MEMORANDUM
FROM ROGER
GALE MP
INQUIRY INTO
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE
The accompanying Health Authority leaflet epitomises,
I think, the worst of both Government initiatives and language!
I see small point in selecting a particular
phrase from this document which is total in its awfulness!
With my best wishes.
April 2009
APPENDIX
EXTRACTS OF LETTER FROM DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
TO ROGER GALE MP
PACESETTERS PROGRAMME—LOCAL
NHS TRUSTS
I am writing to inform you that Eastern &
Coastal Kent PCT in your constituency is participating in a Department
of Health led initiative called Pacesetters.
Pacesetters aims to tackle inequalities in health
services and in the workplace arising out of discrimination and
disadvantage. The programme is founded on a robust evidence base
and evaluation strategy. Its projects are developed through co-design
with communities and delivered through a service improvement methodology.
(See Overview for further details.) It is important to emphasise
that the methodology is based on testing new approaches on a small
scale to identify what works and what does not work.
18 Trusts across six Strategic Health Authorities
participated in the first wave. Some example(s) are attached:
1. Local example(s) from your area.
2. Overview of the Pacesetters programme for
Wave 2 sites.
3. Frequently Asked Questions.
4. Selection criteria and application form for
Wave 2 sites.
5. Wave 2 Matrix of Change Ideas.
We anticipate that most interventions worked
on will be for a period of one year after which successful innovations
will be mainstreamed into the work of the trusts and spread nationally.
This will ensure long-term sustainability of equality and diversity
into core business.
EXAMPLE (S)
OF IMPROVEMENT
STORIES FROM
YOUR REGION
Spiritual needs assessment project
Surrey and Borders Partnership Foundation Trust
The Spiritual Needs Assessment project at the
Abraham Cowley Unit in Chertsey is focusing on developing a Spiritual
Needs Assessment process so that mental health services can more
effectively respond to the spiritual and religious needs of service
users. This project is not only focused on faith but includes
non-believers and people with interests that have a significant
influence on their lives.
The team have begun to roll out Spiritual Needs
Assessment on one ward and two members of nursing staff have been
trained to use the assessment tool and form. Work is also being
carried out to improve the design of the "tool" for
the spiritual needs assessment. Workshops and training sessions
have been held for hospital staff and faith practitioners to raise
awareness of the tool. The project lead has given presentations
to other staff to encourage its wider use and adoption. An important
objective for the project was to include Spiritual/cultural needs
as a separate section the new CPA; this has now been achieved.
Participation and engagement
Community participation is a significant element
of the programme. SHAs and their Trusts work in partnership with
local populations, patients and service users to design innovative
models of community participation. (Each Wave 2 site will link
with an original Pacesetters site in their area in order to learn
about the processes of being involved in Pacesetters).
International Faculty
As part of the programme, an International Advisory
Faculty has been established, comprising a group of international
advisors who offer leading-edge thinking across the six equality
strands. One of their key roles is to identify innovative solutions
currently in place in other countries that are having a positive
impact to intractable problems in relation to health inequalities
and the six equality strands. Four International Faculty events
have been held on topics such as community engagement, disability
and race.
Evaluation
It is essential that the programme aims, and
innovations in each SHA and trust, are evaluated so that outcomes
can be identified and lessons learnt. It is also important that
the service improvement methodology underpinning the programme
is evaluated. Each SHA has appointed an evaluation team to evaluate
the local changes in its area. DH has also appointed a research
programme manager to manage a robust overall evaluation.
SELECTION CRITERIA
AND RATIONALE
FOR PROPOSED
SITES
We expect interested NHS organisations that
want to participate in the Programme to demonstrate how they fulfill
the following essential and desirable criteria:
Essential Elements
— Community Involvement and Participation:
Pacesetters is a programme that is founded on meaningful community
engagement. NHS organisations need to demonstrate what process
they have in place or are planning to develop to engage with the
widest community demographics as possible. They need to demonstrate
how this engagement is or will be, shaping their policies and
services.
— Trust Board Commitment: It is
expected that the participating NHS organisation will nominate
a Pacesetter lead at Executive Director Level to assist in both
the delivery and dissemination of the programme internally and
externally and link it to the mainstream business of the organisation.
— Partnership working: We are looking
for NHS organisations that can show positive partnership working
practices and behaviours with its diverse communities, the Department
of Health, local NHS and the community and voluntary sector stakeholders.
— Legal compliance: Pacesetter sites
will also be expected to work comprehensively towards achieving
equality and diversity legal compliance
— Current Equality and Diversity Position:
Pacesetter sites should reflect a broad spectrum of progress across
the six equality strands. Sites may be a mix of those organisations
that are committed to the agenda and/or have already made some
progress or those that are struggling but are committed to the
equality agenda.
Desirable Elements
— Buddying Process: To engage a wider audience,
spread the learning and increase capacity of the programme, other
NHS organisations will be encouraged to shadow and work with participating
sites It will be particularly useful if an interested Trust is
able to suggest or identify possible partnership with another
NHS "buddy" site or already have these arrangements
in place.
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