From redeployed heroes to digital innovators: how NELFT has gone above and beyond during COVID-19.
Carrie-Ann Wade, Director of Communications and Engagement at NELFT gives us a heart-warming insight into her team’s achievements and their future plans for the ‘new normal’.
Well I can honestly say I have never worked harder in my NHS communications career than I have over the last few months and I’m sure a lot of us are feeling that right now! I can also say I have never been prouder of my communications team here at NELFT.
We have been working at pace to introduce new communication channels across the Trust to ensure that our 6000 plus staff who are usually based over 200 sites have access to the information they need. This has included launching a new WhatsApp broadcast channel, alongside a weekly webinar with our executive management team. We host a managers’ webinar every Tuesday and an all-staff webinar every Wednesday. As well as offering staff the chance to ask questions and raise concerns about all things COVID-19, it has also served to improve the visibility of senior leaders across the organisation, so will be something we look to keep when moving into the new normal.
I feel really proud of our #TeamNELFT Redeployment Heroes campaign. Building on a digital campaign we launched last year to boost staff morale and support recruitment, we have refocused on redeployment as this has been an area of concern for our staff who have been anxious about what redeployment will mean for them. We have received really positive feedback and staff are feeling valued and pleased to be recognised for their efforts. When we have our staff thank you event at some point later this year, we aim to produce a booklet full of all our redeployment heroes to give out alongside our Covid-19 Make A Difference pin badges (again building on our usual Make A Difference staff recognition scheme).
So far one of the biggest lessons for me and my team is to ensure that we build in time for some respite. The pace at which we are working is relentless, particularly for those of us who are part of the formal incident management teams. Making sure we look after our own health and wellbeing is crucial and this includes ensuring team members take time off to recharge and rest. I know we all feel guilty doing this but it is so important to avoid burn out.
It is definitely too hard to choose one NHS Hero — from clinical to non-clinical staff, every single NHS colleague across NELFT and beyond are doing their bit to support our response to COVID-19.
This is a time to feel proud to work for the NHS and an opportunity for our profession to really demonstrate the worth of communications in supporting our staff, our patients and their loved ones.
Carrie-Ann is the Director of Communications, Engagement and Marketing at NELFT, a community and mental health services provider trust covering four London boroughs, Essex and Kent.
