Public Administration Committee Contents


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.




 
previous page contents next page

House of Commons home page Parliament home page House of Lords home page search page enquiries index

© Parliamentary copyright 2009
Prepared 30 November 2009