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Supporting people through menopause NHS England guidance 

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Supporting people through menopause NHS England guidance 

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Quick video to watch

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County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust

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Hi, I am Andrea Darnell, I work as a Practice Midwife in the Topaz team, predominately I'm based in Bluebell or community. I was a nurse before I became a Midwife and understand the day to day pressures of the NHS.

I love being a PMA, I am friendly, approachable and a good listener, i would love to hear from any of you within the Maternity Team. Please contact me if you want some support, or need to vent with no repercussions.

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Stop before you speak we all are carrying something - creating a compassionate workforce is essential for safety !

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The Team of the shift information

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Try the balance app to help track Peri- menopause and menopausal symptoms 

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Try the balance app to help track Peri- menopause and menopausal symptoms 

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Menopause App | Symptom Tracker & Knowledge Centre | Balance

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Brought to you by Dr Louise Newson, download our balance menopause app today for expert content, a symptom tracker & personalised health reports.

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Menopause and the Workplace Trust Guideline

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Menopause and the Workplace Trust Guideline

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YES I have the authority to sign my workplace up to the pledge*

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Menopause Workplace Pledge - Wellbeing of Women

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We’re calling on employers to sign the pledge to ensure people experiencing menopause are supported at work.

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Hello! My name is Emily Patterson and I joined the SWFT team in February 2022. I trained in Essex and qualified as a midwife in 2018, since then I have worked in various areas of Midwifery but I am mainly based on Labour Ward or Swan.

I am so passionate about being a PMA and truly believe in the positive power of restorative clinical supervision (RCS). I am a very good listener and am here to offer confidential support to anyone who feels they could benefit from seeing a PMA to lighten their load. We want to help you feel supported and empowered!

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Louise is the lead PMA she is passionate about wellbeing and supporting others, she loves to bring joy to the work place. She has lots of experience as a midwife and a PMA. She is always there with a listening ear and has a tool for most things and a box of tissues.

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Dawn works in the Workforce Team and is our Preceptorship Lead midwife.

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Danni is the Lead Midwife for Workforce and clinical skills support. She is based in retention office in between Labour ward and Swan Ward.

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Tracey is the Inpatient Matron she has been a midwife for many years and has lots of experience as a PMA

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Lisa is a Labour Ward coordinator she works days and nights

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Jenny is our Perineal midwife, you may see her on the unit or on training days.

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Chloe is the Deputy ANC/AAU manager she is based on our Woman's Unit. She also supports women who want a VBAC.

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If you receive a Hug in a Mug please refill it and pass it on let PMA team know who you gave it to.

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Kiera is a Midwife she is the Lead perinatal mental health midwife.

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We are a team and sometimes we struggle and need some extra support a PMA can support you, from work to family life to your own personal need. A PMA is there for you, you just have to ask!

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SWFT Trust has a huge resource of support see below 

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SWFT Trust has a huge resource of support see below 

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SWFT has a lot of resources, please use what's available to you, you deserve it

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Please click into link for so great advise on managing PMS symptoms

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Information about Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) including what can help and when to speak to your doctor

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Every mind matters has some amazing resources for you to browse

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We all need good mental health and wellbeing - it's essential to living happy and healthy lives, and can help us sleep better, feel better, do the things we want to do and have more positive relationships. It can also help us deal with difficult times in the future.

Try our quick Mind Plan quiz to get personalised suggestions now, or find other tips, advice and support to help boost your mental wellbeing.

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Mental wellbeing tips - Every Mind Matters

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From a personalised plan to boost your mental wellbeing, to top tips to stay on top of your mental health and self-care videos for young people, we have loads of advice and support to help you look after your mind.

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Some top tips for managing your anxiety

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It can be so important to practice and being present helps in so many ways

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Learn what mindfulness is, how it works, and how it can help with mental health problems.

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SWFT VIVUP mental health support for staff 

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SWFT VIVUP mental health support for staff 

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Really useful document to have a read of

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Have a look at what a PMA can offer :)

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Watch this video for further information

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Understand more about black and Asian women and why they are more likely to die in pregnancy and birth

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MBRRACE-UK Reports – Shocking Racial and Socioeconomic Inequalities Continue and Even Widen | AIMS

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Catharine Hart runs through the latest MBRRACE reports

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What is TRiM?

•TRiM is a trauma focused peer support system; the implementation of which has benefited many 'at risk' organisations – legally by providing a duty of care; economically by keeping people at work and morally by looking after staff.

•The TRiM model bases itself on keeping employees functioning after traumatic events by providing support and education to those who require it.  TRiM aims to identify those who may be having difficulties after a traumatic or potentially traumatic event and ensure they are signposted to help.

•As well as recognising and supporting those who are suffering after being exposed to a single, traumatic event, we also look at the effects of repeated and often occupationally related trauma.

•There is lots of evidence that people who are exposed to work related stress are likely to be less effective at work, more likely to be absent from work and to suffer poor mental health.

•TRiM Managers: Emily Patterson and Jenna Owen

•TRiM Practitioners: Simone McKee, Kate Wilford, Kerry Adekoya, Uma Caple, Jane McCarthy, Lisa Ryan-Morris

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This is SWFT referral form for psychology

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Feeling Overwhelmed? Stress or and anxiety ?  There is help out there!

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Are you struggling with anxiety?

Do you feel overwhelmed?

Are you feeling stressed juggling work and home?

Do you want to help yourself manage any of these?

Are you feeling burnt out?

If you answered yes to any of the above then you would benefit from a Wellness action Plan (WAP) this is yours to keep and identifies the difficulties or challenges you may, its individualised to you and is bespoke to your needs.

Please let me or your named PMA know, its confidential and is owned by you! It's about tools to help with self-care and self-managing to help you.

Those that have had an action plan have reported back as to how valuable they are

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Link details here

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If you need to see a PMA you can now book to see one! Support is only a scan away

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When rudeness in teams turns deadly | Chris Turner | TEDxExeter

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Grounding - techniques to manage strong emotions

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Help keep yourself positive :)

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Daily Affirmations for Self Love, Self Esteem, Confidence 💖 Transform Your Mindset

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NHS England » NHS equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) improvement plan

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NHS England » NHS equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) improvement plan

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Have a look at this toolkit for staff & managers

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Sue Pike Speak up Guardian

Tel: 07919226887

Deepa Masani Speak up Advisor

Tel: 07586706208

Louise Turbutt Speak up Ambassador Maternity & SCBU

Tel: 07876851821

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Civility and Respect works hand in hand 

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Civility and Respect works hand in hand 

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What is civility and respect?

In its simplest form, civility and respect is about how we treat each other at work. In highly pressurised NHS systems, behaviours of incivility and disrespect can become common place. People report that bullying and harassment is prevalent in the NHS, and this rude and unkind behaviour can have a detrimental impact on staff wellbeing and patient care.

This type of uncivil and disrespectful behaviour is unacceptable. It is unprofessional, unnecessary, and has no place in our NHS.

The NHS Long Term Plan recognises that levels of bullying and harassment must come down if the NHS is to achieve its aim of becoming the best place of work and being an employer of excellence.

The People Plan for 2020/21 sets a vision which places a compassionate and inclusive culture at the very heart of the NHS and emphasises that all NHS employees and employers are responsible for tackling bullying and harassment and the importance of creating a civil and respectful culture. We know that staff with one or more protected characteristics, for example, disabled, BAME and LGBTQ+ colleagues, are twice as likely to experience bullying and harassment.

Within NHS England, the national civility and respect programme aims to support and promote cultures of civility and respect in the NHS, creating positive working environments that are kind, compassionate and inclusive for all. The programme uses a preventative approach, with practical resources and evidence-based approaches, to raise awareness of what bullying looks like in the NHS and consider how to reduce it.
Reach Out, Speak Up, Take Care: a series of events were held in November 2022
The theme for Anti-Bullying awareness week 2022 was 'Reach out', to support this theme, the NHS England Civility and Respect team are hosting a series of three events for all our NHS people, 'Reach out, Speak up, Take care.' These events were to help encourage and support colleagues to 'reach out' about issues around bullying and harassment and promote cultures of civility and respect.

The events were recorded and are available for NHS staff via the Civility and Respect events FutureNHS Collaboration Platform alongside a number of event recordings from previous years and further information on the Civility and Respect programme.

To deliver on the NHS People Plan's commitment to support trusts in creating a positive workplace culture, the civility and respect programme has developed a practical, flexible and interactive toolkit and additional resources which you can find below

Civility and Respect toolkit and other resources

Find out more about the innovative ways colleagues are helping to create cultures of civility and respect in the NHS, creating positive working environments that are kind, compassionate and inclusive for all.

Restorative Just Culture

Restorative Just Culture aims to repair trust and relationships damaged after an incident. It allows all parties to discuss how they have been affected, and collaboratively decide what can be done to repair the harm. To ensure learning is put into practice in organisations post-training, a 'Restorative Just Culture' virtual community of practice has been launched to encourage sharing of resources and strategies that help embed good practice and support the creation of inclusive and compassionate cultures.

The community forum runs in collaboration with the Mersey Care Foundation Trust and will run events for delegates to engage with, as well as access online forums and helpful resources to refer to after their training. Registration is open to anyone in the NHS with recognised Restorative Just Culture training to share and learn together to implement this approach back in their own organisation. For more information or to register to the Virtual Community of Practice, please visit: RJC CoP (restorativejustculture.org)

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In its simplest form, civility and respect is about how we treat each other at work. In highly pressurised NHS systems, behaviours of incivility and disrespect can become common place. People report that bullying and harassment is prevalent in the NHS, and this rude and unkind behaviour can have a detrimental impact on staff wellbeing and patient care.

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We want to welcome you to our incredible PMA team! x  

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We want to welcome you to our incredible PMA team! x  

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Please reach out if you need any help advice or support :)

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Anna is a Midwife on Bluebell and in community

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Vast about of support available to all staff 

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Vast about of support available to all staff 

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We know that our NHS people are often faced with significant stresses. The NHS can only achieve the extraordinary things for patients that it does if the safety, health and wellbeing of our people is recognised as a key priority.

If you need someone to talk to, we have introduced a confidential text support service, you can access support by texting FRONTLINE to 85258 for support 24/7. This service is available to all our NHS colleagues who have had a tough day, who are feeling worried or overwhelmed, or who have a lot on their mind and need to talk it through.

It's important to ensure our health and social care colleagues are looking after themselves and get timely support should they need it, this in turn can help to support better patient care. The free and confidential self-check tool can provide you with further information on the range of support offers that are available and help you to identify what option is the right one for you to access. The self-check tool is now available.

We also have a range of additional support offers in place for our NHS colleagues which suit a range of different health and wellbeing needs. Scroll through the options below to find the one that works best for you.

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NHS England » Support available for our NHS people

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We know that our NHS people are often faced with significant stresses. The NHS can only achieve the extraordinary things for patients that it does if the safety, health and wellbeing of our people is recognised as a key priority.

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Welcome to the home of health and care leadership development. Our curriculum of programmes, resources and activities bring world-class learning and development to NHS people and partners

News and blogs

Ras Kahai, Disability and Wellness Network Co-Chair at Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals, explains how increasing visibility of disabled leaders is key to shifting mindsets.
Senior leaders

Our senior leader offers include access to rest and restore spaces, mental wellbeing support, executive coaching and support for new CEOs Find out more about our support offers
Programmes and apprenticeships

Our programmes and apprenticeships are designed to help everyone in health and care discover their full leadership potential and achieve the highest standards Find out about programmes and apprenticeships
Support for ICS development

Explore our range of flexible offers to support integrated care system (ICS) leadership development and resources for newly appointed integrated care board leaders including podcasts, articles and much more Find out more about support available
Our Leadership Way

Our Leadership Way sets out the compassionate and inclusive behaviours we want our leaders at every level to show towards colleagues and individuals Find out more about Our Leadership Way

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Leadership Academy - Better Leaders, Better Care, Brighter Future

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Welcome to the home of health and care leadership development. Our curriculum of programmes, resources and activities bring world-class learning and development to NHS people and partners Ras Kahai, Disability and Wellness Network Co-Chair at Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals, explains how increasing visibility of disabled leaders is key to shifting mindsets.

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Leadership, revalidation & NMC  Information

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Leadership, revalidation & NMC  Information

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The Code: Professional standards of practice and behaviour for nurses, midwives and nursing associates - The Nursing and Midwifery Council

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Read and download the Code for nurses, midwives and nursing associates, and see supporting resources.

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Statements in different contexts
You're under investigation
You could be asked for a statement following an adverse incident at work that you were directly involved in. For example, you may have administered the wrong dosage of medication to a patient, or you've been accused of unprofessional behaviour.

If your conduct or practice is being questioned, then - provided you were a member at the time of the incident - we will check your statement for you. then please Use our template contact us to discuss arrangements for checking your statement before you hand it in.

Read more about and discipline, grievance being a witness .
Inquest/Coroner's Court
If you are asked to provide a statement for an inquest or coroner's court check your employer's policy. You may be required to talk to management, or your employer's solicitor, before speaking to the Coroner's Office/officer. The policy should outline whether your employer will arrange representation for you to avoid incriminating yourself.

If there is a risk:

of you being prosecuted in connection with a death,

you may have contributed in some way to the death, or

you are concerned your practice might be criticised,

prior to submitting or signing any statement.

We expect the employer to represent its employees at an inquest. However, in certain exceptional circumstances, we may provide support where:

there is a clear conflict of interest between the member and other staff involved in the patient's care (such as doctors or other health care professionals), where it would be difficult for the employer's lawyer/s to represent all staff as well as the employer

the employer is refusing to represent you, and we cannot persuade the employer otherwise (this includes if you are a witness).

If you are being asked to write a statement as a witness, please see our witness section below. Civil and criminal proceedings
An employer may receive a complaint and request a statement about an incident which could result in a civil or criminal claim. This could include, for example, loss of property, personal injury or death following treatment. If you have been asked to prepare a statement in connection with any potential litigation/legal action (such as a medical negligence claim) against you or your employer, call us for advice before you submit your statement.
Police statement in criminal proceedings
It can be very frightening to be questioned by the police. If you are a suspect (i.e. the police say that they will be interviewing you under caution) you should not answer questions or submit any statement until you have legal support.

If the incident is work-related, call us as soon as you can. If this is not possible (or the incident isn't connected to your work) you must seek the support of the duty solicitor at the police station.

Read our advice on police interviews.

If you have been asked to prepare a statement regarding an alleged criminal act carried out by another/ others, then assess the risk to yourself before you submit a statement. If you are concerned, contact us.

Do not accept a police warning or caution before talking to an RCN legal adviser or duty solicitor. If you are receiving support from a Duty Solicitor, please also ask them about the possible implications for your registration.

Read more about cautions in our advice about police interviews.

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Statements | Advice guides | Royal College of Nursing

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You're under investigation You could be asked for a statement following an adverse incident at work that you were directly involved in. For example, you may have administered the wrong dosage of medication to a patient, or you've been accused of unprofessional behaviour.

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Maternity services in England are failing "too many" families, with problems "at every stage" of the maternity journey, an interim report has found.
Racism, staffing and accountability issues were among six factors identified by Baroness Amos, who is leading a government-commissioned review.

More than 8,000 people have so far submitted evidence, with Baroness Amos meeting more than 400 families.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has promised to act on her final recommendations, which are due in April.

Baroness Amos told BBC Breakfast: "I have seen bad, poor, good and excellent care co-existing side by side.

"Families have described to me good experiences, terrible experiences. It is patchy, it is inconsistent and what this investigation is about, is trying to find out the things that move us from poor and bad to good and excellent.

"I am able to say categorically that there is safe care. There is good care, I have seen examples of it. But, I have also seen way too many examples of poor care.

"What I have heard from families it is so traumatic and distressing. I have seen Trusts that have changed their practices as a result of what has happened in those trusts. It is a very mixed picture. It is not consistent."

Racism and discrimination occurs throughout the system, says the interim report.

"We have heard about stereotypes being used in maternity and neonatal services... This includes accounts of Asian women being stereotyped as 'princesses', with the implication that they are overly demanding or unable to cope with pain," it says.

Black women described experiences of being deemed as having "tough skin" and "able to tolerate pain".

Muslim families described feeling discriminated against on the basis of their religion and feeling unable to raise concerns due to fear that discriminatory attitudes may result in poor treatment for their baby, says the report.

Baroness Amos centred her findings on six key areas. Issues found included:

Services depleted or stopped because of capacity pressures, with stretched antenatal wards and delivery units resulting in delays to admissions and the use of community midwives in delivery units impacting safety

"Poor relationships" between team members, including obstetricians and midwives. Racist and bullying behaviour of senior clinicians was not always dealt with by management

Structural racism and persistent inequalities leading to "notably higher risk of adverse outcomes" for women from black and Asian backgrounds and women from more deprived areas. Discrimination against disabled women, Muslim families, refugee and asylum women and LGBT families was also reported

A lack of compassion and transparency when baby loss and harm occurs, which can lead to mothers wrongly blaming themselves, compound trauma and impede opportunities to learn from mistakes

Care being delivered in outdated and dilapidated buildings, in some cases compromising clinical care. Bereavement spaces were insufficient or non-existent in some trusts

Staff reporting maternity units did not have enough personnel to provide safe care

Baroness Amos also said in a statement that it was "clear from the meetings and conversations I have had with hundreds of women, families and staff members across the country, that maternity and neonatal services in England are failing too many women, babies, families and staff".

Failures within the system have been known about, and reported on, for years. The BBC has spent more than a decade speaking to bereaved and harmed families following poor care at Morecambe Bay, Shrewsbury & Telford, East Kent, Nottingham, Leeds and a number of other NHS Trusts, gathering evidence of failing maternity services.

Orlando Davis died in September 2021, aged 14 days, after staff at Worthing Hospital in Sussex failed to spot his mother had developed hyponatremia, a lower than normal level of sodium in the bloodstream, during labour. An inquest concluded that neglect had contributed to the infant's death.

His mother, Robyn, said that "not listening to my concerns is the main reason we're sat here without our son".

Her husband Jonathan believes there is a "cultural" problem within maternity services that midwives believe they know better as they are the professionals. In actual fact, he said, "the only one that truly knows what's going on in that individual's body is the mother".

The couple are part of a group, Truth for Our Babies, who are campaigning for an independent investigation into maternity services at the University Hospitals Sussex NHS Trust. Earlier this month, BBC News and the New Statesman found that at least 55 babies over a five-year period might have survived with better care.

The Davis family does not believe that the Amos review will lead to better care across England and are calling for a statutory inquiry.

"It's not going deep enough... it's not just what's happening at these hospitals. It's the regulators as well," said Robyn. The regulators are not being reviewed by Baroness Amos.

"As families, we have received lacklustre care," added Jonathan. "We [therefore] deserve the gold standard of accountability - and progressing a rushed, high-level review, instead of a statutory inquiry, is not receiving the gold standard.

"Future mothers and future children may not suffer the same irreversible fate that we have if a [properly] conducted inquiry happens."

Labour MP Michelle Welsh, a prominent campaigner on maternity safety, says there is a danger the Amos review will become a damp squib and is urging the government to act decisively, including creating a maternity commissioner responsible for ensuring care improves.

"This inquiry must result in some big, bold policies with regards to maternity services, that really says that as a government we want to improve maternity services, we want to invest in it, and we will secure the truth and accountability for families," she said.

Announcing the review last June, Streeting also promised that he would chair a maternity taskforce early this year to drive improvements. But it's emerged this week that the group has not yet been established. The Department for Health and Social Care said they would be announcing the membership "shortly".

"It is important that the taskforce is established as soon as possible," said Welsh, "because without it we don't have that driving force [and] those big, bold policies."

Get our flagship newsletter with all the headlines you need to start the day. Sign up here.

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Racism and staffing issues factors in 'failing' maternity care, report finds

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The interim report has identified problems "at every stage" of the maternity journey in England.

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Welcome to August we are heading into our very busy months, keep hydrated look after yourselves so you can look after others. Be kind to you, you are worth it :)

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Neurodiversity refers to the natural variation in how people think, learn, process information, communicate, and experience the world. This passport supports staff who have a diagnosed neurodivergent condition, are awaiting assessment, or identify as neurodivergent. Its purpose is to promote understanding, enable supportive workplace conversations, and facilitate reasonable adjustments that help staff thrive and deliver high-quality care.

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Finally, we use staff experiences; learning from the handling of speak up matters and best practice to form the basis of policy, guidance and resources. These further support leadership teams to improve operational arrangements around Freedom to Speak Up.

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Neuroinclusion | Equality, Diversity & Inclusion | Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

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Guidance on supporting neurodivergent staff.