Category: Clinical Services

In October 2022 East Cheshire Hospice was awarded the Navajo Charter Mark. This was retained in June 2024 following a detailed review which showed it successfully met the needs of patients, staff and volunteers.

The Navajo Charter Mark is an equality mark supported by LGBTIQA+ Community networks across Merseyside. It is a signifier of good practice, commitment and knowledge of the specific needs, issues and barriers facing LGBTIQA+ people.

How did we achieve this?

To be awarded the Navajo Charter Mark, an organisation must successfully pass a two stage assessment process.

First, East Cheshire Hospice needed to submit an initial written application and action plan. This application process was designed to assess how accessible and friendly our organisation is across five distinct elements:

• Practices and Policies
• Training
• Staff Recruitment & Engagement
• Monitoring
• Service Users and LGBT Engagement

Once the application, action plan and evidence were reviewed by the Navajo assessors, we were informed we were successfully moving onto stage two of the application process.

Stage two of the process included a day-long assessment whereby eleven members of our staff were interviewed by the Navajo assessing panel. Staff from various teams, in a variety of roles from across the organisation were interviewed.

Once the Charter Mark has be awarded, the Navajo team reassesses each organisation two years later to ensure the positive work they are doing is continued and meaningful.

What does this mean for the Hospice?

Achieving the Charter Mark means that East Cheshire Hospice has demonstrated that we:-

• Identify innovative new ways of working to meet the needs of LGBTQ+ people.
• Promote best practice in engaging with the LGBTQ+ community.
• Understand the importance of and are active in ensuring staff are trained and confident in tackling the barriers LGBTQ+ people may face accessing services.
• Recognise and work hard to address the difficulties that our organisation may face in addressing the needs of the LGBTQ+ community.
• Raise awareness among staff with regard to the particular issues that affect LGBTQ+ people in accessing our services.
• Raise awareness of the particular issues in addressing the needs of our LGBTQ+ employees through good management practice

The hard work is not over yet. East Cheshire Hospice will continue to be active in taking positive steps to remove barriers to care for LGBTQ+ people. We will be reassessed by Navajo in 2024.

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A pioneering research project is being carried out into dementia care at East Cheshire Hospice.

The 12-month study by academic researcher Dr Alessandro Bosco will provide a preliminary snapshot of care delivered in the region.

The work, undertaken in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Manchester, will develop best practice by also exploring the work of other hospices around the country.

East Cheshire was selected due to its advanced dementia care, including its Hospice @Home service. Results will be made available to health care professionals and the public.

The work has received approval from the Health Research Authority and the Research Ethics Committee.

Dr Bosco said: “The research involves a small sample of up to 10 bereaved carers and 10 clinical hospice staff involved in those cases.

“Hopefully, this will provide a good snapshot of people with dementia who’ve been cared for by the Hospice.”

Dr Bosco has been awarded a fellowship by the National Institute for Health and Care Research until September 2024 to expand the project to other hospices.

 Dr Alessandro Bosco, who is researching dementia care at East Cheshire Hospice.

He said: “The studies will help me explore carers’ experiences and whether barriers in care access could be identified and effectively avoided in the future.

“We’re also exploring what worked really well which can be shared across end-of-life and palliative care services.”

Dr Bosco’s work has the full support of East Cheshire Hospice.

He said: “We start from the current model used by East Cheshire Hospice, thanks to the network already established there and support from Hospice Medical Director, Dr Debbie Alexander; the Clinical Director, Sandra Jones, for recruitment; and Ann Booth and Marianne Dunlop as co-researchers.

“We know that different care models are being used for hospice care in dementia. It  would be helpful to understand the differences in this care across the country and develop a care model which is informed by different examples of best practice already used in these hospice settings.

“I’d like to thank East Cheshire Hospice and Age UK for their full co-operation.”

Dr Alessandro Bosco after his fundraising run.

Dr Bosco completed a 5k run in Battersea Park to raise money for the Hospice. He said: “It was my first attempt at a proper run. I’m committed to fundraising for palliative care having, as a carer myself, experienced the emotional burden of having lost a loved one.”

The Hospice is also involved with another research project by Liverpool University exploring potential gaps in dementia services in the community.

A range of dementia care services are available to East Cheshire Hospice patients.

They include one-to-one sessions, either at the Hospice or at home, if appropriate.

Admiral Nurse Debbie Callow said: “Generally we pick up on people who come to the Hospice and need more attention.

“This could be on the ward, via the Hospice @Home service, or through our dementia activities. We identify if those diagnosed, or the carer, needs additional support.”

An eight-week well-being programme for carers, which began in 2015, is popular. Topics include understanding dementia, benefits, legal aspects, stress, diet and nutrition and community support.

East Cheshire Hospice offers a range of dementia services.

The Hospice also has a companion service. Trained volunteers take out a patient for a couple of hours, giving carers vital respite.

Monthly singing groups, featuring live entertainment and dancing, are always well attended. Debbie said: “Someone may be losing their ability to have a conversation and forgetting certain words, but put a song on and they can remember all the words.

“That’s because the brain remembers anything with rhythm differently to everyday language. Singing helps trigger memories.”

Another activity is Love to Move, a seated exercise for over 55s described as ‘brain gymnastics.’ It improves communication, mobility, stamina and well-being.

Dementia nurse Paul Dale said: “To access Hospice services someone needs a diagnosis. They can either self-refer, or be referred by a health care professional.

“The most common symptoms are short-term memory loss, personality changes and language difficulties.”

* For general inquiries contact the Hospice dementia team on 01625 666990.

East Cheshire Hospice has strengthened its dementia team to cope with increasing demand.

Experienced mental health specialist Paul Dale has joined as a dementia nurse, enabling the charity to offer extra support to patients.

The Hospice set up its own dedicated dementia service in 2019, with Admiral Nurse Debbie Callow appointed as lead.

Paul Dale and Debbie Callow, the East Cheshire Hospice dementia team.

The illness affects 5,730 people over the age of 65 in Cheshire East, according to the NHS.

The region has a higher percentage of elderly people than anywhere in the country – 18 per cent compared to 16 elsewhere.

Covid delayed Hospice plans to expand dementia care, but with services back to normal it is now hoping to build on them.

Debbie said: “We’ve many ideas how we can expand and help even more people, subject to funding.

“These include taking our services out into communities and making them more accessible, so people don’t always have to come to the Hospice.”

Growing demand for Hospice dementia services illustrates the scale of the problem, explaining why the charity wants to do more.

Debbie said: “People are living longer so there’s more likelihood of developing dementia, although you can still get it when you’re younger.

“Awareness is improving and people are more willing to go to the doctors. Medical advances mean there are now cures for some other illnesses, but sadly not yet for dementia.

“Dementia is playing catch up compared to cancer, with care about 20 years behind cancer care in terms of research and support.”

The Hospice has the country’s senior expert on dementia, Professor Alistair Burns CBE, as a Patron. Prof Burns, formerly of Macclesfield, is the National Clinical Director for Dementia and Older People’s Mental Health at NHS England and NHS Improvement.

Hospice patron Professor Alistair Burns CBE.

Debbie said: “I know Prof Burns was quite impressed when he first came on board with what we were already doing.

“In terms of hospice care for dementia, I do feel like East Cheshire is leading the way and having someone at such a high level has helped give us a push.”

Paul has spent more than three decades working in mental health care, mostly in East Cheshire.

He said: “I referred patients to the Hospice in my previous role, so was already aware of its programmes and services.