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MHCC Staff Update

Monday 28 March 2022

In this update:

• Executive Team Briefing
• MHCC News
• Equality and Inclusion

• ICS Updates
• Health and Wellbeing
• Workforce Updates

In today’s video, Ian talks to us from the sunny Alexandra Park. He gives us an update from the quarterly citywide Primary Care meeting and thanks the Primary Care team for their amazing work. Ian then gives a Covid update and the spring booster vaccination; the latest ICS transition update; and the TUPE consultation briefing sessions.

Ian then talks about Stress Awareness Month and the different offers available to MHCC staff to look after their wellbeing. He concludes by wishing all those celebrating Ramadan Mubarak and welcomes us to watch the next section where colleagues tell us what makes Ramadan special for them.

Shoutouts

• The Reform Team would like to wish Tal Twist good luck as she moves into her GM secondment role full-time from the beginning of April. Tal has been with MHCC for just over two years (having come from Trafford CCG) and in that time she has made a huge contribution to the team, to the directorate and to the organisation. She has shared her superb project management skills with us and every member of the team has benefitted in some way by her sharing of her unique skills and  knowledge.
  She is extremely  hardworking and supportive and always one of the first to offer to help or to provide sound advice. Tal will be missed by the Reform Family and by the directorate and we wish her every success in her new role
  at GM.

Want to shoutout someone? Email the comms team.

NHS GM Integrated Care – Formal consultation briefing sessions

All colleagues included in the transfer from Manchester Clinical Commissioning Group to NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care should have received an email today sent on behalf of Ian Williamson, Chief Accountable Officer. The email invites you to register for one of two briefing sessions, which formally launch a period of consultation regarding the transfer of all staff to the ICB.

Please make sure that you read the email and register for one of the virtual
briefing sessions as soon as possible. They are scheduled on Monday 4 April and Thursday 7 April 2022.

If you think that you should have received the email but haven’t, please inform the People and Inclusion team at hrtransations.manchester@nhs.net to ensure that the current email circulation lists are up to date.

Spring boosters – Covid-19 vaccination

On Monday 21 March, the next phase of the COVID-19 vaccination programme, the spring booster was introduced.

If you are eligible for the spring booster, the NHS will contact you to book an appointment.
It is available for people aged 75 and over, people who live in a care home for older people, and people aged 12 and over who have a weakened immune system.

Learn more about the eligibility and how to book your Covid-19 vaccination on the
MHCC website.

Ramadan Mubarak for all those observing the holy month of Ramadan. For Muslims worldwide, this is a time of fasting, prayer, reflection and community. This year, Ramadan begins on the evening of Saturday 2 April and ends on Sunday 1 May.

Line managers should take a look at the Religious holidays page which looks at the considerations they should make during different religious festivals. It also has advice on receiving the Covid-19 vaccine while observing the fast. This should be useful for colleagues who maybe fasting and are eligible to get vaccinated. To learn more and find out about the best practice for Ramadan at work, see the Ramadan 2022 guidance for staff page.

Stress Awareness Month

Stress Awareness Month has been held every April since 1992 to increase public awareness about both the causes and cures for our modern stress epidemic. The past two years have really brought the effects of stress into focus for all of us. It is no longer something that we hear people talk about, but something we have experienced and continue to experience.

Stress is one of the great public health challenges of our time and is a significant factor in mental and physical health issues. Individually we need to understand what is causing us personal stress and learn what steps we can take to reduce it for ourselves and those around us.

Visit the Stress Management Society website for a Free Stress Guide and Individual Stress Test.

The Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership (GMHSCP) has recently updated their wellbeing toolkit. You can download it on their website here.

Other means of support available to you include the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) and the GM Resilience Hub.

Support the Ukrainians arriving in Manchester

We have seen in the news, the recent efforts to support evacuees from Ukraine into the United Kingdom. Manchester Airport is expected to be a key travel hub for Ukrainian refugees and displaced families.   In keeping with Manchester's proud tradition of hospitality and compassion, the Manchester Ukraine Welcome Fund went live last week. Every penny raised through this fund will go towards supporting Ukrainian evacuees in the city. This fund is something that everyone can contribute to and you can donate by visiting the Just Giving page.

Events to look out for

Click the links below to learn more on ERNIE about these upcoming events.

• Pension workshops for the North West region (few seats remaining)
• Pre-TUPE GM ICS engagement sessions (last 2 sessions in March)
• Looking after yourself and your teams (For line mangers, leaders, etc.)
• Insight into... Menopause with Dr. Louise Newson
• and more...

NOTE - Please ensure that you cancel your place for a session if you can’t attend it. There is a lot of interest in these sessions and would allow those on the waitlist to attend.

Have you checked out the latest vacancies on ERNIE? We have a number of exciting roles available, so why not have a look.

International Transgender Day of Visibility –
Thursday 31 March

Transgender or Trans Day of Visibility (TDoV) takes place on March 31 each year to celebrate trans and non-binary people and raise awareness of discrimination faced by trans people worldwide. The day was founded in 2009 as a reaction to the lack of LGBT recognition of transgender people. At the time the only well-known transgender-centered day was the Transgender Day of Remembrance, which mourned the murders of transgender people, but did not acknowledge and celebrate living members of the transgender community.

You can get involved in TDoV celebrations with some great resources from the LGBT Foundation website. They want to shift the focus from trans and non-binary people who are often under pressure to be 'more' than they are. With the #IAmEnough / #YouAreEnough campaign let's be proud of who the trans community are, just as they are!

Another great way to celebrate is to educate yourself. There are two dates for the Trans Awareness session. It is an entry-level session that introduces the key ideas and information people need to know about trans-related matters. The sessions are 1 hour 45 mins long. Click the Eventbrite links below to register and for more information.

- Wednesday 20 April, 2.00 - 3.45 pm
- Tuesday 26 April, 3.00 - 4.45 pm

Second ICS Transition staff briefing for March

The latest NHS GM Integrated Care staff briefing for March is now available on ERNIE. The key points covered in the briefing include:

• Cultural audit findings and next steps
• Engagement updates (Member organisation and community)
• Place Lead Update
• Chief People Officer appointment; and more…

The staff briefing is accompanied by a new Keep Connected Engagement Calendar which provides information and links to book onto the NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care pre-TUPE engagement and wellbeing sessions. Download it from ERNIE here. All these events are also available on the events calendar on ERNIE.

Menopause Café – Creating spaces for conversations

Following our first very successful café and at the request of participants, we will be running another café at 12.30pm on Wednesday 27 April.

The café is being hosted only by MHCC staff with lived experience. Anyone who will be, is or has been going through the menopause (or perimenopause) is invited to come and join. The aim of the café is to provide an accessible, respectful, and confidential space for you to come together with colleagues and share experiences and discuss the menopause. Further details about registering for the event can be found on ERNIE.

Menopause Bus Choir

There is an exciting opportunity for anyone affected by the menopause to be a member of the Menopause Bus choir. This is open to you whether you are experiencing or have experienced perimenopause or the menopause.

Participants will receive £100 towards their time and travel. There is an information session on Friday 1 April, 6pm and you can also have an informal chat about the initiative. Further information about what is involved, the location, and registering is available on their leaflet on ERNIE. Please participate and help share the word!

MHCC Book Club

The next book club meeting is on Thursday 7 April at 3 pm. The book being discussed is Boys Don't Cry by Fiona Scarlett. Use this Teams meeting link to join the meeting.

The contract for the Work in Confidence web platform will not be renewed and access to it will come to an end on Thursday 31 March 2022.

The platform was in addition to other methods of raising concerns that allowed staff to raise concerns anonymously. Read what these other methods are and what the future holds, on ERNIE.

The MHCC Rewards scheme including the Vectis Card will come to an end on Thursday 31 March 2022.

It is linked to the end of the MHCC partnership between the CCG and MCC as the scheme is run by the council. CCG employees can apply for the Blue Light Card. Learn more about it on ERNIE.

Quarter 4 risk assessments

Access to mandatory training will resume from Monday 4 April.

Detailed information on accessing the training via ESR will be available next week. In the meanwhile, you can read the detailed post on the changes and the new list of mandatory training on ERNIE.

The Quarter 4 risk assessment should be completed no later than
Friday 15 April 2022.

This is a mandatory requirement. Read the detailed requirements on ERNIE.

As we start having more Hybrid Meetings, it is important that these are inclusive and accessible.

There is some guidance to help ensure these meetings are accessible and ensure everyone feels included. Do take the time to read it on ERNIE here.

Payroll cut-off dates for April 2022

(MCCG and GMHSCP where specified)

• HR enquiries - 0161 213 1800
• COVID-19 frequently asked questions
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Contact our Freedom to Speak Up Guardians: Selina Morgan and Shavarnah Purves

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