donovan opened the event by saying: “LiA is underpinning our whole improvement programme. We are committed to working together in transforming our services. The service user voice needs to be a golden thread through our organisation.”
The audience at Great Yarmouth Town Hall on 7 November was moved to hear from Trevor Stevens, who is working with the Think Family and Carer LiA group.
His daughter Tobi took her own life in December 2020 aged 19 and, since then, he has been involved with NSFT’s learning from deaths work, and campaigning for parents to be informed when their children, of any age, are involved in a mental health crisis or suicide attempt.
His message is: “The question should not be ‘is there a good enough reason to involve parents’ - but ‘is there a good enough reason not to?’”
The Think Family and Carer group has been working on improving information the Trust obtains and records from carers and families. NSFT Psychologist Deidre Williams said: “We are working with teams to improve awareness and overcome any barriers they may have with carers and families. We want this to be life-saving work.”
The group was one of several sharing their updates through presentations, videos, animations and dramatic interpretations.
Examples included a live presentation of artificial intelligence (AI) in action, role plays highlighting improvements in care planning and support for our admin colleagues, plus a video news report showcasing a more efficient way to recruit Healthcare Support. Service users were involved throughout, including talks by Experts by Experience and the first showing
of a rap created by a person under the Trust’s care.
Deputy CEO and Chief People Officer Cath Byford summed up the day by saying: “We are involving and empowering people to make change as the way forward – to deliver safer, kinder and better care.”
Caroline praised the energy and determination of staff and said: “It is so positive seeing our services and service users coming together and working proactively to share good practice.”