News

Your hospice needs you!

As we increase our store count and further improve our own branded product in 2022, we’re looking to create a Retail Focus Group to help generate product ideas.

The first session will be held 10:00 – 12:00 on Friday 7^th January 2022 in the Seaside Room.

If you’re interested in joining the group, please email andrew.uptonford@derianhouse.co.uk expressing both your interest and ideas by Sunday 2^nd January 2022. Andrew will then invite as many members as they can safely accommodate in the Seaside Room, while reviewing all ideas sent. Our intention is to hold these meetings at least quarterly.

What green New Year’s Resolutions have you got in your back pocket?

• Recycle more?
• Walk or cycle to work?
• Use re-usable shopping bags?
• Eat less meat?

Whatever they may be, we want your ideas!

Our first big initiative for Derian’s Go Green strategy will be launched on January 1st, the perfect time to make those changes in your day-to-day lives. Please send andrew.uptonford@derianhouse.co.uk your New Green Resolutions! Andrew will be looking at all the small marginal and creative things that we can come up with and creating a Green story on the back of these.

MONDAY 20^th                       

• Our children and young people will be planning ahead by making 2022 calendars in the Messy PlayZone.

TUESDAY 21^st

• Individual sessions of Music Therapy with Martha will be taking place in The Snug from 3.00-5.00pm this afternoon.

• We’re having a mini party day today throughout the hospice, with plenty of Christmas party games, singing, and music and movement with Claire. Come and join the festive fun!

• Keep your noses open for lots of lovely smells coming from the kitchen – our youngsters will be baking Christmas treats ready for a visit from Santa this afternoon.

• Did someone say ‘Girls Trip’?! Our female lodgers will be out and about getting some last-minute Christmas shopping in the Trafford Centre amongst a whole host of other activities!

WEDNESDAY 22^nd

• Join our music teacher Rachel Toner in The Snug from 11am for a Christmas Sing-a-long.

• Sensory Story Time with Caroline will take place in the Seaside Room from 1:30-3:00pm for Derian families.

THURSDAY 23^rd 

• Claire will be hosting a Christmas-themed musical exercise session of Music & Movement this morning in the Lodge Lounge.

• Everyone’s favourite Pets as Therapy dog, Shuna, will be arriving at Derian with her human Linda for their weekly visit.

• Our second Trees of Love open evening will take place from 4.00-8.00pm this evening, with our supporters who’ve sponsored a tree visiting the hospice for a tour of the magical tree forest.

FRIDAY 24^th

• Christmas-themed sensory story time will take place this morning.

• It’s home time! We better get prepared ready for Santa’s arrival tonight… don’t forget the carrot for Rudolph!

• All our shops will close at 2pm today for Christmas. Blackburn and Preston will reopen on Monday 27^th, with Chorley, Horwich and Leyland reopening on Wednesday 29^th.

SATURDAY 25^th

• MERRY CHRISTMAS! Have an amazing day celebrating with your colleagues, family and friends!

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

• If you would like to share with the rest of Derian what your department is up to in the next 7 days, please send an email to cameron.murray@derianhouse.co.uk before Thursday the week before.

Ho ho hope you a great week everyone… Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! J

From 12pm – 2pm this Friday 17th December, a complimentary Christmas lunch will be served in Danni’s Diner to all of our staff and volunteers working that day. Please don’t choose lunch on the system, as the baguettes (complete with all the trimmings!) are free of charge.

For our retail teams, lunches will be delivered by Derian’s elves to each of our stores for staff and volunteers.

There will also be veg/ve alternatives available. Please let Jeff the Chef know in advance of any special dietary requirements and if you’ll be having the meat free alternative.

What’s on Weekly emails are back (wooooo don’t all cheer at once!)! Here’s your weekly guide to everything happening at Derian House. If you’ve got something you’d like to add to the weekly bulletin, please drop me an email by Thursday the week before. This can be anything from new starters to in-house activities, external visitors to retirement parties in the Seaside Room! This will also be placed on the Intranet News section J

WHAT’S ON WEEKLY @ DERIAN HOUSE

(December 13^th – December 19^th)

SATURDAY 11^th

• The Rivington Barn Bikers will be back once again after a year out due to COVID. They’ll be arriving at the hospice on their bikes from 5pm to deliver plenty of presents so make sure to say hello if you see them!

MONDAY 13^th                       

• Our children and young people will be taking part in Christmas-themed fun in the Messy PlayZone.

TUESDAY 14^th

• A virtual meeting will take place between Derian House and LifeNoW this morning.

• If you’re taking part in Secret Santa, today is the FINAL DAY to bring your gifts in.

• Individual sessions of Music Therapy with Martha will be taking place in The Snug from 3.00-5.00pm this afternoon.

• We’re having a mini party day today throughout the hospice, with plenty of Christmas party games, singing, and music and movement with Claire. Come and join the festive fun!

• Our lodgers will be visiting the Trafford Centre for an ice show to celebrate the ‘graduation’ of one of our youngsters.

WEDNESDAY 15^th

• Resident music teacher Rachel Toner will be in The Snug from 11am for singing and music.

• Sensory Story Time will take place this morning in the Lodge Lounge.

• A selection of our young people will be visiting Bolton Wanderers Community Trust for a bowling competition this morning – good luck!

THURSDAY 16^th

• CEO at Trinity/Brian House, David Houston, and CEO at Eden Valley, Trish Livesey are visiting the hospice and meeting with David and Lynn this morning.

• Everyone’s favourite Pets as Therapy dog, Shuna, will be arriving at Derian with her human Linda for their weekly visit.

FRIDAY 17^th

• Our Trees of Love open evening will take place from 4.00-8.00pm this evening, with our supporters who’ve sponsored a tree visiting the hospice for a tour of the magical tree forest and a mulled wine! Our Retail Team will also be joining us for a stall at the event. We are looking for some marshals to help monitor various areas around the grounds, so if you’d like to volunteer then please drop our fundraiser Ellie an email!

• There’s a Scavenger Hunt in Astley Park this afternoon – collect your list of items to be found from the Wellbeing and Play Team.

SATURDAY 18^th

• If you’re stuck for things to do this weekend, why not take a tour of the #DerianDeckTheHalls lights? 35 households from 14 towns and villages across Lancashire have gone all out to host light shows in their gardens to support Derian this Christmas, and you can download the map of where they all are here – https://www.derianhouse.co.uk/events/deck-the-halls/

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

• If you would like to share with the rest of Derian what your department is up to in the next 7 days, please send an email to cameron.murray@derianhouse.co.uk before Thursday the week before.

Ho ho hope you a great week everyone! J

Dear Derian House Colleagues,

In light of the government announcements last night the senior team are assessing the information currently available.

CARE

–

As guidance has not changed for care settings we will continue all Hospice operations as normal, if you have any questions then please ask Lynn, Dawn, Rosie or Clare.

We will be reviewing visitor access to the inside of the House, Lodge and Vinten Place, where a visit is deemed non-essential we will postpone these until a later date. Professional visits will still continue with strict access controls at reception, mandatory lateral flows and Hands/Face/Space rules apply as normal.

NON-CLINICAL

The senior team will assess our plans in preparation for the Monday implementation of the new rules and a further message will be sent to everyone tomorrow. These plans will include working from home, room occupancy reviews, assessing the risks around Trees of Love and any other activity.

RETAIL/VANS/WAREHOUSE

Operations will continue as normal with enhanced caution in areas such as PPE and Hands/Face/Space rules.

TRAINING = MENTAL HEALTH AND CULTURE AND VALUES SESSIONS

We have made the decision to cancel these as they were planned with blended teams from inside and outside the building, we will reschedule for the New Year.

As I stated, a full briefing will be issued tomorrow, if you have any specific concerns or questions then please speak to any member of the SMT or your Line Manager, they may not have the immediate answer but they can find out for you.

FINALLY – Your wellbeing is our top priority, if you are struggling with the issues surrounding COVID and need to speak to someone then please remember you have access to free counselling through our SAGE Benefits scheme, details are on the Intranet. We, of course, also have the work related counselling, please see your line manager if you need referring.

Thank you and more information will come tomorrow.

David

Board Meeting

• The Board met and the following four Strategic Ambitions were agreed:

1. Be a centre for children’s specialised palliative care in the North West.
2. Build a Wellbeing Centre.
3. Balance the books.
4. Remain ‘as is’ and maintain Outstanding.

• These ambitions will form the foundations for our Strategic Aims over the next three years.  The Trustees were very supportive and consensus at Board was that 2022 will be a demanding, but truly exciting year for the Hospice.

Human Resources

• Could all Team Members who have not yet, send confirmation of their Vaccination status by 31^st December 2021. The most accurate place to get this information is via your NHS App.
• Please remember that the latest Staff Survey Temperature check is due by close Sunday 12^th Follow the link if you haven’t had your  say yet; https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=L4KxNBc8uk-2fphc2W8kL2p8YNixmbxBmbI38i7OQhNUQ1kzUlFLSTNVUkpGQ1pCTFlGUlM0N0s5UyQlQCN0PWcu
• Festive Fun!  The first set of frivolities will be held this Thursday.  Dates and themes as follows,

All activities will between 14:00 – 15:00 in various rooms and where weather permits, outside.

Please check the Intranet for more details on Fun Activities being held across the Hospice.

Go Green

• Our first big initiative for our Go Green strategy will be launched on January 1^st.  Please send uptonford@derianhouse.co.uk your New Green Resolutions!  These should be small and can be either professional or personal.  For example; eating less meat, printing less paper, walking or cycling more etc.  I’ll be looking at all the small marginal and creative things that we can come up with and creating a Green story on the back of these.

Retail

• Your Hospice needs you!   As we increase our store count and further improve our own branded product, we’re looking to create a Retail Focus Group to help generate product ideas.  The first session will be held 10:00 – 12:00 on Friday 7^th January 2022 in the Seaside Room.  If you’re interested in joining the group, please email uptonford@derianhouse.co.uk expressing both your interest and ideas by Sunday 2^nd January 2022.  I will invite as many members as we can safely accommodate in the Seaside Room, while reviewing all ideas sent.  Our intention is to hold these meetings at least quarterly.

The SMT would like to express their thanks and appreciated to all of our wonderful people for the care, service, support and work they do.

In what has been another challenging year, we all take pride in what we do, and most importantly what we provide. We are all working towards a shared goal based on our Strategic Aims.

With all the daily changes we face, anxiety and confusion around the hospice is a source of tranquillity not just for our children and young people, but for many of us too. Derian House is truly a special place, made even more amazing by you.

Wishing you and your families a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Back due to popular demand, Festive Fun @ 2pm starts up again this Thursday 9th December!

Drop what you’re doing (well, within reason!) and meet up for a social chinwag with your fellow colleagues and volunteers and celebrate Christmas the Derian way.

Below is the official timetable for all the events happening at 2pm over the next few weeks (locations TBC).

Kicking things off with Snowball Pong are the Fundraising, Comms and Marketing Team this Thursday 9th December from 2pm in the Lodge Conference Room. Make sure to drink responsibly 😉

A little reminder that payday will be slightly earlier this month.

December payday will be Friday 17^th.

Care Team only

Due to the earlier date please may all premium payment and bank shift forms be submitted by the end of this week (3^rd December). If Ben hasn’t received the form by midday Friday it will not be processed in time for payday.

In November, 6️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ Santas jingled all the way to the top of Rivington Pike and back to raise money for us, The Keepsake Circle project launched with our Patron Kiki Deville performing songs written alongside Derian families, and Christmas came early as we geared up for the festive season here at the hospice #MonthInAMinute 💚

Secret Santa is back once again for 2021, a chance to treat your colleagues to a £5 gift! The list for participants is on the Art Wall in the Messy PlayZone, and once everyone who wants to has signed up, Tina will draw everyone’s names out of a hat and pass this on to you in an envelope so you know who you’re buying for.

Tomorrow is World Prematurity Day, and our Perinatal Team (consisting of Katie T and Kathryn) will be setting up a stall in one of the bedrooms to offer an insight to their roles at the hospice.

All staff are welcome to drop by between 8am-4pm to learn something new. There’ll also be treats incase you weren’t already interested!

Stop what you’re doing and take this information in – festive baguettes will be back!

From 12pm – 2pm on Friday 17th December, a complimentary Christmas lunch will be served in Danni’s Diner to all of our staff and volunteers working that day. Please don’t choose lunch for that day as the baguettes (complete with all the trimmings!) are free of charge.

For our retail teams, lunches will be delivered by Derian’s elves to each of our stores for staff and volunteers.

There will also be veg/ve alternatives available. Please let Jeff the Chef know in advance of any special dietary requirements and if you’ll be having the meat free alternative.

Religion or belief discrimination is were you maybe face discrimination, harassment or victimisation because of your religion or belief. It is one of the nine protected characteristics under the Equality Act and is mainly divided into two areas: religion and religious belief and philosophical belief.

The Equality Act does not give a comprehensive list of religions, although its explanatory notes give examples – the Baha’i faith, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Rastafarianism, Sikhism and Zoroastrianism. Religious belief is an individual’s own faith and how it affects their life. Broadly speaking, a philosophical belief must be all of the following:

• genuinely held
• not just an opinion or point-of-view based on current information
• a weighty and substantial aspect of human life and behaviour
• clear, logical, convincing, serious, important, and
• worthy of respect in a democratic society, compatible with human dignity and not conflicting with the fundamental rights of others.

It is broadly accepted that, for example, humanism, atheism and agnosticism are ‘beliefs’, but supporting a football team or loyalty to your native country are not.

All protected beliefs are equal – whether religious or philosophical – so one protected belief cannot override another.

So how do we ensure we do not discriminate against Religion and religious beliefs and philosophical belief?

Areas of employment where religion or belief discrimination may most frequently occur are:

• recruitment
• requests for taking annual leave, breaks and time away from work for religious reasons
• dress code

Recruitment – Within the recruitment process we do not ask candidates for any kind of information relating to their religion or beliefs. We believe that this information is not required in order for us to select the best person for the job. Following the pre-employment stage we ask that if any staff require any form of reasonable adjustment to standard working practices due to a religion or belief they let us know so we can discuss further.

Requests for taking annual leave, breaks and time away from work for religious reasons – As a service that runs 24/7/365 we do not have any form of shut down due to a religious holiday. Annual Leave is managed on a rotating basis where someone who had a certain time off one year may not be approved the following year to allow another staff member who may not have previously had that time. Time away from the workplace for religious reasons is always managed on a case by case basis and Derian would make any reasonable adjustments that work for both the individual and also the running of our services.

Dress code –  Although within the Care Team we have a set uniform due to IPC regulations we have ensured the uniform is flexible enough to accommodate the various requirements of different religions relating to dress and appearance. We would always make any reasonable adjustments required to ensure staff feel comfortable in work and IPC standards are maintained.  On the commercial side of the organisation, all staff are asked to appear professional however have the flexibility to present that in line with their personal religious beliefs.

At Derian House we have zero tolerance on any kind of discrimination. If you feel you or someone you work with is a victim of discrimination, please speak to the HR department.

Health and Safety

• Fire Marshall Training has now been completed – thank you to those who took part and certificates have been issued/SMI records updated.

Flu and COVID

• People are reminded to book their COVID boosters and flu jabs asap – and please don’t forget to let HR know when you’ve had your booster done.

Hospice

• A big thank you to everyone who was involved in the high profile case of the little girl who came to us for end-of-life care from a children’s hospital recently – this was excellent team work and really showed what we are capable of when we all work together.
• We are working with NHS England on our strategy and are in discussions about Derian House being used as an exemplar site (example of best practice) – exciting news!
• A new Hospice Manager, Ruth Islip, has been appointed and will start work in January.
• The Hospice UK conference in Liverpool was a success last week with our poster going down well among delegates – well done everyone.
• **For those in Vinten Place** Please charge your laptop before you come into work on December 8 as we having electrical tests taking place and the power will be on and off all day.
• The electrical vehicle charging points in the car park will be up and running in a couple of weeks once the new software has been installed.
• We have had a really good round of clinical recruitment and now only need 2 more nurses and 3 CSWs to be at the stage of being able to run 10 beds at the hospice.
• The Keepsake Circle, a new song writing project for families with Patron Kiki Deville, is being officially launched on Friday (12 Nov) with albums of the 10 children’s songs being available to buy for £10.

Retail

• We have new shops planned for Bury and Accrington which will be opening soon.

Income

• We have recruited a new PR and Comms Officer, Rebecca Feely, who will be working on writing case studies and new leaflets for families. She will start in January.
• If you want a laugh, have a look at our latest video to encourage more ticket sales in the Great Big House Giveaway – a lesson in “Lancashire” with the builders! WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ro8x33tNTRA
• The Christmas campaign telling Isabelle’s story will be going out at the start of next week (15 Nov) – anybody wanting to donate should be passed through to finance or fundraising teams.
• Our Christmas events are well underway. Will you join in Deck the Halls and decorate your house for Derian? Do you know anyone who would like to buy a Tree of Love? Or if you want to book FREE tickets for Lights of Love at Blackburn Cathedral on Friday, December 3 then be quick as there are only around 100 left! See derianhouse.co.uk/events for details.

Staff news

• Do you have a bright idea on how we can improve our services for our families? Don’t forget you can make a staff proposal to SMT. This will be the subject of discussion at the next We are Derian staff forum on 17 November.

• The deadline for extra training is approaching. If you would like to take advantage of this special funding then simply find a course you’d like to do and send it to Ben in HR with a short paragraph on why you want to do it (no form filling required – nice and simple!)

Please be aware there are changes to the process for the use of lone working devices.

All devices are now pooled. This means they are not assigned to an individual. There are devices available to take from the Care Team office and Vinten Place first floor open office which are not restricted between commercial and care.

Two very important things to note when using a device:

• You must press the CALL1 button and record your name and location you are traveling to. A new message will automatically override the previous log. If you do not record your own message, this may delay a security response as the information the device holds at the time of need will be incorrect.

• Ensure the red battery light is either continuously lit (full charge) or no more than 1 flash per 2 seconds (good charge) prior to taking the device. Although the device does have very good battery life, it is essential for the device to remain on charge when at Derian House.

Attached is a full guide of using the device.

If there are any queries on this process or the general use and requirements for these devices, please let Luke Bateson know.

MySOS How To Guide

We are pleased to open entries for this year’s Julie Atherton Professional Development Grant.

In previous years, we have used this funding to specifically upskill and expand our clinical team however this year the SMT have decided to open the funding up to everyone.

Further details are on the attached poster so please have a read through, consider how you can develop and think big! The deadline for applications are Friday 3^rd December and please send completed applications to either Lynn Grayson or myself.

Good luck and don’t be shy to ask any questions.

We welcomed three new starters to the team earlier this week, joining the government’s Kickstart Scheme which provides funding to create new jobs for 16 to 24 year olds on Universal Credit who are at risk of long term unemployment.

Shane and Connor (left and middle) will be based at our Blackburn shop as eCommerce Assistants, concentrating on uploading items to our eBay and eCommerce platforms, and picking and packing orders including Christmas orders.

Jorden (right) will be working as a Shop Assistant in our Preston store, a role he has already undertaken as a volunteer for the past month.

We’re sure you’ll make them all feel very welcome and we wish them luck in their new roles at Derian House.

Gender discrimination is unequal or disadvantageous treatment of an individual or group of individuals based on gender. Gender discrimination is one of the areas covered by the 2010 Equality Act which includes legislation against many forms of discrimination. Gender discrimination can be direct or indirect. It can also take the form of victimisation or harassment.

Gender discrimination does not need to be deliberate. Someone may be discriminating against you without realising it or meaning to, but this might still count as discrimination. The law against gender discrimination does not allow positive discrimination in favour of one sex. For example, an employer is not allowed to insist on only recruiting or promoting women to a particular job because women have previously been discriminated against when applying for that role.

So how do we ensure we do not discriminate against Gender?

It is illegal for Derian House to discriminate against you because of your gender. Areas of employment where gender discrimination may typically occur are:

• Recruitment and selection
• Promotion
• Pay and benefits
• Redundancy and dismissal
• Terms and conditions of work

Recruitment and selection – Derian House is committed to ensure that neither Gender based discrimination or gender bias takes place in any practice including Recruitment and Selection. When recruiting a new role, we are strict to ensure that adverts remain accessible and are written in a gender neutral manner. We also ensure that all shortlisting activities and interviews are held with a heavily structured process to ensure all candidates are provided with equal opportunity.

Promotion – When deciding which staff are eligible for promotion the main issue to avoid is unconscious bias from the line manager. Therefore, in all promotion situations there is a discussion around suitability and performance in order to lower the risk of unfair evaluation. This joint discussion maybe between the line manager, HR, the CEO or the Board of Trustees.

Pay and benefits – The Equal Pay Act 1970 gives you the right to be treated equally in terms of pay in comparison to a member of the opposite sex. At Derian House we have a rigid salary evaluation process which is benchmarked by an external company. Our roles are benchmarked by the associated job description and therefore the pay and benefit package an individual receives is dictated by their position.

Redundancy and dismissal – In order to move ahead with fair Redundancy and dismissal there are a number of factors that have to be considered. Whenever an individual or pool of people are selected for risk of redundancy we always ensure we follow the ACAS code of practice. In instances of dismissal we have strict policies in place to ensure that all staff regardless of gender are subject to the same process.

Terms and conditions of work – At Derian House we have a set of contractual terms and conditions which are split into the following categories; Care team, Retail, Intern, Office and management and Facilities. These terms are in line with all legislation and written by the organisational employment lawyers. Terms and Conditions of staff are therefore driven by your department rather than any personal circumstance and do not vary per individual.

If anyone is still wanting a flu vaccine, Hayleigh and Sue Ward will be here from 9am tomorrow (Thursday 28th October).

Please drop either of them a line to book your vaccine slot.

By popular demand, Rachel Toner will be resuming the Derian Voices choir, beginning on Wednesday 17^th November.

The choir will meet each Wednesday in the Seaside Room (unless advised differently) at 12.00 lunchtime.  All are welcome, even if you can’t hold a tune!

On the run up to Christmas, come along and join in with some happy, festive songs to put you in the Christmas mood!

Rachel can be contacted on tel. 07815687795 if you would like to chat about the choir or to confirm the group is meeting any particular week (if perhaps you’re not on shift and are coming in specially).

Our annual festive service, Lights of Love, is once again taking place at Blackburn Cathedral on Friday 3rd December at 7:30pm.

This year, we are having a musical celebration and there will be plenty of Christmas favourites from the Rawstorne Singers, Local Vocals Choir and our very own Rachel Toner.

We are looking for a member of care staff to perform a short reading at the service, and would love for one of you to get involved. Please email gill.rabbett@derianhouse.co.uk if you’d like to read for us.

If anyone is still wanting a flu vaccine, Michelle will be here from 9am tomorrow (Friday 15th October).

Please drop her a line to book your vaccine slot.

As part of our commitment to better communication between departments, here is our monthly round-up of interesting pieces of info from this month’s SMT meeting held on Wednesday morning. All feedback is more than welcome  and if you have any questions please do let us know.

Amazing news – the Friday Night Club has been recognised at the Duchene Muscular Dystrophy Conference for the Outstanding work it does – AMAZING – WELL DONE!

Health and Safety

• Fire Marshall Training is well underway – thank you everyone for attending so far.
• The Woodland Lodge is open and is now bookable on the Outlook Calendar, please note that priority is given to Counselling, do ensure you book to check availability.

Here’s some information for next week:

• Security will be on site on Monday and will be around 24 hours – please be prepared to show your pass coming onto site, and go and say hello and introduce yourselves
• Please note that if you have visitors, you will need to notify Reception and the Facilities Team
• No use of the Lodge Conference Room on Monday or Tuesday for external visitors
• Please note there will be limited car parking onsite on Monday
• No access to Reflection Room or Lodge for non-clinical staff, if you require entry to these areas permission must be sought from the Clinical Leads
• We advise you set your social media profiles to private
• We also remind you not to enter into any discussion about any children or young people we look after at Derian House
• Please take a look at the Media and Social Media policy which you can access here: https://derianintranet.co.uk/derian/Policies%20and%20Procedures/General/GP21-Media-and-Social-Media-Policy.docx

Christmas

• Please respond to Gill’s email about the Christmas do with whether you are coming and your dietary requirements

Flu & Covid

• Please don’t forget to tell HR whether you have had your flu jab and COVID jabs
• Booster Jabs – you will be notified if it is 26 weeks since your last vaccination if you meet the age or vulnerability criteria, if you haven’t heard you can book (for frontline staff) direct online or you can ring

121’s and Team Meetings

• Don’t forget that your 121’s and Team Meetings are really important, please let your line managers know if you feel they should be more frequent.

Earlier this week, we welcomed four newbies to the team here at Derian House. Here’s a bit about them and how they’ll fit into their roles within the organisation – make sure to say hello if you see them around!

Donna Everett – Clinical Support Worker

Donna is the first of two new Clinical Support Workers working on our Care Team. She recently finished in her role at Newfield School after three years working with children who have autism and behavioural needs, and saw the job vacancy at Derian as the ‘right place, right time’.

The mum of two boys, Joshua (16) and Harry (12), is very much looking forward to working with our children and young people and delivering specialised care, and feels honoured to be working here at Derian.

During the pandemic, Donna realised what really matters, and absolutely loves spending the spare time she has with her family, going out for tea and watching a film at home! In 2014, her husband Chris got a job in Texas, and the four of them lived in the lone-star-state for 12 months.

Julie Liptrott – Clinical Support Worker

After 16 years in retail management, Julie spent the next 7 years as a support care manager at Brothers of Charity, working with adults ranging from learning difficulties, health complications and end-of-life-care.

During 2020, Julie realised that she wasn’t getting out of her job what she was putting into it, and wanted to be a lot more hands-on in her care work. Being local to Derian House, she has always known of the work we do and is looking forward to gaining new skills and working alongside our children, young people and their families.

Outside of work, Julie loves spending time with her family, especially her new grandson Sion who her son has recently adopted. She’s a huge country/western fan and enjoys trips to London to watch shows on the West End.

Roan Welsh – Leyland Shop Assistant

Roan is the first of our two Kickstarters, who have joined us to work in our Leyland and Blackburn shops respectively. The Kickstart Scheme is funded by the Government for six months to offer exciting opportunities for young people to gain valuable work experience.

Being a shop assistant at our Leyland store will be Roan’s first job since finishing their studies at Runshaw College, and they’re looking forward to working in one of our smaller stores as they struggle in social situations. They’re really looking forward to getting stuck in and working towards all of our common goals – making a difference to the lives of our children and young people.

When they’re not at work, Roan is really into photography, music, drawing and building things. They also love story-writing… and getting lost!

Ilyas Mulla – Blackburn Shop Assistant

Ilyas was a trainee business development manager before getting the job within the Derian House retail team. Although he enjoyed his previous role, the Blackburner left for personal development and to gain experience to further his career.

He really enjoyed his interview with Steph, our Blackburn shop manager, and felt very valued before he’d even got the job. Ilyas is mostly looking forward to making a difference, interacting with customers and putting his stamp on our newest store.

Ilyas is a self-proclaimed chatterbox and is a very honest and loyal friend. He also loves anything to do with fantasy, magic and dragons!

It’s time to jingle and mingle at the Derian House STAFF CHRISTMAS PARTY on Friday 26^th November 2021 at Charnock Farm.

Please reply to the all staff email that was sent out on Thursday 14^th October to let us know you’ll be there!

The food will be a Christmas market inspired buffet with something to suit everyone but if you have any specific dietary requirements please send details to this email address.

We have a band performing during the evening and a DJ playing afterwards. If you would like to make any song requests, feel free to send those through to this email address too.

Accommodation is available to book at the venue for those concerned about travelling, or anyone wanting to make a night of it! https://www.booking.com/hotel/gb/charnock-farm-motel.en-gb.html

More information will follow in the run-up to the event, but if you have any questions feel free to email or pop in to see us.

We hope you can join us for an evening of Christmas cheer to wrap up the year!

For you to complete…

RSVP

Yes I’m coming!                or            Sorry I can’t make it

Dietary requirements:

Song suggestion:

… and email to christmasparty@derianhouse.co.uk

Yesterday morning (October 4th), we opened up our brand new holiday lodges at South Lakeland Leisure Village ready for a further 100 Derian House families to enjoy a free week-long holiday on top of the 100 holidays we currently offer at Ribby Hall.

Arlo’s family came along to officially declare the lodges open, made even more poignant due to the highly successful ‘Arlo’s Campaign’ which was sent to thousands of supporters earlier in summer. They were also joined by two couples who each donated £500 towards the campaign, money of which went towards the cost of the new holiday homes which were built by Lakeland Lodges.

If you’d like to arrange going up to the Lakes to see the brilliant new lodges in person, please speak to David and he will be more than happy to help arrange.

We well and truly turned the hospice green on Friday 1st October for our first ever Derian Day!

Lancashire united to celebrate Derian House’s birthday and raise lots of money for us in dozens of different ways. There were cake sales, dress down days, plenty of people rocking our Danni socks and even a 100 mile cycle to each of our shops.

Thanks to everyone for getting involved… we’re already planning next year’s event to make it bigger and better!

In September, our children enjoyed a visit from Sonic the Hedgehog and a specially-adapted Ford UK Gaming Transit, we celebrated Jacob Reddy’s fundraising efforts with a homecoming gig, and 14 teams from Kingswood Homes embarked on a tour of the North West in brilliantly-designed bangers! #MonthInAMinute 💚

Derian Day is just around the corner, so why not dress to impress and get happy feet with our brand new Danni socks! 

They’re priced at just £2.99 for children (UK Size 4-7), and £3.99 for adults (UK Size 4-8), and are now available to be purchased in reception. Get them in time for Derian Day this Friday! 

In a week from today, Friday 1st October, we’re turning Lancashire GREEN and joining together to celebrate Derian’s birthday.

In turn, we’re hoping to turn the hospice green and get everyone involved in the inaugural #DerianDay fundraiser!

Although we don’t have access to green scrubs, why not wear a green bobble in your hair, or even green socks! For anyone who wears office wear, works in the shops, or participates in Dress Down Friday, green FUNdraising t-shirts are available for you in the fundraising store should you want one. Come up and see someone in Vinten Place and they’ll be more than happy to supply you with one.

Kath will be making green cakes, our children and young people will be doing green arts and crafts… how can YOU go green?! Get your thinking caps on (hopefully they’re green too) and let’s go all out next Friday!

Six members of our dedicated team have recently taken part in some extreme fundraising for Derian House!

Starting with #DiveForDerian, first up to the skies was Matt Mears, our Preston shop manager, who jumped out of a plane in July’s event and raised £493. Following in his footsteps this September was Head of Income, Marketing and Communications Caroline Taylor, and our Finance Assistant Dawn Fraser-Cistaro, who raised £2,005 and £407 respectively. Our Leyland shop manager Lyndsey was also due to jump, but due to bad weather her dive was postponed.

Taking on the Great North Run last weekend were our Wellbeing and Play Team Leader, Katie McNally, and Family Counsellor, Rachel Johnston, who each raised £1,000 and £305.

Last but not least, our Lottery Manager Angela Towers FINALLY reached the summit of Ben Nevis after multiple battles with the weather which called it off in previous months. She managed to raise £711 for Derian House in the process.

Well done guys, you’ve all absolutely smashed it! If you’d like to take on a fundraising challenge for Derian, please speak to our Community Fundraising Team up in Vinten Place.

£711

• Let’s start off with the most exciting bit… CHRISTMAS! The Christmas do will be held on November 26 at Charnock Farm. David will send an email round with further details and We are Derian staff forum will be collecting ideas for decoration and entertainment! This year we will also have a budget for team building Christmas activities for each team – have a think about what your team would like to do.

• There are no changes to the Government guidance on our COVID protocol as a healthcare setting. However, many people have asked about increasing the number of seats in Danni’s Diner during lunch time. Although this won’t be possible under the current guidelines, we are looking at the idea of introducing staggered lunch times to ensure people don’t have to sit on the floor! This is not ideal and we thank you for your continued patience with this matter.

• There will be work commencing to install EV car charging points in our car park in the near future. Stay tuned for more details of when work will begin.

• Upcoming training includes fire marshal training and mental health first aid. Thanks to everyone who completed the first aid training sessions last month.

• Communication between teams received some negative feedback on our most recent Birdsong survey and so there will be a number of sessions being held to engage everyone to feed into a project to understand the issue and come up with solutions.

• Flu vaccines are coming back! We will be able to offer flu vaccines in-house again this year – dates TBC.

• We will be visiting Culture and Values with staff engagement sessions starting next month, revisiting each letter of our DERIAN values. We are aiming for 100% staff attendance rate to ensure everyone’s views are heard.

• Our Christmas carol extravaganza, Lights of Love, will be returning in 2021. It will take place on Friday, 3 December at Blackburn Cathedral. Tickets are free, but must be booked on our website. Staff can reserve tickets for their family and friends now before we advertise to the wider public.

There’s a few more new faces here at the hospice and it’s time to get to know them. Say hello to our fab five!

Katherine Stanley – Trainee Advanced Clinical Practitioner

Katherine is the first of our new Trainee Advanced Clinical Practitioners here at Derian House. She previously worked at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital for six years in A&E, and always knew that she wanted to progress to an ACP role.

She’d previously done a placement at Derian way back when she was a student nurse, and absolutely loved the place. Many of the children she cared for at Alder Hey actually visit us for respite, so she’s looking forward to seeing them and expanding her knowledge by going back to uni and training for her new specialised role.

Katherine is particularly excited about meeting new people, working alongside our families and getting stuck in, as she isn’t one to stand around!

Outside of work, she’s a self-proclaimed nerd and is a big fan of Harry Potter, Dungeons and Dragons and sewing. Her ideal day out would be an escape room, so if you’re ever stuck in a room, let’s hope it’s with Katherine!

Ellie Smith – Community Fundraiser

Ellie has joined the Fundraising Team as our new Community Fundraiser. She previously studied in Events and has always had a passion for planning, so is looking forward to getting involved with all the exciting things the team have planned for the foreseeable future.

Prior to her new role, Ellie worked at Preston Hospital for three years where she managed the clinical oncologists’ rotas, and went for the job at Derian House as she wanted to focus on something that would be more rewarding. She’s always known about Derian due to being a Chorley girl herself, and in previous years has visited our open days, galas and Winter Sparkle events.

In her spare time, Ellie loves spending time with Pippa the Dalmatian (who is very, very cute), and has recently taken up camping thanks to the abroad holiday restrictions, something she has since discovered she absolutely loves! She’s also an adrenaline junkie and has been known to take on numerous wild activities including a sky dive, a walk up the Big One at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, and coming up soon… a sky dine!

Rebecca Hendrickson – Registered Nurse

Rebecca is the first of our two new nurses who recently graduated from the ground-breaking Julie Atherton Scholarship scheme. She previously did a placement at Derian House from December 2019 – January 2020, and is really excited about learning new skills and building relationships with our children and families.

After completing her Masters degree in children’s nursing, Rebecca worked in a respite setting where she cared for children and young people, and jumped at the chance to do the scholarship with Derian House.

She’s mostly looking forward to working with children who all have individual needs, building relationships and enjoying the continuity of seeing them again when they visit us throughout the year.

Outside of work, Rebecca enjoys walks with her three-year-old girl Mila and exploring new places with her family.

Karen Standish – Registered Nurse

Karen previously worked at a special needs school for 12 years before also going back to school and becoming the first scholar of the Julie Atherton Nursing Scholarship here at Derian House in January 2019.

Despite always wanting to go into children’s nursing, a range of things prevented Karen from doing so, such as finances and her busy lifestyle! When the scholarship came up, Karen took the plunge, left her job and decided to do something for her.

She’s always known about Derian as she’s followed us on Facebook for as long as she can remember, and children that she looked after at school visited us for respite. Karen is also interested in the fundraising side of things, and even helped out at the last Winter Sparkle event.

Karen is Mum to Lucy (aged 13) and Jake (aged 9), and when she’s not at work enjoys many a day out with family and friends making memories.

Ian Fairhurst – Estates Support

Ex-navy officer Ian has joined the Estates Team after a few years of working in schools and pupil referral units. After becoming a semi-professional swimmer at the age of 20, Ian joined the navy, where he worked for 10 years before having to bow out due to injury.

After coming back up north and doing numerous jobs, Ian decided it was time for a different challenge, and in particular one in which he could give something back. He’s looking forward to meeting everyone and being hands on in his work here at Derian House.

When he’s not at work, Ian is either working out at the gym or swimming! He’s also Dad to five boys, a cockapoo and a springer spaniel, and interestingly won Sports Personality of the Navy in 2006!