Home | News | Thursday 4th August – Leadership message from Emma de Carteret, Executive Director of Corporate Affairs and Performance

Thursday 4th August – Leadership message from Emma de Carteret, Executive Director of Corporate Affairs and Performance

Emma De Carteret

I would like to start by saying a huge ‘thank you’ to everyone who has completed their statutory mandatory training, in light of very challenging operational pressures – the effort you are all making is really appreciated.

We are currently at 74% staff completion on our values and behaviours training and are asking everyone to complete this by 31 October It is available on Evolve. Completing the training is a great example in what we can all do to support our organisation to be a better place.

If we each commit to one behaviour change – such as completing the training – then we can all help EEAST become a better place to work. We will be publishing a piece on NTK next week about civility in our workplaces and anyone who has done the training will be aware of the link between values, civility and respect and keeping our colleagues and patients safe, so look out for that.

 

Cyber security 

The threat of a cyber security attack on the Trust is still present – with cyber security criminals becoming ever more sophisticated in their approach, including phishing and ransomware. Please help defend the Trust. Our top five tips are:

  • Be suspicious of emails that ask you to share or check your login/password with a link.
  • Do not click on links or attachments from people you do not know and were not expecting to receive.
  • Do not share your password with anyone. This includes log in credentials, Datix, CAD Online etc.
  • If the content of the email tries to persuade you to do something that seems too good to be true, it probably is.
  • Check for spelling and grammatical errors in emails – these can be a tell-tale sign of spam.

 

If you receive any emails that you are concerned about or have any questions please email informationgovernance@eastamb.nhs.uk.

 

Calibre Talent Development and Leadership Programme

I’m pleased to be able to tell you that the Trust is now participating in the Calibre programme -  a talent development and leadership programme for people who identify as neurodiverse or disabled, or who have a long-term physical or mental health condition. 

I have the honour of being the Executive Director Lead for the Disability Network and it is an absolute pleasure to be the programme sponsor. I am really looking forward to seeing how our participants get on during the programme and the opportunities it brings. You can find further details about the programme and how to enrol on NTK (click here).

 

EEAST Clinical Strategy Design Survey

I would be grateful if colleagues could take ten minutes to complete the EEAST Clinical Strategy Design Survey.

This self-assessment survey – which has just 10 questions – will give us valuable input into the design of a new clinical strategy for EEAST, helping us understand the key areas of challenge and opportunity for EEAST including operating within a new collaborative landscape with partners and what the priorities for the future of EEAST.

Responses are anonymous, confidential and will be aggregated to provide an overall result.

A combination of quantitative and qualitative answers will be gathered from the whole organisation to reflect how best to design the Clinical Strategy. The deadline to complete the assessment is Friday 12th August at 5pm.

 

Consultation for Black and Minority Ethnic colleagues

Thank you to everyone who completed their Pulse survey. Over 1,200 of you responded – this was double the amount we received last time which helps ensure we are focussing on the issues that matter to you.

Recent staff survey results have indicated that some BME colleagues have a worse experience of working within the Trust. It’s important that we understand why these differences exist and take measures to change this so that EEAST is a better place to work for all of us.

To help us do this, we have commissioned an external specialist consultancy, McKenzies, to undertake some confidential consultation on our behalf. During August, minority ethnic colleagues will be given the opportunity to complete a short online survey. The survey will be complemented with confidential phone calls and short informal ‘buzz groups’ for people to discuss their experience of working for EEAST.

An anonymised summary of all key points raised during groups will be provided to ELT.

 

Sad passing of Paul Hardwick

I am sure many of you were saddened to hear that North Bedfordshire paramedic, Paul Hardwick has passed away.  After a short illness, Paul passed away at Bedford hospital. Funeral details will be provided in due course. Colleagues at Kempston station have established a book of remembrance so please get in touch with the team or pop in to station to add a personal message.

Support is available to any staff who might require it, please either speak with your line manager or contact the Employee Assistance Programme on 0808 196 2374.

 

Keeping In Touch

The July edition of In Touch, the Trust’s external e-bulletin, is now available on our website and Need to Know: July’s InTouch EEAST now available (eastamb.nhs.uk); You can sign up to receive it in your inbox every 2 months.

A reminder that the latest Fit for the Future July blog and podcast are now on NTK. They provide a quick and easy way to find out about the progress being made around the Trust - so do check them out.

Thank you for everything you are doing and please stay safe.

 

Emma de Carteret, Executive Director of Corporate Affairs and Performance

Published 4th August 2022