Posted on: 30 June 2022
Hello, my name is Helen
Well, after what has felt like the longest notice period in history, I am finally on my way from Bradford District and Craven, from commissioning and from my career as an NHS manager.
And what a journey it has been. I started working in the NHS 30 years ago in HR, although it wasn’t called that then! More recently it has been fantastic to lead the HR process for the NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board transition alongside Suzie Tilburn, Associate Director for HR and Organisation Development for the Partnership as one of my last pieces of work.
Like many of my colleagues, I have lived through many NHS re-organisations with my employing organisation being abolished five times. Although for some people change is hard and not always welcomed, I have always enjoyed the opportunities it brings to re-focus and improve on what we aim to achieve for people’s health and wellbeing.
I have been blessed to work with some fabulous colleagues from all health and care sectors over the years. They have inspired and motivated me with many being great role models who have influenced the development of my own leadership style. I have also worked with some (not many) who have been not such great role models. The learning from them has been just as powerful and in some cases more impactful. What I have learned most from the many people I have been privileged to work with over the years, is that people, communities, and their representatives always, without hesitation come first – regardless of their age, culture, or background. There is no substitute from hearing first-hand what it’s like to access care and services, to work in a team, and to experience challenges. I have always been reluctant to make decisions based purely on reports, graphs, and spreadsheets without a much greater understanding of people’s experiences. For me this has always come first.
Bradford District and Craven will always hold a big place in my heart. Apart from a couple of years on a national secondment in 2010 and a couple of ‘as well as Bradford’ jobs - one national and one in York - I am extremely proud to have spent my whole NHS career here. I wouldn’t have changed this for anything.
Bradford District and Craven is without doubt experiencing many challenges as are lots of places in the country. Yet as always, we pull together, aim high and try to overcome these from a learning lens, with a collective force to rise above and do the right thing for all who live here. What I have always found is that the people who live and work here are passionate and committed to making the area an even better place; to learn from each other; and to pull together when times are tough.
My Granny used to say that ‘when poverty comes through the window love goes out of the door’. I sincerely hope that this saying doesn't play out and that partnerships and relationships continue to strengthen in the tough times. With Bradford being the City of Culture in 2025 there is much to look forward to. I for one, can’t wait to see Bradford on the national stage in the positive light it richly deserves – celebrating all that makes the area a unique and special place to live and work.
Over the last seven years I have been privileged to work with leaders in Bradford District and Craven and West Yorkshire to develop those partnerships and relationships into a working model that was ahead of its time, and which now mirrors the new national policy for integrated care systems. Supporting West Yorkshire’s development through the mental health, learning disabilities and autism, local place development and system leadership programmes has been a joy.
Many colleagues tease me for my love of metaphors and analogies and, as a keen gardener, I hope I leave my Bradford District and Craven family with well dug soil, suitably fertilised and ready for them to plant the seeds of ambition for the next 30 years. We know how to do big change, we know how to scale up and spread learning. We need to apply those skills, that capability and confidence to the new challenges. We also have lots of brilliant gardeners (leaders and colleagues who deliver with care and compassion) and I am confident that they will do everything within their power to strive to deliver the best outcomes for the people of Bradford District and Craven.
I wish I had seen us make greater inroads into health inequalities and there are some things I may have done differently if I had my time again, particularly around preventing ill health and early help – because the more work we all do here together the better life chances people have.
Overall though, I’m proud of what we achieved locally and I’m proud of the local partnership we have established with and for Bradford District and Craven communities. I am also very proud to have been part of the work we do together across West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership because everyone, no matter where they live deserves their very best start in life and every chance of living a long, happy, healthy one. I’m very much looking forward to the next part of the journey.
I am not going far. I have recently been appointed as the Chair of Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust. I am very excited about the opportunities this role brings to contribute to care services and their development in Huddersfield and Halifax and throughout Kirklees and Calderdale. I am delighted to still be contributing to the NHS as a non-executive and in the place where I live.
Thank you to everyone who has worked with me over the years.
Have a good weekend
Helen
All at the Partnership wish Helen the very best in the next phase of her life journey. We wish her the very best and are fortunate to know she will remain working with many colleagues in her new non-executive role.
What else has been happening this week?
NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board
The first meeting in public of the NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board takes place on Friday 1 July from 9:00 am to 11:30 am via online video conference. The agenda and papers for this meeting are available on our website here, where the meeting will also be streamed live and a recording uploaded for people to watch who aren’t able to attend. Please note, the focus of this first meeting is to agree our governance arrangements and demonstrate our readiness to operate as a new statutory Integrated Care Board from 1 July 2022. The Board met in shadow form on 17 May 2022.
New website for the Integrated Care Board
A new website for NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) launches today (1 July). The website will host Board and committee meeting papers, information about the ICB and its business, statutory information such as policies and the ICB’s publication scheme, and ways to get in touch. You can visit the site, which is part of the West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership website, at https://www.westyorkshire.icb.nhs.uk
The short animation below looks at our Partnership’s journey #OurJourneyWY since 2016 and explains how our new integrated care board will help us to achieve even better health and care outcomes for the 2.4 million people living in West Yorkshire:
Yorkshire and Humber Care Record – update
Airedale NHS Foundation Trust successfully began sharing their maternity documents with the Yorkshire and Humber Care Record (YHCR) on Monday 27 June following an extensive period of testing. This is an important step in allowing maternity staff at other organisations across West Yorkshire to see ‘on-demand’ documentation relating to a woman’s pregnancy. Following on from this, Airedale will begin configuration of the YHCR Portal for their maternity units to allow them to view corresponding maternity documents from other areas.
Campaigns
Every sleep a safe sleep
Staff are taking advantage of the new staff guidance and training tools to help reduce the risk of the sudden and unexpected death of an infant (SUDI). The resources are aimed at colleagues who work with pregnant women and families where there are babies aged up to 12 months. The resource package includes:
- a 55-minute webinar
- Every Sleep a Safe Sleep - multiagency risk minimisation guidance
- Safer Sleep Protective Factors Tool for Parent/Carer
- Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (SUDI) Risk Minimisation Tool for Professionals
- Safer Sleep facilitator’s pack
- Safer Sleep participant’s pack
For more information see the safer sleep pages on the website
West Yorkshire Healthier Together - a new website for families launches
The Partnership officially launched its Healthier Together website on Monday 27 June. This new website provides consistent, accurate and trustworthy healthcare advice to parents, carers, young people, and professionals.
West Yorkshire Healthier Together is a free website developed by local healthcare professionals to help parents and carers keep their children safe and healthy. It has a wide range of information and is available by visiting www.wyhealthiertogether.nhs.uk
The Partnership has ensured the online advice compliments local advice given across health and care services. Information has been reviewed by local paediatricians, GPs, community pharmacists, health visitors and other professionals across the region to ensure it is the most current, and up to date information available.
The Healthier Together programme first originated in Wessex and its successful approach adapted and launched in other parts of the country. The benefits of local developments mean links and information about local services and resources have been made available. It also offers practical advice on whether a child should go to nursery or school if unwell, along with advice on keeping children safe, well and in good general health.
Victoria Hemming, Consultant Paediatrician, Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust and West Yorkshire Healthier Together Clinical Lead said “Clinical expertise from a wide range of professionals across the area has made development of the West Yorkshire Healthier Together website possible. It's designed to be a helpful and practical tool for parents and carers. It provides advice on common childhood illnesses, including when and where to go for help. There is also advice on keeping children safe and healthy. The website will continue to be developed with new topics added. We are particularly looking forward to working with young people to develop pages relevant for them."
Sayma Mirza, Associate Director for Children, Young People and Families at West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership said “I am delighted to see the launch of our ‘Healthier Together’ website which is going to be a valuable resource for children, young people, families, carers and health and care professionals. We aim to continue the development of the site in co-production with our Youth Collective and health and care professionals. This is great news for our local communities and workforce. Families across the area are very much encouraged to visit: www.wyhealthiertogether.nhs.uk”