For Teams and Individuals

• Have you or your team recently experienced or witnessed serious injury, particularly involving colleagues at work
• Have you or your team recently experienced an incident involving death or a threat to life at work                                                                                      

The Staff Wellbeing Hub Team can help support you with:

• Trauma Risk Management (TRiM) practitioners who can offer supportive conversations
• Signposting to appropriate support
• Evidence informed interventionContact us by telephoning the Hub on 0191 223 2030 or emailing us at

Contact us by telephoning the Hub on 0191 223 2030 or emailing us at hubstheword@cntw.nhs.uk

If you already work in an organisation that already has Trauma Risk Management (TRiM), Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) or something similar, please contact your internal practitioners in the first instance.

For Organisations

• Is your organisation interested or looking to set up an evidence based model to respond to critical incidents?
• Do you want more information on how to support your staff after unexpected deaths?

The Staff Wellbeing Hub can help support with:

• Consultancy on evidence based practice for critical incidents within your organisation.
• Training on how to prepare for these unexpected incidents

If you are unsure whether we can help, please contact us for a conversation on 0191 223 2030 or email hubstheword@cntw.nhs.uk

Readhead Associates work with the Staff Wellbeing Hub to provide bespoke one to one coaching and mentoring to individual staff members via phone, teams or zoom, usually over 2 to 3 sessions, spaced 3 months apart.

The main focus of this coaching is career development and retirement planning with an emphasis on developing skills and goal planning for the short, medium and long term.

To be able to access the self compassion course, you would firstly need to speak to one of the Hub Team, you can do this by:

• Complete our online self-referral form via the link Referral Form (mayden.co.uk)
• Or, email us at Hubstheword@cntw.nhs.uk
• Or, give us a call between 9.30am and 5pm on 0191 223 2030

The Hub psychological therapists are now running a Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia group intervention (CBT-i). This is a 4 week course, 1.5 hours per session, delivered via MS Teams which is available through either self-referral or referral by a Hub clinician. If you self-refer then you will be offered a screening assessment to ensure this intervention is suitable for your sleep problems.

Dates

Tuesday 27^th June, Tuesday 4^th July, Tuesday 11^th July and Tuesday 25^th July 2023.

Time

1.30-3pm, via MS Teams

What is CBTi (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia)

CBT-i is a non-medical treatment for insomnia that is based upon scientific knowledge about sleep. The aims of the programme are to help participants fall asleep, stay asleep and, because of better sleep at night, this can improve daily functioning.

As its name suggests, CBT-I has two main parts: ‘cognitive’ and ‘behavioural’. The cognitive aspect of the programme explores the relationship between thoughts, feelings and expectations about sleep that might be in themselves, barriers to getting a good night’s sleep.

The behavioural part supports the changing of behaviours and habits, and routines, based upon the science of sleep,  that can help improve sleep.

Remit:

This programme is for adults referred to or receiving support from the Hub who are presenting with insomnia.

What is insomnia?

The diagnosis of Insomnia is based on the following five criteria

The group programme

The programme lasts for 6 weeks, an initial session which comprises of a one-to-one assessment and then a rolling programme of 4 session (so that we can support people accessing this intervention as quickly as possible).  The final session will be a follow up either group or individual session.

If you are interested in this course, please contact the Hub via email hubstheword@cntw.nhs.uk or phone 0191 223 2030 and we will offer you a conversation to discuss the group. If you are currently receiving support from a member of the Hub team please speak to them for advice about whether this course would be helpful for you.

FREE screening of 3 films which explore the reactions and experiences of NHS and care home staff from the North East and North Cumbria to the pandemic.  These free events are aimed at keyworkers and public sector workers, as well as their families, friends and local communities.  We hope to give people space to reflect, connect and give gratitude.

Join us for one of the 6 screenings at 5 venues across the North East and North Cumbria to explore 3 films made with NHS staff in reaction to the pandemic.

To book your FREE ticket please visit: JUNE 2023: Notes from the NHS front line - Cinema For All

or scan the code below:

Notes from the NHS frontline is a collaboration between the North East and North Cumbria Staff Wellbeing Hub and Cinema for All.

Refreshments will be available after the screening and staff from the Wellbeing Hub will also be available.

danceSing On Demand

Your Wellness Journey Starts Here...

Grab this fantastic offer and try something new today!

danceSing is the inclusive, intergenerational, feel-good wellbeing experience, anytime, anywhere. Expert led vocal training sessions On Demand anytime anywhere, as well as timetabled Live sessions weekly. Join our vibrant online community and enjoy motivational support and a 5-star customer experience. With sessions from beginner to advanced, we have something for everyone.

Our Singing Programme sessions include: vocal production; part-singing; breathing and relaxation techniques; vocal layering; harmonising; diction; enunciation agility and much more! Our series repertoire songs cover a broad range of musical genre everyone will love and enjoy.

Our Fitness Programme sessions include: all Dance Fitness workouts covering a broad range of genre and styles; Yoga, Ballet Barre, Pilates based workouts from gentle to more intense; 10-Minute Motivators to kick-start any day and get you in the right mood; and Strength Training sessions as the foundation for everything and key to staying fitter, active and more flexible for longer.

If you would like further information then please email huboffers@cntw.nhs.uk 

Are you or your team struggling to come to terms with a recent traumatic or stressful experience?

This might include:

• Traumatic stress
• Bereavements or losses
• Difficult experiences that stick in your mind
• Work-related stress
• Repeated stressful experiences
• Feelings of persistent fear, guilt or shame

The Wellbeing Hub is introducing access to a novel psychological programme (G-TEP/ R-TEP) that:

• Uses an evidence based protocol to help you to feel less worried or upset
• Does not require you to talk in detail about your stressful/ traumatic experience
• Is usually done in groups or teams and often online
• Uses eye movements and what we know about how the brain works
• Helps increase future resilience, by preventing build-up of stress
• This intervention is brief (two to three, 90-minute sessions)

If you would like more information, contact us for an initial conversation on 0191 223 2030 or hubstheword@cntw.nhs.uk

Living together with Neurodiversity

• Do you live with a family member who has neurodiverse needs?
• Do you ever wish you could speak to other people in similar situations?
• Do you feel better for offloading some of your parenting challenges?
• Would you like to learn from others?

If you answered yes to any of the above then this group may be for you.

The Hub’s systemic Family Psychotherapists , Tonia Foster, Kirsty Charlton and Natalie Rawes are facilitating a group for family members living with people with neurodiversity.

When?

New dates to be confirmed.

Time

Each session will start at 1.30pm for 1 and a half hours with a short break.

Where?

MS Teams

How do I join?

If you are interested in joining the group please email hubstheword@cntw.nhs.uk or phone 0191 223 2030.  You will be offered a short conversation to meet the facilitators of the group and they will talk you through what to expect.  If you are currently receiving support from a member of the Hub team, please speak to them for advice about whether this group would be helpful for you.

The Hub will be running 9 week courses.

When: Current course fully booked, new dates to be confirmed.

Where: Teams

This mindfulness-based programme will incorporate the following:

• Mindfulness training to support the development of awareness and pacing to learn to override automatic habits of overriding exhaustion and discomfort and, as a consequence, to learn how to be with and reduce the tension and anxiety that a life-long condition or long-covid can bring
• To explore how to integrate recommended physical exercises and activities into your routine
• To support and receive support from others with similar experiences and challenges in a safe group space

Who is this for?

NHS and other care staff with long-covid and/or a long-term condition

What is a long-term condition?

Long-term conditions or chronic diseases are conditions for which there is currently no cure, and which are managed with drugs and other treatment, for example: diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, arthritis and hypertension.

How many places are there?

There are 8 places available (however this group is intended to be delivered on an ongoing basis if there is demand)

How do I access a place?

If you are interested in this course, please contact the Hub via email hubstheword@cntw.nhs.uk or phone 0191 223 2030 and we will offer you a screening appointment. If you are currently receiving support from a member of the Hub team please speak to them for advice about whether this course would be helpful for you.

It is with great pleasure we can announce that the North East and North Cumbria Staff Wellbeing Hub together with partners will host a series of Livecasts in the coming months. These will be live events held on Teams.

The first Livecast will be on Teams on the 23 November at 12:00 – 12.45pm. This Livecast will be offered by Layla Mofrad and Ash Tiplady and chaired by Kevin Meares. Their topic will be “Making Friends with Uncertainty.”

The Livecasts will be chaired by the Staff Wellbeing Hub and will comprise of a 20-minute presentation followed by 20 minutes of questions. They will focus on issues that impact on wellbeing.

Layla and Ash have pioneered a group program for the treatment of anxiety disorders. The Livecast will focus on how considering and reflecting on uncertainty might impact on our experiences of wellbeing.

Please find the link below to the Livecast, please do add it to your diary.

Staff Wellbeing Hub: Livecasts. Making Friends with Uncertainty. 12:00-12:45 

You can find out more about Layla and Ashley’s work by these social media and web-links:

@laylamofrad @UnICorRNetwork Unicorn Website

We look forward to seeing you on the 23 November 2022. 

• Is the menopause stopping you in your tracks, making you feel anxious or low in mood, or that your brain is in constant fog?
• Perhaps the menopause is draining you energy, disturbing your sleep?
• Maybe hot flushes and sweats are overwhelming and you are looking for help to manage these?

Whatever your experience is, this group may be of help to you.

The menopause group is a 6 week programme run by two Hub therapists online via MS Teams.

The programme will be based around three strands of intervention – cognitive behavioural therapy, compassion-focused therapy and a mindfulness-based approach. Our intention is that these three combined will support reduction of stress and anxiety experienced around symptoms and experiences of the menopause, create opportunities to reconnect with compassion for ourselves and our bodies, and to learn ways of approaching the menopause with wisdom and confidence.

Dates for the next group

15^th, 22^nd, 29^th June, 6^th, 13^th and 20^th July 10.00-12noon - FULLY BOOKED, further dates to be confirmed.

If you would like to join the group please email hubstheword@cntw.nhs.uk or phone 0191 223 2030. You will be offered a short conversation to meet the facilitators of the group and they will talk you through what to expect. If you are currently receiving support from a member of the Hub team, please speak to them for advice about whether this group would be helpful for you.

What is mindfulness?

Mindfulness is the natural capacity we all have to bring awareness and interest to what is happening in the present moment. Becoming more mindful can support our wellbeing and mental health.

Learning mindfulness can help you:

• be more aware of your thoughts and feelings
• be kinder to yourself
• respond more wisely to difficulties and stress.

Mindfulness is recommended by the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence.

What do we offer?

• Drop-in sessions
• 2-hour taster sessions
• 3-week introductory courses
• 8-week courses
• Follow up activities, such as days of mindfulness practice.

Drop-in sessions

These regular 30-minute weekly drop-in sessions aim to support staff wellbeing and include:

• A guided meditation
• An opportunity for some brief discussion.

You don’t need to book in advance, and no previous experience of mindfulness is necessary.  The sessions are delivered online via Microsoft Teams.

For information on how to register please see TEWV Mindfulness Service Website.

Taster sessions

The 2-hour online sessions will give you a taste of what mindfulness is all about and the variety of offerings our service provides. Sessions include information, discussion, and guided meditations.  The taster sessions are open to health and social care staff and members of the public, including service users and carers.  You need to attend a taster before applying for the 8-week course.

For dates and booking information please see TEWV Mindfulness Service Website.

3-week introduction to mindfulness course

This course is online via Microsoft Teams and will introduce you to some skills that can help you manage distress and difficulty as well as appreciate the good things in life.  It consists of 3 sessions over a 3-week period.  Each online session is an hour long and will include brief guided meditations, as well as some theory and discussion.  Between these sessions, you will be invited to use the mindfulness practices at home so that you begin to experience the benefits of applying mindfulness to your everyday life.

The course is for people who are new to mindfulness or who only have limited time to attend a course.

For dates and booking information please see TEWV Mindfulness Service Website.

8-week courses

An in-depth course with a structured curriculum that combines training in mindfulness with elements of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). The course will teach you skills to manage distress and to appreciate the good things in life by inviting you to apply what you learn to your own life and developing a regular mindfulness practice.  This course does not teach you how to teach others about mindfulness.

Participants (usually 10-15) and the teacher meet once a week.  You will need to do some home practice every day to practise the skills you are learning.

If you would like to attend one of our 8-week courses, you will need to attend a taster session or an introductory course first.

For dates and booking information please see TEWV Mindfulness Service Website.

Days of mindfulness practice

Our days of mindfulness practice sessions are included in the 8-week course and previous graduates are also invited to support their ongoing mindfulness practice and sense of wellbeing. The day is spent engaging in a variety of mindfulness practices with limited talking and space for reflection.

These sessions may be online via Microsoft Teams or in-person.

For dates and booking information please see TEWV Mindfulness Service Website.

Contact us

For any other enquiries please email us on tewv.mindfulness@nhs.net or phone on 01325 552017.

GemArts: Cultural threads

After the success of our previous Chinese Water Colour sessions led by GEM Arts as part of their Cultural Threads work with us, we have been able to organise 2 further sessions of this for the summer led by Dr Chun Chao-Chiu.

Mondays: 5 June, 12 June, 19 June, 26 June, 3 July and 10 July - FULLY BOOKED

Tuesdays: 6 June, 13 June, 20 June, 27 June, 4 July and 11 July

The sessions include an introduction to paints, tools and materials.
You will develop creative skills in:

• Chinese brush painting
• Learn how to paint landscapes, flowers, animals
• Chinese Calligraphy.

Each art activity takes place over 6 weekly sessions from 7-8.30pm in the evening, delivered via Zoom in a relaxing, supportive, friendly atmosphere.

For those of you who have previously attended these art sessions we would ask that you use the art pack that already have. This is so that we are able to accommodate as many people as we can on these courses.

If anyone would like to contact the Hub about any of these offers then please email huboffers@cntw.nhs.uk”.

We all know that whilst working in health and social care can be very rewarding, it can also be very stressful.  One important and powerful way to support ourselves is through practicing self-compassion.

This online course has been designed by Clinical Psychologist Dr Chris Irons. As Dr Irons knows that working in healthcare can be ‘full-on,’ it is an easy to access programme which helps you get the maximum benefits with a minimal amount of time commitment.

The programme consists of:

• Four 30-minute videos, intended to be viewed once per week, which guide you through key ideas and practices of self-compassion. Each is accompanied by a short summary handout.
• A variety of practices, each less than 10 minutes, designed to build self-compassion and reduce psychological distress.

The online course has been evaluated at University College London, and results show that people who complete the course have seen significant reductions in depression, anxiety, stress, shame, self-criticism, and feelings of insecurity in relationships.

To be able to access the self compassion course, you would firstly need to speak to one of the Hub Team, you can do this by:

• Complete our online self-referral form via the link Referral Form (mayden.co.uk)
• Or,email us at Hubstheword@cntw.nhs.uk
• Or, give us a call between 9.30am and 5pm on 0191 223 2030

The North East and North Cumbria ICS were given funding in 2020 by the local Health Education England team to provide some online training for healthcare staff during the COVID-19 pandemic both to support their service delivery and also support their wellbeing. This consisted of a series of experiential learning webinars that were recorded for use as an ongoing online resource.

Because the pandemic has had a multifaceted impact on people and communities, the webinars covered a range of topics that were informed by the evidence about managing and healing from adversity. They covered aspects of relational support, leadership, service design, specific interventions and tools, safety (both physical and social), unintended consequences and issues of empowerment and social cohesion (see Kennedy, 2019 model).

Recordings of these webinars, supporting documents and further information can be found on the Recovery College Online website.

The regional Integrated Care System is very aware of the amazing work that many psychology staff are doing to support their frontline colleagues. As part of the NHS-E funding for staff support we would like to offer ‘the scaffolders’ a space to reflect. This will hopefully be a safe space to practice what we preach, look after ourselves and help to inform the hub of the kind of themes that may be emerging for staff bearing the burden of the impact of the pandemic in order to create support for them matching their evolving needs.

Balint Groups

In essence, Balint Groups are a way of reflecting upon Clinical work using a psychodynamic/psychoanalytic model and are conducted on the basis that participants ‘will bring along’ a clinical case e.g. a patient and/or recent, perhaps troubling, case/encounter. Notes are usually not used.  

The presenting member outlines the case and then ‘sits back’ and the remaining participants discuss the case/patient in a reflective and associative sort of way i.e. not discussing e.g. the progress and outcome but try instead to get under the surface as to ‘what is going on’ in the relationship between clinician and patient.   So, the tools are fantasy, countertransference, imagination, association etc.

Balint Groups usually last 60-90 minutes are often held say, fortnightly and over an extended period of time, e.g. in ‘Terms’ of ten sessions.

Taking Care-Giving Care (TCGC) Groups

Taking Care-Giving Care (TCGC)  groups are more structured and again last for 60—90 minutes and are concerned with Compassion – how we offer it to our patients and how we can offer it to our colleagues and crucially, to ourselves.   Such sessions are often delivered as either one-offs or over two to three sessions.   The structured exercises are only so many and repetition would set-in.

A Bespoke Model

These are not either-or options and sometime a more evolving reflective/supportive group can be devised and be adapted over time, i.e. Bespoke Model is devised to fit the needs of each particular team.

Read more: Staff wellbeing Hub Group Support - further information.

For more information, please email hubstheword@cntw.nhs.uk

Teams Pathway

• Is your team struggling with something that has happened? For example, the death of a colleague
• Have you noticed your team is tired and you’re worried that they may be burning out?
• Do you want to develop positive leadership or cultural aspects within your service?
• Can we support your organisational development department with the good work they are already doing?

If so, did you know that the hub can support and train groups of staff as well as individuals.

There are many interventions, support and training packages that we can offer. If you want to refer your team and have an initial conversation with one of our leadership team, please phone 0191 223 2030 or e-mail HubsTheWord@cntw.nhs.uk. We will work with you to best meet your team’s needs using an evidence-based approach.

We are not aiming to replace the good offers and work that goes on in your own organisation. Therefore, we would like to communicate with the appropriate lead to ensure a joined-up approach that compliments and supports this work.