Category Archives: Derian News
We are delighted to show below the plans for the new Reflection Garden.
If you are interested in seeing more detailed plans then please let Luke or David know and they would be happy to share these with you. We are now waiting for an update on the start date from the Garden Architect and as soon as we have this we will share the dates with you.
Afternoon all,
For those who missed the face-to-face sessions, David’s Keeping in Touch video is available to watch in Derian Data (Q:) > Drop Zone (3 Months), titled ‘Keeping in Touch – JUNE 2021).
Thanks to one of our new Corporate supporters – Leaders in Care – we have an all-inclusive Fredericks ice cream van arriving at the hospice on the 9th of July at 2pm!
Please don’t fill up on lunch and save room for ice cream – the Leaders in Care team have pledged to support us with various fundraising activities during the rest of the year and will be visiting us to discuss their plans.
Get it in your diary and feel free to indulge in some frozen creamy goodness on the day thanks to their generosity!
Our new Victorian Greenhouse has completed building works up in Smile Park, with Gareth now busy filling it with plants, herbs, spices and more!
We’re sure you’ll all agree that it looks amazing, and we can’t wait to get our children and young people using it.
A huge thanks to Harley Botanic for all of their hard work.
Hello everyone,
You told us (in staff temperature checks and at the We are Derian forum) that you wanted better communication between departments.
As part of this, we will now be providing a round-up after each SMT meeting of the most important/interesting points talked about!
- We have successfully recruited three trainee Advanced Clinical Practitioners who will join our current three ACPs – one is due to start in August and the other two will begin in January 2022.
- The first stage of EMIS is due to be rolled out imminently.
- We are making lots of new partnerships with other organisations, including working with Central Lancashire CCG to develop a local strategy to improve paediatric palliative care, working with other hospices on improving transition services locally and also collaborating with local nursing teams and other charities including Rainbow Trust.
- Our new Blackburn shop is hoping to be opened on 26 July (date TBC).
- Please can everyone fill out their Birdsong staff survey. We know it doesn’t seem very long since the last temperature check, but it’s really important that we get a good response rate so we can understand where we are. Everyone should speak to their line manager to be given 15 minutes “off shift” to complete it. Deadline is 27 June.
- IT reminder: Sam is very busy. If you have any IT issues that haven’t been solved or you cannot get hold of Sam, please let Luke know. He will be able to prioritise Sam’s workload. The new laptop rollout will recommence after a brief pause.
- Facilities: work is ongoing to provide EV charging points in the car park – a proposal has gone to the board of trustees for approval.
- Our Board of trustees will meet tonight Monday (14 June) with key decisions on the agenda a viability study for a new Derian Wellbeing Centre and our Go Green proposal which will see us looking at how we can become kinder to the environment. Luke will be leading the project but it will require one person from every team to be involved and a working group to be formed. If anyone is interested please let Luke know.
- Our new greenhouse has been completed this weekend and looks great!
- Our two new holiday lodges at South Lakeland Holiday Village in Carnforth are being built and we should be able to officially open at an event in late August (TBC)
- Work started on the new gardening pod today (Monday 14 June) and will be ongoing for three weeks – if you want a look it’s in the woodland walk area close to the memorial fountain.
Manchester City’s kit man has put a Range Rover for sale on eBay that was gifted by the departing club legend Sergio Aguero, with 5% of funds raised coming to Derian House.
Aguero organised a raffle for staff before saying his emotional goodbyes and joining Barcelona as a free agent last week. Before he left, Ally Marland, a popular member of the backroom staff since he joined in 2012, was the lucky winner and embraced the Argentine when he was handed the keys in the car park.
Ally and his wife Nicky already have two cars so they have decided to put the 2016 Range Rover Evoque – valued at £40,000 – on eBay with a starting price of £23,000.
The Range Rover only has 10,500 miles on the clock and is expected to fetch a good price online.
A total of five per cent of the sale will be donated to Derian House Children’s Hospice in Chorley as a kind gesture from the couple.
The 2021 Birdsong Staff Survey is now open.
Please click on the link below to take part;
Apologies that the time between surveys feels short however Birdsong is managed externally and this year it has been released earlier than previous years.
The questionnaire will only take around 10 minutes to complete and includes additional sections on E&D and also COVID.
The survey closes Sunday 27th June 2021 so please make sure you have completed the questionnaire by then.
Thank you in advance for your help with the process. We are committed to making Derian a better place to work and we need your honest opinions to help us improve.
Any questions please feel free to ask either David or myself.
Over the past five weeks, UCLan student Gareth Davies has been on a role-emerging placement at Derian House as part of his second-year studies to become an Occupational Therapist.
During his time at the hospice, Gareth has carried out various activities with our children and young people, as well as holding numerous sessions with our team to see if the role of an OP would fit in here at Derian.
Here’s what Gareth had to say about his time at Derian House:
It’s been a real pleasure to have spent the past five weeks on my role emerging placement with the children, families and staff at Derian House.
I’ve gained so much from being in the supportive and nurturing environment and hope that sharing my own knowledge and skills with you has been as beneficial. A role-emerging placement is an opportunity to scope how occupational therapy could strengthen the services an organisation provides. In only a brief time I have been able to identify the areas OT could complement the care Derian House offers, and have shared with the team the benefits OT can have for themselves, the children, young people, families and carers accessing the hospice. I hope that the work I have completed gives a foundation for future OT students to further promote the profession and build a case for an in house therapist.
It’s been a whirlwind few weeks, but I have felt at home and welcomed. I’ll be back to see you all again soon!
Today marks the start of #VolunteersWeek, a chance to say thanks to over 100 superstars who donate their time to help us here at Derian House.
In 2019 (pre-pandemic), our trusty team of volunteers gave us 10,000 hours of their time, saving us a huge £80,000 that can be spent on the ongoing care of our children, young people and their families.
Whether it’s minutes or months, hours or days, the time they give us really makes a difference.
Thomas Hardie Commercials Ltd is raising money for Derian House Children’s Hospice with its eye-catching new vehicle!
The new Volvo Trucks FH Globetrotter demonstrator sits at the centre of the dealer’s ‘Drive it for Derian’ campaign and will be unmissable on the roads with its bright yellow and green design featuring the infamous Derian House mascot, Danni.
Every customer that takes the vehicle will be invited to make a voluntary donation towards the campaign, with the Volvo dealer planning to raise at least £5,000 across the year.
Read about how Thomas Hardie came up with this unique fundraising idea by visiting our blog post below:
Welcome everyone to your new Intranet. We hope you find your way around it well (and that you like your passwords ;-))
Please keep your usernames and passwords handy, because these can’t be changed easily and it’s essential we have them due to the Intranet sitting on an external server so it can be edited and updated. Should you need help getting about, the guide below will be sure to put your mind at eased and get used to it quickly.
Any questions, please email cameron.murray@derianhouse.co.uk, and please let me know if you’d like your upcoming meetings/events/activities adding to the Diary.
As part of our transition to digital working we are moving over to digital payslips.
You will receive login instructions for your digital payslip account directly from Moorepay (our payroll provider) so please keep an eye out for that email in the coming weeks.
The digital account will be set up with your work email address and you will able to access from work or home.
In June you will receive your final paper payslip and in July you will no longer receive paper payslips at all.
Ben will send a further email to all staff when Moorepay have begun the process of sending out communication.
Good morning everyone,
Following the government announcements and easing of lockdown, we are pleased to say we are putting measures in place to allow more social mixing from Monday (17th May 2021).
All staff will now be on the lateral flow testing programme and therefore mixing between Vinten Place and the Hospice is allowed aside from the children’s bedroom corridors.
If you have not yet received your box of lateral flow tests at the time of reading this email, please see me ASAP and do not socially mix between buildings until you have begun your testing programme.
There are certain restrictions that need to remain in order to keep our children, young people and families safe therefore please may I ask all staff to familiarise themselves with the Covid-19 Building Risk Assessment and the associated Covid Safe Building Guidance document available on the intranet.
When moving between buildings we ask everyone to continue to follow the rules including;
- Wearing a mask
- Washing your hands upon entry to the Hospice
- Sanitise your hands upon entry to Vinten Place
- No entry to clinical areas
- Maintain social distancing
Thank you everyone for your commitment and hard work. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to speak to myself or Luke Bateson.
On Sunday 9th May, we welcomed members of the public behind our gates for the very first time as part of the National Garden Scheme’s Open Gardens Event.
From 9 ’til 5, we had 20 people per hour exploring our gardens and finding out more about Derian House. For many, this was their first time visiting, and the general feedback was that people couldn’t believe just how big our hospice grounds are!
Many of our volunteers were here at Derian for the first time in almost 15 months, and they really appreciated being back and helping us raise awareness of our worthy cause. From manning stalls and marshaling the gardens, to serving refreshments and greeting people on the reception base, they did a sterling job and their help was very much appreciated.
Shuna our Pets as Therapy dog was very happy to be back, and her humans told us that when she’s been out on walks during the past year, she has been desperately trying to sniff at children who she passes as she’s been missing our children and young people at Derian so much!
We can’t thank Gareth and his trusty team of volunteers enough for all of their hard work over the past few months, getting our gardens spick and span ready for Sunday’s successful (and sell-out) event.
The general public were really touched by the sheer brilliance of our grounds, and we’re looking forward to welcoming more of them back on Sunday 8th August for an even bigger and better Open Gardens Event.
By taking part in Dying Matters Week, we are hoping to raise awareness amongst our staff of the contribution of all teams in providing an empathetic and seamless services to our families and their loved ones at a very difficult time.
We hope to establish the importance of not only facilitating our children and young people to have a good life but also provide them the opportunity for a good death.
Life is about quality, not quantity, and Derian House is a key element to enhancing the quality of the experience of the child, young person and their family.
Below, you will find all the dates and times of the North West Clinical Networks’ webinars. Our own timetable is attached underneath, where different departments in Derian will be delivering their own seminars for others to attend and find out more about what they do when a child or young person dies.
Derian House – Dying Matters Week
For more information, please speak to Siobhan McCoy or any of the Team Leaders.
Please find the link below to this quarters Staff Survey Temperature check.
The survey will be open until Sunday 16th May 2021.
Hello you! Yes you, reading this – we’d love your help if you’re free on Sunday 9th May!
We’ll be opening the gardens at Derian House for the very first time, giving the general public the rare opportunity to visit our colourful and vibrant outdoor spaces as part of the National Garden Scheme.
There will be homemade cakes and refreshments available to purchase as well as the chance to speak to our passionate volunteers and even meet Shuna the dog.
The team from Hartley Botanic will also be on-site to talk about our exciting new greenhouse project.
Tickets have now sold out twice over, so we’re now looking for extra volunteers on the day to give a few hours of their time and assist in serving refreshments, manning the carpark, supporting the retail and knitted stalls, or being a garden marshel.
If you’d like to help out, please drop our Volunteer Services Coordinator Fran a message. Thank you!
Diversity is all about what makes us individual – wouldn’t life be boring if we were all exactly the same? Across the world and even in our community at Derian House there’s a range of ages, ethnicity, languages, and genders.
While it’s important to be racially tolerant, it’s also worth remembering that there is a whole spectrum of diversity. Sometimes there are things you can’t see, like sexuality or religion, that makes people “different” to ourselves.
The important thing is to always accept and respect everyone else, even if they do, see, and believe things differently — this is called inclusion. There are some people in our world who only like others who look and believe the same as them. This is a prejudice: thinking badly of someone before you even know them, just because of something like their religion or sexuality.
Promoting and supporting diversity at work is really important to us. It’s part of being an outstanding charity and it shows that we value each other as individuals.
A diverse workforce means a place where everyone feels able to participate and achieve their potential. The law sets minimum standards but at Derian House we go beyond what we legally have to do because welcoming everyone with open arms is what we stand for. It adds value to us as a charity and helps employees wellbeing too.
It’s important to recognize that a ‘one size fits all’ approach doesn’t mean fairness and equality for everyone as some people have different needs, values and beliefs.
Legally, there are a number of protected characteristics. In the UK, these are: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion and belief, sex and sexual orientation. It’s against the law to treat anybody unfairly based on these differences.
Over the year we’ll be looking at each characteristic in more detail to understand what this means for us and how it may affect us.
We are delighted to announce that all of our shops are now OPEN after 14 weeks of lockdown. A huge ‘Good luck’ goes out to all of our retail teams today in Horwich, Chorley, Preston, Leyland and the Warehouse in Adlington.
A summer of UK ‘Staycations’ has been given the greenlight! Book your 2021 or 2022 trip with Charitable Travel and you can donate 5% of your holiday price to Derian House at no extra cost to you.
Charitable Travel is a social enterprise travel agent selling worldwide ATOL protected holidays at competitive prices. Each time you book with them, they sacrifice their travel agents’ commission to allow you to donate to charity.
Dear Derian House Colleagues,
Earlier this week was the National Day of Reflection to mark the anniversary of the first UK lockdown and reflect on our collective loss, support those who have been bereaved and hope for a brighter future.
I hope you had chance at some stage through the day to reflect on how the last 12 months have affected you, your family and friends and also those around you both at work and in the wider community.
Reflecting on the past 12 months I feel a sense of pride in the whole team at Derian House, it has been challenging with constantly changing advice, regulation and information. The whole management team appreciate how impactful the pandemic has been on everyone from the CYP and families, our staff and volunteers, key stakeholders such as our local NHS Trust & CCGs and the wider community who support us.
As we follow the latest news and government updates there does seem to be a light shining in the future, we now need to remain focused and aware that the virus is still around. Everyone at Derian has been offered the vaccine and I am delighted to say that the uptake has been amazing – thank you, this together with our lateral flow testing and other COVID-Secure measures continue to protect our CYP and each other.
We still have a way to go before some form of normality returns but together as one Derian Team we will get through this, please continue to support each other every day.
See you around the Hospice and if anyone has any questions, as always, please just stop me at the hospice or pop me an email.
Many thanks and keep safe.
David
Dear Derian House Colleagues,
I am massively delighted to let you all know the amazing news that Emma, Hayleigh and Suzanne have qualified as Advanced Clinical Practitioners.
This Masters Degree was a huge commitment, and a very demanding qualification so a brilliant achievement and alongside this they have been developing the new role. It has been a very demanding few years with many ups and downs, myself along with Lynn, the senior management and I am sure everyone at Derian House are immensely proud of their achievement and I am sure you will pass your congratulates on when you see them around the hospice.
The future at Derian House is bright and we are looking forward to the huge contribution they will make to improving and advancing the work of the hospice across Lancashire, South Cumbria and Greater Manchester..
Again, well done.
Thanks
David & Lynn