Category Archives: Notices

Staff wellbeing

CT opened the forum by acknowledging that it has been a difficult period with the loss of a number of well-known young people in the hospice.

Danny Schofield (DS) acknowledged that there have been several recent deaths of children and young people, and that a range of support is already available within the hospice, including team briefs, catch-ups and debriefs. DS asked whether staff felt there was anything further that could be offered during difficult periods and invited Fazila Vaida (FV) to lead the discussion.

FV opened the conversation by acknowledging that the support already in place is valued and important, while noting that some options can feel more formal. FV asked whether staff felt there were other ways they could be supported to process difficult experiences.

Staff discussed the importance of having access to a quiet private space away from public areas, particularly for colleagues who may need time to decompress during or after emotionally difficult moments. The diner was recognised as a positive shared space where people can come together at mealtimes and feel part of the wider team, but staff also noted that a separate space for reflection would be beneficial.

There was a discussion about how a private space could be provided, with ideas including using the sibling pod on a bookable basis and the redistribution of workspace that is happening around the hospice.

The upstairs staff room was also discussed, although it was felt that this space is mainly suitable for changing and would not fully meet the need for a quiet area to decompress.

Everyone thought that having the sibling pod as a bookable space would be a good idea.

CT noted that the care team have more regular experience of supporting children, young people and families at end of life, and may therefore have developed helpful tools and approaches. CT asked whether any of this learning could be shared with non-clinical colleagues to support them too.

VR explained that the community team regularly have informal debriefs. They all come together to discuss what happened and how people are feeling. VR wondered whether it would be a good idea to extend this to the rest of the staff.

It was agreed that debriefs would be opened to all staff where appropriate, so colleagues across the hospice can access informal support following difficult events.

Karen Leigh-Whiston (KLW) asked whether the Community Team would be happy to facilitate this themselves, or whether it would be more appropriate for an external facilitator to be brought in.

The Community Team agreed that the informal nature of the sessions works well and helps create a comfortable environment.

Vicky Robinson (VR) suggested having the iPads available with Dojo accessible, allowing people to look through photos and share memories of the BCYP.

CT acknowledged that everyone processes situations differently and that individual needs should be recognised.

FV concluded by agreeing that having a private space where people can take some time for themselves would be beneficial.

Values

KLW advised that the organisational values have now been agreed and formally signed off.

The DERIAN acronym will remain in place; however, throughout the consultation process, three overarching themes consistently emerged: Safe, Compassionate, and Accountable.

These will therefore become the organisation’s core values, supported by the DERIAN values:

D – Dedicated.

E – Empowered.

R – Reliable.

I – Inclusive.

A – Ambitious.

N – Nurturing.

KLW explained that work is now underway to embed these values into everyday practice. This will begin with the recruitment process and continue throughout induction, supervision, and appraisal processes.

Staff were then invited to share ideas on how the values could be incorporated into day-to-day working.

Staff suggested a range of ways to keep the values visible and meaningful, including displaying them more prominently in the workplace, creating a display board for each value, incorporating them into reflective practice, recognising colleagues through value-based nominations, including them in regular catchups, and introducing a ‘Value of the Month’.

There was also discussion about presenting the values through video content to help bring them to life.

Strategy

CT advised that the strategy is now ready to be shared with the wider team. She did not go into detail at this stage, as three sessions have been arranged to introduce the strategy. Staff will be encouraged to take part and contribute to shaping how it is delivered.

CT also provided an update on Incident 375, advising that the inquest has been rescheduled to later in the year. She explained that some families have started to ask questions and advised staff that a crib will be prepared to support them in responding appropriately, should they receive any enquiries. Staff were also reminded to follow the usual media enquiries procedure by directing any press enquiries to CT and the Communications Team.

New roles and opportunities

DS advised that the Care Team has experienced a period of growth, with several new colleagues joining the team, including Advanced Clinical Practitioners (ACPs), nurses and Clinical Support Workers (CSWs).

A new housekeeper will also be joining the team shortly, alongside a volunteer art therapist for the summer and a student counsellor.

DS advised that vacancies for a Hydro Pool Coordinator and a Music Room Coordinator will be advertised shortly. Staff were encouraged to share these opportunities with anyone who may be interested.

KLW added that the Finance Team is currently interviewing for vacancies. Recruitment is also underway for a Head of Communications, Community Team nurses and Clinical Support Workers (CSWs).

Any other business

Sam Lamb (SL) provided an update on the Estates projects. The fire door works are nearing completion, with only the pool doors and some snagging work remaining. Staff were asked to report any fire door issues or snags to SL. Compartmentation works are continuing.

Work on the hoists has now commenced, except for the pool hoist.

The Forest School project is also due to begin, with a company funding and constructing the facility.

Approval is currently being sought for the Lodge courtyard project.

There is some snagging work to complete on the electric doors, work on the lift is ongoing, and staff are reminded to complete the required training for the lone worker app.

Sarah Proctor (SP) provided an update on the lottery, sharing that there had recently been a £10,000 winner, with CT making the call to notify them.

CT shared the winner’s story, explaining that her daughter is a talented cello player. The winner supports the lottery because her sister, who sadly passed away, was previously a music therapist at Derian House. She felt the win was a meaningful tribute to her sister, allowing her to purchase a high-quality cello for her daughter and treat the family to a holiday.

SP advised that staff are welcome to support with winner calls if they are interested. Karen Smith (KS) recently contacted a £1,000 winner who, after learning more about the work of Derian House, chose to donate the prize money back to the charity.

CT also provided an update on Derian Wishes, advising that the initiative has generated significant interest. While many wishes have involved technology, there have also been several unique requests, including playing darts with Luke Littler and drumming with the Courteeners.

The forum discussed ways in which the wishes initiative could also support families with practical day-to-day needs, such as house cleaning, garden maintenance and help with managing household tasks, recognising that these can become increasingly difficult for some families. Opportunities to provide this support through FL and corporate volunteers are being explored. There was also discussion around introducing volunteer drivers to help families attend appointments and events at Derian House when transport is a barrier, as well as supporting travel for holidays and assisting volunteers attending events.

Hi everyone,

We have secured a Royal Marsden subscription which means all staff now have access to the Royal Marsden Manual Online, one of the world’s most popular resources on clinical skills and procedures for nurses.

With over 300 detailed procedures, this comprehensive resource presents the evidence and underlying theory alongside full-colour illustrations and photographs, and includes coverage of infection prevention and control, oxygen therapy, tracheostomy: dressing and tube tapes/ties change, nutrition, stoma bag replacement, medicines management, and much more.

You can access this resource by following the link below or the QR code and there is also a link for it on the intranet – education tab

USERNAME – derian

PASSWORD – dhch@2026

Royal Marsden Manual Online   (you may be prompted to verify this link through mimecast)

Hi everyone,

Like many organisations, here at Derian House we are considering our use of AI tools and mapping out how we use them safely and effectively.

Many of you will already use AI as part of your work and we are currently drawing up a policy and procedures to make sure we are using this new technology in a way that keeps our family and donor data safe, and also helps us save time.

We will be looking at doing some training with colleagues in the near future around AI and how to get the most out of it. To help make sure the training is tailored to us, it would be good to understand how we currently use it, and what we’d like to do in future.

With that in mind, please could you take a couple of minutes to answer these questions, and email your answers back to me:

Name:

Role:

1. What AI tools do you currently use at work? (e.g. ChatGPT, CoPilot etc)
2. What tasks do you use AI for?
3. Would you be interested in some training in how to make the most of AI in your role?
4. What do you think AI could be used for to help you in your role?
5. Anything else to add?

In the meantime, while we are working on our plan for how we use AI at Derian, please see this guide of five dos and five don’ts that will keep us safe…

AI use at Derian House: Five Dos and Five Don’ts

As AI becomes more widely used in the workplace, it can be a valuable tool to support efficiency, creativity and productivity.

However, when working in a children’s hospice environment, it is essential that AI is used safely, ethically and in line with our responsibilities to children, families, colleagues and supporters.

✅ Five Dos

1. Do protect confidential information

Always remove or anonymise any information that could identify a child, family member, donor, volunteer or colleague before entering it into an AI tool.

2. Do use AI as a support tool, not a decision-maker

AI can help draft documents, generate ideas and summarise information, but professional judgement must always be applied before acting on its output. Be sure that any content for families and supporters is written in our Derian tone of voice and uses the terminology we prefer – people don’t connect on a human level with copy written by AI.

3. Do check all AI-generated content

Review and fact-check anything produced by AI before sharing it internally or externally. AI can make mistakes, provide inaccurate information or present outdated content.

4. Do follow Derian House policies and values

Ensure any use of AI aligns with organisational policies, GDPR requirements, safeguarding responsibilities and our values of being Safe, Compassionate and Accountable.

5. Do be transparent when appropriate

If AI has been used to significantly contribute to a piece of work, be open about its use with colleagues where relevant, particularly for important reports, communications or strategic documents.

❌ Five Don’ts

1. Don’t enter personal or sensitive data into public AI tools

Never upload names, medical information, safeguarding concerns, financial data, donor details or any confidential organisational information unless the AI platform has been formally approved for such use.

2. Don’t rely on AI without human review

AI should never be used to make decisions about patient care, safeguarding, clinical matters, HR issues, disciplinary processes or legal matters without appropriate professional oversight.

3. Don’t assume AI is always accurate

AI can confidently present incorrect information. Treat outputs as a first draft or starting point, not a final answer.

4. Don’t use AI to create misleading or deceptive content

AI should not be used to fabricate quotes, testimonials, case studies, images or information that could misrepresent Derian House, our families or our work.

5. Don’t bypass professional expertise

AI should enhance human skills, not replace them. Clinical judgement, safeguarding expertise, leadership decisions and compassionate human interactions must always remain at the heart of what we do.

A simple rule of thumb: If you wouldn’t feel comfortable sharing the information publicly, don’t put it into an AI tool. If AI creates something for you, always check it before you use it.

Dear Colleagues,

This week we are celebrating Volunteers’ Week, a national campaign recognising the incredible contribution volunteers make across the UK.

At Derian House, our volunteers play a vital role in supporting children, young people and families. Whether they are helping in our hospice, retail shops, fundraising events, family activities, gardens, reception, pet therapy, or behind the scenes, their dedication helps us provide the very best care and support to those who need us.

To help celebrate, we have created a special Volunteers’ Week display board which has been sent to each site. We encourage you to take a look and learn more about the different volunteer roles that support our organisation. The display also provides an opportunity for our volunteers to share their feedback about volunteering and also includes a beautiful booklet filled with the heartfelt messages of thanks that many of you have shared for our volunteers.

We have also set out a few treats for our volunteers throughout the week, including a small gift that we hope serves as a reminder of just how valued and appreciated they are.

As a special thank you, we have invited all our volunteers to a Coffee & Cake Afternoon in the Seaside Room on Wednesday 3rd June from 1.30pm to 4.00pm. Please feel free to drop in, meet some of our volunteers, and help us show our appreciation for everything they do.

A simple thank you can mean so much, so if you work alongside volunteers, please take a moment this week to let them know how much their support is valued.

Thank you for helping us make our volunteers feel recognised and appreciated, not just during Volunteers’ Week, but throughout the year.

“Here’s to strong women. May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them.” 💪

On #InternationalWomensDay, we’re celebrating some of the incredible ladies who make Derian House what it is ✨

From the nurses caring through the night, to the fundraisers, exec team, housekeepers, volunteers, and the mums who inspire us every day – the hospice is held together by extraordinary women 👩

Thank you for the compassion, strength and care you bring to the children and families we support 💚

Eventura will be migrating the Q drive to Azure this Wednesday 29^th October at 9.30am.  During this process, the Q drive will be unavailable for about one hour. Before the migration, please save and close all work on the Q drive to prevent data loss. Once the migration is complete, you’ll receive a confirmation email. After that, please follow these steps:

After Migration
1) close everything you have open and proceed to restart your machine. This can be done by right clicking on the start menu, then going to “Shut down or sign out” and then selecting “restart”:

2) Once your machine has restarted, please ensure you are connected to the network before logging back in. This can be achieved by either connecting a network cable to your machine or by connecting to “Derian Secure” wifi. To connect to the wif you will need to click on the internet icon at the bottom of your login screen (see below image).  You need to authenticate with the secure wifi using your username and password that you use to log onto the machine with. Once connected you can then log back into your machine and you can check then to see if the Q drive is available for you. 

If the Q Drive Shows a Red Cross

If you can see the Q drive but it shows a red cross and you’re unable to access it, then it will have to be manually mapped. This can be achieved by doing the following:

1) Right click on the Q drive and select “Disconnect”:

This should now disappear.

2) You will now need to right click on “This PC” (this is above the Q drive) and select “Map network drive”:

3) From the drop down for “Drive” select “Q”. In the folder location enter \\stderianhousefiles.file.core.windows.net\data and then ensure “reconnect at sign-in” is checked:

Once it looks like the above, please select “Finish” and the Q drive should be available for you again.

If anyone has any issues, please raise a ticket with Eventura Servicedesk either by calling 0333 240 9946 or emailing servicedesk@eventura.com – a member of the Eventura team will also be on site to assist if need be.

Please inform your teams about the above if they are due in on Wednesday and won’t see this beforehand, this also applies to any volunteers that use a PC/laptop.

Kind Regards

Kirsty Yates

Hello Everyone,

Whilst it’s a lovely sunny day today, I’m about to remind everyone that we will shortly be feeling the colder weather as we head into the Autumn and Winter seasons!

With this in mind, I’m pleased we are able to support all colleagues (staff and volunteers) with the flu vaccine this year, which is kindly being provided by the ICB.

All details on how to get yourself protected are below.

Good morning everyone,

Last night, we launched our brand new Fundraising Video which has been many months in the making. A huge thanks to all of the staff and volunteers who agreed to take part, be that in an interview or background artist role! 🙂

You can find the link to it on YouTube here:

Derian House Fundraising Video 2025

This is a tool that we can all use, be that to engage new supporters, reach new families, or in training and external meetings to show who we are and what we do.

I’ve put a copy of the video in the Q Drive > Drop Zone (3 Months) so you can save it to your own drives/use in your own presentations.

Thank you and enjoy 🙂

Hi all,

A while back we emailed to request that all feedback and evaluations, also including any comments and compliments, following session and touch points with CYPs and families should be sent to the Engagement inbox (engagement@derianhouse.co.uk)

This is to ensure we are shaping our services around what our families want. This information will be shared back to all relevant staff members as well as highlighting to our families “you said we did”.

I just wanted to send a reminder to everyone as we haven’t received much feedback recently.

If anyone has any questions please get in touch.

Some days stay GOLD forever! 🏅

The award-winning Derian House entry in this year’s Community and School Show Garden competition was showcased at the tenth annual Chorley Flower Show in Astley Park over the weekend… 🌺

…and what a weekend it was, taking a trip down memory lane as we celebrated the event’s epic milestone year with a ‘Through the Decades’ theme! 🤩

Our display took us back to the nineties, and showcased the origin story of Derian House Children’s Hospice – which back in 1993, was one of only five in the whole of the UK 🏡

With toy JCBs representing the breaking of the ground courtesy of national treasure Ken Dodd, a working construction site (with actual brick wall!), a playable sandpit, and a scaled-down Seaside Garden decking area, our perfect plot certainly grabbed the judges’ attention 🚧

A particular highlight for garden guests was the interactive 1993 spinning quiz – which for those of you left pondering, a pint of milk back then was just 34p! 🥛

A huge thanks to our team of staff and volunteers who put together 2025’s Derian display, and for those who gave up their time this weekend to speak with over 12,000 event-goers about the work we do here at the North West’s children’s hospice 💚

Hello all,

Following on from recent safety inspections I am pleased to let you know we have passed the Risk Assessment with a few bits to action.

With that in mind please can I remind everyone of the importance of fire safety and security with the following points;

• Fire doors should not be propped open with door wedges, if you feel a door needs to stay open please let me know and we will look at magnetic retainers on these doors.
• Equipment shouldn’t be stored on corridors or in a stair well.
• Emergency exits should not be used a regular exits to the building, I have seen the doors in the diner and on the link corridor used for this.
• Gates to the garden should remain closed from a safety and security perspective.
• Please ensure if you are allowing access to someone anywhere in the hospice they have an ID badge be it visitor, contractor or volunteer.

Your co-operation is much appreciated.

If you have any concerns or ideas to ensure the safety and security of our families and yourselves please let me know.

Good afternoon everyone,

I am very happy to share that the Trustees have approved a 3.6% cost of living salary increase for all employees.  This will be effective within your July salary and will be backdated to the 1^st April 2025.  I hope you agree that this is wonderful news given the current economic climate.

Hi everyone!

I just wanted to make you all aware that next Saturday, 28^th June, we have our first ever Derian House Colour Run happening!

We are looking forward to welcoming nearly 600 people to Derian House and cannot wait for the chaos and colour!

So far, our Colour Run has raised an incredible £13,459, which I’m sure you’ll agree is amazing!

I also wanted to let you know that on Friday 27^th June from 3pm onwards, part of the car park will be being sectioned off ready for some of our vendors the following morning.

Our brilliant Estates Team will be sure sectioning the car park off, so please try your best to not park in the new car park spaces on the right hand side of the car park as you enter Derian House.  (To be exact…from the Derian House sign on the drive, all the way back to the new lovely little rockery, and all the way across to the fences of our Astley Village neighbours.)

The event itself will all be contained onto the field, we will however be having a few Blue Badge cars parking on the car park here. Please, if you are working on Saturday 28^th June, please be very wary of our guests as you enter the car park, and drive cautiously.

If anyone has any questions please do let me know. Thank you so much for your help!

Hello all,

You will be pleased to know you no longer have to take your laptop to the printer to print!  The ‘Papercut’ software is back on the server!

You will need to log on to the printer using your ID badge, it will ask you ‘Do you wish to associate this card with the user account’, select YES, input your log in credentials that you use to log in to your laptop – FIRSTNAME.SURNAME then PASSWORD.

Evolve (photocopying company) have confirmed that all printing that was accidently sent to the ‘follow me on Moana’ printer in the last few months has been deleted.

In addition to the above, you will receive an email from Domain postmaster address stating you have ‘new held messages’ from evolve.scanner@evolvemail.co.uk – please release this email as it will be a PIN number that you can use to log on to the printer with in case you misplace your ID badge.

Happy Printing!

Kind Regards

Kirsty Yates

Admin Team Leader

Hi everyone,

It has been highlighted recently that some computer and iPad screens have been left unlocked and information visible while staff have moved away from their desk, or on some occasions while in meetings for some length of time.

Can I please remind everyone that it is your responsibility to make sure your computer or iPad screen is locked and information is not visible to anyone not authorised to view it.  This is a potential breach of our Data Protection and Information Governance policies & guidance as well as legislation, therefore continued non-adherence could lead to further action being taken.

This issue was discussed at today’s Information Governance Steering Group meeting, and managers have been tasked with addressing this issue with individual staff members where this is found.

Many thanks,

Anthony.

Welcome to Children’s Hospice Week – a celebration of the nation’s 53 hospices for children, and the wonderful work they do to help youngsters whose lives are too short.

For families caring for a seriously ill child, Derian House is a safe haven where they and their children can get care and support, enjoy their time together and make precious memories.

Throughout the course of this week, we’ll be sharing stories about the care we offer here at the North West’s children’s hospice over on our social media pages, so keep an eye out!

In 2024, we helped over 400 babies, children and young people – whose lives are too short – make happy memories in an environment of fun, respect and above all, Outstanding Care.

Please be aware that every Monday at 11:00am, the fire alarm in the hospice will be tested.

Should the alarm sound at any other time this should be classed as a real situation and the building evacuated.

Good afternoon everyone,

Following on from my last email, in which I gave an update on our cyber security incident, I now have the details regarding support that will be made available to all staff.

Although we have no evidence that your information was accessed, we cannot rule it out.

And so, as part of our commitment to your personal data security, we are happy to offer 12 months of credit and identity monitoring by TransUnion at no cost to yourselves.

Please let HR know at HR@derianhouse.co.uk know if you are interested in this service and we will send you the information and individual activation code that you will need to set it up.

Please keep vigilant for any suspicious activity and we have been advised that it’s wise to set up two-step authentication on all online services.

At the recent We Are Derian Forum, a few of you asked me about whether a recent increase in spam calls is linked to our cyber incident. I have sought advice from CFC, our cyber security specialists, and can confirm that this is not linked.

As always, if you have any questions, please speak to me or any of the directors.

Hello

Thank you all for your patience with regards to the wifi (we are no longer using ‘Derian Radius’), we are now using ‘Derian Secure’, please follow the below steps – once everyone has moved to this wifi, the standard ‘Derian wifi’ will be stopped.

• Click on the wifi icon at the bottom right of your screen

• Click on the arrow at the side of the wifi symbol

• Select ‘Derian Secure’ wifi and connect

• Tick the box  – Use my Windows user account

• You should get the following message – ‘Continue Connecting?’ Press Connect

You should now be connected to ‘Derian Secure’, any issues please let me know.

Kind Regards

Kirsty Yates

Hi Everyone,

As our printers are not yet re-configured to print automatically through their own server, we have been printing documents by plugging directly into our printers.

However, this week some information has been found on the Care Team printer which includes confidential staff and donor information.

Can you please ensure that when printing you are selecting the correct printer from the drop-down menu on your print screen and that your computer is plugged into the printer you are using before you print documents.

We are working with Evolve (printer supplier) and eVentura to address the printing issue and will get these back to normal as soon as possible.

Many thanks,

Anthony Mohammed

Dear team,

Well, we are now in week 3 of the aftermath of our Cyber Security Breach, and I am happy to say that we are now in a much more positive position, with efforts to get us back up and running making step by step progress every day.

I know that we still have some way to go before everyone’s systems are back to normal, but I want to thank you all for the patience and resilience you have shown. It’s been great to see everyone pitching in and looking after each other.

Eventura continue to be on site or available remotely working on staff issues to a priority order. If your access changes please report this to your line manager as they will update the priority list daily.

On Thursday evening we gave a full update to trustees about our ongoing situation, including the steps we are taking to recover from it, and yesterday (Tuesday) I briefed Karen Swindley (Chair of the Trustee Board) in more detail as a latest update.

Eventura continue to carry out work in response to the incident and to ensure that we are as secure as we can be.  As part of this work, and as a precaution, we have temporarily disabled the Virtual Private Network (VPN) and so for now people will not be able to log onto their machines remotely to access the IT infrastructure (servers and drives) whilst working from home.

Implementing our VPN with two-factor authentication will be part of our work to add further strength to our security going forward.

In addition, you will start to see our new firewall appear, this will appear as Mimecast, and will replace the Barracuda system that we had in place.  Please check these emails as the security has been heightened and some emails may be gate-keeped for you to then release.

As you will understand, we would again ask that all of this is kept confidential – given that it is relevant to the ongoing security of our systems.  I will run through any questions at today’s We Are Derian.

Despite a difficult couple of weeks, thanks to your dedication, we have managed to keep the hospice open and running for families who need us most, and this is the most important thing.

Hi all

Please could you all ensure to fill up the fleet cars with petrol before bringing them back to the hospice.

We have had an incident today where someone has gone to the fleet car and it was on red.   This then causes a delay for staff if they are going to an appointment as they have to call at the petrol station first.

Many thanks for your cooperation in this matter J

Hi Everyone,

We recently asked for suggestions of what we could name the new playground and asked for your help for shortlisting to help choose the top 5. Thank you to everyone who got involved. It was difficult to choose only 5, but now we have, we are asking for your help again by voting for your favourite.

Top 5:

Voting is open to everyone.

Please can you all share this with as many children, young people and families as possible.

You can vote by Microsoft form here: https://forms.office.com/e/DGn71XLV5C or by email engagement@derianhouse.co.uk.

Closing date for votes is Friday 11^th April.

Any questions please feel free to get back in touch.

Thank you in advance for your support.

Top o’ the mornin’ to ya!

On Monday 17^th March, we’ll be painting the town (Derian House) GREEN as we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

Please wear green clothing if you can, but also adhere to IPC policies if you directly care for our CYP.

Good afternoon everyone,

As you will know, our Smile Park is currently in the middle of a major refurbishment… and with that comes a rebrand!

Our family engagement team have been working on a project to allow our families the chance to name our brand new and inclusive space, and we’ve decided to open it up to staff and volunteers, too.

We’d love you to help us name the playground – closing date for entries is Monday 24^th March, and all entries will then be shortlisted with a new vote with the final five going live shortly after for all of our social media followers to choose our winner.

Whoever wins will then be invited along to an official opening in the spring.

Here’s a link to a video of the virtual tour of the new ‘Smile Park’ on Facebook – you can either comment your entry on the post or email engagement@derianhouse.co.uk.

https://www.facebook.com/derianhouse/videos/1615199169103601

Hi All,

Please see email below – if anybody would like tickets, please let me know.

Thanks

Emma (Fundraising Manager)

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

I’m reaching out on behalf of everyone here at Manchester City to invite you to join us at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday 23rd March for our Women’s Super League clash with Chelsea!

We would be delighted to provide complimentary tickets for any service users, staff, or volunteers who may wish to attend.

If this is something you might be interested in, please let me know how many tickets you would like and don’t hesitate to get in touch should you have any questions.

Please note, all tickets will be distributed via email.

All the best,

Alice

Dear All,

We have been gifted a complimentary table to the ‘It’s All About the Kids Gala Ball’ on Saturday 15^th March at The Hilton, Deansgate, Manchester. Please find details attached.

The ball will raise money for Derian House, along with three other charities, and the evening will include top class entertainment by Britain’s Got Talent winners and West End stars.

If you and a guest would like to attend, please can you let me know asap.

Thank you and any questions, please just let me know.

Kind Regards

Emma

Dear All,

As the Hospice gets busier with overnight stays and an increase to 5 nights per week, could we please ask the following –

• No-one walks through the bedroom corridor before 10am apart from Clinical staff and housekeeping – this will ensure privacy and dignity for our children when getting bathed and ready in the mornings.
• There are signs on the door to remind everyone. If you need to access the bedroom corridor before this time, please speak to the team leader or shift coordinator.
• Please be mindful if you are on the lodge corridor before 10am that some of our teenagers and young adult like a lie in, so please keep noise to a minimum.

If you have any queries, please speak to any of the senior team.

Thank you for your cooperation in ensuring that all our children have a great stay at Derian and their privacy is respected.

Regards,

Bridget

Bridget Thomas
RGN, Dip Children’s Nursing, BSc(Hons) Health Visiting, MSc
Clinical Director

It’s World Book Day next Thursday 6^th March.

Please join in with us and dress up as your favourite story book character for the day, however big or small, let’s make it a great day for the children and young people.

If you have the story at home, feel free to bring that in too.

When planning your outfit, please still adhere to infection control measures.

Thank you everyone and look forward to seeing some inventive costumes next week.

Kind regards,

Claire van Opstal

We’re proud to be joining hospices across England, Scotland and Wales to protect the future of hospice care. We’re very excited to be part of a nationwide campaign to help raise the profile of hospices and the incredible work we do. Gifts in Wills help fund the care of 1 in 10 children and young people at Derian House, that’s why we’re asking our incredible supporters and community to consider leaving a gift to our hospice.

Look out for the Hospice UK TV advert launching on Monday 17 February, but if you just can’t wait – you can watch it now on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DB_ntxBHIf4

Did you know you can make your Will for free? Not only does writing a Will provide comfort for yourself and the ones you love, but it can also be a chance to support a cause you care about. Click here to request an information pack https://www.derianhouse.co.uk/legacy/

Together, we can help hospice care live on for all, for now, forever.

Good afternoon

For information, the white lines will be painted on the car park on Wednesday 5^th February 2025 ( tomorrow ) therefore this area will be closed.

Could I please ask for your co-operation and leave this area clear so the lines can be marked.

Thank you

Hi all,

****MOOREPAY UPGRADE****

This message is to inform you we have a scheduled Moorepay upgrade which will take place on  MONDAY 3^RD FEBRUARY – TUESDAY 4^TH FEBRUARY

Whilst the upgrade takes place you are likely to receive notifications, however, ***DO NOT*** action any request and do not attempt to access Moorepay until you have received instruction from ourselves in the Finance Team

The upgrade will bring the following enhancements:

• New easy-to-use interface and simplified menu structure
• Guided user support to take you through the software (pages and processes)
• Access to detailed payslips via both the Web Application and NEW Mobile App

Important information

• Once instruction has been received from the Finance team – You will be required to click the link in the verification email, set up a new password and successfully log in on a browser window.
• Please choose a new password which is at least 9 characters long and includes a minimum of 1 lower case letter, 1 upper case letter and 1 simple symbol.
• You MUST log in successfully on the website first, before you will be able to log into the Mobile App
• The NEW Mobile app is downloadable from your usual app/play store on both apple and android devices.
• Please remove any old saved or bookmarked URLs as from this time you will need to use the following URL to access Moorepay https://app.moorepay.co.uk/
• If you are unable to log in within 24 hours of the verification email being received, please navigate to the above Moorepay URL, enter your username, click ‘NEXT’ and use the “Forgotten your password?” process. The link in this email will last for 2 hours, at which point, you will need to request the forgotten password e-mail again.

If you have any questions regarding the above, let us know.

Many Thanks

New year, new you? 

2025 is the perfect chance to start a brand new chapter, so why not do something incredible for Derian House instead of the same old resolution?

For more info or to sign up to any of these events, visit the link below.

https://www.derianhouse.co.uk/events/

Good morning everyone,

Fancy kicking off your new year resolution fitness goals off with Derian’s Top Dog this February? 🐾

We’re asking people to raise £100 by walking 100km throughout the month of February 2025 – this works out about 3.5km/2 miles per day but you’re very welcome to split the distance however you like. This is the third time this event has been launched and has raised over £20,000 for the hospice and I know we’ve had a lot of staff and their four-legged friends take part so we’d love for you to join us again this year!

We’re launching this event with a 3km walk on Saturday 1^st February 2025 at Café Ambio, Astley Park, Chorley at 10am – even if you do not want to take part in the event, you’re more than welcome to join us for the walk!

For more information to get involved, please let me know.

Hello All

The results of the survey that I sent out (re celebrating xmas) was equal between a party night and a meal then drinks……it’s a little late to organise a party night and a lot of places are already booked up!

I have been in touch with Halfway House (on the A6) and they can fit us in on Friday 29^th November or Saturday 7^th December they have a festive menu – 2 courses for £24.95 (to sit in the dining area), and a DJ for entertainment – or we can just go and be in the bar area (can’t reserve seats) and have festive drinks, bar snacks (dependent on how busy they are) and enjoy the DJ.

If you would like to attend the Christmas Celebrations at Halfway House, then please let me know as soon as possible, please reply with preferred date and either festive meal or festive drinks (and I will go with the majority) then I can get it booked and pay deposits etc if need be.

This is a great place to either stay and enjoy the DJ or move on to either Preston or Chorley later on in the evening!

Don’t forget to ask your volunteers.

*Please note I have checked the hospice bookings and there are no CYP staying on either of these nights*

Kind Regards

Kirsty Yates

Admin Team Leader

Hi everyone,

As you are all aware recruitment of Registered Nurses is a key priority for us.  We held an open evening last week and will be carrying out another round of interviews in November.  We are also offering an incentive for any staff member who recommends a Nurse to Derian, you could receive a £500 bonus (subject to deductions) when you recommend someone and they commence in their role.

So get thinking if you know a great Nurse who would love to be part of Derian House and our growth plans for the future.

Thanks

Kim

Refer a nurse leaflet

Good Afternoon,

Catherine has arranged for Flu and Covid Vaccinations to be available for all staff.

These will be administered by the NHS on Thursday 24 October and Wednesday 30 October in the music room.

You can have either or both vaccinations.

No need to book just turn up on either day.

Thanks,
Kim

Hi Team Derian,

With lots going on around the charity, I thought it a great time to update you on a few things….. happy reading!

1. There’s still time to book your tickets for the exclusive friends and family screening of Derian House documentary, The Little Things, taking place at Bolton Cineworld on Saturday 19^th October at 5:45pm. Some additional seats have now become available so if you have already booked but would like to add a guest this is now possible. Please email movie@derianhouse.co.uk.  We have over 200 people joining us on the night and it is going to be wonderful.

2. It’s been Hospice Care Week, and the theme of this year’s week of celebration is retail, which is very fitting seeing as our retail team has been working round the clock to get our Chorley store ready for opening after its big revamp. The Chorley store will set the standard for how we want our shops to look and feel and we can’t wait to see the finished product.

3. Our Family Engagement & Advocacy Team got a special thank you from trustees for their work in setting up this piece of the jigsaw in our offer for families. The team are currently working with families on what improvements we can make to services, access and the way we communicate with them.

4. Over in fundraising our very first fire walk event was a red hot success with “Walk This Way” raising a wonderful £13,472.64! Well done to everyone involved, and all of the staff who took part, some even in fancy dress.

5. Our annual supporter magazine, Stories & Smiles (formerly Danni’s Diary), is out now. The newsletter is jam-packed with good news and family stories from the year. You should all feel really proud of the part you had to play in making these success stories happen.

6. You may have noticed the front of the hospice has been lit up blue and pink. This is to mark Baby Loss Awareness Week, which runs from 9-15 October. The idea of lighting up the hospice to remember all of our babies was first suggested by the parents of baby Iris last year and we’re really pleased to be able to carry on this important tradition. Thanks to our facilities team for their work on this.

7. We hosted a successful afternoon tea event last week to celebrate the end of the Morrison’s and Together for Short Lives Partnership. So far, the stores have raised £149,925 for Derian House, with more money still to come in.

8. Our personalised stamps for bereaved parents, launched as part of our Say my Child’s Name campaign last year will be returning in time for Christmas thanks to a generous donation by Leyland Trucks, who have paid for 100 stamps to help parents who have suffered a loss to remember their child in Christmas cards this year.

9. We had a very successful QSI meeting this week with Trustees with focus on due diligence,  governance, safety, data, performance, risk and an update on progress against our strategic plan.

• We’ve produced an article written to celebrate that we currently have all aspects of the NMC register covered which includes health visiting, learning disabilities, midwifery, children’s,  adults, mental health nursing and public health.

• Welcome to new staff who started in the last couple of weeks –

• Maria Williamson – Perinatal Midwife
• Vicky Tadman – RN
• Sam Jackson – RN
• Shannon Gaynor – RN

• Joining us in the coming weeks are Vicky Robinson as Community Team Leader and Beverley Alty, as Lottery and Individual Giving Administrator.

• Sadly, it didn’t work out for Tracey Scott who joined to lead our Finance team, and so we are now reviewing the position and will be hopefully filling the gap as soon as possible

• Recruitment remains a key priority and we have a 2^nd Open Evening for nurses this week.  We are also offering an incentive for staff who recommend nurses to Derian, look out for the leaflet and your chance to receive a £500 bonus (subject to deductions) when you recommend someone and they commence in their role.

• A massive thanks to the care team who have changed shifts and swapped days to accommodate end of life and sunflower admissions and potential admissions recently, we wouldn’t be able to offer this element of care consistently without your flexibility.

• Bridget and Kim are currently sorting the details for our flu jabs, more details as these are offered.

• And finally, I’m pleased to share that Kim has decided not to leave Derian, and therefore the hunt for a new HR Director is no longer required.

Have a great week everyone

The 16^th October is Restart a Heart Day in the UK. Did you know that less than one in 10 people survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest? By learning CPR and feeling confident to use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), you can give someone their best chance of survival.

The Education Team at Derian House are inviting you to learn CPR in the clinical skills lab between 9am-1pm today.

We can also show you how to use an Epipen and tell you how to spot the signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis and how to use an AED.

If you want to book in a time slot please email us or call 01257 233300 ext 230

For more information about Restart a Heart day visit resus.org.uk/rsah

Good Evening,

Following recent incidents around the country, it is now more important than ever that we know who is on our site at all times.  Therefore, with immediate effect, ALL visitors to Derian House must sign in on arrival and sign out when they leave.  Not only is this for security reasons, but also should an emergency situation arise and we have to evacuate the building then we will be able to conduct an accurate roll call.

I do understand it may be upsetting for families attending the Sunflower Room, but it is also for their safety that they sign-in on arrival, and must follow the procedures we have in place.  Additionally, any parents/carers collecting one of our children or young people from respite or day care must also sign-in.

I am aware some staff members who see parents/carers in reception, will say “come with me” or “it’s ok they don’t need to sign-in as they are with me”.  This is not acceptable and must no longer happen, visitors must always sign-in.

In an effort to make visitor sign-in easier, I am going to look into the possibility of being able to pre-book visitors on the system.  This would enable you to inform reception if you are aware of visitors attending site and they could be pre-booked which would make signing-in an easier and quicker process.

Thank you for your understanding and co-operation in ensuring we keep Derian House a safe and secure environment for all.