If you have any feedback on these pages, or if you have anything you wish to see or to be included in future editions, please contact one of us.
Lee Gough (EDI and Personal Development), Natalie Hooper (P2P), Chelsea Anderson (Wellbeing), Emily Owen (In other news...), and for anything else, Alison Roebuck.
Your Brief
All Your Briefs can be found by following this link YourBrief :: YourSpace Mersey Care
Electric vehicle chargers update
From 1 May, the Trust will be introducing a charge for the use of these chargers. Application information and instructions for use will be available on YourSpace.
Sending a Thank You
Valuing our people is an essential part of our Trust Strategy. Your Recognition is all about recognising and rewarding your good work, commitment to caring, and successes that make a difference to the lives of service users, patients, carers, and families as well as our staff and teams.
Your Recognition - Home (sharepoint.com)
Governor Elections 2024
Nominations Open
Could you be our next Governor?
Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust serves more than 1.4 million people, offering specialist inpatient and community services that support mental health, learning disabilities, addictions, brain injuries and physical health, and we are one of only three trusts in the UK that offer high secure mental health facilities.
The Trust’s Council of Governors ensures that the views of service users, carers, staff and the public are considered in providing and developing our services. Nominations are now open for thirteen vacancies on the Council of Governors.
Find out more
Please click the pink button which will take you to the election information and nomination site. You will also find out more about:
- the vacancies in your constituency
- what is involved in being a Governor
- our forthcoming Prospective Governor Events
- registering to receive membership information by email
Nominating Yourself
You can complete your nomination, including your election statement and photograph, online using your computer, smartphone or tablet.
Nominations (mi-nomination.com)
Completed nominations must be submitted by 23:59 on Thursday 14 March 2024.
If you need any help using the nomination site, please contact Mi-Voice, who are an independent organisation supporting the Trust with this process. You can contact them at support
Kind regards,
Tony Slater
Returning Officer
Payroll deadlines for 2024-2025
Visit YourSpace for a list of 2024-2025 payroll deadlines. To ensure all pay related forms and expenses are submitted on time for processing, as well as all rosters finalised for payroll, the dates need to be adhered toto ensure all payments are correct and on time.
Successful merge of Health Roster and Employee Online
Our e-Roster systems have successfully merged, following a period of downtime over the last two weeks. The Trust is now using one single system for Health Roster and Employee Online. The links to the systems, along with more information can be found on YourSpace. If you’re experiencing issues, contact eroster
Mersey Cares reaches a milestone £10,000 in online donations!
This milestone has been achieved in less than a year and it's all thanks to the generosity of our supporters and the enthusiasm of those who have joined our fundraising challenges. We look forward to reaching more milestones together in 2024. Find out more or register to fundraise on Mersey Cares website.
Mersey Cares need your vote
Mersey Cares NHS Charity has been nominated as a potential Procurement Hub charity partner for 2024! Only five charities will be chosen through a public vote and your support is crucial in helping us secure this opportunity. Vote by clicking this link - you can make a significant difference. Thank you!
Careers ambassadors needed!
The career engagement team has organised numerous events over the next few months and need ambassadors to help shape aspirations in young people, to follow careers in the NHS. Find out more on YourSpace. If you have any queries or are interested, email: TalentforCare
E-cigarettes and quitting smoking
The recent government command paper Stopping the Start sets out a range of measures including restrictions on display, product type and branding of vapes that will begin to address the concerns in youth vaping. The media focus on this however is providing confusion amongst smokers who want to quit. Find out more in the attached document.
Eating Disorder Awareness Week
This week is Eating Disorders Awareness Week and you can access a wealth of information on this subject through the evidence and library service. Whether that is books and ebooks, or point-of-care tools BMJ Best Practice and Clinical Key (OpenAthens required). For more information email: library
International Women's Day - 8 March 2024
The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is #inspiringinclusion. There are numerous events taking place throughout the week and we would love if you could attend. Find out more on YourSpace.
People Pulse results summary – January 2024
A summary of results from January’s People Pulse survey can be found on YourSpace
Nutrition and Hydration Week
This Nutrition and Hydration Week (11 to 17 March), our dietitians and speech and language therapists will be delivering a series of continuing professional development sessions online to share important work to support our patients. Find out more on YourSpace.
Training attended
Here are some slides from the recent "HFMA - Productivity and Efficiency: How to work smarter not harder" session that was held for Bands 2-6. This gave some valuable insights in how to work more productively and get the most out of your working day.
Course Description
Learn how to maximise personal productivity and efficiency in the workplace to achieve better results, using existing resources and smarter working techniques.
Content
- Plan effectively to achieve your goals and objectives
- Apply specific and effective time management tools and techniques
- Recognise and overcome barriers to successful smart working
- Manage your mindset to deal with stress and overwhelm
- Channel personal learning and development to maximise productivity and efficiency
- Look after your greatest resource - your own energy and strength
If you have attended any courses recently which could be helpful for other colleagues, please can you send the slides and any feedback so the rest of the team can share the knowledge!
|
Event |
Cost |
Date |
Closing Date |
|
Introduction to R and RStudio - 2023 version 3 x half days (Online course via Zoom) |
2 credits (£120) |
Wednesday 6th March 2024 (09:30 - 13:00) Thursday 7th March 2024 (09:30 - 13:00) Friday 8th March 2024 (09:30 - 13:00) |
04/03/2024 |
|
Free of charge |
Monday 11th March 2024 (09:30 - 12:45) and Thursday 21st March 2024 (09:30 - 12:45) |
01/03/2024 |
|
|
Patient Choice and the Provider Selection Regime (Live online training update session via Zoom) |
Free of charge |
Wednesday 20th March 2024 (10:00 - 13:00) |
18/03/2024 |
|
Free of charge |
Wednesday 20th March 2024 (09:30 - 13:00) |
18/03/2024 |
|
Free of charge |
Monday 25th March 2024 (09:30 - 12:45) and Tuesday 26th March 2024 (09:30 - 12:45) |
04/03/2024 |
HFMA Conference on 21 February 2024
On 21st Feb 2024, a small group of us, myself, Carol Smith alongside my colleagues Kristina Hinchey, Mark Hare and Anthony Reardon, attended the Bands 2 to 6 conference and HFMA intermediate qualification graduation ceremony in London.
The day started at 10am with networking whist being provided with refreshments. In this time we spoke to a couple of the speakers and people from other organisations. I personally also spoke to the people on the ACCA stall to confirm my options for my future qualifications. This was really helpful.
From this we had a quick introduction then went into an ice breaker with Peter English. This was called ‘Understanding what’s driving you and your colleagues’ This interactive workshop provided us with a deeper understanding personality types and how to deal with people with different traits. I found this very interesting and will be using some techniques provided with future colleagues and also with myself
After lunch we has a session on ‘The befits of a mentor’ hearing from a mentor and mentee. This was interesting as you got to hear from both sides of the relationship and also what to do if you are interested in becoming either.
From this we had a detailed breakdown of ‘How to land your next job’ from Ann Lucas, a career development coach. Ann went from what to do before applying for jobs up to if you were unsuccessful and what to do. Lots of handy hints and tips were given to increase your chances of becoming successful.
Later in the day we heard from the panel members of the HFMA bands 2-6 committee. I loved how enthusiastic they were and what plans they had in the future to make it bigger and better
Our last speaker was Alistair Brisbourne who was informing us of the significance of AI for the future of finance and accountancy. The future of finance will be even more technology and data enabled which means that value will increasingly be created in the interface between humans and technology. Against a backdrop of shifting organisational challenges and demands on individuals, AI presents both challenges and opportunities. For example, by helping to drive efficiencies, enhance analytical capabilities, or automate routine tasks, AI can propel us to new solutions as well as career opportunities. But to unlock new paths skill sets must evolve through continuous learning, and the distinct qualities, risks and applications of AI need to be understood. This was very interesting but I did think that it will be a long while before we are using it for our benefit.
Lastly it was the HFMA intermediate qualification graduation ceremony. This was nice to witness as it was the first one and has encouraged me to look into completing this myself in the future.
Carol Smith (FM Secure Care Division)
We want to make you aware that we have renewed our subscription with HFMA (Healthcare Financial Management Association (hfma.org.uk)) (Bitesize Courses (hfma.org.uk)), and we now hold a number of licenses that need to be used throughout the subscription term.
Please can you raise the awareness to your staff that courses are available to them.
Examples of available courses for Free****
NHS budgeting (England) - how to use budgets to help manage services.
Personal health budgets (England) - how patients can commission their NHS care.
Procurement in the NHS (England) - how NHS organisations buy goods and services.
Health economics (UK) - how best use can be made of the limited resources in the NHS.
Support
If you have any questions about accessing the free courses please email your training leads - Daniel
HMFA Bitesize
Did you know you can gain access to HFMA bitesize courses through the following platforms:
Electronic Staff Record System
To access the HFMA bitesize free courses through the NHS Electronic Staff Record please log in to the ESR (Home - ESR Hub - NHS Electronic Staff Record) and go to my learning. You can then search for either the course title or the keywords healthcare financial management association.
NHS learning hub
If you do not have access to the Electronic Staff Record System you can access the free bitesize courses through the NHS learning hub (Learning Hub - Home). Once you have created an account search for the free courses using the keyword 'HFMA'. You will see the HFMA catalogue – click on the catalogue and you will see the health inequalities course listed.
HFMA News:
Roundtable: delivering efficiencies
What is finance's role in the push to efficiency? What systems are needed to support this? A recent HFMA roundtable, supported by Unit4, set out to explore these questions.
Planned deficit funding to be ‘treated as overspend’
Systems receiving funding to cover planned deficits in 2023/24 will still be treated as if they have overspent and funding will be repayable from next year, NHS England has confirmed
Interim assumptions issued in absence of full planning guidance
Integrated care systems in England have been issued a set of interim draft planning assumptions for 2024/25 while they await the delayed final planning guidance for the year.
Growth and longer-term planning needed in primary care shift
Future funding should be targeted at primary and community care as part of a radical refocusing of the health and care system, the King’s Fund said this week.
Concerns raised about removal of alternative site valuations
The HFMA has backed plans to simplify the valuation of hospital buildings and other assets, but raised concern about the potential impact on the financial position of NHS trusts and foundation trusts.
Department aims to speed up new hospital programme
Some hospitals in the government’s new hospital programme may no longer be required to follow a standardised design in an attempt to deliver hew facilities sooner, the government has said.
Calls for major capital boost to increase productivity
A near doubling in capital funding – with the budget rising from £7.7bn in England to £14.1bn – is needed to drive productivity, the NHS Confederation said this week.
Department calls for ‘fair and affordable’ pay settlement
The Department of Health and Social Care has called for pay to be ‘fair but affordable’ in evidence to pay review bodies, but stopped short of putting a figure on what could be afforded.
More capital needed to launch ‘the next-generation NHS’
Trust leaders have called for greater capital investment and for full funding of the NHS long-term workforce plan beyond 2028 as key priorities for the next government.
Final Welsh budget provides boost for capital
Wales’ final budget for 2024/25 has increased NHS capital funding by £40m compared to the draft budget in December. This brings the total budget for health and social services to £12.1bn, which includes £439m of capital.
Budget promises £2.5bn extra funding and tech drive
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has announced £2.45bn of extra funding for the NHS in England in 2024/25, with a further £3.4bn to support digitalisation and improve productivity.
Health leaders give lukewarm reception to Budget
Think tanks and healthcare leaders have welcomed the capital funding for digital transformation, but suggested the extra revenue support is unlikely to address the service’s many challenges.
Calls for government to tackle NHS staff shortages
The Nuffield Trust has called on the next UK government to be bolder in filling gaps in NHS staffing levels after analysis pointed to a large geographical disparity in services such as GP appointments.
New payment mechanisms could unlock reform
The NHS Confederation has proposed three payment models that could change financial incentives and unlock local service reform, with options for the immediate and longer term.
Fresh pay offer to be put to consultants in England
Talks between the British Medical Association and the government have resulted in an improved pay offer for consultants, with the terms due to be put to consultant members in the second half of March.
Turbulent times for costing practitioners
NHS England needs to create the capacity to enable costing practitioners to use costing data locally to drive improvement, says HFMA senior policy manager Hayley Ringrose.
Kelly: local audit in ‘better position’ this year
All NHS bodies will go into this year’s final accounts process with an auditor in place, NHS England chief financial officer Julian Kelly told MPs this week. However, there is no guarantee that all audits will be completed before the summer.
A&E incentive scheme criticised for ignoring system role
Healthcare leaders have warned that a capital incentive scheme that aims to boost accident and emergency department performance in the last month of the financial year could be divisive and fails to recognise the wider system role
King’s Fund report criticises inactivity on social care reform
A lack of action by successive governments has caused adult social care to stagnate, according to a new report by The King’s Fund. Social care 360 criticised the lack of reform, as adult requests for social care hit a record high of two million.
Australian studies: lessons in integration
Integrated care board chief finance officer Paul Brown took part in an HFMA study tour to Australia last year to get an international perspective on joining up services, and returned with a better understanding of his own system.
HFMA Courses:
Delivering value with digital technologies
1-29 March | one month | webinar series
13 March | 1 day | online
Free places available for Healthcare Costing for Value Institute partners
External event | 26 March | 2 days
20 March | 14.00 | webinar
HFMA bands 2 to 6: ICAEW professional qualification session - information session
20 March | 1 day | online
Free for HFMA members
20-21 March | 2 days | online
HFMA bands 2 to 6: interview skills – making the next step
27 March | 1 day | online
Unlocking the potential: how boosting employee health results in financial savings
26 April | 13.30 | webinar
Financial sustainability across the four nations
16 May | 09.00 | webinar
Free for HFMA hub partners
As part of the HFMA's programme of work alongside the NHS digital academy, we are hosting a series of webinars throughout March 2024 centred around best practice and key learnings within 'delivering value with digital technologies'.
Free for all HFMA members
CPD accredited
Tuesday 5 March | 11.00
Genomics: what are the opportunities for healthcare and what does the future look like?
Professor Matt Brown, chief scientific officer, Genomics England
Thursday 14 March | 13.30
Exploring the digital literacy gap and how this is excluding patients from engaging with services
Bryony Evans, The Good Things Foundation
Monday 18 March | 13.30
Making PROGRESS with Pharmacogenomics
Dr Videha Sharma, clinical innovation lead, lecturer in health informatics, Division of Informatics, Imaging and Data Science
In addition to the above national events, there are a number of local HFMA branch events taking place across the coming weeks. View the full list of all HFMA events here.
HFMA March webinar series: delivering values with digital technologies
Getting digital-ready is an ongoing priority for the NHS, but on the ground it poses many challenges and questions.
- How ready are patients and staff to embrace a digital future?
- What kind of workforce will be required to build a digital NHS that delivers effective, value-based healthcare?
- What is the role of NHS finance in this process?
As part of our Delivering value with digital technologies programme, we are hosting a series of March webinars where we will be joined by a range of guest speakers sharing recent case studies and discussing some of the key issues that should be considered around digital technologies. Information on individual webinars is below. More sessions will be added to the event series in the coming weeks.
Preventing clinician burnout: could ambient voice technology (AVT) be key?
Rishi Das-Gupta, chief executive, Health Innovation Network (South London)
Friday 1 March, 13.30-14.30
As clinicians face more and more pressures, burnout and workload is a national emergency which is increasingly impacting on patient safety.
One type of technology that could reduce workload, support with finance pressures, and improve staff retention is ambient voice technology (AVT). This is a collective term for products which combine speech recognition and supervised artificial intelligence to work in the background and change how clinicians interact with electronic systems. This session will explore what AVT is, and the potential impact it can have.
Microsoft Virtual Events Powered by Teams
Genomics: what are the opportunities for the NHS and what does the future look like?
Professor Matt Brown, chief scientific officer, Genomics England
Tuesday 5 March, 11.00-12.00
The use of genomics data in the treatment and prevention of serious disease is already transforming outcomes for patients and the future possibilities in this field are almost endless. But at what financial cost?
This session will provide an overview of what the world of genomics currently looks like, the potential gains and concerns, and how it integrates with the NHS.
Microsoft Virtual Events Powered by Teams
Exploring the digital literacy gap and how this is excluding patients from engaging with services
Bryony Evans, The Good Things Foundation
Thursday 14 March, 13.30-14.30
The NHS is increasingly adopting a ‘digital only’ or ‘digital first’ policy. However, the success of these innovations depends on public digital literacy and fair access to skills, data and devices. If patients do not engage due to being digitally excluded then this will not deliver a return on investment, it will likely negatively affect patient outcomes and widen the already stark health inequalities gap.
In this webinar, Bryony will share some of the shocking national statistics around digital exclusion, and discuss why it matters.
Microsoft Virtual Events Powered by Teams
Making PROGRESS with pharmacogenomics
Dr Videha Sharma, clinical innovation lead and lecturer in health informatics, University of Manchester
Monday 18 March, 13.30-14.30
Medicines are the most common therapeutic intervention in healthcare, yet the efficacy and safety of many drugs show considerable variation between patients.
The Pharmacogenetics Roll Out – Gauging Response to Service (PROGRESS) programme is looking to establish the feasibility of an NHS-wide diagnostic service to identify genetic changes associated with commonly prescribed drugs. In this session, Videha will provide an overview of the programme and will discuss clinical engagement and patient feedback from a pilot of the programme in Manchester.
Microsoft Virtual Events Powered by Teams
VALUE MAKERS
With our value maker annual conference coming up on the 7th of November 2024 Value Maker Annual Conference – In person (onenhsfinance.nhs.uk) we are looking for volunteers to advocate for the Value Maker network in the lunch break on a ‘stall.’ Your job will be to share information with others about the network and hopefully get a few more colleagues to sign up for the network!
We will also be running stalls for the below networks, so if you would like to volunteer for one of these instead, please do let me know.
- Health & Wellbeing Champions
- Inclusion & Diversity Ambassadors
- Financial and Clinical Educators (FACE)
- The National Disabilities Network
- The National Rainbow Network
- The Sponsorship Network
If you are interested in being a volunteer for this/know of a colleague who may be interested, please let me know by COP Friday 3rd May.
If you have any questions, please let me know.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Kind Regards,
Aoife
Aoife Wellman
Programme Co-Ordinator
One NHS Finance
Email: aoife
Twitter: @OneNHSFinance
LinkedIn: One NHS Finance
Instagram: One NHS Finance
FUTURE FOCUSED FINANCE
Over the years, our community for NHS finance colleagues has flourished, fostering valuable networks such as Value Makers and Finance and Clinical Educators. From our inaugural vision of 'Making People Count,' we've paved the way for impactful initiatives like EVO (Engagement Value Outcome) and the National Finance Leaders Talent Pool. In 2021, new key themes were established on the back of the 'Becoming One NHS Finance' conversation, addressing important topics like 'Supporting our Staff' and 'Promoting NHS Finance Careers.'
We want to say a massive thank you to every single one of you who has helped shape and develop our programme into what it is today. Explore our programmes's journey in the timeline below, and for the full version, download it here: FFF Timeline.
We also have special giveaways on our Instagram and X (Twitter) pages, be sure to enter to win some FFF goodies! Keep reading to find out what else is coming up from the FFF programme below...
Supporting our staff - What resources are available?
Personal wellbeing and team resilience are extremely important. Our extensive array of resources is dedicated to supporting our staff as they navigate any upcoming challenges and changes. These include workshops, toolkits, networks and programmes.
View all available resources here.
Join one of the Future-Focused Finance networks today!
With a collective membership of 9,730, participating in an FFF network offers significant personal benefits and enhances team collaborations and opportunities. Which network will you choose to be a part of?
Watch back - Health & Wellbeing Conference 2024
Say Thank You - NHS Finance Thank You
Learn more - Accreditation
Download - Shaping the Future Campaign Report
Attend - Towards Excellence Accreditation Assessor training May 7, online
Read - NHS Glossary of Terms
Hi everyone
Let’s start with my saying “A goal without a plan is just a wish”.
What are personal goals to set for yourself?
Personal goals are short- or long-term goals that can apply to your work, family life or lifestyle. They're meant to motivate you to achieve what you want in life. The importance of setting goals for yourself involves your openness and awareness of trying new things, planning your own success, and taking action to improve an aspect of your life. It can also allow you to accept accountability for what you do to ultimately grow and develop in your life, career, and relationships. Setting goals allows you to find ways to learn from mistakes and make transitions using what you've learned.
How to set goals for yourself
Follow these steps to create goals for yourself:
Identify your passions.
Start by identifying important things you're passionate or care deeply about and determine what you want your life to be like in the future. Visualizing your ideal life can help you figure out what's realistic for you to achieve. You can also develop a plan that can keep you on the right track.
Use the SMART goal method.
When setting goals for yourself, you may choose to follow the SMART goal method, where you apply specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound objectives to help you reach your goals. This can make it easier for you to evaluate your progress, celebrate your accomplishments and stay motivated throughout your journey while moving in the right direction.
Track your progress.
Designate times to see how far you've come since you began pursuing your goals. For example, you might decide to check your progress once a month to see if you've been consistent. Holding yourself accountable can help you identify strategies that work best for you.
Click here to view 20 different strategies for help achieve your goals.
If you have any questions about Personal Development, please contact Lee Gough.
NHS Finance Careers
The NHS is one of the largest employers in the world employing around 1.3 million people in a variety of different roles across hundreds of healthcare providers, Integrated Care Boards and NHS regulators. Finance is involved in everything the NHS does and most importantly contributes to the care of patients. Find your rewarding finance career of choice within the NHS.
Follow this link to the NHS Finance careers website: Finance Careers Website
Vacancies via Skills Development Network
NHS Skills Development Network (NHS SDN)
Vacancies currently available on the Skills Development Network
|
Finance Transactions Assistant (Closing date: 12/03/2024) |
|
Deputy Director of Finance (Closing date: 14/03/2024) |
Sostenuto
Feedback on implementation is due to begin on the Sostenuto project and will include a review of how well the system is working so far.
Currently, staff are directed to the self-serve helpdesk feature which has been set up to streamline queries into the Finance & Procurement department.
This has been suggested as a good project to submit to the One NHS Finance innovation Library where all Trusts to have the option to share project work and good practice. It then gets peer-reviewed before being published for the wider finance community.
Further information on innovations can be found by following this link to the One NHS Finance page.
NHS Finance Innovations (onenhsfinance.nhs.uk)
RPA (Robotic Process Automation)
Further work is being completed on the projects which are currently in line for robotics support.
TOCA began implementing the RPA for the first element of the forecast sheet work and is expected to be completed by the end of Monday 11 March. There will then be a period of training on how to use the program and then internal testing can start before it is implemented. The aim of this first piece of robotics is to roll a forecast sheet from one month to the next, with the intention in the future to include more steps such as running reports to include in the forecast sheets.
For Home Electronics, TOCA firstly need to see a walk though of how it currently works but there are currently no live applications on system to do a walk through on, as the application window is closed until 6th April. Once this has reopened, work will start to look at the system and can then review timescales and how the RPA can be implemented.
Patients Cash
Process mapping is currently underway to look at using Unilink/CMS as the primary system for patient individual balances. This will then have an interface into Oracle for total balance of patient monies.
The idea is to enter transactions in CMS which should cut down duplication for patient’s cash. There will still be an element of control using control account reconciliations which will check overall balances in Oracle.
Drives clean up.
Everything has now been transferred onto G drive at the end of January with anything left on S drive moved into an archive folder.
Just as a reminder that we need to avoid having copies of folders, or duplicates. folders. The file structure has been agreed and leads from each team will be reminding staff of how the folders should be used. If you’re unsure of setting up new folders and where they should go, please ask your line manager in the first instance.
Handy Tips:
Did you know that you can put conditional formatting on your emails? Make emails from groups/people stand out in your inbox!
Quick Guide: Conditional Formatting in Outlook
Date: 18 March 2024
Reference Number: 2593
To: All NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) Provider Clients
Subject: ACTION - March 2024 Reversing Journals and COA Hierarchy Changes
We would like to offer you some helpful advice regarding journals around the year-end period.
Please note that journals posted into March 2024 can only be reversed into April 2024 after the Sub-Ledger Close on Thursday 28 March 2024. This is due to the inclusion of the Year End adjustment period between March 2024 and April 2024 and a limit to the number of periods that can be open within Oracle at any given time.
This advice relates to year-end only and there are two options available:
Option 1: Uploading journals in advance of Sub-ledger Close (do not approve)
Enter your reversal journal into March 24 period and set the reversal period to ADJ-24. Please ensure that the journal is not approved at this stage. After 28 March (sub-ledger close) the April period will be available for you to go back into the journal in Oracle and amend the reversal period to Apr-24 and then approve.
Option 2: Preparing journal in advance but not uploading until after Sub-ledger close
Prepare your journals on an ADI template, but do not upload until after 28 March (sub-ledger close) when April will be available to select.
CoA Hierarchy changes through Year End
Following last year’s process, we are able to make cost centre hierarchy changes throughout the Year End period. We are happy to provide this service but there is an important consideration that must be taken into account when making any request; Oracle Business Intelligence (BI) will always create the current reporting hierarchy structure that exists in Oracle, therefore once your changes have been processed they will be reflected in BI for all prior periods following the next overnight refresh.
If you have a requirement to apply a hierarchy change solely within the new year 2024/25, then please make the request via email with the subject line “Change for year 2024/25” so that it is clear that the changes are for the new year only. We will keep a record of the request but will only action it once the ADJ-24 period is fully closed (see year end timetable for dates).
If you want your hierarchy changes to reflect in your position for the year 2023/24, then they will be processed in accordance with the normal SLA and can be actioned straight away.
Cost centre setups, Re-names and disablements will all be dealt with the usual way.
FOLLOW UP EMAIL - 19.03.24
Hi All
Just to clarify the SBS client Communication below regarding posting Reversing Journals at Year End.
Reversing Journals for March can only be posted after Thursday 28 March 2024.
To keep things simple and avoid anything getting posted into the ADJ-24 period by mistake, can we all please go with Option 2:
Option 2: Preparing journal in advance but not uploading until after Sub-ledger close
Prepare your journals on an ADI template, but do not upload until after 28 March (sub-ledger close) when April will be available to select.
Hopefully this won't cause too many problems.
Thanks
Kevin
Kevin Williams
Senior Reporting & Systems Accountant
Date: 13 March 2024
Reference Number: 2589
To: All NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) Provider Clients and ISFE User Community
Subject: INFORMATION - Year End Timetable 2023/24 Update
Please find below an updated copy of the NHS SBS Year End Timetable (Version 4) for 2023/24. There remain some provisional dates yet to be confirmed (TBC) and these are marked in red on the timetable.
The changes from issue three include some new dates advised for clients but there are also some corrections to the notes. All changes are listed in the change log tab and highlighted in the timetable in dark blue.
This timetable is again subject to revision, with the latest version maintained on the F&A Client Extranet.
The timetable is located under ‘Year End 2023/24 Timetable’ and can be found on the following links:
NHS Shared Business Services - extranet (sbs.nhs.uk)
Date: 12 March 2024
Reference Number: 2588
To: All NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) Provider Clients and ISFE User Community
Subject: INFORMATION - A38 Interface Rejections - Aged Data Cleanse
As part of ongoing improvements in P2P, we will be performing regular data cleanses on our
processing workflows to keep the ledgers clear, supporting to improve BBPC and supplier
relationships. Our first cleanse will focus on aged invoices currently showing as rejected on
the A38 Interface Rejection Report.
- Any invoices received before Friday 1 April 2022 will be cleared by cancellation unless otherwise notified via webform by Wednesday 20 March.
- Following your review of the A38 Report, any specific invoices that you wish to remain on your ledger, please notify NHS SBS Clients Team as above including invoice details and action required to resolve the Interface Rejection hold.
- Cancellation of aged invoices will be completed on Friday 29 March.
What is the A38 Interface Rejections Report?
The A38 Interface Rejections report and dashboard were created to help in the resolution of
issues relating to invoices that have been rejected during the open interface import. The
reasons for rejection are split into the following six distinct categories and each of these will
require a different action to resolve the issue. Details about how to action the holds are
available here.
- Inactive PO - This will occur because the PO is either closed or cancelled.
- Inconsistent Currency - Occurs when the currency on the PO differs from the currency on the invoice.
- Inconsistent PO Supplier - This will occur if the supplier on the PO differs from the supplier on the invoice.
- Invalid PO Number - This will occur if the PO number on the invoice is not available for matching.
- Invalid Shipment Type - Can occur if the PO is not approved or if the shipments are closed.
- Insufficient Receipt Info - This only applies to Match to Receipt POs.
Date: 8 March 2024
Reference Number: 2586
To: All NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) Provider Clients and ISFE User Community
Subject: INFORMATION - Consolidated Year-End Communication 01
Please see the first of our combined Year-End communications. Please help us to ensure that any relevant colleagues are aware of these updates.
1. Year End Budget Journals – P12 and P13
Please remember to upload budget journals relating to the old financial year before P12 (March) closes. The ledger is not set up to allow budget adjustments in Period 13 (ADJ period), therefore after P12 March GL close you will no longer be able to process budget journals for the old financial year.
2. Uploading New Year Budgets
Please note that budgets are never rolled forward, they must be re-uploaded every year into the New Year budget.
Clients must use either the Budget upload template or a Manual budget journal to upload or adjust your budget balances in Oracle GL.
WEB ADI should only be used to upload and adjust Forecast balances for FOT (Forecast Outturn) or OPL (Original Plan) forecast budgets.
The Budget Upload Template can be found on the following links:
R12 zone - budgeting (sbs.nhs.uk)
3. FSG Reports
Until March has closed, we have provided you with 3 Interim FSG (Financial Statement Generator) reports in Oracle GL which will report on the new budget year. The interim reports are called:
XX/XX ENT CC REP (Sub & An 1)
XX/XX ENT SUMMARY REPORT
XX/XX ENT TRUST REPORT
NB - in the report names above XX/XX is the budget year and ENT is your Entity Ref (i.e. 24/27 X24 TRUST REPORT)
Your standard FSG reports will continue to report on the old financial year until March is closed.
Following your M12 GL Hard Close, SBS will then switch all standard FSG reports to look at the new year balances and the 3 interim reports (above) will switch to report on old year balances
4. New Year Budget 24/27 and Oracle GL FSG reports at Year End
Please note that Budget ‘ENT BUD 24/27’ has now been created for all clients and is open for you to populate your New Year budget balances.
Oracle GL FSG (Financial Statement Generator) reports will display information from different budget years over the coming weeks as we finalise year end and you load budgets for the new financial year.
The information in your Apr-24 (P01) FSGs will be as follows:
|
All FSG Reports run for P01 from: |
Actual balances in the report will be: |
Budgets balances in the report will be: |
|
Today’s date until your chosen M12 GL close date |
New year actuals 2024/25 |
Old year budgets BUD 23/26 |
|
From the day after your chosen M12 GL close date, onwards |
New year actuals 2024/25 |
New year budgets BUD 24/27 |
We will begin amending the budget name in all FSG reports to ENT BUD 24/27 from the next working day after your chosen M12 GL close date. This can take a few hours to action, but all reports should be updated by the end of that day.
If you would like us to amend your FSG’s before your chosen M12 GL close date, your Director or Deputy Director of Finance should request this by email to SBS-W
Date: 8 March 2024
Reference Number: 2585
To: All NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) Provider Clients and ISFE User Community
Subject: INFORMATION - Weeks to Months Timetable for Payroll and Resus/SCCLG files 2024-25
The Weeks to Months timetables for Payroll and Resus/SCCLGL files for 2024-25 have now been finalised.
Following recent internal changes, NHS SBS will now be publishing Weeks to Months timetables for NHS SBS Payroll and Supply Chain Resus/SCCLGL files separately.
The timetables have been prepared by NHS SBS Payroll and Supply Chain, and weekly Interface files will be mapped in line with them, and you should Budget in accordance with these timetables.
If your payroll services are not provided by NHS SBS Payroll we would recommend that you get in touch with your payroll provider to discuss their planned timetable for the coming year as soon as possible.
The Timetables for 2024-25 can be found on the Extranet in the following locations:
NHS Shared Business Services - extranet (sbs.nhs.uk)
Date: 6 March 2024
To: All NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) Provider Clients and ISFE User Community
Subject: ISAE3402 - Supporting your end of year audits
As you prepare for your end of year reporting, many of you have contacted us to support with your internal audits. As such we would like to remind you that NHS SBS’ controls are audited annually by a third party.
We have a contractual commitment to provide an annual assurance report to you by the end of April. The annual ISAE3402 audit is carried out by a third party and provides assurance on the controls across Employment Services, Finance & Accounting and Procurement.
The ISAE3402 report from the audit year of 2022/2023 can be shared with your auditors, as required, to evidence the controls NHS SBS are responsible for. This was circulated on Friday 28 April 2023, if you require a copy of the report to be sent to you again, please contact sbs-s
Kind regards,
Elizabeth Hill
Senior Quality & Assurance Manager
NHS Shared Business Services
Date: 6 March 2024
Reference Number: 2583A
To: All NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) Provider Clients and ISFE User Community
Subject: ACTION - Month 12 (M12) Agreement of Debtor Balances (AoB)
Please cascade this to all relevant 2023-24 M12 Finance Contacts.
In accordance with the requirements of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to agree M12 debtor/creditor balances, please find attached the NHS SBS M12 debtor specific timetable and AoB letter and form.
113343_month-12-agreement-of-balances-exercise-debtors-timetable-2023-2024.pdf (emlfiles4.com)
113344_month-12-agreement-of-debtor-balances-covering-letter-2023-24-v2.pdf (emlfiles4.com)
2023-24 MONTH 12 AGREEMENT OF DEBTOR BALANCES FORM
Those NHS SBS Clients who do not wish NHS SBS to issue their NHS M12 2023-24 AoB statements should provide formal notification to SBS-B
Social Enterprise organisation statements are issued without a covering letter as they do not take part in the AoB exercise.
Client Contact Details
DHSC’s latest contact lists of all organisations taking part in the AoB exercise are emailed to all parties involved in the Agreement of Balances exercises by the DHSC via national bodies. Organisations should ensure they use the contact on this list when contacting counterparties to discuss AoB issues.
Electronic Issue of NHS Debtor Statements
All NHS statements are issued by email. The emailed statements are in Excel format and each M12 electronic statement includes a copy of the AoB covering letter and form.
Transactions with NHS England
As previously, Provider clients, Commissioning Support Units (CSUs) and Integrated Care Bodies (ICBs) will have to analyse their receivables balances between the 9 NHS England sub-entities (Core, the 7 Regions and NHS England Central Specialised Commissioning (13Q)) and produce and send separate manual statements to each sub-entity they have balances with.
Electronic Copy Statements
Clients can run copies of excel statements issued on their behalf from Oracle by running the NHS Statement Excel History report. To do this, you will need to log into Oracle using the ‘NHS_XXX_AR_TRUST_FINANCE_USER’ or ‘NHS_XXX_AR_TRUST_RECEIPTING_USER’ responsibility, where ‘XXX’ equals client’s Organisation Code.
The guidance document for “Printing a copy Excel Statement” can be found under the "General Documents" section using the following links:
NHS SBS extranet - Printing a copy Excel Statement (R12)
NHS SBS extranet - Printing a Copy Statement (ISFE)
Notification of Disputes
Clients are reminded of the importance of advising the NHS SBS Debt Management team of the details of all disputed balances following the completion of the agreement exercise in order that appropriate action is taken on the recovery of agreed NHS debts.
Reference Number: 2584
To: All NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) Provider Clients and ISFE User Community
Subject: INFORMATION - 2023/24 Year End Webinars
Please be advised the revised Year End Webinars for 2023/24 have now been completed together with the slide packs and the associated commentary. All are available on the extranet in the year end sections for you to view (see links below).
NHS Shared Business Services - extranet (sbs.nhs.uk)
Date: 5 March 2024
Reference Number: 2583
To: All NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) Provider Clients and ISFE User Community
Subject: ACTION - Month 12 (M12) Agreement of Debtor Balances (AoB)
Please cascade this to all relevant 2023-24 M12 Finance Contacts.
In accordance with the requirements of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to agree M12 debtor/creditor balances, please find attached the NHS SBS M12 debtor specific timetable and AoB letter and form.
Those NHS SBS Clients who do not wish NHS SBS to issue their NHS M12 2023-24 AoB statements should provide formal notification to SBS-B
Social Enterprise organisation statements are issued without a covering letter as they do not take part in the AoB exercise.
Client Contact Details
DHSC’s latest contact lists of all organisations taking part in the AoB exercise are emailed to all parties involved in the Agreement of Balances exercises by the DHSC via national bodies. Organisations should ensure they use the contact on this list when contacting counterparties to discuss AoB issues.
Electronic Issue of NHS Debtor Statements
All NHS statements are issued by email. The emailed statements are in Excel format and each M12 electronic statement includes a copy of the AoB covering letter and form.
Transactions with NHS England
As previously, Provider clients, Commissioning Support Units (CSUs) and Integrated Care Bodies (ICBs) will have to analyse their receivables balances between the 9 NHS England sub-entities (Core, the 7 Regions and NHS England Central Specialised Commissioning (13Q)) and produce and send separate manual statements to each sub-entity they have balances with.
Electronic Copy Statements
Clients can run copies of excel statements issued on their behalf from Oracle by running the NHS Statement Excel History report. To do this, you will need to log into Oracle using the ‘NHS_XXX_AR_TRUST_FINANCE_USER’ or ‘NHS_XXX_AR_TRUST_RECEIPTING_USER’ responsibility, where ‘XXX’ equals client’s Organisation Code.
The guidance document for “Printing a copy Excel Statement” can be found under the "General Documents" section using the following links:
NHS SBS extranet - Printing a copy Excel Statement (R12)
NHS SBS extranet - Printing a Copy Statement (ISFE)
Notification of Disputes
Clients are reminded of the importance of advising the NHS SBS Debt Management team of the details of all disputed balances following the completion of the agreement exercise in order that appropriate action is taken on the recovery of agreed NHS debts.
Reference Number: 2582
To: All NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) Provider Clients and ISFE User Community
Subject: INFORMATION - NHS SBS Year End Timetable (version 3)
Please find below an updated copy of the NHS SBS Year End Timetable (Version 3) for 2023/24. There still remains some provisional dates yet to be confirmed (TBC).
The changes from issue version 2 are listed in the change log tab and highlighted in PINK. The changes largely are of relevance to ISFE clients.
This timetable is again subject to revision, with the latest version always located on the F&A Client Extranet, located under ‘Year End 2023/24 Timetable’ and can be found using the following links:
Contact SBS
Calling: 0303 123 1177
Completing a web form on the Extranet: Click here
Training Zone - Click here
Client Communications Archive
Monthly Fraud Update – February 2024
We received 1 fraud notice from MIAA in February.
Any questions or queries please let me know.
Regards
Mike
Mike Jones
Financial Accountant (Assurance)
FPC-61-23-24 (D&H Partnership Ltd)
Please see email alert below received from D&H Partnership warning of a fake email with the subject “FW: D&H Partnership”, containing an attachment, and purporting to be D&H Partnership.
D&H Partnership has confirmed that the email is not genuine and their email address has been breached.
Clarification is being sought as to whether there has been some minor alteration between the fake email address and the genuine one as they look identical I will advise once known but copied IT in for reference.
D&H Partnership Ltd primarily supplies, installs, and maintains all types of medical lighting.
Actions required:
- Check whether D&H Partnership are a supplier and, if so, review any recent or ongoing communications received from the company to ensure this is, or has been, with the genuine supplier.
- Ensure all relevant colleagues are made aware of this alert and remain vigilant.
- Report any attempts, losses or local concerns to the Anti-Fraud Specialist.
Talking Fraud Newsletter (Spring 2023)
Mersey Internal Audit Agency (MIAA) has published the Spring edition of its anti-fraud newsletter ‘Talking Fraud’. The newsletter aims to help you keep abreast of both national and local fraud trends and increase your awareness to help protect you in both your NHS work and personal lives. The articles featured in this edition include details of MIAA’s latest fraud podcast, how mandate fraud is linked to romance fraud and consequences of fraud.
To report fraud, bribery and corruption, please contact the Anti-Fraud Specialist claire
FRAUD TREND: NHS Salary Sacrifice Schemes
The NHS Counter Fraud Authority (NHSCFA) would like to alert NHS colleagues to a new fraud trend involving NHS salary sacrifice schemes.
Fraudsters have been targeting NHS colleagues to steal email addresses and ESR/assignment numbers to enable them to login to salary sacrifice schemes and fraudulently take out contracts in their victim’s name.
Recommendations for colleagues:
- All colleagues should only use the salary sacrifice links provided to you by your organisation.
- NEVER share your ESR/assignment number or nhs.net login credentials with anyone.
- If you believe your ESR, work email or nhs.net account have been compromised, contact ITSecurity
@imerseyside.nhs.uk as soon as possible. - Report any unusual activity on your payslip, work email or your ESR account to your Human Resources (HR) representative.
- Create strong passwords using three random words containing spaces (e.g. Apple Fish Snowflake – do not use this password).
NHS employees who believe they have been a victim of fraud should carry out a credit history check to identify any anomalies.
All incidents of suspected fraud against the NHS organisation should be reported to Claire Smallman at Mersey Internal Audit Agency (MIAA) – claire
Welcome to the Diversity and Inclusion bulletin.
Firstly, we are pleased to announce that the next NHS Finance Inclusion Conference will take place on May 8th, with a focus on ageism and how different stages of life can affect your career in different ways, find out all the details below.
Following a national review by the Finance Leadership Council, the NHS Finance Equality, Diversity and Inclusion action plan has been assessed and updated, with refreshed actions to take us through the next 12 months. Keep reading to view the action plan and discover what else is available to you in the upcoming months.
NHS Finance Inclusion Conference - Ageism and Promoting Inclusion
Ageism is one of the protected characteristics which is less spoken about and we need to raise awareness about it and how it can affect colleagues at all stages in their life and career.
Hear from various lived experiences to understand what ageism is and how we can create a more inclusive and supportive workforce for everyone.
The NHS has an ageing population and we will look at how we approach this to ensure we are not losing knowledge and expertise when colleagues retire.
Book your place for May 8 here.
NHS Finance ED&I action plan - 2024 update
Since the launch of the action plan in November 2021, a tremendous amount of hard work and dedication to making positive improvements for Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) across NHS finance has taken place and been delivered by the finance community.
This action plan forms a strategy for 5 years taking us through to the end of 2026. We regularly update this to ensure the original content and information included remain current and important.
Read the updated ED&I action plan here.
Talent Management Resources
Use our extensive range of Talent Management guidance and resources to kickstart focused talent discussions within your team, gaining valuable insights into the relevant processes and development opportunities for individuals seeking growth.
Use the comprehensive guidance document to take you through the talent management model and process and download the provided templates to help facilitate talent pipeline discussions.
Updates from The National Sponsee Network
We're excited to present the latest release of the National Sponsee Programme Newsletter. Inside, you'll discover regional news, Sponsee highlights, valuable resources, and more.
Check out the newsletter here.
Interested in becoming part of The Sponsorship Programme? You can find out more about the role here: The Sponsorship Programme.
- Read: Blogs from members of The National Rainbow Network
- Awareness Week: Neurodiversity Celebration Week | NHS Employers
- Join: One NHS Finance Development Programmes
- Listen: Podcast: Neurodiversity in the Workplace - Inclusive Employers
- Learn more: NHS Finance Insights placement scheme
- Develop: Self-Assessment Tool
Hello and welcome to the March EDI blog:
NORTH EAST LONDON NHS FOUNDATION TRUST - EDI INITIATIVES
Please click the below link to register via One NHS Finance
Inclusion and Diversity Showcase Session: Impactful EDI initiatives at NELFT (onenhsfinance.nhs.uk)
Join an engaging one-hour online showcase as we delve into the field of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion at NELFT. Explore the innovative strategies employed by NELFT to foster a culture of inclusivity. From supporting mentoring to pioneering recruitment practices, discover how NELFT is actively dismantling barriers and creating a more equitable and diverse workplace.
This session will provide you with the opportunity to ask as many questions as you’d like. We want you to share your thoughts and experiences of promoting Inclusion and Diversity in NHS Finance.
One NHS Finance
The next NHS Finance Inclusion Conference, which is due to take place on Wednesday 8th May, 12:00 – 16:30 will be focusing on challenging agism and promoting inclusion.
Throughout the event, we are hoping to hear from NHS colleagues. If you have a lived experience or organisational initiative that you would like to share on the below topics then please contact megan
Younger colleagues: A lived experience
Hear from someone who joined the workforce at a young age and some of the challenges they have faced.
Going through changes: A lived experience
In this session you will hear from colleagues who are going through life changes such as returning from Maternity / Paternity leave and/or someone who has gone or is going through menopause and the affect that these milestones can have on your career.
Older colleagues: A lived experience
Learn what it is like to be someone who is near the end of their career and are looking to retire and how this can affect your role in the workplace.
Keynote Organisational example of how they are overcoming these issues
e.g Losing experience through an aging workforce and having a process in place that older colleagues pass on their skills and information to new younger colleagues.
One NHS Finance has also recently launched the updated National EDI Action plan so please take the time to read through some of the small changes.
3 March:
World Hearing Day – Every year on March 3rd, World Hearing Day raises awareness about hearing loss prevention. It’s also a day that promotes ear and hearing care.
8 March:
International Women’s Day – A day dedicated to celebrating the achievements of women globally and advocating for gender equality across all sectors.
10 March:
Ramadan – The start of a sacred month in Islam where fasting from dawn to sunset, reflection, and community are emphasized.
21 March:
International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination – A day focused on combating racial discrimination and promoting unity and equal opportunity for all.
25 March:
Holi – A Hindu festival of colours celebrating the arrival of spring and the triumph of good over evil, marked by joyful gatherings and colour-throwing.
31 March:
Transgender Day of Visibility – A day to honour the transgender and non-binary communities, celebrating their resilience while also raising awareness about the discrimination they still face.
31 March:
Easter – A significant Christian holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, often marked by gatherings, feasts, and traditions like egg hunts, recognised widely across Western cultures.
10 March - Mother's Day
Families today don’t all look the same, like they did in 1950s TV shows—and that’s a good thing.
More children than ever are being raised by single parents, adoptive parents, same-sex parents, or in blended families. They all deserve respect and support.
Some, like LGBTQ families, might feel excluded on Mother’s Day. Here’s how you can help them feel seen and supported if they want to be included.
LGBTQ couples may choose to celebrate one, both, or neither parent on Mother’s Day. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. Transgender parents may not celebrate according to traditional gender norms. If you have an LGBTQ family in your life and you’re unsure about wishing them a happy Mother’s Day, ask if and how they celebrate instead of making assumptions. According to Hopping-Winn, “LGBTQ parents tend to have some tradition around the holidays, whether we honor one parent on Mother’s Day or a surrogate, birth parent, or donor. Like many other situations, we have to be intentional about how we celebrate.”
It’s also worth remembering that it often takes LGBTQ families longer to have children than a typical heterosexual couple. As Hopping-Winn says, “Whether it be via surrogacy, adoption, foster care, or assisted reproductive technology, it generally takes longer to form our families.
Mother’s Day can be a challenging time for these families, as it can be for anyone struggling to become parents. It reminds us of the family we so desperately desire but have not yet achieved.”
LGBTQ+ History Month
Jake is reaching out to the Queer community to provide safe spaces where people can meet up to dance, let go and relax. Jake said 'We need more sober events where people can meet up to help their anxiety.’ Read Jake’s story in our MC Magazine.
Mindfulness helps us respond more wisely, especially in difficult times.
So let's pause, breathe and choose to live mindfully this month. By cultivating inner peace we can contribute to peace in the world around us too.
International Day of Happiness
Coming soon on 20th March it's the UN International Day of Happiness and our theme for this year is Happier Together - so please spread the word.
NW Women in Leadership for Finance Network
There was an insightful and powerful Menopause Awareness and Empowerment held on the 27th February 2024. at 4.00pm. It will be an interactive Menopause Awareness and Empowerment Session.
It was led by Amantha King, Strengths Development Coach & Workplace Menopause Consultant and June Potts, Workplace Menopause Consultant who shared their experiences and knowledge.
The session was not just for colleagues who are or will experience the menopause, but to raise awareness for us all to be able support colleagues affected by the menopause in the workplace.
Please click here to view the slides
Clocks go forward!
31 March 2024
The clocks will go forward for the start of British Summer Time. The clock will jump from 11.59pm to 1am.
The phrase "brighter days are coming" is a message of hope that can offer comfort to people going through tough times. No matter how difficult life may seem, it is important to keep persisting, as brighter days will soon embrace you and fill your life with joy. Life is full of ups and downs, and the struggles make possible the times that are sweet. Our conflicts are our special lessons in life.
What Are the Benefits of Sunlight?
Sunlight and serotonin
Sunlight and darkness trigger the release of hormones in your brain. Exposure to sunlight is thought to increase the brain’s release of a hormone called serotonin. Serotonin is associated with boosting mood and helping a person feel calm and focused. At night, darker lighting triggers the brain to make another hormone called melatonin. This hormone is responsible for helping you sleep.
Without enough sun exposure, your serotonin levels can dip. Low levels of serotonin are associated with a higher risk of major depression with seasonal pattern (formerly known as seasonal affective disorder or SAD). This is a form of depression triggered by the changing seasons.
A mood boost isn’t the only reason to get increased amounts of sunlight. There are several health benefits associated with catching moderate amounts of rays.
What Are the Benefits of Sunlight? (healthline.com)
Safe and effective wellbeing conversations
NHS England have released more dates for training during March, which offers you an opportunity to learn more about what a wellbeing conversation is, when it may be appropriate to initiate one, and also provides additional knowledge and skills to have safe and compassionate conversations about various aspects of wellbeing. See all the dates here.
Menopause support
Our March dates for the menopause information and education sessions are available for you to book on to now. The information sessions equip you with the latest advice on a range of subjects to support you through your menopause journey.
Manage stress and build your resilience
Journey to Wellbeing is a new workshop for 2024, developed by Occupational Health and Wellbeing Services. The workshop explores the holistic elements of wellbeing, including self-care, stress response and personal resilience. The next session is 7 March.
Receive personalised wellbeing advice
March dates are confirmed for mini health checks. There’s opportunities to book an appointment at Hollins Park, Switch House and V7. Our team of Health and Wellbeing Facilitators are also available to be booked out to visit your team and complete health assessments at your base. The assessment are quick and easy and participants will be provided with personalised wellbeing advice.
2024 NHS North West Games- more events now confirmed
News just in – more free events have been scheduled for you to take part in with tennis just added to the schedule. There’s also a 5K and 1K run/walk, badminton, netball, rounders, football and golf to choose from. The events are suitable for all staff members, regardless of age, ability and level of fitness. Find out more on YourSpace.
Saving and investing webinar
The first of a new series of financial wellbeing webinars starts on 21 March, with the theme of saving and investing. This session gives you an insight to how saving and investing works and the benefits of doing each for your financial future. These webinars are facilitated by a financial advisory service, and they’re also offering free 1:1 guidance sessions. You can learn more about the offer by watch this short, welcome video.
Health Service Discounts
Health Service Discounts is a dedicated service for all healthcare workers, in any role, to help you save money through a range of discounts. It’s free to join and free to use and once you are a member, you can use any of the thousands of deals that are on the website. Save every time you shop on essentials, fashion, energy, insurances, days out, holidays, mobile phones, and much more. Find all the information you need on to join on YourSpace.
Managing anxiety- new group starting 11 April
This psychoeducational group has been developed by Occupational Health and Wellbeing Services and is facilitated by qualified Cognitive Behavioural Therapists. It is designed to help you gain a better understanding of your worries and anxiety, and it focuses on bringing them within a healthy range. The group runs for 5 consecutive weeks. To find out more and to express your interest, visit YourSpace.
Gym membership discounts and equipment deals
There’s lots of fitness offers available through schemes such as Health Service Discounts. You can also use Hollins Park Health and Wellbeing Centre for free and there’s our weekly circuit classes and yoga offerings too.
Congratulations to Sarah Latham in Community Care Division who is expecting her first baby in May!
Very exciting news!!
Food Bank
Hi everyone
Iif anybody wants to make further contributions to the Food Bank, I will collect and pass on.
As well as donations to the foodbank, if anybody has any clothes they not longer want to keep if they want to bring them into Hollins Park I will pass onto the Homeless charity.
Thank you,
Frank
Frank Draper (FM - Mental Health Care Division)
Easter
This year Easter falls on Sunday 31st March, with a long weekend and two bank holidays stretching over from Friday 29th March to Monday 1st April. Easter festivities are a Christian holiday symbolising events which occurred in Jesus’ life.
Origin of easter.
The beginning the easter festivities commence 40 days prior to Easter Sunday, with an event commonly known as ‘pancake day’ which is followed by Lent. During this forty-day period the focus is on fasting, prayer and sacrifice. The final week of Lent is referred to as holy week, Maundy Thursday occurs to symbolise the last supper, Good Friday represents the crucifixion of Jesus under the roman rule, followed by Jesus’ resurrection which Easter Sunday is the Christian holiday that signifies this.
Common easter activities.
Some activities are commonly enacted during this period are easter egg painting, easter egg hunts and easter hat making. These can fun activities to partake in for all ages, whilst providing a way to keep children occupied during the two weeks break from school.
Mother's Day
On Sunday 10th March the annual Mothering Sunday celebration is occurring, it can be a day to show appreciation to your mum, highlighting everything she does for you throughout the previous year.
Across the world mothering Sunday is celebrated at various points throughout the year, but in the UK, the holiday falls on the 4th Sunday of Lent. Celebrations of mothers and motherhood can be traced back to the Ancient Greeks and Romans, festivals were held in honour of the mother goddesses Rhea and Cybele.
However, Mother's Day isn't an easy day for everyone...
Whether you’re estranged, grieving or have a tricky relationship with your mum, the build-up to the big day along with the day itself can be emotionally triggering.
When looking at grief alone, a study conducted by bereavement charity Cruse and YouGov found that 17% of bereaved people in the UK have avoided social media on Mother’s Day, and 10% dread Mother’s Day.
It isn’t always easy to manage alone, so how can you help yourself this week if you’re feeling triggered?
Plan ahead: If you’re worried about feeling down on Mother’s Day, make sure you plan to spend this day with close friends/other family members so you don’t feel isolated.
Strengthen other support networks: Perhaps there are other people who have played an important parental role in your life. Is there anything significant you could do to celebrate them on this day?
Make Mother’s Day about you: How can you take extra care of yourself on Mother’s Day? What nice things can you plan for yourself? How can you show yourself more compassion and kindness? The gifts and gesture people might be giving to their mother’s, you could decide to give to yourself.
New Starter
A big welcome to Mohammed Rizwan who started with us on Monday 4 March.
He is Finance Analyst in FM Secure Care Division.
Hi everyone
I'm Mohammad Rizwan and I am joining the secure finance team after previously working at KPMG. In summary I like keeping active in my day to day life through activities such as hiking in the Peak District and going boxing with my friends.
I also enjoy going on short vacations abroad and trying different cuisines.
Best Wishes to everyone with birthdays in the next couple of months!
MARCH
2 Tony Mee
4 Liam Daley
5 Ian Cartwright
13 Julie Skipworth
16 Chris Senior
19 Catherine Lee
26 Claire Jackson (40)
27 Laura Callister
27 Paul Harrison
28 Mark Hare
28 Nick Moon
30 Mark Norris
31 Kevin Williams
APRIL
3 Jane Carney
6 Richard Timmins
6 Sandip Kaur
6 Stacey Kirkby
9 Greg King
13 Chelsea Anderson
14 Helen Moores
15 Georgina Malone
26 Frank Draper
30 Benjamin Derbyshire
Self Serve - Finance Helpdesk
Finance and Procurement would like to send a reminder that all invoice and order queries should now be raised through the self-service portal
Suppliers are to email enquiries to purchasetopay
The self service portal should be the first choice for any queries, but the new phone line is also available on 01925 972 767
More detail can be found in the November finance update in the "Digital Improvements and Innovation" section. It contains a full guide on how to access and includes a user guide.
November 2023 - update :: YourSpace Mersey Care
Office Update
With the support of some of you, Jane has done a fantastic job in sorting and tidying out the office. We now have a dedicated storage room, and the office is clean and tidy. Please don’t forget to clean down your workstation before you leave so we can keep it that way.
You will notice we have a table in the centre of the office with a jigsaw on, this is there for when you want to take 5 mins to be mindful and timeout. We do have some jigsaws but if anyone wants to bring one in, please do so (the harder the better!!) 😊
Thanks Jane!!
What is MC Magazine?
MC Magazine is a quarterly publication, available in digital and physical formats, which explores Trust initiatives, hard-hitting current issues and other features. If you would like to be added to the mailing list please contact the communications team and digital copies of each magazine can be found by following this link:
MC Magazine (merseycare.nhs.uk)