Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

The SOS Bus will be visiting Colchester and Clacton to offer people support on World Suicide Prevention Day (Tuesday 10 September). Staff from a number of organisations, including EPUT, will be on hand to offer advice on local mental health services and support to people in need. The SOS Bus, which is run by the charity Open Road, will be on Culver Street West, Colchester (behind Superdrug) from 9.15am until approximately 12.15pm. Then, the bus will travel to Clacton where it will be based at Christmas Tree Island (opposite McDonalds) from 1pm to around 4pm or 4.30pm. World Suicide Prevention Day focuses on changing the narrative around suicide and encourages people to have conversations. It encourages us to move from a culture of stigma and silence, to one of openness, understanding and support. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, there is urgent support available. The NHS 111 Mental Health Crisis Response Service provides immediate access to mental health crisis care and support. Call 111 and select the option for mental health - available free, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can also call the service on behalf of someone else. If you or someone you know requires serious or life threatening emergency mental or physical care, call 999 immediately.

Our children's asthma nurses are supporting this year's #AskAboutAsthma campaign (Monday 9 to Sunday 15 September). The national campaign is raising awareness of four simple steps to help children and young people living with asthma keep well: • Get a written asthma action plan in place with your health professional • Understand how to use inhalers correctly • Schedule an asthma review every year and after every asthma attack • Consider air pollution and its impact on lung health Find out more at https://ow.ly/x9pz50TiKhw #AskAboutAsthma

Crisis call handler Chloe braved a 12,000 foot skydive to raise money for a children's charity close to her heart. So far, Chloe has raised £600 for Aoife's Bubbles Charity - the UK's only charity dedicated to fighting childhood germ cell cancer. The charity was set up in memory of Chloe's friend's daughter, Aoife Flanagan, who died aged 3 just days after being diagnosed. Chloe said: “It was really daunting but such an amazing experience and I am so glad I have been able to raise the money for such a worthwhile cause." Find out more about Aoife’s Bubbles at www.aoifesbubbles.co.uk

Our Mental Health Urgent Care Department - which has helped more than 4,300 people experiencing mental health crisis - has been shortlisted for the NHS Parliamentary Awards national finals. The unit is the first of its kind in Essex and opened in March 2023. It is staffed by specialist doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals from EPUT, Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, and the East of England Ambulance Service, who work closely with community services and charities. Dr Milind Karale, Executive Medical Director at EPUT, said: “The team at the Mental Health Urgent Care Department provide 24/7 care for people when they are at their most vulnerable and are committed to giving their patients compassionate, high quality care. “They have helped more than 4,300 people since launching the service 17 months ago, ensuring people get the right care for their needs and easing pressure on local emergency departments which are not always the best place for people experiencing a mental health crisis. “Winning a regional award in the NHS Parliamentary Awards and being shortlisted for the national finals is testament to the team’s hard work and dedication to delivering excellent care.” Read more: https://ow.ly/SHTJ50TgeUK #NHSParliamentaryAwards

Tower Ward at Clacton Hospital has been recognised for the quality of its end of life care. The ward cares for older adults who are experiencing mental health difficulties, including people with dementia. The team are always working to enhance care, creating a special bedroom for patients nearing the end of their lives, setting up a new carers' group and working together with the local St Helena Hospice. In recognition of everyone's hard work, Tower Ward has just been awarded the Gold Standards Framework (GSF) Quality Hallmark Award after successfully passing a reaccreditation assessment. Ward manager Annette Knott said: “I am very proud of my team, who have continually worked hard to maintain the accreditation and to achieve reaccreditation. “We are honoured when families request that their loved one remains on the ward for us to support them through their end of life journey. “We’ve had some lovely compliments, and one family donated a garden bench to acknowledge the high quality care and support that they and their loved one received.” #WorldAlzheimersMonth

Marcus has sung at theatres and venues all over the country, including the famous The Cavern Club in Liverpool, performing as Noel Gallagher as part of an Oasis tribute band. Their diaries are booked up with gigs for the next three years and the reunion tour announced by the real Oasis has fuelled even more interest in the tribute act. But its singing in care homes and day centres, including Clifton Lodge in Westcliff, that he finds the most rewarding of jobs because of the joy it brings to older people and how it ignites memories in those who are living with dementia. He said: “I do about 200 care home shows a year, it’s my main job aside from Saturday gigs. “I have been singing in care homes for about ten years, and at Clifton Lodge for three years. The sorts of stuff I play is from the 1960s to 1980s. "People make the mistake of going into care homes singing only wartime songs. When I go in I am playing The Beatles, Elvis, The Rolling Stones, the Everly Brothers, and Cliff Richard. “It’s the most rewarding of all the jobs I do because music is so powerful and you’re able to reach into somebody and find the person in there who remembers those songs." Read more at https://ow.ly/Ns1c50TatYL

Getting the right support and advice can really change your life. This #FeedbackFriday, a service user shared how the Knightswick Clinic team supported them through mental health difficulties - including helping to access a diagnosis of ASD. Read more people's feedback on our services at: https://lnkd.in/dk9X99b3

Thank you to the Dementia Navigators, from Southend-on-Sea City Council, for visiting our Clifton Lodge nursing home in Westcliff today. The team offer practical advice and support for people with dementia and their families, and will be visiting Clifton Lodge regularly to chat with relatives of our residents about the help available. You can find out more about the Dementia Navigators at https://lnkd.in/eGUtxWiJ

Starting today, appointment details for some of our outpatient mental health services will be available in our digital patient portal. This is for registered users aged 16+. You can access appointment details for appointments taking place within the next three weeks. Find out more on our website: https://ow.ly/bpp150T1LJy

Have you seen an example of outstanding care recently? Do you know a member of our team who goes above and beyond? Our Staff Recognition Awards help us celebrate our colleagues and teams, making sure their hard work doesn't go unnoticed. Colleagues, partners, patients, carers and members of the public are all welcome to nominate. Learn more and submit your nomination: https://lnkd.in/gnTre4X