News

Dear Colleague,

Well, where did the summer go??  I really do hope that you managed to grab some time off over the summer to spend with your family and loved ones.   I was reminded last night how quickly the nights are drawing in as when we finished our Board meeting via Teams, it was dark!

We had many items for discussion and debate which I will update you on as usual.  It was great that we had the Good Governance Institute in attendance who are currently observing all Board and Sub-Committee meetings and will be providing us with a report on our processes and governance procedures.

We commenced the Board sessions with Caroline presenting the story of Jacob Reddy and his amazing fundraising efforts for Derian House!  Jacob’s family used Derian House in 2003 and at that time sadly his brother passed away. It reminds us how connected families are with us, no matter how many years pass, and we are grateful to Jacob for his amazing effort busking in every city in the UK! He hoped to raise £2,500 but has currently reached an amazing £8,000 – what an achievement. We are all truly grateful – thank you Jacob!

As society is opening up, we continue to be mindful that we need to maintain more rigid controls on access to our buildings for the safety and wellbeing of our children and young people and of course all of you.  COVID remains a focus for the Board and the Senior Management Team (SMT) ensuring we maintain our COVID-Secure processes and procedures but also being aware that teams need to start mixing and getting together more regularly.  The senior team is continuing to keep up to date with the latest national advice and when anything significant changes we will let you know.

The restoration of our services continues although we are aware of the staffing pressures within the clinical teams and discussed last night the plans that Lynn and Ben are working on to fill vacancies as soon as possible.

We were delighted to inform you a few weeks ago that the Board approved a 2% salary increase which was backdated to the 1^st April 2021. As promised we have kept a keen eye on what has been happening with the NHS pay review, having agreed that we would review our decision once an agreement within the NHS had been made.  I am sure you will be aware that the NHS has settled on a 3% increase.  The Board has, therefore, approved a further 1% increase which will be awarded to you all, taking your annual pay award to 3%.  The extra 1% will be backdated to the 1^st April 2021 and will be showing in the September payroll.

The Board was delighted to learn that a number of projects are now coming to fruition with the greenhouse now opened and the new minibus here, in the car park, with just the Derian House name needing to be added!

The Birdsong survey results were presented to the Board at this meeting and although a number of areas have seen improvement, the Board was disappointed in a number of the scores and some of the specific comments.  It is clear that we still need to work on a number of issues such as communication, engagement, culture and health and wellbeing.  The Board has asked the senior team to urgently address these areas of concern by engaging with you all to understand what we can do collectively to improve your experiences.  We ask that you be open with the senior team in their efforts to try and understand and resolve any issues and ensure that Derian House is a ‘Great Place to Work’.  This remains a firm commitment by the Board.

The Board would like to thank everyone for their commitment and hard work and thank you for your continued focus and support.

Karen Swindley

Chair of Trustees