#MakingStuffBetter Graham Hyde

In this episode we hear from Seacroft Local Care Partnership in Leeds who recognised the significant need to respond to Domestic Abuse, particularly as a result of COVID -19.
But why a focus on Domestic Abuse?

Police reported receiving a call every 30 seconds during the first 7 weeks of lockdown in 2020

The National Domestic Abuse helpline reported a 49% increase of calls to the helpline and Refuge (UK’s largest domestic abuse charity) reported a 120% increase in calls.
In the Killingbeck and Seacroft Ward between (Nov 2018 and Oct2019) WY Police reported 87% of calls are domestic related.
The Boggart Hill area is ranked 4th highest in domestic violence occurrences
The average cost per domestic abuse victim is £34,015
Cost of physical and emotional harm accounts to £47 billion and productivity loss is £14 billion
Some stark figures there.

In their aim of making stuff better, the Local Care Partnership delivered a co-ordinated partnership response for the benefit of local people, which started with a month of awareness raising and taking action and continuing into following months.

#MakingStuffBetter with Team Leeds Chats - but what is Team Leeds Chats?

In Leeds, approximately 57,000 people work in health and care. We have some of the most skilled and passionate teams in the world, and your skills and experience are making a real difference to real people. By working even better together as one health and care team, we can make an even bigger difference to peoples’ outcomes, as well as improving support to each other to address the system challenges that we face.

Team Leeds is not a new concept. There are already great examples of how working together has made a real difference. We are producing a series of Team Leeds Stories to highlight great examples of existing health and care partnerships, and to inspire Leeds health and care workers to work even better together.

A number of focus groups have been hosted, bringing Team Leeds colleagues together to share unique experiences of living and working during the pandemic.

We have heard many inspiring examples of how people already work in partnership with other teams and organisations improving health and care outcomes and experiences of care.

Some Team Leeds Chats focussed on specific groups, including those who are seldom heard, such as unpaid carers, workforce from ethnically diverse groups, and health and care students / apprentices (learners)

Covid-19 has disproportionately impacted certain groups of people and recognising this, a Team Leeds Chat was hosted with members of our health and care teams belonging to Leeds and York Partnership Foundation Trust Menopause Support Group.

18 women were asked to share their experiences of living and working during the pandemic, whilst experiencing symptoms of perimenopause and menopausal transition.

In this episode, you will hear from some of these women who want to share their stories and experience.

There are lots of resources available including www.mymenopausecentre.com created and delivered by Dr Clare Spencer.

Gemma Hawtin is a physiotherapy assistant at Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust.

Gemma was recognised as the Advancing Healthcare Awards AHA Overall Winner at a ceremony held in London in October 2020.

Gemma and Michelle Lyons, Physiotherapy Assistant at LCH also picked up the NHS employers award for outstanding achievement by an AHP or healthcare science apprentice, support worker or technician, in recognition of their Wheelchair Skills Programme.

We are in conversation with Chris Dickinson who is Head of Commissioning for Children and Families at Leeds City Council.  A native North American now living and working in the Leeds.  

I have worked with Chris throughout the COVID19 pandemic in Leeds, very much as a partnership, on the Clinical Extremely Vulnerable people project in the City for them to receive the support and messaging they need.

What prompted me to get in touch with Chris was a tweet he published where he was talking about collaborative commissioning. I was keen to understand what he meant by this and to explore how we can all value the contribution made in the city by the 3rd sector.

We talk about the commitment to being a child friendly city and reference the children and young people plan which you can read more about from this link https://www.leeds.gov.uk/childfriendlyleeds/Documents/CMT18-022%20Childrens%20and%20YP%20Plan%2018-23.pdf

Chris describes 2 Big Questions towards the end of the episode so sit back and enjoy.

Healthwatch Leeds is the independent watchdog ensuring people’s voices are at the heart of shaping health and care services in Leeds. https://healthwatchleeds.co.uk/

How does it feel for me - Joyce
Joyce has lived with her husband Edgar on the Hawksworth Estate for many years and is a backbone of the community, always willing to be a listening ear and help others where she can. Living with diabetes, cancer and a heart condition has meant she sees many health and care professionals and has some good suggestions about how things could be better.

https://healthwatchleeds.co.uk/joyce-how-does-it-feel-for-me/

Hannah is a public health improvement specialist working at Leeds City Council focussed on older people in the City.

Shine Magazine is a new publication from Time to Shine that shares the stories of older people in Leeds.

Older people in Leeds have stories to tell. This is the place to tell them. Stories of our lives, memories of our city, stories about how we have coped with adversity in the last few months. Stories to make you laugh, to move you, to make you think. All kinds of stories from all kinds of older people in Leeds.

https://timetoshineleeds.org/projects/shine-magazine