1) Tell us about your team and a brief description of what you do.

We are the newly-established South East Mental Health, Learning Disabilities and Autism (MHLDA) Cell. The team was created at the end of March 2020 to support people of all ages with mental health problems and/or learning disability and/or people with autism across the south east region.

The Cell brings together expertise from the South East (Hampshire, Thames Valley and Kent, Surrey, Sussex) Clinical Delivery and Networks, Strategy and Transformation regional mental health team, regional transforming care partnerships and learning disabilities and autism team, safeguarding, specialised commissioning and primary care, along with colleagues from Public Health England, local government and Health Education England.

2) How has your role changed since the beginning of the COVID-19 incident? 

The Covid-19 incident has allowed us to bring together all our expertise and start working as a single team. It has enabled a cohesive regional approach as we endeavour to provide support to the systems at this unprecedented time. We have retained individual expert knowledge but, by working as a cell, we are now providing a single South East voice and a co-ordinated approach in supporting our external stakeholders.

3) Tell us about what your team is doing to support the NHS in dealing with COVID-19 for the benefit of our patients, families and colleagues?

We work as a link between the national MHLDA Cell/the South East Hub and our systems (STP/ICS) local cells, providing commissioners and providers with a single point of access for information. We hope this will enable open communication and an opportunity to share best practice as well as escalate risks or concerns where applicable.

4) What are your priority workstreams?

• Supporting systems to set up 24/7 mental health crisis care lines for adults and children and young people
• Preparing for recovery by continuing to address existing needs and identify new needs directly related to the pandemic
• Supporting the psychological support needs of frontline staff across the South East (working closely with the Workforce Cell on this)
• Supporting the e-training of mental health and learning disabilities, autism staff to support their patients/clients to provide enhanced and additional clinical care during the pandemic
• Supporting the homeless COVID-19 care response across the South East

We’ve also developed a rapid review for Learning and Development (LeDeR) to ensure learning from the deaths of people with learning disabilities during COVID-19. If you would like more information on LeDer for the SE Region, please contact claire.poke@nhs.net

5) Is there anything you’d like your colleagues to do as a result of reading this that would help with what you’re working on? 

Contact us directly with any mental health, learning disabilities, autism, homeless questions or comments at: england.mhldasoutheast-covid@nhs.net

6) Who would you like to give a shout out to?

All our colleagues across the NHS, local authorities, the voluntary and charitable care sector who have adapted their ways of working to continue providing care to their very vulnerable patient and client groups during the pandemic.

7) Has there been one example or situation since the COVID-19 outbreak which has made you feel an additional sense of pride in working for the NHS?

The whole system response to enable 24/7 crisis response lines for mental health patients to be set up within a week of asking and the roll-out of the rapid review for people with learning disabilities, which emphasised the continued dedication of commissioners and providers in the face of adversity.

8) Do you have any tips when remote or home working for supporting your team? 

• Have regular check-in calls with the team to continue being together and seeing each other (and standing down any phone calls or video calls when not needed).
• Maintain good boundaries between the working day/week and family/personal time. Physically close the door or tidy your laptop away.
• Make time for social interactions with work colleagues and family members, adding “virtual coffee time” and “well-being check-ins” to the work diary, and trialling video calls with friends and family.
• Recognise that our mental health is important and it is okay to be struggling with the current situation. It is also okay to take breaks and have annual leave.

9) How has your work pattern and ways of working altered since you’ve been working from home, and how do you now work alongside and catch up with colleagues?

We are all learning to adapt to the new ways of working. A lot of us have young children and are adapting to home schooling and new childcare arrangements. We are all trying to support each other and understand everyone is doing the best they can at this unprecedented time. Everyone in the team remains focused and dedicated to the work we are doing. Coffee helps, even if virtual!

As a new team across the South East, we have had to get to know each other and our ways working very quickly. Thanks to daily video calls and a shared sense of purpose, this seems to have fallen into place within days.

10) What would your colleagues be surprised to discover about your team?

Not all of our team members are not actually based in the South East. One team member lives in York, one in Exeter, and another in Birmingham – which gives new meaning to remote working and shows how reliable technology can make our work still possible and effective, regardless of geographic boundaries.

11) What book are you reading at the moment?

Many of us seem to be reading more children’s school books to support home schooling than we ever expected!

12) What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given?

Don’t try to do everything. Acknowledge you have limited capacity, then prioritise and do your best. Trust others, delegate where possible, and escalate issues to your manager when you need more support.

 

#hellomynameis is an inspirational campaign founded by Dr Kate Granger. Initially a social media campaign to encourage health workers in hospitals to introduce themselves to patients, the campaign has grown and has the backing of 400,000 NHS staff, celebrities, MPs and corporate organisations worldwide all showing their support for a good first introduction.