Need to know
For #TeamEEAST Last updated: 04 May 2024 at 21:24
How we can help people in Ukraine
I am sure that we will all have been affected by the terrible news coming out of Ukraine this week and it can be difficult to know how we, as individuals or as an organisation, can help. As the chair of Governors for my daughter’s school, I am aware also of how difficult sharing this news is with children while coming to terms with the implications of the conflict ourselves.
For those of us with friends or family directly impacted it is a hugely worrying time. Please remember if you are affected by this, or have other issues that are causing concern, support is available.
We are keeping in regular contact with NHS England, who are liaising with the UK Government to ensure a coordinated response, and we are ready to provide support as soon as it is required. Further details are on Need to Know.
If you would like to make an individual donation, the Disasters Emergency Committee has launched a collective appeal to provide emergency aid and rapid relief to those who need it most during the conflict. This is the best way to ensure your money is going to registered charities.
Launch of local Q&As
As the Director currently responsible for Training and Education, I’ve been really pleased with the success of our weekly ‘We are EEAST’ Q and A sessions on a Thursday afternoon as I find them highly educational. Thank you for making the time to come along and ask questions. It’s such a useful way for us to gauge what your views, and experiences are.
Many of you have raised communications as an issue and we are keen to address this. We want to put in place regular communications forums at a local or team level as another route for you to get the information you need and the opportunity to ask questions.
From this Thursday, 10th March, the Trustwide Q and A sessions will now be held fortnightly instead of weekly and in the alternating two weeks we will be introducing local Q and A sessions, led by your local Head of Ops and an Executive Director.
With so many sectors to cover, these will be split over the remaining two weeks, with each sector receiving one local briefing per month. As with the Trustwide sessions you will be emailed the joining information. In the meantime you can find more details here.
As well as making changes to Trust Q and As, we are also making changes to the governance arrangements in the Trust. A new Clinical Executive Group will be meeting monthly, with a membership of senior managers, looking at issues that impact on patient care and clinical issues and ensuring that patient and clinical need drives our policy making.
Tackling inappropriate behaviour on social media
Over the past year, we have repeatedly said that we will not tolerate bullying and harassment of any kind within the Trust, and this includes the inappropriate use of social media.
Unfortunately, we have recently been made aware of a number of WhatsApp groups that have been set up by members of staff to discuss colleagues. This is wholly inappropriate and we are making sure that this practice is stopped immediately.
If you feel uncomfortable, or believe you are being bullied or harassed because of content that has been shared with you directly, as part of a private group (WhatsApp/Facebook) you are part of, or on a colleague’s social media feed, you can act. Take a screenshot of the content / conversation, remove yourself from the group, block the account poster and report your concerns to a senior manager.
Any member of staff found to be using social media inappropriately, will be subject to disciplinary action and managed in lined with the Trust’s disciplinary policy. Nobody would like being subject to such comments; everyone has a right to feel safe and comfortable in their workplace and we are determined to make that a reality here at EEAST.
Could you be a Speak Up Ambassador?
Many of us want to do all we can to create an open and honest workplace. The good news is that there’s now a way you can get involved, as our Freedom to Speak Up (FTSU) team are currently recruiting for several roles as Freedom to Speak Up Ambassadors across the organisation.
All staff, volunteers and students are welcome to apply for the posts. As a volunteer Ambassador, you will work with the FTSU team to promote speaking up locally, signpost colleagues to the right support and escalate more complex concerns. More details and information on how to apply are available here. The deadline for expressions of interest is 20th March.
Welcome to Melissa Dowdeswell
We are pleased to tell you that our substantive Director of Nursing, Melissa Dowdeswell, started with us on 7 March, a month earlier than planned. Melissa joins us from Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust and I am sure you will join me in welcoming her to the organisation. Juliet Beal our interim Director of Nursing is currently away from the Trust on sick leave. We wish her a speedy recovery.
Please take care of yourselves and your colleagues and thank you for your continued hard work.
Tom Burton
Strategic Planning Director
10th March 2022