Notts Healthcare and partners launch Notts 85258 mental health text messaging service

Nottinghamshire Healthcare, alongside partners across the Integrated Care System, has teamed up with mental health charity Mental Health Innovations to launch free and confidential mental health support 24/7, through the charity’s text messaging support service Shout.

From Monday 6 March 2023, anyone living in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire can text the word Notts to 85258 to be connected to a trained Shout Volunteer. The service is open around the clock and volunteers, supervised by a bank of clinicians, can help with issues such as anxiety, stress, loneliness, depression and suicidal thoughts.

The conversation, which takes place entirely by text message, aims to help the texter reach a calmer place with a plan to move forward. It will also signpost them to further support available locally.

Nottinghamshire Healthcare’s Deputy Director of Local Mental Health Services, Kazia Foster says: “This new dedicated texting service, specifically for people in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, is an excellent addition to our urgent mental health support offer, which includes a 24/7 crisis line and crisis sanctuaries. It offers local people a different way to access help when they need it and I would like to urge anyone who is struggling with their mental health or wellbeing to text ‘Notts’ to 85258 and get support from the Shout team.”

Maxine Bunn, Service Delivery Director, Mental Health and Children at NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB, adds: “We are delighted to launch this new free and confidential mental health support text messaging service to people living in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. The service is open 24/7 and specially trained volunteers are able to help with anxiety, stress, loneliness, depression and suicidal thoughts as well as signposting to further support available locally.”

Emma Wilson, Senior Marketing and Partnerships Manager at Mental Health Innovations, said, “We’re extremely pleased to be partnering with Nottinghamshire Healthcare to help support anyone in the area who is feeling anxious, depressed or suicidal. By texting the word ‘NOTTS’ to 85258, residents can access Shout’s free, confidential text messaging support at any time of day or night. This may be the first time they’ve reached out for help with their mental health and can be the first step towards accessing the further support they require locally.”

Shout is a free, confidential, anonymous service, designed to provide people with ‘in the moment’ support. Texting Shout does not appear on phone bills and all messages are confidential unless there is concern about someone’s safety.

PPG Development Workshop

Mid Notts PBP hosted a Development Workshop for practices and Patient Participation Groups (PPGs) on recruiting to and maintaining an effective group on 28 February.

40 people attended the session, which was hosted by Leanne Monger and Sasha Bipin. The workshop was co-produced by the ICB and PPG’s. As a result of the session, a resource pack is being developed, which can be used as a handy guide to support the work of PPGs.

You can watch this session here: https://youtu.be/3LTvO4ESS9k

Thank you to all PPG members who helped us codesign this workshop!

Sherwood Forest Hospitals Hope Orchard – Planting hope for the future

Sherwood Hope Orchard was launched in 2021 and since then over 200 fruit trees have been in planted here at SFH, by our staff, family and friends in their own gardens, by local partners including Notts Health care trust, Samworth Academy and many other schools.

The Hope Orchard links the importance of healthy food, exercise and general health and wellbeing with positive action to address the climate crisis. We know that the Climate crisis is a health crisis. We recognise that Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS trust is a community of staff and patients and part of the wider local community.

Help us blossom. Join us in planting your own fruit trees and register them at the Sherwood Hope Orchard. Please let us know at: sfh-tr.communications@nhs.net if you plan to plant a tree this spring. Please also send us your photos and comments, and of course shout out about it on your own networks. Together we can create Hope for a healthy community and reduce the impact of climate change.

For more information please visit our webpage Sherwood Forest Hospitals (sfh-tr.nhs.uk)

Fuel Poverty Project

The Fuel Poverty Project (FPP) is provided by Mid Motts ICP – PICS social prescribers and Climate change and Fuel Poverty charity Nottingham Energy Partnership (NEP).

The project aims to contact patients at risk of cold related harm and who are likely to be eligible for free or subsidised domestic retrofit measures including home insulation, low carbon heating and renewable energy to cut energy demand and household energy bills.

A controlled intelligent screening programme matching eligible candidates at most risk, with phone consultations with Primary Care Network (PCN) link workers and Care Navigators ensures a secure workflow to NEP.

From 6th December to 20th January 2023

Total forecast savings for clients of £139,567.00
Received 115 referrals from the PCN during this reporting period
Supported 50% (58 clients) of households referred
117 measures/services in progress or completed

Clients supported

The 58 households that we successfully engaged with have been registered for a total of 185 services/measures. This equates to a level of support of 3 services per household which is a good reflection of NEP’s delivery model of ensuring that a multi-referral process is employed as well as the effectiveness of the screening process completed by the PCN.

FPP is officially only operating in in Ashfield and Newark and Sherwood, however a few referrals have been received from other areas that are keen to replicate the project.

Mid Notts Newsletter

Here is our latest newsletter (February 2023)

Mid Notts News February 23 Download

Ashfield LDT 100 Day Update

The Ashfield Local Design team have produced a 100 day update with key feedback on the Community Transformation Programme

Download the newsletter here

MDC Leader takes the reigns of Mid Notts Partnership Chair role

Mid Notts Place Based Partnership is delighted to announce Mansfield District Council CEO, Adam Hill, as its new Chair.

The Mid Notts Partnership brings together over 15 health and care organisations including, local authority, community services, GPs, hospitals and wider partners such as the community, voluntary and social enterprise sector.

The Partnership works together, with people from our communities, to deliver our shared ambition to create happier, healthier communities and reduce the gap in healthy life expectancy across Mansfield, Ashfield, Newark and Sherwood.

Adam will be supported by Theresa Hodgkinson, Chief Executive of Ashfield District Council in the capacity as Vice Chair. John Robinson, Chief Executive of Newark and Sherwood District Council will continue to support both Adam and Theresa in these leadership roles alongside partnership colleagues.

Adam Hill, Chief Executive Officer at Mansfield District Council, said: “I’m delighted to take on the role of Chairman of the Place Based Partnerships for Mid-Nottinghamshire. I have seen first-hand how communities can benefit from the collaborative approach that brings partners together from various disciplines to improve the health and wellbeing benefits to our community. Projects such as the one in Bellamy, Mansfield is evidence that when organisations work together in targeted areas, real change can happen to improve the lives of residents now and in the future. I’m looking forward to driving the agenda forward to bring lasting benefit to the whole of Mid Nottinghamshire.”

Dr Thilan Bartholomeuz, Clinical Lead added “We welcome Adam into his new role as Chair for the Mid Notts Place Based Partnership. Adam joins a strong partnership, which recognises that together we are stronger than any individual partner acting alone. His experience, skills and leadership will be a great asset as we continue to drive forward our work on addressing health inequalities for our local population. I’m looking forward to working closely with Adam at a time of real opportunity for our partnership to flourish and make a impactful difference on the lives of people who live in Mid Nottinghamshire.”

For more information contact Jo Wakefield, Mid Notts Place based Partnership Communications Lead – jwakefield@mansfieldcvs.org

Cost of living support in Mid Notts

The local Community Voluntary Services (CVS) and District Council’s in Mid Notts have joined forces to create localised cost of living support booklets for each area.

Ashfield District Council and Ashfield Voluntary Action have produced a directory and website resource available here

Mansfield CVS and Mansfield District Council have produced a booklet and website resource available here

Newark and Sherwood CVS have produced an online directory, available here

Mid Notts Care Coordinators find new ways to support Carers

On Tuesday 22 November, Nottinghamshire Carers Association (NCA) awarded the Carer Friendly Service Quality Mark to the PICS Mid Notts Care Navigation Service who work with residents registered to GP Surgeries in Ashfield, Mansfield, Newark and Sherwood.

NCA’s Stephanie Smith and Jayne Davies presented the award at Nottingham Business Park to mark Carer’s Rights Day. They highlighted the team’s ‘innovative and impactful approach’ to supporting Carers which has led to ‘a significant increase in the number of Carers coming forward and getting the support they’re entitled to.”

Julie Edwards, Megan Cooper and Alex Flint received the award on behalf of the team. Nicky Render, Service Manager, praised their “caring and compassionate approach which has helped many people to identify themselves Carers. Not only this, but they’ve gone a step further and registered them as a Carer with their GP surgery, so they can continue to be supported.”

The Care Navigation Service listens to what’s important to the people living with long term conditions and supports them to manage their condition, remain independent and avoid hospital admissions. The team work closely with patients and their families and Carers, care homes, hospitals, social services, general practice and the voluntary sector.

Primary Integrated Community Services, a local GP-owned healthcare provider, provides the service in partnership with local GPs. PICS is the first organisation in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire to achieve a Carer-friendly accreditation as both an employer and service provider.

The ceremony was part of the UK’s annual Carers’ Rights Day which is highlighting the Costs of Caring. Research shows 12,000 people in the UK become carers every day. That’s roughly 500 people an hour, and 8 people a minute. It is estimated by Carers UK that there were nearly 190,00 Carers within Nottinghamshire in 2021 (Carers UK, 2021).

Case study

In October 2022, an elderly patient living in Mansfield started to receive end of life care. Their GP raised her case with the Care Navigator and other members of the multidisciplinary team. a team of clinicians and care coordinators who work together to provide the best care for their patients. Tracey, a Care Navigator in Mansfield North Primary Care Network, identified that the patient’s daughter was their Carer and that she may struggle with her loved one’s deteriorating condition.

Tracey called the patient’s daughter who consented to being registered as a Carer in her GP records, and also agreed to be referred to the local social prescribing service for more support.

Tracey said: “The lady’s Carer’s status is now known and she will be offered appropriate support, like flu jabs, in the future. She will also receive support from a social prescriber to ensure she can continue to care for her mother. She was very grateful for the telephone call and thanked the team for highlighting the service of social prescribing to her.”

Dr Thilan Bartholomeuz, Clinical Director of Mid Nottinghamshire Place Based Partnership and a local GP, congratulated the team saying, “‘This service has been since inception to frontline staff, patients and their families and carers. The role of carers in supporting the most vulnerable in our communities is immeasurable. The invaluable Care Navigation Service has been key to supporting carers, working closely with practice teams and sign posting patients and carers to services and support. They take pressures off our stretched NHS while addressing needs of our communities. The service has grown from strength to strength and is now an integral part of primary care.”