Category Archives: Derian News
To celebrate Volunteer’s Week (3-9 June), our longest running volunteer Val Sharp has been in the news after being honoured at the future King’s royal party.
Val has featured on BBC News online, the Lancashire Evening Post, and the Burnley Express after her visit to the Royal Garden Party, hosted by Prince William, at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday, 21 May.
Val will also be live with Graham Liver on BBC Radio Lancashire tomorrow morning (Tuesday) – tune in from 7:40am.
You can read the stories below:
Val was nominated by the Lord-Lieutenant of Lancashire, Mrs Amanda Parker JP, to receive an invitation to the royal event after learning about her length of service during a visit to Derian House at the hospice 30th anniversary open day.
We are the champions, my friend! 
Last month, three of our talented young people took part in Bolton Wanderers in the Community‘s Panathlon Challenge secondary curling competition at Bolton Arena… and they only went and won it! 
15 teams from eight schools took part, but it was the Derian Dynamos that came out on top… and they’ll now progress to the North West finals in June 
Not only have we been awarded a shiny trophy to add to our ever-growing collection, but each of our lads went home with a medal, which they were presented with at a homecoming here at the hospice during Friday Night Club 
We’re so proud of the boys for their incredible efforts – well done 
Hi everyone,
Dave from IT here! Hope everyone is having a good week.
This is an email to let you know that Derian is about to start using a new email spam filter.
The system is called “Barracuda”.
Below is a link to a short document on how this affects you! I strongly suggest you give it a read today, as we’ll be rolling it out shortly.
Hi everyone,
It’s St George’s Day next week on Tuesday 23rd April, and in celebration of the day we ask if you could wear something red or white.
For all staff who require to be IPC compliant, to carry out your role please ensure you are bare below the elbow and maintain IPC standards.
We have signed a contract with Abbey ICT to support us with any I.T. issues on a permanent basis.
If you have an issue with your computer, the first step will be to email support@abbeyict.com and a ticket will be opened for the job.
If it is an urgent matter, you can also call Abbey ICT on: 01254 272000, option 1.
A member of the Abbey ICT team will also be on hand to answer questions or help find solutions to any problems once a week (this will usually be a Wednesday).
For any other queries about IT please contact John Boe.
Good afternoon, Starting on Tuesday the 2nd April we will have an engineer with us to carry out the 6 monthly service of the air-con system in order to carry out this service the engineer will require access to all rooms containing Air-Con equipment, I do expect the whole process to take up to 4 days.
The engineer attending is called Tom and many of you may well recognize him as he has been on site many times before.
“People often misunderstand palliative care to relate solely to end-of-life care. Palliative care is an approach that is focused on improving the quality of life for a baby, child or young person with a life-threatening or life-limiting diagnosis.” ✨
Last week, we brought you the news that a county-wide education project to train professionals how to give better care to seriously ill children had been launched right here at the hospice 🙌
Developed by the incredible Education Team here Derian House, the project aims to give hundreds of the area’s sickest children a better experience no matter where they are being cared for – with the training available for doctors, nurses, health professionals, social workers and teachers 🥰
The project has been made possible thanks to £100,000 of matched funding by NHS England and will be hosted by Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) 🫶
Both face-to-face and online learning courses will train professionals in how to communicate sensitively, how to spot symptoms of worsening conditions, how to put a plan in place for child’s care at the end of their life, and what practical steps to take after a child has died 💚
There are 200 guaranteed spaces per month for professionals who want to take advantage of the training, and those interested can book a space by filling out the form below 📋
A county-wide education project to train professionals how to give better care to seriously ill children has been launched this week.
Developed by Derian House Children’s Hospice, the project aims to give hundreds of the area’s sickest children a better experience no matter where they are being cared for – with the training available for doctors, nurses, health professionals, social workers and teachers.
The project has been made possible thanks to £100,000 of matched funding by NHS England and will be hosted by Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB).
Both face-to-face and online learning courses will train professionals in how to communicate sensitively, how to spot symptoms of worsening conditions, how to put a plan in place for child’s care at the end of their life, and what practical steps to take after a child has died.
There are 200 guaranteed spaces for professionals who want to take advantage of the training, and those interested can book a space by contacting: clinical.education@derianhouse.co.uk
The initiative will also include working with the Kentown Children’s Palliative Care Programme, training its nurses so that they can deliver the education package to other health professionals across the patch and spread good practice.
Kirsty Blackburn, Education Manager at Derian House, said: “People often misunderstand palliative care to relate solely to end-of-life care. Palliative care is an approach that is focused on improving the quality of life for a baby child or young person with a life threatening or life limiting diagnosis.
“The modules should provide a good understanding of ways we can enhance care for children and their families.”
Catherine Randall, Chief Nurse at Derian House, said: “We’re proud to be involved with this fantastic project that aims to improve the quality of the care our children and young people receive no matter where they are.
“Our specialists at Derian House are honoured to share best practice with professionals from across Lancashire and South Cumbria to ensure children and their families receive the care they deserve.”
To book onto the training contact clinical.education@derianhouse.co.uk
ENDS
Our three newest recruits have now settled into life here at Derian House. Still don’t know much about them? We’ve got you covered – find out more by scrolling down 🙂
Anthony Mohammed – Head of Quality, Governance & Compliance
Starting with us back in the beginning of December, Anthony has probably by now got round to meeting the majority of you. He joins us after working in the interim market for 11 years, and most recently a role with a fully integrated care provider which took him to the Isle of Man.
With a career spanning dozens of sectors including mental health services, maternity, cancer, and specialising in patient quality and safety, Anthony is excited to start his first permanent role in over a decade here at the North West’s children’s hospice.
The change was brought on by family circumstances (mainly due to Premier Inn being his permanent residence!), and Anthony can now spend more time at home, rather than out of a suitcase.
He’s already got stuck into everything ‘CQC’ and ‘risk’, and will be starting to roll out sessions to staff in the coming months. Where he’s worked before has given him a hoard of experience which is very welcomed by us here at the hospice.
Outside of work, Anthony enjoys walking – and tries to do up to 20 miles a week – and as a self-proclaimed nerd, he tends to do a lot of political and historical reading.
FUN FACT – David Attenborough once stood on his foot!
Sarah Conway – Chorley Shop Assistant
Sarah is the latest member of staff to join our retail network right here in Chorley, and with a vast experience within the sector, is geared up and ready for the job!
She’s worked in huge supermarkets and small businesses, including a short period of time where she even ran her own business after the pandemic. Sarah loves merchandising and creating shop displays, and nothing gives her a bigger buzz at work than something selling from a display that she’s put together.
Our shop assistant is excited to put her skills towards keeping Derian House retail at its very best, and she couldn’t be happier to get to do it for such a good cause.
When she’s not at the shop, Sarah enjoys socialising with friends and visiting family.
FUN FACT – Sarah’s other half is none other than our eCommerce Manager, Tony!
Jeff Melling – Catering Manager
Jeff is a man who doesn’t need much of an introduction to many of you! After a couple of operations, he left the hospice after many years at the helm of catering back in early 2022, but is now back where he belongs and more ready than ever to ensure the Good Ship Kitchen is ran super smoothly.
From his famous Christmas dinners to his brilliant baking, we’re more than happy to see Jeff back where he belongs.
FUN FACT – Jeff’s Mastermind subject would be ‘World’s Strongest Man’.
It’s time to welcome three more new starters to our humble abode. You’ve probably already met them, but learn a bit more by scrolling down below!
Andrea Kilcommins – Shop Assistant, Horwich
You may already recognise Andrea from her short-but-sweet time with us as a volunteer in our Horwich shop, before she got the job of shop assistant in October last year.
After a varied career and decades working in the supply chain industry, her leap into the Horwich shop came from a combination of both diversifying her career later in life, and also because of her passion for all things retail.
Andrea absolutely loves communicating with customers and being in a shop environment, and is mostly looking forward to being a part of the special team at Derian House that all shares the same common goal.
Outside of work, Andrea loves holidaying and travelling the world, and has also been part of a rock choir for the past six years… that has even performed with Rick Astley, at Hyde Park, and the BBC Proms!
Bethanie Youll – Registered Nurse
Bethanie is the latest member to join our Care Team, and comes to us after five years at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital where she worked since qualifying back in 2018.
After recently moving to Buckshaw Village, the commute was proving a slog for our newest nurse and so she fancied a change… which brought her here to Derian House!
Bethanie has worked with a few of our children and young people already on the wards of Alder Hey, and is looking forward to being more involved in the day-to-day goings on of a child’s stay here at the hospice rather than the constant chaos of a hospital environment.
When she’s not nursing, Bethanie enjoys walking and hiking in the Lake District, and is prone to a good old musical!
John Boe – Head of Facilities & Infrastructure
Our new Head of Facilities & Infrastructure has done it all! From engineering to being in the military police, and school caretaker roles to compliance and legislation, his latest adventure takes him to his local children’s hospice right here at Derian House.
His previous job at Albany Academy saw him work alongside our Head of Finance, Colin, so when a job opportunity arose at the hospice, he followed in his pal’s footsteps and jumped at the chance to join our team.
John is a self-proclaimed people person, and is looking forward to learning more about hospice care and working with the various teams and families here.
In his own time, John frequents his motorhome up and down the country, enjoys hill walking with his border collies Ezra and Eli, and even makes bespoke shepherd’s crooks!
…not forgetting he’s the older brother of Broadway legend Alfie Boe!
Derian House was in the news a total of 325 times last year, with appearances in the Independent newspaper, on BBC TV news, and even in Hello Magazine!
The majority of the national news stories about us involved our seven-year-old fundraising superstar Oscar Burrow who climbed 12 mountains to the height of Everest to raise more than £40,000 for our children and young people.
As well as attracting national news stories in more than 20 different newspapers, websites and TV news stations, Oscar received a Points of Light Award by the Prime Minister and even bagged himself a place at the Princess of Wales’ Christmas carol concert, along with our Chief Exec Karen.
The 325 news stories about Derian House included 21 TV appearances on Granada, BBC North West Tonight and local channel That’s Lancashire. And we were on the radio 39 times.
Well done everyone for creating great news stories with our outstanding care and our epic fundraising.
MORE than eight out of 10 parents whose child has died said they feel sad that people don’t speak about their son or daughter, a new study into child loss has found.
Some bereaved parents even reported people crossing the street to avoid them and said they have lost friends because people don’t know how to act.
The research – conducted by Derian House Children’s Hospice and thought to be one of the largest studies of bereaved parents in the UK in recent years – found that 87% of parents felt nobody, other than close family, talks about their child anymore.
Researchers at the charity spoke to 70 families whose loss spanned more than three decades.
The over-riding finding was that that bereaved families desperately want you to talk about their child, and that nothing anyone can say will ever be as bad as simply avoiding the subject.
The research has been used by the charity to launch a campaign called “Say my Child’s Name”, which aims to tackle the stigma around child loss.
It has used the families’ own words to create a practical how-to guide for friends and family to help them know what to say and what not to say (see guide here: www.derianhouse.co.uk/bereavement)
A powerful video has also been created to spread the message on social media, which will launch at 9pm tonight. Watch here: Say My Child’s Name – YouTube.
Kiki Deville, Patron of Derian House Children’s Hospice, whose son Dexter died of Zellweger Syndrome in 2007, aged just one month and three days-old, said: “When your child dies, after a while nobody says their name anymore, and that really hurts.
“What we desperately want people to know is that speaking about our child won’t upset us or remind us that they’re gone – we are always thinking about them anyway. To a bereaved parent, our child’s name is the sweetest word in the whole world and we love nothing more than speaking about them.”
A total of 89 per cent of parents (62 people) said the effect worsened gradually over time and 64 per cent (45 people) even felt their child had been completely forgotten by family, friends and acquaintances.
59 per cent (35 people) per cent said their workplace didn’t understand. And many said medical professionals did not know how to speak to them sensitively following the loss of their child.
“We’re in a group that nobody wants to be part of,” said one parent in the research. “When I go out with my friends who have children as soon as I talk about my child who has died it becomes so awkward and uncomfortable for them. I feel so out of place at times.”
Derian House Children’s Hospice will use the results of the survey to educate the public and professionals on how they can help bereaved families.
This Christmas the charity is creating free personalised ink stamps for any bereaved parent, to help them remember their child when signing Christmas cards – an area they admitted to struggling with.
Karen Edwards OBE, Chief Executive of Derian House Children’s Hospice, said: “We are passionate about breaking down barriers and opening up the conversation around child loss at Derian House. Now, thanks to the generosity and bravery of the 70 families who opened their hearts to speak to us, we have been able to create a practical guide for everyone on how to speak to someone who has suffered the loss of a child.
“Nobody wants to upset someone whose child has died and so many people opt for the safe option and say nothing. What our families have told us is that this is the worst thing they could do – it makes them feel isolated and hurt.
“We are committed to spreading the Say my Child’s Name message, not only to help our families, but also to provide a useful resource for the general public and professionals.”
Two sisters in their 70s have returned to their volunteering roles at their local children’s hospice – 30 years after their first shift.
Susan Sidebotham and Gillian Summerfield, of Chorley, arrived at Derian House Children’s Hospice in 1993 as two of the charity’s first ever volunteers.
The sisters eventually said goodbye to the hospice due to work and family commitments, but returned in October this year – during the hospice’s 30th anniversary year – to pick up where they left off.
Susan and Gill have been helping out for just a few hours a week with cleaning, washing up, and preparing food in the kitchen for the hospice families.
“We first heard about Derian House when the hospice was being built,” said Susan Sidebotham, 77, a retired civil servant.
“My sister and I came along when it had opened to see if they needed any volunteering help, and so we both started coming in the evening to help out with the cleaning duties. My sister and I had our very own tabards. I remember that we sewed little motifs onto them – mine had a teddy bear on and Gill’s had a clown.
“The hospice was much smaller back then and not quite as modern – I remember that it was fully carpeted. But I would say that the sensory room today is still as relaxing as I remember the original room to be.
“In the end, we made the decision to leave Derian House due to our other commitments with work and family at the time. It is only now, so many years on, and I saw that the hospice was looking to recruit some new volunteers. We’re retired now, so I said to my sister – let’s have a go! And here we are, after all these years.
“I think that it is absolutely marvelous that Derian House has been helping families for 30 years,” said Susan.
“The charity is so well known now throughout the country – it does feature quite frequently on the television. I just think it is an incredible place. I hope I can volunteer here for quite some time.”
Susan and her sister Gill both fit their volunteering hours in around their busy lifestyles – taking care of grandchildren and going to the gym.
“I wanted to volunteer at Derian because I had young daughters at the time and I felt I wanted to give something back,” said Gill Summerfield, 71, who is also a retired civil servant.
“So we started coming to the hospice in the evenings to do a bit of cleaning. The hospice has grown so much. I remember how different the kitchen and dining room looked when we were there, much smaller. I remember the swimming pool back then too.
“Then this year we saw that Derian House was on the hunt for new volunteers and so we decided to apply. There is such a lovely atmosphere at Derian House because everyone is so friendly and welcoming. I think a lot of people hear ‘hospice’ and automatically think it is a sad place, but it’s a wonderful happy place. I think it’s fantastic that the hospice is still here for families after it first opened 30 years ago.”
Frances Lees, Volunteer Services Coordinator at Derian House, said: “It’s fantastic that Susan and Gill have decided to return to support the families of Derian House all these years later – and during our 30th anniversary year too! They are both fantastic volunteers, we are very lucky to have them.
“There are so many good things about volunteering – it’s a great way to make new friends, learn something new, and do something for a good cause. Our volunteers saved us more than £100,000 in staff costs last year – we simply couldn’t do what we do without them!”
Derian House, based in Chorley, cares for more than 400 babies, children, young people and their families from across the North West and is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Find out more: www.derianhouse.co.uk
Find out more about volunteering at Derian House: https://www.derianhouse.co.uk/volunteer-for-us
BREAKING NEWS 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDOUC0YUkO8
Our Housekeeping Team, aka the Pink Ladies, are the unsung heroes of the hospice, ensuring that all of our areas are constantly spotless and sparkling! ✨
On #HousekeepingAppreciationWeek, we’d like to thank them for their hard work – without them, viruses would spread and our facilities wouldn’t be safe for the children and young people in our care 💚
To Nic, Mags, Lynn, Alison and Pam – we appreciate you so much! 🥰
Hi everyone,
On Tuesday 5th September 2023 we are launching our Christmas Raffle Campaign, which will give our donors the chance of winning £5,000! The campaign will run for 13 weeks and will close Friday 8th December 2023, with the draw taking place on the Friday 15th December 2023.
Online tickets will go live on our website from 5th September and books of raffle tickets will land on the doorsteps from 25th September.
Staff, volunteers and Trustees CANNOT enter the raffle
Unfortunately, all employees, volunteers and trustees of Derian House Children’s Hospice and their immediate families are explicitly excluded from entering the Derian House Raffle.
Please note “immediate families” means spouse, parent, child, sibling and their respective spouses regardless of where they live.
What to do if you receive a raffle ticket enquiry:
During office hours (9-5 Mon–Fri):
– Any enquiries direct to Sarah Proctor (Ext 209)
Out of office hours evenings and weekends):
– Direct any enquires to our website – www.derianraffle.co.uk to purchase online tickets. Alternatively, ask them to call the Fundraising Team on 01257 271 271 during office hours.
If you have any queries or questions, please speak to Sarah Proctor in Fundraising directly.
Our new Director of Clinical Services (designate) Catherine Randall will be starting work at Derian House on 1 September.
Catherine will work two days per week throughout September as she completes her induction process and gets to grips with what is expected from her. During this time she’ll also get to know the teams across Derian.
From the 1 October she will fully commence her role, and will work with Lynn on the transition/handover.
We’ll be organising her diary for the month of September and will ensure she gets to meet everyone and see as much as possible.
Any questions please ask Karen or any member of SMT.
Hi everyone,
Please find below the details regarding our Team Away Day on Monday 4th September.
Directions & Parking
Brockholes have provided some useful directions and guidelines – see the attached which gives full details. The centre is sign-posted at J31 of the M6 (brown signs).
Please park in the main car park and walk down to the conference centre next to the car parking machines. You will not be required to pay for your parking HOWEVER you must log your car registration on arrival to take advantage of the free parking arrangement, otherwise you will be directly invoiced a parking fine.
Head for the Meadow Lake Suite – over the draw bridge – where we will all meet in The Reeding Room. There will be a tablet in the entrance for you to record your car registration.
Richard has very kindly offered to drive the mini bus from Derian House to Brockholes for anyone who made need transport. The mini bus will leave at 8am.
Anyone wanting a seat on the minibus please let Kim Owen (Head of People & Culture) know, it will be on a first come first served basis.
The Day
You are not required to wear uniform (unless you wish to), and you won’t need outdoor clothing as everything is indoors. Refreshments and lunch will be provided. The day will start at 9.30am prompt, and you should arrive anytime from 9am. We expect to end just after 4pm.
The day is themed in two parts, the morning will focus on Culture and getting the foundations right for growth, and the afternoon will focus on developing our new strategy for 2024 and beyond.
I’m really looking forward to the day, and hope that it is enjoyable and meaningful for everyone.
If you have any questions please do let either Kim or myself know.
| Best wishes
Karen
Karen Edwards OBE
Please note, I am sending this email now as it suits my work pattern, which may not match yours. |
Hello everyone,
I am delighted to be able to share with you all that we have appointed Catherine Randall to the Director of Clinical Services position (designate initially). Catherine has this morning formally accepted the position and is absolutely delighted to be joining the team, she is looking forward to starting the role in September.
I am personally really happy with the appointment, Catherine has a wealth of experience within the health system, locally regionally and nationally, and will ensure that Derian remains at the forefront of children’s palliative care, building on the great work so far. Her relationships within the commissioning world are going to be extremely valuable, alongside her 37yr nursing background. After a very strategic role as the national lead for safeguarding with NHSE, she is looking forward to getting directly involved in leading our clinical practice and working with myself and the whole team in shaping services going forward.
Catherine’s start date is yet to be confirmed but it is hoped that she will attend the away day on the 4th September.
Huge thanks to everyone who has supported the process. Catherine was very complimentary of everyone she met and commented how impressed she was with our robust assessment processes (I don’t think she had ever been put through her paces in this way!!)
As always, if you have any questions please give me a shout.
Have as great weekend
| Best wishes
Karen
Karen Edwards OBE
Please note, I am sending this email now as it suits my work pattern, which may not match yours. |
Hello all,
Just a couple of polite notices around the fleet cars:
Parking
We all know the car park can get extremely busy and it can be difficult to get a space, however, there has been an increasing amount of fleet cars left in unsuitable places. If you return from your journey and there is nowhere appropriate to park we will ask you to check for available spaces later on in the day and move the car into a bay before you finish your shift.
This is especially important for the electric cars as they need to be charged properly overnight for use the next day. Our estates team are happy to help us where possible, but given they leave at 4pm, it is inevitable that some cars will need to be moved after this time. It will be the responsibility of the person having last used the car to ensure it is left in a convenient space.
Cancelling a Car
If you need to cancel your car booking please email the fleet email address. This ensures it is removed from the calender and the space can then be offered to those on the waiting list. If you “decline” your invitation this does not notify us and the booking remains in the car calender.
Your cooperation with this is much appreciated J
Grab your tickets to Open Gardens next weekend, where the weather FINALLY looks as though it’s going to be a hero for us! 
Our popular outdoor event is BACK this summer, and this time around we’ll be celebrating all things heroes 
On Sunday 13th August, we’ll be throwing open our garden gates for a fun-filled day that all the family can enjoy – in association with the National Garden Scheme
Not only will there be an opportunity to explore our stunning hospice grounds, but there’s all of this to enjoy too 
Meet your favourite heroes
Local fire and police demonstrations
Glitter face paint and superhero tattoos
Sweet treats
As always, there’ll be plenty of plants available to purchase, homemade cakes, refreshments and ice cream, and the chance to chat with our incredible team 
Tickets are just £3, with children and dogs going FREE!
🥇 GOLD
🏆 BEST IN SHOW
We’ve only gone and won the top prize at Chorley Council‘s Chorley Flower Show! 🤩
Gareth the gardener and his trusty team of volunteers are showcasing their (award-winning!) Community & Schools Garden Competition entry all weekend, and this year’s Derian creation is inspired by Oscar’s Everest Walk 🥾
With less than a week to go until the super six-year-old and his tribe attempt the National Three Peaks Challenge in just 24 hours, Oscar popped by Astley Park just in time for us to be awarded the prestigious prize by a panel of judges ✨
Fancy seeing our garden in all its glory? You’ll have to wait until next week… 🤫
…or you can get on down to Chorley Flower Show this weekend for plenty of flower-themed family fun, speak with our volunteers about the work they do here at Derian House, and read all about Oscar Burrow’s phenomenal fundraising efforts in his quest to climb the height of Mount Everest 💚
WELL DONE GARETH AND TEAM!
It’s Children’s Hospice Week (June 19-25) and as well as all the fun and games going on around the hospice, we are using the week as a platform to launch our annual Impact Report.
The report (of which you can see here) shows how the North of England has one of the highest rates of children and young people living with a life-limiting condition in the UK – and that figure is rising.
It also details the care we gave families in 2022 – how we have looked after 404 children and their families and how they used our services.
It shows how we raised £5.5million, and how we spent it.
There’s also a page of facts and figures about our wonderful volunteers.
Have a look and feel proud of the difference you have made to our children and their families.
Yo ho ho…
Jump aboard the ‘Derian Jewel’ and join our pirate crew.
Be a pirate and wear a stripy t-shirt for the day!
Please adhere to IPC regulations and wear short sleeves.
Hello All,
Following a patient review this morning we would ask that the egress via the bedroom corridor be kept to an minimum over the next seven days. If you need to use the bedroom corridor can you please keep all noise/conservations to a minimum.
Thanking you all in advance
| Kind regards,
Siobhán Allen Trainee Adavnced Clinical Practitioner PhD, RCN, RGN, PG Cert (Clinical Education) |
It is with regret that we announce that Steve Game is to step down from his role of Trustee at Derian House.
Steve has served on the board of trustees since 2018 and as co-chairperson of our Quality, Safety and Improvement sub-committee.
His relationship with Derian House began even earlier, having worked as a volunteer on reception since 2016.
Karen Swindley, Chair of the Board of Trustees, thanked Steve for his contribution.
She said: “Steve has been an outstanding and exemplary trustee who significantly contributed to us achieving our last CQC rating and I would personally like to place my sincere thanks to him on record. We have been fortunate to have him on the board. I am sure you would all join me in wishing him the very best for the future.”
Steve said: “I have had an amazing time and met some amazing people, youngsters, staff and colleagues. My experience at Derian House has been truly life-changing.”
Good Afternoon
It is proposed that a 5% pay increase be awarded to all staff paid in June but backdated to 1 April. This has been agreed in principle but needs to be signed off at the HR Strategic committee meeting on 20 June.
I will let you all know the outcome.
Regards
Kim Owen
Head of People & Culture
It’s that time of year again when we ask you to complete Birdsong – our annual Employee Engagement survey.
The survey is an important way for us to hear about your experience in being part of Derian House. From your feedback we will know more about the areas where we are doing well and the areas we could improve on.
This is an opportunity for you to provide honest, anonymous feedback on all aspects of working at Derian House – both positive and negative.
The survey is managed independently by Hospice UK.
Please find the link to the survey which closes on Friday 16th June.
https://surveys.birdsong.co.uk/s3/hospicesurvey2023?charity=derianhouse&aud=sv
We will be keen to involve everyone in reflecting on the results, developing constructive conversations together and engaging in any action planning which may emerge from this process.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks,
| Kim Owen Head of People & Culture |
Good Afternoon,
We are holding a Team Day this Thursday for all the Care Team Staff which I appreciate may have an impact on parking availability within the hospice. Ann Marie and Mick have kindly managed to negotiate some extra parking at TCs Bar/ Rugby Club for the day. There is a gate which has a code access but we will ensure this is opened ready for staff. The team day commences at 0830 so the car park may or may not be full on your arrival. If it is full, please access the parking across the road. I have attached the picture Mick has kindly sent with the location on. It is the opposite side of the road to Derian next to the Chancery Fields Estate.
There may be option for you to work from home to reduce parking issues, however this would need to be agreed with your line manager.
For your info, this is where the parking is – TC Sports bar is on the left of the picture and we are on the right.
Thank you for you cooperation with this, it is much appreciated!
Any questions/ concerns, please feel free to ask.
Thanks Again,
| Kind regards,
Ruth Islip Hospice Manager |
Hello Team Derian
I just wanted to share some news about planned changes that will be happening within the leadership of our senior care team at the hospice over the next few months.
Lynn Grayson, our Director of Clinical Services, will be retiring next May, 2024, after 38 years of service in children’s nursing.
Our trustees and I are keen for Lynn to have a thorough handover period with her successor, to ensure a seamless transition and the continuation of outstanding care, and so we will be starting the recruitment process in the coming weeks.
Lynn will gradually hand over the day-to-day elements of her role, giving her the time to concentrate on ensuring our position as an equal partner with NHS services as we move forward in the provision of specialist palliative care for the region.
Lynn will also be a key support for me, leading strategically our funding negotiations with the NHS and continuing to represent Derian as Chair and Clinical Lead for the Lancashire and South Cumbria Children’s and Young People’s Palliative and End of Life Care Network.
We still have Lynn for more than a year yet, which gives us plenty of time to arrange lots of celebrations when the time comes.
| Best wishes
Karen
Karen Edwards OBE |
Good Morning,
Throughout the weekend of the King’s Coronation – Friday 5th May until Monday 8th May 2023 – we would love it if you could dress in red, white and blue t- shirts to celebrate the occasion. We will have lots of coronation themed activities taking place with the children and young people.
I kindly remind you to follow IPC.
| Kind regards,
Katie McNally |
Good afternoon,
Please be aware that changes to the phone systems as detailed in my previous email shall not be going ahead due to issues we have experienced when configuring server settings. I shall provide you all with confirmation of the rescheduled installation date when the systems are ready to go live.
| Kind regards,
Luke Bateson |
Hello,
Paper P60s have been generated by Moorepay for all staff who joined us before we changed over to electronic payslips.
If you have not received a paper copy of your P60 from your line manager then you can access this on your Moorepay account under payslips/P60/2022
If you have problems accessing your Moorepay account then please try the forgotten password link in the first instance. (your user name is your Derian email address) Failing that please email Janet (janet.freeman@derianhouse.co.uk).
Link for Moorepay is:
https://www.login.moorepay.co.uk/moorepay
thanks
| Kind regards,
Helen Holmes |
0 calories, 
% care
Will you help us celebrate Derian’s 30th birthday and buy a virtual slice of birthday cake for just a £1 donation? 
Adding a slice next time you’re shopping in any six of our stores will help us to continue to care for more than 400 babies, children and young people from across the North West
A huge thanks to all of our shop teams who’ve collectively raised almost £600 in virtual cake in just one month – and a special shoutout to Chorley, who’ve raised the most at £160.
Hey all, hope you had a good Easter?
Chorley Theatre have kindly donated 10 x tickets for staff to see comedian Justin Moorhouse at Chorley Theatre on Sunday the 23rd of April at 8pm. We will offer them on a solo first come first served basis, however if there is a huge request for them we will instead pick names from a hat (please note, this will be done in line with all Gambling Commission guidelines.. haha). If you are interested please let me know by 9am on Friday the 14th of April. We will then let people know if they have been successful by the following Monday. J
| Kind regards,
Mick Croskery Income, Communications & Marketing |
Have you ever fancied ticking something off your bucket list?! Something adrenaline fuelled and daring??
Well look no further!
We have a FLASH OFFER for our Dare for Derian event in July where you can now take part in a 160ft bungee jump or 160ft abseil for just £100!! (you can either pay in full or fundraise via JustGiving)
We have limited places available so if you are interested…follow the links below/pop over to Vinten and come to see myself or Ellie.
TO REGISTER FOR ABSEIL….https://www.derianhouse.co.uk/events/dare-for-derian-abseil/
TO REGISTER FOR BUNGEE….https://www.derianhouse.co.uk/events/dare-for-derian-bungee-jump/
If you do have any questions or would like more information then please do not hesitate to come chat to us about it. We are offering this FLASH OFFER to everyone here at Derian first, as it would be brilliant to have some of our teams takes part J but if you do have any friends or families who are dare devils just like yourselves, then get them on board too!
Have a lovely day and speak soon!
| Kind regards,
Kerry Pritchard & Ellie Smith Community Fundraisers Income, Communications & Marketing |
Good afternoon, could I please ask everyone to avoid parking by the Lodge reception on Wednesday as we will have a company on site to Valet the 3 Micras in readiness for their return to Nissan.
After they have been valeted, they will stay there until the day of collection, but sadly we will not be able to use them.
Kind Regards
| Richard Duckett Facilities coordinator |