Vacancy and Pay Spend Panel

We are implementing a Vacancy and Pay Spend Panel. The purpose of the panel is review, approve, decline and monitor all vacancies, and in the future, other pay related changes which may result in additional costs before they are approved to go through any process. All recruiting managers will be required to complete an online form. More information can be found in the attached slides and on YourSpace.

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Nafsiyat

On Tuesday 7 May Nafsiyat are delivering a free ½ day Intercultural Awareness workshop (virtually) (from 10am-1pm).

Nafsiyat will send out CPD certificates following completion of the workshop. To attend email MECN MECN@merseycare.nhs.uk

Mersey Care works with Nafsiyat Intercultural Therapy Centre which is an intercultural therapy centre committed to providing effective and accessible psychotherapy and counselling services the UK’s diverse religious, cultural, and ethnic communities. Our team is comprised of experienced, fully qualified psychotherapists and counsellors from diverse backgrounds who are sensitive to the therapeutic needs of cultural minority groups.

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NHS Staff Survey sessions

Team managers, book your place on a training session to support the facilitation of NHS Staff Survey feedback. Find out more on YourSpace or book in the prospectus in section 3.

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Mental Health Awareness Week (13 to 19 May)

This year’s theme is moving more for our mental health, and we wanted to hear from you on what physical activities you get involved in and how it makes you feel. Send a short quote, picture or a selfie video to communications@merseycare.nhs.uk which we will share with staff during the week.

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Step into Spring for Mersey Cares!

May is National Walking Month and we’re inviting you to 'Step into Spring'. Everyone who enters will receive a fundraising pack including a Mersey Cares T-shirt, two scavenger hunts, an editable activity planner and our top fundraising tips to get you started. Find out more on Mersey Cares website.

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Experience the thrill of abseiling

We’re looking for people to take part in our annual Liverpool Cathedral Abseil! This year the event will take place on 7 September 2024. Get involved with your team or as an individual and help us to make a real difference across our communities. Find out more by emailing charity@merseycare.nhs.uk or register.

Interim Cost Centres

A list of cost centres which are no longer in use has been complied to show an alternative code.

Please can you check that you have no current working papers which refer to these cost centres and if so,  update them with the alternative cost centre.

This will support FM in being able to keep these old cost centres clear of expenditure and will reduce the work required in journalling the entries to the correct code.

Interim Cost Centres

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Hollins Park House - Out of Hours

There has been an instance of a member of staff being locked in Hollins Park House one evening. The security company were called, and they had to reopen the building.

Also, there was an incidence of a member of staff saying they needed urgent access over the weekend to collect paperwork, both of which incur additional costs.

Please note Hollins Park House is open until 7.00 pm in the evening on weekdays and closed Saturday and Sunday

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Linking Codes in SBS

To assist with reducing the number of adjustments to transactions that are coded to the wrong subjective code, we're asking for some support across the department to confirm any linking of codes with colleagues in Financial Management to ensure both cost centre and subjective codes are correct. This will also help in making sure unused/interim cost centres aren't being used and expenditure is correctly aligned.

Please can you contact the following Financial Management staff to check and confirm both the cost centre and subjective codes are correct. 

Community – Anthony Mee, Ben Ormrod, Chelsea Anderson, Lee Gough or Zoe Simms
TWSS – Claire Jackson, Katharine Clarke, Jake Litherland
Secure – Laura Jessop, Carol Smith.
Mental Health – Frank Draper, Diane Maines

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Student Staff Development Lead

We are on the look out for a new Student Staff Development Lead, following the previous holder, Dan Hughes, moving on to a new role.

This is a pivotal role that will form a part of our staff development steering group, ideally this would be a current student but is not essential.

The main responsibilities would cover:

• Membership to the Staff Development Steering Group.
• Provide general support to the finance and procurement students.
• Provide advice to prospective students regarding study programmes
• Provide advice and support relating to the departmental study policy and apprenticeship levy.
• Promoting courses, events, and opportunities to the finance and procurement department.
• Input into the monthly finance newsletter (training section).
• Support the FSD Lead and Staff development steering group in reviewing any study applications.

If this is a role that would interest you, please speak with your line manager and contact myself.

Thanks

 

Danny

Daniel Williamson

 

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HFMA Bitesize

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.

 

You can access the Bitesize courses via the following methods: 

• Create an account on the NHS Learning Hub where you can then search for HFMA courses - Catalogue (learninghub.nhs.uk)
• Create an account on the HFMA website if you've not already got one. You can then log in and access the courses HFMA Bitesize

 

Support

If you have any questions about accessing the free courses please email your training leads - Daniel.Williamson@merseycare.nhs.uk or Lee.Gough@merseycare.nhs.uk

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Food Bank/Homeless Charity

Frank is continuing to support the Food Bank due to the success over the Christmas period. If anyone has any items that can be spared, please bring them in. 

For further information and deatil of what the food banks are currently asking for, please follow this link Give Help | North Liverpool Foodbank

As well as donations to the foodbank, if anybody has any clothes they not longer want to keep, please bring them into Hollins Park and Frank will pass onto the Homeless charity. 

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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

self-service platform

Suppliers are to email enquiries to purchasetopay@merseycare.nhs.uk

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

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Reporting Risks/Incidents

Across the Trust we are successfully using the Radar Healthcare System to report events and risks with a safe landing from our go-live date. The Radar system is easily accessed via the icon from your desktop and all training to support use of this system, and other key information, is available on this Radar resources page. Radar (merseycare.nhs.uk)

Risks and incidents aren't specific to clinical services. There could be incidents and risks in other too including security, information  governance, digital, health and safety type incidents (slips, trips, falls, injuries, manual handling, accidents) and financial risks.

As a reminder, here are the slides from the Away Day held in March 2024.

PSIRF Presentation

 

Keynote speaker announcements

Ed Gillespie

Renowned British futurist and writer, Ed Gillespie, will be sharing his insights on topics such as climate change and disruptive innovation.

Paul Johnson

Director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, Paul Johnson, will provide invaluable perspectives on fiscal policies and their implications for healthcare finance.

These esteemed speakers will join us face-to-face in London and promise to spark thought-provoking discussions, that we hope will enrich your strategic planning for the year ahead.

 

Online licences now available

With an online licence, your whole finance team can benefit from the valuable insights presented at the conference at a fraction of the cost, without the travel or work conflicts! Our online licences give unparalleled access to the full week at the annual conference, including two exclusive online days of learning lab workshops, three days of live streams from the mainstage in London, and an additional resource library - all available live and on-demand.

Online conference offer

As a thank you for supporting us, we’re offering a limited time discount of 15% off the prevailing online licence rate to organisations buying one or more face-to-face tickets. Use code F2F15OFF at checkout. Available until 30 June 2024.*

*T&C’s can be found on our website.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to engage with industry leaders, gain valuable insights, and network with peers from across the healthcare finance sector.

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Working as one - HFMA members' summer series

The HFMA members' summer series is back. The event will take place online and is free to all NHS colleagues who are members of the HFMA. Not a member? You can join as an HFMA member and get free access to this event.

Why attend?

Join us from 18-20 June for a unique three-day festival of learning, where all 13 HFMA branches will come together and share best practices from across the country.

Get expert insight, network with colleagues from different branches, and enhance your knowledge. 

Don’t miss out on this fantastic and free HFMA member event. There is lots of content tailored to those working in bands 2 to 6, so make sure to encourage your colleagues working in those bands, to register.

Programme highlights

Thursday 20 June

10.10 | The New Hospitals Programme
Alistair Brisbourne, head of technology research at ACCA
In this session, Alistair will discuss AI's impact on the future of finance, the evolving skill sets required to utilise AI effectively, and understanding AI's nuances amid shifting organisational challenges and opportunities.

09.45 | Exploring levels of preventative investment in local government in England
David Fields, employer engagement manager at CIPFA
In this session, David will be discussing collaboration with the Health Foundation in their investigations of local authorities' preventive spending and its health impact. They aim to define prevention, map activities, and develop a classification system. 

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WEBINAR

Unlocking the potential: how boosting employee health results in financial savings

26 April, 13.30

Did you know that there is a direct correlation between employee heath, and financial savings within NHS organisations?

Join the HFMA and GoodShape on 26 April at 13.30 for an in-depth webinar that will explore this topic, and look at the strategies and methodologies aimed at enhancing the health and wellbeing of the NHS workforce. 

In this webinar, Chris Burman, GoodShape’s director of business development and commercial, and Nick Reader, principal consultant at the organisation, will be joined by Yarlini Roberts, chief finance officer at Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. They will investigate this correlation and share with you actionable tips, best practices and case studies, demonstrating how investing in employee health can lead to significant financial gains.

Other topics discussed in the webinar include:

• understanding the impact of employee health on productivity, organisational performance, and healthcare costs
• exploring strategies for cultivating a culture of wellbeing and resilience among NHS staff
• leveraging data analytics to measure the impact of employee health programmes on financial outcomes
• using employee health data to tailor wellbeing programmes and benefits to give measurable results 

understanding workforce absence and health data to drive down bank and agency usage across NHS Trusts.

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Financial sustainability across the four nations 

Don’t miss this half-day online forum, which will bring together finance functions from across all four nations, to discuss the important role NHS colleagues play in ensuring effective and financially sustainable patient outcomes and services.

As the NHS confronts growing financial challenges for 2024/25, it's important to pause and reflect on the strategies employed by the four nations, to achieve the shared goal of delivering a financially sustainable health service. 

During this event, you will gain invaluable insights and learn from systems across the UK that are faced with similar financial hurdles and common challenges.

The event is free to attend and open to NHS organisations.

Session highlight

Financial sustainability in Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland (HSC) – getting a grip | Eimear McCauley, director of finance and Brendan McGrath, assistant director of nursing, Western Health and Social Care Trust

Established in June 2022, HSC NI's Performance and Transformation Executive Board aimed to enhance regional operations, notably reducing unsustainable agency spending. A steering group was assigned to manage service impacts. By 2023/24, HSC successfully eradicated off-contract nurse agency usage. This presentation will outline the rationale for change and key success factors, including system-wide collaboration, local dynamics, and interdependencies.

Join NHS finance colleagues from across the UK online on 16 May to discuss the important topic of financial sustainability.

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Addressing Health Inequalities

Did you know that men in the most deprived areas of England live almost 10 years less than those in the least deprived areas? And that black people are four times more likely to be detained under the Mental Health Act than white people? 

Addressing the unfair and avoidable differences in health that exist between different groups of people is an ongoing NHS priority, and finance has an important role to play in driving this agenda forward. To help finance teams with this, the HFMA has produced a range of resources. These include:

• online bitesize courses covering an introduction to health inequalities, as well as learning on using data, allocating resources, and developing business cases
• briefings explaining health inequalities and the role that finance professionals can play in addressing them
• case studies highlighting work that NHS organisations are doing and a data sources map signposting to guidance and national statistics and data
• news and commentary on developments to the health inequalities landscape
• online events and conferences focusing on key aspects of health inequalities.

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Healthcare Finance weekly

NHS England targets improved productivity measurement

Better measurement is a key part of NHS England’s draft productivity improvement plan, but real increases in productivity are both needed and possible, according to NHS England’s efficiency director May Li.

Report shows no improvement in health inequalities by 2040

Some 700,000 more workers will be living with major illness by 2040, according to a report from the Health Foundation. The projected figure for 2040 is 3.7 million, up from 3 million in 2019, a rise of nearly 25%.

NHS leadership needs to be more than ‘culture of compliance’

NHS managers need to be given more freedom to make local decisions and avoid a simple culture of compliance, the Commons Health and Social Care Committee was told this week.

Health prioritised in ‘difficult’ Budget (Northern Ireland)

The Northern Ireland Executive has agreed a Budget for 2024/25 with no department receiving the level of funding it bid for.

Financially challenged hospices call for new funding model

Hospice leaders have called for a new palliative care funding model that includes more government funding to support their core costs.

BMA report shows high cost of doctors leaving NHS

Losing doctors early from the NHS is costing taxpayers in England up to £2.4bn a year at the current rate, according to a British Medical Association report.

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HFMA Events

Financial sustainability across the four nations

16 May | 1 day | online

Free places available for hub partners

CFO leadership forum

23 May | 1 day | London

Free places available for hub partners

HFMA bands 2 to 6: governance and audit - an introduction

4 June | 12.00 | online

Free for all HFMA members

How using pharmacogenomics can drive cost savings and deliver better patient outcomes

10 June | 13.30 | webinar

HFMA members' summer series

18-20 June | 3 days | online

Free for all HFMA members

HFMA annual conference 2024

2-6 December | 5 days | online and in London

Last day for super-early booker rates for face-to-face tickets

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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.Williamson@merseycare.nhs.uk or Lee.Gough@merseycare.nhs.uk

 

HMFA Bitesize

Did you know you can gain access to HFMA bitesize courses through the following platforms:
 

NHS learning hub

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.

Welcome to the May One NHS Finance newsletter.

We are delighted to provide upcoming workshops for career development, with Day 1 of Career Progressors set to kick off in Manchester and London in a few weeks' time. During May, applications will be open for three additional development programmes, see below for further details on these. 

Next week, we look forward to the NHS Finance Inclusion Conference, insightful discussions ahead with NHS finance colleagues sharing their firsthand experiences with ageism. You can view the full event agenda here.

Find out what else is coming up this month, including exciting details on VMAC!

• Value Maker Annual Conference confirmed! November 7, London

The 2024 Value Maker Conference has been confirmed to take place at The Royal National Hotel, London on November 7. 

This year, we have a bigger and better agenda, covering recruitment and retention, the EVO framework, making NHS finance a great place to work, celebrating our successes and an exciting guest speaker! 

Secure your in-person place here.

If you are unable to attend the event in person, you can join online by booking here

 

• Career Development Programmes - Applications open

  We are pleased to announce that the following career development programmes are now accepting applications throughout May - 

• Career Shapers (Band 2-4)
• Accelerate! Deputies development programme 
• (NEW!) The Aspiring Deputies National Talent Pool

• If you have any questions about how to apply, get in touch with the central team.

 

• The Sponsorship Programme FAQ

  We have put together a frequently asked questions document on our Sponsorship Programme to address all your questions about this popular initiative.

  Access the FAQ document here.

 

• Mental Health Awareness Week

  Mental Health Awareness Week 2024 will take place from 13 to 19 May, on the theme of “Movement: Moving more for our mental health”. Be sure to look out for a special Health and Wellbeing newsletter being sent out that week!  Tips on moving more can be found here.

 

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Upcoming events for your diary.

As we welcome Spring, we're preparing for an exciting event season that aims to inspire, motivate and engage the NHS finance community. We've lined up various opportunities from showcase sessions delivered by our Finance and Clinical Educators, Inclusion & Diversity Ambassadors and an interactive software skills session on Power Automate and Power BI.

Discover more about all upcoming events below...

 

NHS Finance Inclusion Conference

May 8, online

Join us for our upcoming inclusion conference that will focus on the subject of ageism. Explore how various life stages impact careers and gain insights from diverse perspectives. Come away with an understanding of what ageism is and how we can create a more inclusive and supportive workforce for everyone.

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Towards Excellence Accreditation
May 1, May 7, online

We have special sessions dedicated to accreditation, from helping organisations that are working toward achieving their level 2, to interactive accreditation assessor training. These events present an excellent opportunity to have all your questions answered. 

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Inclusion & Diversity Showcases
June 26, July 3, online

Across the country, ambassadors are working hard to implement change, and to introduce new initiatives and processes. Through these sessions, you can learn how to do this within your organisations and regions, helping to make NHS finance more inclusive for everyone. 

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Software Skills - Transforming NHS Finance Data through Power Automate and Power BI
June 5, online

This session is ideal for NHS finance professionals, including accountants, finance analysts, costing analysts and budget managers, who are looking to enhance their skills and understanding in automating financial reporting and analysis workflows.

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North West Value maker network meeting

Our next regional North West Value maker network meeting is due to take place on Tuesday 11^th June, 11:30 – 13:00, via MS Teams. 

During this session, you will have the opportunity to hear from the One NHS Finance team who will provide an update on upcoming opportunities and events. 

You will also have the chance to learn about successful networks in your region and how they can benefit you.

Additionally, you can network with others to discuss problems you are facing at work and gain support and guidance from colleagues. 

 

Please follow this link to our events page to register for the meeting:  North West Value Maker Regional Meeting (onenhsfinance.nhs.uk)

 

Please feel free to share with your colleagues and we look forward to seeing you there!

 

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Finance Education 
April 22, June 26, July 17 online

Our series of finance education events demystify NHS finance and re-engage clinicians, managers and leaders on the subject of finance, with members of the finance and clinical educators network showcasing various topics from PLICS & clinical engagement to budget holder training. 

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Health & Wellbeing at UHCW
May 9, online

During this session, you will learn about the best practices the health and wellbeing team at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust have put in place to ensure all colleagues are motivated and inspired. The team will showcase their work on mindfulness sessions and what occurs within them. 

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One NHS Finance Development Programmes

The following development programmes, run by the Finance Academy within One NHS Finance, are now open for applications until Friday 31^st May.  Information on the programmes and how to apply for them can be found through the following links:

• Career Shapers programme – for staff in Bands 2-4.
• Accelerate Deputies programme – current Deputies looking to apply to join the National Talent Pool or take on a senior finance role in the near future.
• Aspiring Deputies Talent Pool – colleagues in a position where they are ready now, or will be ready within the next 12 months, to apply for a Deputy CFO role. By Deputy, the definition is a post that reports into the executive level Chief Finance Officer at an organisation, typically working at Band 8d or Band 9.

Any queries about any of these programmes should be emailed to the One NHS Finance team on finance.academy@nhs.net.

 

 

Events available on the Skills Development Network 

Event	Cost	Date	Closing Date
CISCO Networking Academy - Networking Support Technician - Course 1 of 4 - Networking Basics	Free of charge	From 1st March 2024 to 31st March 2025	01/03/2025
CISCO Networking Academy - Networking Support Technician - Course 2 of 4 - Networking Devices and Initial Configuration	Free of charge	From 1st March 2024 to 31st March 2025	01/03/2025
CISCO Networking Academy - Networking Support Technician - Course 3 of 4 - Network Addressing and Basic Troubleshooting	Free of charge	From 1st March 2024 to 31st March 2025	01/03/2025
CISCO Networking Academy - Networking Support Technician - Course 4 of 4 - Network Support and Security	Free of charge	From 1st March 2024 to 31st March 2025	01/03/2025
Banishing the Imposter Syndrome (Online course via Zoom)	2 credits (£140)	Wednesday 22nd May 2024 (09:30 - 15:30)	20/05/2024
Time management techniques to maximise your performance (Online course via MS Teams)	1 credits (£70)	Wednesday 5th June 2024 (09:30 - 12:30)	03/06/2024
Managing teams through uncertainty and change (Online course via MS Teams)	1 credits (£70)	Friday 7th June 2024 (09:30 - 12:30)	05/06/2024
CV, Application, and Interview Skills (Online course via Zoom)	1 credits (£70)	Wednesday 12th June 2024 (09:30 - 16:00)	10/06/2024
NHS Partial Retirement and Drawdown (delivered live online via Teams)	Free of charge	Wednesday 12th June 2024 (13:00 - 15:00)	10/06/2024
An Appreciation of NHS Procurement (for non-procurement staff) (Online course via MS Teams)	1 credits (£70)	Wednesday 19th June 2024 (09:30 - 13:00)	17/06/2024
To burnout or build resilience (Online course via Zoom)	1 credits (£70)	Thursday 20th June 2024 (15:00 - 16:30)	18/06/2024
Facilitating meetings, remotely and face to face (Online course via MS Teams)	1 credits (£70)	Monday 24th June 2024 (09:30 - 12:30)	20/06/2024
Banishing the Imposter Syndrome (Online course via Zoom)	2 credits (£140)	Wednesday 26th June 2024 (09:30 - 15:30)	24/06/2024
Understanding your Pension Changes (delivered live online via Teams)	Free of charge	Wednesday 26th June 2024 (13:00 - 14:30)	24/06/2024
Planning for Retirement (delivered live online via Teams)	Free of charge	Thursday 27th June 2024 (13:00 - 15:30)	24/06/2024
Taking Advantage of the Pension Tax Allowance (delivered live online via Teams)	Free of charge	Thursday 27th June 2024 (13:00 - 14:00)	24/06/2024
Business Analysis Foundation (E-Learning Licence only)	2 credits (£140)	Monday 1st July 2024	26/06/2024
ITIL Foundation (Online Learning with Exam)	7 credits (£490)	Monday 1st July 2024 - Thursday 31st October 2024	26/06/2024
PRINCE2 Practitioner (Online Learning with Exam)	Multiple packages	Monday 1st July 2024 - Thursday 31st October 2024	26/06/2024
MSP Foundation (Online Learning with Exam)	7 credits (£490)	Monday 1st July 2024 - Thursday 31st October 2024	26/06/2024
PRINCE2 Foundation (Online Learning with Exam)	7 credits (£490)	Monday 1st July 2024 - Thursday 31st October 2024	26/06/2024
AgilePM Foundation (Online Learning with Exam)	4 credits (£280)	Monday 1st July 2024 - Thursday 31st October 2024	26/06/2024
Better Business Cases Foundation (Online Learning with Exam)	4 credits (£280)	Monday 1st July 2024 - Thursday 31st October 2024	26/06/2024
Better Business Cases Practitioner (Online Learning with Exam)	6 credits (£420)	Monday 1st July 2024 - Thursday 31st October 2024	26/06/2024
Change Management Foundation (Online Learning with Exam)	4 credits (£280)	Monday 1st July 2024 - Thursday 31st October 2024	26/06/2024
Change Management Practitioner (Online Learning with exam)	6 credits (£420)	Monday 1st July 2024 - Thursday 31st October 2024	26/06/2024
'Realise Your Potential' Conference 2024	Multiple packages	Thursday 11th July 2024 (10:15 - 17:00) and Friday 12th July 2024 (09:30 - 15:15)	04/07/2024
Advanced Management Programme (5 days) (online programme via ZOOM)	7 credits (£490)	Wednesday 11th September 2024 (09:00 - 17:00) Wednesday 25th September 2024 (09:00 - 17:00) Wednesday 9th October 2024 (09:00 - 17:00) Tuesday 22nd October 2024 (09:00 - 17:00) Wednesday 13th November 2024 (09:00 - 17:00)	09/09/2024
Your Financial Wellbeing (delivered live online via Teams)	Free of charge	Tuesday 24th September 2024 (13:00 - 14:30)	20/09/2024
Boost Your Bounce - resilience, what it is and what it isn't (Online course via Zoom)	1 credits (£70)	Wednesday 25th September 2024 (10:00 - 12:00)	18/09/2024
Planning for Retirement (delivered live online via Teams)	Free of charge	Wednesday 25th September 2024 (09:30 - 12:00)	23/09/2024
NHS Partial Retirement and Drawdown (delivered live online via Teams)	Free of charge	Wednesday 9th October 2024 (09:30 - 11:30)	07/10/2024
Understanding your Pension Changes (delivered live online via Teams)	Free of charge	Thursday 10th October 2024 (09:30 - 11:00)	07/10/2024
Taking Advantage of the Pension Tax Allowance (delivered live online via Teams)	Free of charge	Tuesday 29th October 2024 (13:00 - 14:00)	25/10/2024

Expression of Interest – Finance Analyst B4

Financial Management is inviting expressions of interest to fill a twelve-month secondment into a Finance Analyst role (B4) within the Secure Care Division.

This opportunity has arisen due to a successful secondment appointment within Financial Management.

This can be a sidewards Band 4 move or a development secondment from a Band 3 to a Band 4.

For informal enquiries about this role please contact Laura Jessop or Carol Smith or alternatively, submit an expression of interest directly to me, outlining the reasons for your application.

The deadline for submissions is 5pm Friday 17th May 2024.

Please note, interested parties need to seek support from their current line manager before making a submission.

Many Thanks

 

Laura Jessop (she/her)

Senior Finance Analyst – Secure Care Division

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust

Email: Laura.Jessop@merseycare.nhs.uk

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Vacancies currently available on the Skills Development Network Senior Finance Manager - Assurance (Closing date: 14/05/2024) Click here to view the vacancies: NHS Skills Development Network (NHS SDN) Vacancies currently available on the Skills Development Network

Finance Analyst (Closing date: 05/05/2024)

 

Click here to view the vacancies: NHS Skills Development Network (NHS SDN)

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HFMA jobs board

Group chief finance officer

Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust

Manchester, England

Head of finance strategic and transactional finance

University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

London, England

Deputy head of finance

St George's Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

London, England

Site director of finance

Princess Royal University Hospital

London, England

Fraud Update

Click the link below to view the MIAA Anti-Fraud Update released in April 2024

This highlights recent fraud cases in the media.

Recent_Fraud_Cases_in_the_Media_-_April_2024.pdf (merseycare.nhs.uk)

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Monthly Fraud Update – April 2024

We received 4 fraud notices from MIAA in April.

These are summarised on this document.

Please note that the Trust systems have already been checked and are not at risk from the specific frauds identified.

Any questions or queries please let me know.

Regards

Mike

Mike Jones

Financial Accountant (Assurance)

Date: 3 May 2024

Reference Number: 2605

To: All NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) Provider Clients and ISFE User Community

Subject: INFORMATION - Oracle GL FSG (Financial Statement Generator) reports at Year End - Update

 

Following on from Client Communication 2586 regarding Oracle Budgeting and Reporting at year end.  Please note that all FSG (Financial Statement Generator) Reports have now been switched to report the new year budget balances for 24/27.

Should your organisation require FSG Reports for budget year 23/26, there are 4 reports available to run.

These reports are called:

• 23/26 ENT Trust Report
• 23/26 ENT Summary Report
• 23/26 ENT CC REP (Sub & An 1)
• ENT 23/24 Buds list 12 Periods

NB - ENT is your Org ID

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Date: 24 April 2024

Reference Number: 2602

To support you and your organisations in completing their Year End Accounts activities, we have no release or maintenance work planned over weekends in the month of May, so the Oracle E-Business Suite & Business Intelligence systems will remain available for normal use.

Future systems access notice

Future release and maintenance work notice; these activities will require system downtime over certain weekends, meaning access to all our Production environments may not be available for certain periods:

May 2024

• There are no planned weekend system downtime periods in May

June 2024

• Saturday 15 June - from 18:00 Friday 14 & into Saturday 15 June we will be performing planned Oracle infrastructure maintenance work. All interfaces and file uploads will be suspended prior to this work commencing. We therefore strongly recommend that users ensure all relevant interfaces or uploads are completed as early as possible before 16:00 Friday 14 June. The overnight BI refresh will also be suspended Friday evening but resume Saturday 15 June.
• Saturday 22 June - is our scheduled release weekend for new functionality and fixes. Depending on the content of the release work there may be some system downtime during the day (times to be confirmed closer to the work).

Upcoming Training

Our next sessions for the "Overview of the Business Intelligence Functionality" are:

• Wednesday 15 May 2024 13:30 – 14:30
• Thursday 13 June 2024 13:30 – 14:30
• Thursday 18 July 2024 13:30 – 14:30

Our next Pay Per Person Training course for "Business Intelligence (BI) Report Writing / Superuser" is:

• Thursday 23 May 2024 09:30 - 16:30
• Wednesday 18 June 2024 09:30 - 16:30
• Tuesday 16 July 2024 09:30 - 16:30

• The schedule for 2024 is available on the Training Zone

We have monthly free webinars throughout 2024, please find the full schedule on the Training Zone. For any further information please contact SBS-W.SBSTraining@nhs.net

 

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The start of a new financial year  - listen in for Stephen's latest update!

 

As we begin the new financial year, it's time for a quick re-cap, status update and a look to the future. Join us - we promise it's a three minute, bite-sized news summary!

Listen to Stephen's audio update here

Hear more about how the financial year ended and how we are developing our service management reviews following positive feedback from clients. There's also a mention of our ISO9001 certification which we are delighted to receive as we embark on the new financial year. Time to grab a coffee and listen in.

 

                

RPA - Forecast Sheets

TOCA have now finished all of their testing and tweaks for the robotic process which will support in the first step of automating some of the manual process currently undertaken with the forecast sheets in FM. 

As each month the sheets are copied into a new month, with previous months data being fixed, the robot has been designed to drastically shorten the length of time it takes to complete this process, with an average time of 1 minute per forecast sheet.

This includes opening and saving large documents and will therefore save a considerable length of time each  month. 

Contact details have been shared with TOCA so users can be set up and we are waiting on confirmation of this being done. 

There will be a presentation of this app at the next Away Day, with training being provided to the Forecast Sheet Champions in the meantime. 

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RPA - Patients Cash

TOCA have started the development work need to automate of the daily update to the patients statements and ward reports. We hope to see a demonstration of the automation process within the next few weeks.

 

RPA - Unilink (CMS)

The Patients Cash processes have been mapped and work is ongoing to develop the new applications within CMS that will automate the processing of patients requests/transactions and remove duplication between CMS & Oracle.

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How to add a web page to your desktop and taskbar

This guide explains how to add a web page to your desktop and to your task bar at the bottom of your screen. You can have a quick link to the Monthly Update but can also be used for apps that you use regularly such as ESR and SBS. 

Click here to view the slides

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How to select a large number of tabs quickly

This guide explains how to group a lot of tabs in a spreadsheet - very handy for forecast sheets! 

Click here to view the slides

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Main Finance and Procurement pages on Your Space

Finance and procurement :: YourSpace Mersey Care

The main page for all staff across the Trust to access Finance and Procurement can be found by clicking the above link. 

Please check in your local areas to make sure that all content is valid and up to date.

Any changes can be submitted here 

 

Diversity Survey - emailed 2 May 2024

EDI (Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion) is important in the workplace because it helps to create working environments and cultures where every individual can feel safe with a sense of belonging and is empowered to achieve their full potential.

Completing this survey is important as it will provide feedback to the team and areas of concern can be addressed.

https://forms.office.com/e/gNLBv4MMp4

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Wednesday 22nd May 4.30pm – SAVE THE DATE! 

Male Allies Group

Please join the NW Women in Leadership for Finance webinar – EVERYONE is welcome!

Email nicola.tamanis@nhs.net for the link and to join our mailing list

Due to the availability of our speakers we have moved the Male Allies webinar to Wednesday 22^nd May at 4.30pm. I really hope you can join us for this insightful session. The Male Allies group was established in London with a clear purpose to deliver the Gender Equity Action Plan. They genuinely want to understand the challenges that impact and prevent women from being equitably represented across all grades. Please can I ask our female colleagues who regularly support the Women in Leadership for Finance Network to personally invite a male colleague to the webinar to hear from the Male Allies group about what they are doing to support gender equity in the London region.

More detail can be found on the attached flyer

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Important Days in May 2024

 

Weekday	Holiday	Category	Date
Sunday	Yom Hashoah Yom Hashoah is a day set aside for Jewish people to remember the Holocaust. The name comes from the Hebrew word 'Shoah', which means 'whirlwind'.	Jewish Holidays	May 5, 2024
Monday	The Holocaust Remembrance Day In Hebrew, Holocaust Remembrance Day is called Yom Hashoah. When the actual date of Yom Hashoah falls on a Friday, the state of Israel observes Yom Hashoah on the preceding Thursday. When it falls on a Sunday, Yom Hashoah is observed on the following Monday	Jewish Holidays	May 6, 2024
Thursday	Feast of the Ascension The Christian holiday of Ascension Day, also known as the Feast of the Ascension, celebrates when Jesus ascended to heaven.  This feast day is one of the ecumenical feasts of Christian churches, along with the celebrations of the Passion, Easter, and Pentecost. Ascension Day is generally observed on a Thursday, the fortieth day after Easter.	Christian Holidays	May 9, 2024
Friday	Akshaya Tritiya Akshaya Tritiya, also known as Akti or Akha Teej, is an annual Jain and Hindu spring festival. It falls on the third tithi (lunar day) of the bright half (Shukla Paksha) of the month of Vaisakha.	Hindu Holidays	May 10, 2024
Sunday	Yom Ha’atzmaut Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israeli Independence Day, is a celebration observed annually in late April or early May, aligning with the Hebrew calendar date marking Israel’s declaration of independence in 1948. Vibrant events and festivities are held across the country, uniting communities both nationally and locally. From bustling cities to small villages and kibbutzim, nearly every corner of Israel joins in the festivities, underscoring the widespread significance and unity of the nation on this celebratory day.	Jewish Holidays	May 12, 2024
Tuesday	Israel's Independence Day Yom Ha'atzmaut (Hebrew: 'Day of Independence') is Israel's national day, commemorating the Israeli Declaration of Independence on 14 May 1948. It is marked by a variety of official and unofficial ceremonies and observances.	Jewish Holidays	May 14, 2024
Sunday	Pentecost Pentecost 2024 is on Sunday, May 19, commemorating for Christians the decent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles and followers of Christ.	Christian Holidays	May 19, 2024
Monday	Whit Monday Whit Monday, also known as Pentecost Monday or Monday of the Holy Spirit, is a holiday celebrated the day after Pentecost, a moveable feast in the Christian liturgical calendar. It is a day of renewal and unity, with believers coming together to celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the early Christian Church. Whit Monday finds its roots in the Christian celebration of Pentecost, which occurs 50 days after Easter Sunday.	Christian Holidays	May 20, 2024
Thursday	Vesak the most important Buddhist festival, taking place at the full moon when the sun is in the zodiacal sign of Taurus, and commemorating the birth, enlightenment, and death of the Buddha. The month in which the festival of Vesak occurs.	Buddhist Holidays	May 23, 2024
Sunday	Trinity Sunday the next Sunday after Pentecost, observed in the Western Christian Church as a feast in honour of the Holy Trinity.	Christian Holidays	May 26, 2024
Sunday	Lag BaOmer Lag BaOmer is a minor Jewish festival that occurs on the 33rd day of the Counting of the Omer. The Counting of the Omer is a 49-day period between Passover and Shavuot, when barley offerings were brought to the Temple. Lag BaOmer marks the end of a semi-mourning period and the celebration of the life of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, a second-century mystic and author of the Zohar.	Jewish Holidays	May 26, 2024
Thursday	Corpus Christi The festival of Corpus Christi celebrates the Eucharist as the body of Christ. The name 'Corpus Christi' is Latin for 'the body of Christ'. This jubilant festival is celebrated by Roman Catholics and other Christians to proclaim the truth of the transubstantiation of bread and wine into the actual body of Christ during Mass.   In some countries in the world, Catholic churches still celebrate the festival, not only with a Mass, but also with a procession that carries the consecrated wafer through the streets as a public statement that the sacrifice of Christ was for the salvation of the whole world.	Christian Holidays	May 30, 2024

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Not all disabilities are visible - some are not obvious and can make everyday life demanding for so many people.
In the UK, 1 in 5 people have a disability, 80 per cent of which have a hidden disability.

Hidden disabilities are a wide range of physical and mental conditions that are not visible or immediately obvious. They can range from a speech impediment, reduced sight, bipolar, chronic fatigue syndrome, colitis, autism, depression, and there are many others.
What is an invisible disability? (youtube.com)
https://youtu.be/dVitgyLbYyg 

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Staff Networks: 

In line with our trust values we wish to develop and promote a culture of dignity, respect and inclusion for all.  

To support this, we have in place a number of different staff networks that meet regularly to support, promote and advance equality in the workplace for those that have dyslexia and dyspraxia, those with disabilities, that identify as multi-ethnic colleagues, are female, or lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and sexual minorities (LGBTQ).

Each network has a board level sponsor.

Ability First network :: YourSpace Mersey Care

Armed forces staff network :: YourSpace Mersey Care

Multi-Ethnic Colleagues Network (MECN) :: YourSpace Mersey Care

Dyslexia and Dyspraxia staff network :: YourSpace Mersey Care

LGBTQ+ network :: YourSpace Mersey Care

Womens staff network :: YourSpace Mersey Care

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Greater Manchester Inclusion & Diversity Network Meeting

There are plans to hold a GM Inclusion & Diversity event on Tuesday June 25^th from 10am-1pm for all ED&I ambassadors within the GM region.

Please could you share the below link so that colleagues can book on to the session. Please contact Matthew.Longbottom@tgh.nhs.uk if you require any additional information.

Greater Manchester Inclusion & Diversity Network Meeting (office.com)

 

MEANINGFUL MAY

Here is the calendar for May provided by Action for Happiness

For a larger view, please click here

 

World Laughter Day – Sunday 5 May 24 (first Sunday of May each year) – celebrated to raise awareness about laughter and it’s many healing benefits.

Laughter is contagious: the brain responds to the laughter sound and trains the muscles in the face to join in the mirth. It has the ability not only to heal your soul but your body too. It relaxes your entire body, soothes internal stress and strengthens your immune system. It serves as an antidote to pain, tension, and conflict. Nothing works faster than a good laugh to get your body and mind back into order. 

Health Benefits

• Feel Relaxed: The biggest advantage associated with laughter is you are going to feel better. It relaxes your whole body. Laughter relieves physical stress and anxiety and leaves the muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes.
• Trigger the release of endorphins: Inside the body, endorphins are the body's natural feel-good chemical. Once you laugh, they're set loose. This will make you feel comfortable all over and at the same time relieving chronic pain.
• Strengthens immune system: Laughter can boost T-cells. These are specialised cells in your immune system that only wait for activation. T-cells are brought to life as you laugh, they help you fight off sickness.
• Tone Abs: Laughter can tone your abs. As you laugh the muscles in your tummy, continue to expand and contract. At the same time, the muscles that aren't in use while you laugh will have the chance to relax.
• Improve cardiac health: Laughter enhances blood vessel function and increases blood flow which can help protect you from a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems. It will stimulate your heart, helping you to burn at a slow to moderate pace about a comparable amount to the calories you would burn when walking.
• Lowers Blood pressure: Laughing will lower blood pressure. This can lower the risk of a heart attack or a stroke.

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National Walking Month

May is National Walking Month. This year, campaigners are inviting us to discover the #MagicOfWalking and celebrate the many health and happiness benefits of walking. Walking is one of the easiest ways to improve our health and stay connected to our community, helping us feel less lonely and isolated. Here in the Trust, we’ve developed walking route maps for some of our sites. If your base is missing from the list and has a good place to walk, let us know!

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Plan for your pension

The next session in our series of  financial wellbeing webinars focuses on how you can make the most of your pension and taking place 16 May. It explores the benefits of pension schemes, the different types of pensions that are out there, how to track down those lost and missing pensions of the past and tells you how to make sure you get the most of the state pension when your time comes. 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.

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Share your Menopause story

The menopause forums purpose to give you the opportunity to meet other women going through the menopause and perimenopause. The aim of the sessions is to provide a confidential and respectful space for colleagues to share their menopause journey. Dates are now in place through to the end of the year.

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Mental Health First Aid- new dates

Do you want to support your team mates with their mental health? You can become a Mental Health First Aider and develop the skills to spot the signs of people experiencing poor mental health. Occupational Health and Wellbeing Services have released more training dates with the aim of upskilling more colleagues to be able to support the mental wellbeing of staff within the Trust. If you are interested, find out more on our dedicated Mental Health First Aid page.

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Yoga

If you’ve already signed up to our online yoga, you can now attend or stream, a monthly in person class with our teacher Jane, for free. The next class is Sunday, 12 May. You can watch Jane's welcome video and get all the details you need to be registered, on YourSpace.

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Personalised wellbeing advice

Confirmed dates for mini health checks over the summer are now in place. There are opportunities to book an appointment at Hollins Park, Switch House and V7. Our team of Health and Wellbeing Facilitators are also available to visit your team and complete health assessments at your base.

The mini health checks can include:

• Weight, height and BMI
• Estimate of body composition
• Waist Circumference
• Lifestyle questionnaire
• Know Your Risk of Type 2 diabetes

All assessments are optional - you can choose which measures you want to include in your mini health check and exclude the ones you don't. Having all assessments done takes around 15 minutes.

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Health and Wellbeing Centre is available 24/7

Our dedicated Health and Wellbeing Centre at Hollins Park is free for you to access 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There’s a good selection of cardiovascular and fixed resistance machines, plus a variety of free weights to use. Find out more on YourSpace

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Mental Health Awareness Week 13-19 May 2024

Tips for moving more for your mental health

Movement is important for your mental health. It can increase your energy, reduce stress
and anxiety, and boost your self-esteem. Read our tips to help you get moving more for
your mental health.

Find moments for movement every day
When life’s busy, it can be tricky finding time for wellbeing-boosting activities.
Finding moments for movement might be easier than you think. Why not use the
time you spend waiting to move more? When you’re waiting for the kettle to boil; for
your kids to come out of school; or for a bus to arrive. These moments will add up!

Set small, achievable goals
Set yourself small goals. It might be walking to the end of your street. Then
you can push yourself a little further each day. As you make progress, you will
create positive feelings that can boost your confidence and mood.

Take a break from sitting
Many of us sit for long periods during the day: working at desks, driving,
or watching our favourite TV show. Research shows that it’s unhealthy to
be still for long. Set a timer to take regular breaks to stand up, walk around
and stretch.

Find the fun
Choose activities you enjoy that get you moving. Instead of thinking
of movement as a chore, embrace your inner child and find the joy in
movement. Fun alongside movement will increase your motivation and the
psychological benefits.

Connect with others
We can strengthen our relationships or even make new friends when we
take part in moving with others. These social connections are also great
for our mental health. Think about ways to make your catch-up with friends
more active. Check out groups and activities happening in your area.

Move in nature
Research suggests that moving in nature has greater positive effects on our
wellbeing compared to indoors. Take your moments for movement out in the
wild. Go for a walk in the countryside or try cold water swimming. Parks, gardens,
nature reserves, all provide opportunities for movement and meeting new people.

Try something new
Trying new experiences can boost our wellbeing. Pushing ourselves to try
new things opens us up to new opportunities for movement, making new
friends, and having fun. Having the courage to try something new will also
give your confidence a boost.

Plan things to look forward to
Having events and plans in the diary to look forward to is great for mental
health, it can give a sense of hope and excitement for the future. Add
moments for movement to your diary and make plans to do fun things that
you can get excited about.

Listen to the music that gets you moving
Some songs are just made for moving. We all have favourite tunes that get
us dancing. So, crank them up and have a living room disco where you can
dance like no-one’s watching!

 

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Meat Free May 

By choosing plant-based meals, you’re not only supporting a healthier lifestyle but also contributing to our collective efforts towards a more sustainable future. Let’s make a positive impact on our health and the planet. Meat free meals are available in all cafes across Mersey Care – why not try one this #MeatFreeMay

Further to recent expressions of interest within FM, Ben Ormrod has been successful in the Band 6 role in FM Community to cover Sarah Latham whilst she is on Maternity Leave. 

Lee Gough has also been successful in the Band 5 role in FM TWSS and will replace Katharine Clarke. 

Lee is also now a qualified personal development coach and has passed Positive Psychology training (a form of CBT)
 

Congratulations to Lydia Arnold in the Costing Team. She has just passed her ACCA Applied Skills exam - well done Lydia!

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Goodbye to Anila Sharma who is retiring at the end of May. Her last day will be Wednesday 29 May 2024. Enjoy your retirement Anila! 

 

Goodbye and Good Luck to Katharine Clarke in FM TWSS who will be leaving us to move to her new role at Liverpool Womens NHS Foundation Trust. Her last day in the office will be 24th May 2024. Congratulations on your new job! 

 

We also say Goodbye and Good Luck to Kristina Hinchey in FM Mental Health Care who is leaving us to move to Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust. Her last working day will be 31 May 2024 with her last day in the office being 23 May. 

Kristina is having leaving drinks in Liverpool on the afternoon of Saturday 8 June, meeting in Midland’s pub opposite central station at 2pm for anyone who would like to join her.

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Best wishes to Sarah Latham in FM Community Care who will be leaving us for a while - she is expecting her first baby at the end of May!

All the best Sarah! We can't wait to see the baby! 

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Volunteers....

With so many people in the team regularly working from home, it's inevitable that we miss out on the conversations in the kitchen and the corridors at work. To try and break down some of these barriers we're looking for volunteers to give a brief paragraph about themselves and their role. Favourite film, favourite food, best holiday, pets, hobbies etc.

If you wish to volunteer any information about you and your role, please send your details by following this link: Getting to know you

Thank you!  

NHS North West Games- more events now confirmed

The organisers of the games have now scheduled in more events throughout the year, for you to take part in for free. There’s tennis, a 5K and 1K run/walk, badminton, netball, rounders, football and golf to choose from. The events are suitable for all staff members to take part in, regardless of age, ability and level of fitness. Find out all the details on YourSpace.

ROUNDERS

Carol Smith in FM Secure Care Division is trying to get a rounders team together for the NHS games on 7 July, and needs at least 8 people. It is a family fun day so should be a good day all round. If you are interested, please contact Carol by opening this link: Rounders email

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Skills Development Network – Apprenticeship Assessment Day

Esther Steele and Lee Gough attended and supported the Skills Development Network Apprenticeship assessment day (held in Liverpool) on Thursday 11^th April 2024.

The day was split into two sessions (AM & PM)
The assessments started off with a quick presentation on the programme by the regional apprenticeship manager, followed by an observation task. The candidates had to build the highest Lego tower that they could without the tower falling!  This was when both Esther and I observed on a designated table of candidates. This was fun as we both felt like we were Karren Brady and Tim Campbell from the apprentice (BBC Hit show)  

This gave us the opportunity to quietly observe and score them on Communication, Decision making, Motivation and Teamwork. This would then lead into us liaising with the other facilitators to talk about our observations and scores.

While we were discussing the scoring of the task, Stevie, one of the current finance apprentices at Mersey & West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals, spoke to the group about her experience of the apprenticeship programme.

The final part of the session was interviewing the candidates, each interview lasted 30 minutes and each candidate was planned with who was going to interview them.
I was paired up with Julie Davison Regional Apprenticeship Manager for SDN and Esther who was paired with Sara Braidwood SDN Coordinator. After the interviews and sessions we all gathered to discuss the candidates, any feedback from our point of view, who we picked for shortlisting and those who were not successful.

The whole day was enjoyable and gave the perfect opportunity to network and meet people within the Skills Development Network.

The Skills Development Network Apprenticeship Programme recruits’ individuals across the north west of England in order to support talent development in areas of the NHS such as Accountancy, Digital, Data and Technology as well as Procurement.

Since the programme commenced in 2015 there have been 225 apprentices recruited with more than 280 enrolments on various apprenticeships across a wide range of NHS and healthcare organisations such as acute trusts (hospitals), integrated care organisations, mental health trusts and shared services.

The programme has been highly successful to date with a learner retention rate of 91% (well above the national average) with 87% of those retained achieving successfully and over 75% being retained in the NHS in either a permanent position or a higher-level apprenticeship on completion.

There are 4 stages of the apprenticeship application.

Stage 1 – Application submission
Stage 2 – Phone interview
Stage 3 – Assessment Centre/Day
Stage 4 – Interview with appointed trust

For those interested in the accountancy apprenticeship – they work towards completing AAT Level 1 through to Level 3.

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Electrical Vehicle (EV) chargers update

The Trust is delaying the introduction of charging for the use of the electric chargers until 3 June 2024. The revised financial charge for the use of the EV chargers will be set at 27p/kWh (25p/kWh and a 2p/kWh admin charge). This is a reduction against the originally planned 36p/kWh due to a renewed Trust energy contract implemented from 1 April 2024.  The rate will be reviewed annually. For more information, visit YourSpace or email: sustainability@merseycare.nhs.uk

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Significant Days in May 2024!

May Day – 1^st May 2024.

May day is a pagan festival celebrating the beginning of summer and the fertility of the land, it is celebrated annually on the first of May all across Europe. This is halfway between the spring equinox and the summer solstice. Festivities include Morris dancers, choir services, crowning of a flower queen and maypole dancing. The first bank holiday in May occurs as it is the Monday following this holiday. In 2024 the Bank Holiday is Monday 6 May. 

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May the 4^th be with you – 4^th May 2024.

A play on words of may the force be with you is used to signify the official star wars day. Occurring on the 4^th of May it gives fans the perfect opportunity to binge watch their favourite film or series.

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Early May Bank Holiday

Monday 6 May 2024

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Eurovision Song Contest – 7^th – 11^th May.

Beginning on the 7^th May, the 68^th annual Eurovision song contest will take place. This year it is being hosted in Malmo, Sweden, where it has been held six times previously. From the UK, Olly Alexander is competing hoping to achieve the first victory for the UK since 1997.

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International Nurses Day – 12^th May 2024.

The 12^th May is the annual day to commemorate the efforts of nurses and praise their contribution to society over the last year. The 12^th of May was decided as the date due to this being Florence Nightingales birthday, who is one of the most famous nurses of all time for efforts in the development of modern nursing. Every year the day is given a new theme, 2024 brings around the economic power of care. This is to highlight how nurses are often undervalued within society and to push forward the idea that strategic investment in nurses would reap large benefits in the future.

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Spring Bank Holiday

Monday 27 May 2024

For many people the spring bank holiday is a pleasant day off work or school. Some people choose to take a short trip. Others use the time to walk in the country, catch up with family and friends, visit garden centers or do home maintenance. However, in some parts of the United Kingdom, there are some customs associated with this day.

On Cooper's Hill in Brockworth, Gloucestershire, people race down a steep hill following a large round cheese. The hill is concave and has an incline of 1:1 in some places. The first person to cross the finishing line wins a Double Gloucester cheese weighing about 8lbs (around 3.5kg). The custom may have been started by the Romans or ancient Britons and be an ancient fertility rite or a way of guaranteeing the rights of the villagers to graze their livestock on the surrounding land. In some years, there have been a lot of injuries, causing the event to be cancelled a couple of times in recent years. In these years, the cheese was rolled down the hill, but nobody was allowed to chase it.

In Endon in Staffordshire, the villagers dress their well, hold a fayre (village celebration) and crown a girl as the Well Dressing Queen. Local men hold a competition, known as 'Tossing the Sheaf', in which they compete to see who can toss a bale of straw the highest.

In other places, boats are blessed, Morris dancers put on displays and local festivals are held.

                       

 

 

Sending best wishes to everyone with a birthday in May and upcoming for June! 

May birthdays: 

12        Rob Collins

18        Jill Roberts

19        Reem Osman

20        Samantha Dursham-Jones

21        Kristina Hinchey (40)

29        Mark Leadbetter

30        Izzy Murphy

 

June birthdays:            

16        Mark Cleary

19        Colin Todd

20        David Howarth

21        Jason Evans

24        Anthony Reardon

25        Zoe Simms

26        Darren Lewis (50)