Merry Christmas, everyone, and a happy New Year!
A very warm welcome to an early December edition which features some fabulous pictures of your festive celebrations. After a few years of not being able to be together during the festive period, it’s really wonderful that this year you’ve been able to do so.
Wishing you all a very happy Christmas and New Year however you choose to spend your time, whether that’s time with friends and family or quiet time to reflect and relax. Most importantly take care of yourself as this time of year is not always easy.
Compass Points reader survey
A very big thank you to all of you who took the time to complete our survey. It really helps us in shaping our internal communications. We had a fantastic response. Survey results and actions will be reported in January’s edition.
Success in Wakefield
As you will read in this month’s edition, we have received some fantastic news that Compass has been awarded the contract to deliver the CYPs Emotional and Mental Wellbeing Service in Wakefield. The service will focus solely on prevention and psychoeducation interventions at a population level and include information and brief advice, CYP and parents/carers champions programmes, digital self-help and workforce training and consultation. We are particularly excited to be working in partnership with the digital mental health charity Mental Health Innovations to implement SHOUT https://giveusashout.org/ (free and confidential 24/7 text support service for CYP and parents/carers). The service will go live on 1 April 2023. A huge congratulations to all those involved in developing the model and writing the bid.
Targeted support payment in response to Cost of Living Crisis
SMT and the Board are particularly aware of the external challenges faced by colleagues across the organisation due to extraordinarily high inflation, increases in energy prices and the impact on the cost of living.
Whilst the Board would very much like to be able to offer financial support in these exceptional times to all Compass colleagues, recognising the value of their work and Compass’ genuine commitment to supporting staff, unfortunately this is simply not affordable for the organisation.
However, to take some positive action which is affordable and likely to have the biggest impact, SMT and the Board have identified an approach to provide a one-off payment to those colleagues on the lowest pay. After considering national information on salaries, the make-up of our workforce and what the organisation can afford without impacting on services or financial stability, we have agreed that all colleagues earning less than a full-time equivalent salary of £23,500 will receive a one-off non-consolidated payment of £500 in their December pay.
In addition, Compass will continue their commitment to keep pace with the real Living Wage and to review its salaries annually for all staff to ensure that salaries remain competitive.
Karen’s the pride of Compass as she becomes a Queen’s Nurse
She shares the day with her mum
Karen Cornick, our Service Manager at the Connect for Health school health and wellbeing service in Warwickshire has been given the honorary title of Queen’s Nurse.
Karen, received the honour at a ceremony in London. She invited her beloved mum, Margaret to share the day with her.
Karen said: “My mum has supported me throughout my nursing career. She has picked me up when the going has got tough and also provided motivation and encouragement when career opportunities opened up.
“I was very pleased that she was able to be with me at the event, particularly as she had recently been unwell.”
C4H team praised as they respond to increased need following the pandemic
Our staff team at Connect for Health has been praised in the annual report for dealing with a large increase in demand following the pandemic.
Service Manager Karen Cornick said: “The knock-on effect of the pandemic has unfortunately meant an increase in safeguarding cases amongst children and young people.
“I am so proud of how our team of staff have risen to the challenge of providing this additional support and expertise to children and young people.”
Compass to begin new contract to support young people in Wakefield
Compass is to launch a new service in Wakefield in West Yorkshire, beginning next April, aimed at ensuring young people know where to get help early – so that there is less risk of them developing long term and even life-long mental health issues.
The service, commissioned by Wakefield District Health & Care Partnership, will help young people get access to timely support delivered through an adaptable team, working alongside existing services.
Jane Wright, Assistant Director Operations (Midlands and South), said: “This is a forward-thinking approach to building resilience.
“We’ll… involve Wakefield’s young people in shaping and improving the service, so it remains relevant, engaging, creative, interactive and always accessible.”
St Kath’s House in Derby welcomes staff as we get the keys
New Year, new service, new colleagues, new premises for Compass.
Compass’ big new Derby and Derbyshire MHST service, which starts on 1st January, has now secured its new main office.
After getting the news, Sue Berry, the new Assistant Director Operations for Derby and Derbyshire Changing Lives, as well as Operations Director, Jan Smith and Implementation Manager, Saffron Mason drove over the next day to inspect it.
Sue said: “I am delighted that we have a new office hub for our Derby/Derbyshire Changing Lives Team.
“I collected the keys to our office suite in St Katherine’s House, Derby – and after a little clean (thanks to Saffron and Jan) we welcomed some of the new team in for mince pies and a coffee to see where the hub will be and what it is like.”
She continued: “It’s in a great location in Derby Centre – just next door to Landau Forte Academy, one of our Centres of Excellence. The office will be used as a base – with some staff based from there and others dropping in regularly.
“We will be furnishing the office and fixing the wifi over the next week so it should be fully functioning when staff start in January. What a lovely office for us all to be in.”
Read more about the pre-launch work.
New 5 Ways to Wellbeing campaign available for all services
Staff in all of Compass’s services have been given access to a new awareness campaign based around the Five Ways to Wellbeing, with the stresses and strains of the Christmas season in mind.
The Compass campaign includes a downloadable teachers’ pack with interactive challenges, a pack for young people, posters for schools and social media posts.
The assets and packs and social media are available to download at U:\One Compass Comms Group Resources\Campaign – 5 Ways to Wellbeing Dec Jan 2022
Although, Christmas was the impetus for the work, the festive season is not referenced anywhere in the campaign so it is hoped it will remain useful all year round. The campaign is already being used in services and is being offered to people attending the Positive Effect DfE Senior Mental Health Lead training.
Cliff Edwards, Marketing and Communications Manager, said: “This is designed to be used by all services within Compass any time they like. It can be adapted. We’re not precious if managers prefer to change bits to make them more relevant for their stakeholders.”
The assets were created in conjunction with C4H Mental Health and Wellbeing Lead Helen Rogers and Health and Wellbeing Trainer Danielle Grant. Lisa Gale, Assistant Director Operations (North), helped with messaging. The design work was done by Laura Sutcliffe, C4H’s Marketing and Digital Communications Officer.
Where she belongs: Melanie welcomed back with open arms
Melanie Simcoe, formerly of Compass BUZZ, is now loving life at Compass Bloom after a four year break.
Teachers offered ongoing support to ensure students benefit from a whole school approach
Twelve delegates attended our latest Community in Practice web forum event for school staff who have attended our Senior Mental Health Lead (SMHL) training.
Following our two day DfE funded SMHL training, delegates get a one to one meeting with our trainer Danielle Grant. That is followed up with the Community in Practice (CiP) event.
Rose Kearns, Business Development Assistant Director said that the CiP forum supported delegates to ensure children and young people were positively impacted in the individual schools represented.
Rachel and Jane inspired by flexible team following visit
Our Safe East team in Tower Hamlets has been praised by Compass CEO Rachel Bundock.
Rachel met with team members during a recent visit and remarked that they made sure young people’s needs were being met. Victoria Jones, Safe East Team Leader, said: “I felt very proud of the service and team.”
Andrea thinks creatively in her quest to support a child with anxiety
Compass GO… Supervising Practitioner Andrea Paxton, has helped to support an anxious child, who is unable to return to school after surgery, by using craft techniques.
Andrea said: “I love that we are able to adapt our work to suit each individual child and the impact this can have is just amazing. I love my job!”
Lancashire trainees ready to make the next step
Romy Kale at Compass Bloom says she “can’t wait” to become fully qualified.
She said: “We’re now nearly done with our course and so a couple more weeks and we’ll be finished – we’ll be qualified education mental health practitioners.”
Your Christmas party pictures
We’ll run more pictures from other parties in our January edition. Please send them in to Cliff Edwards for inclusion, marked Party Pics.
Grateful for the help and support you’ve received from a colleague? Tell us about it…
Just Say Thanks…
Please can I say thank you to Stuart Haste, at CYPDAS for liaising on some training in my absence and the work he has done on the back of that!
And, I would also like to say thank you to the HO Admin team, Sue and Clare for looking after my workload during my absence. And a thank you too, to our new admin Anita who has only been here a few weeks and has taken immense pressure off my workload already.
– Emma Preston, Administrator
Can I please say thank you to Thomson Charuma for taking time out of his day yesterday to help me with my laptop which broke while I was feeling really stressed and for being supportive and kind.
– Lauren Tiffany, Trainee Mental Health Practitioner
Safe East Team would like to thank you for leading us!! Sonia has been a super star in leading us through the CQC inspection and the change of case management system, ensuring we have the structure and tools to ensure we deliver a good service to young people in Tower Hamlets. We really appreciate having a strong manager who is approachable, understanding and solution focused.
– Victoria Jones, Team Leader, Safe East
I would like to say thank you to Fie Beaumont. Since I joined Compass at the beginning of October, she has been really supportive, and helpful whilst finding my feet in my new role. She has years of valuable experience and is a great support to me and other interim managers in HR. I know how busy she is, and she still finds time to answer my many questions with patience.
– Donna Wilson, Human Resources Business Partner (HRBP), and Human Resources
Connect for Health staff – We just wanted to let you know that the things you do for CYP do not go unnoticed. You are a necessary piece to the puzzle and the support you provide is simply brilliant. We appreciate your dedication and service, and we know others do too. Thank you for everything that you do. We hope you have a very Merry Christmas
– C4H leadership team
We would just like to say a huge thank you to the Phoenix team who have worked so incredibly hard this year despite every challenge that has been thrown at them.
We have had some considerable changes over the last 12 months, in regards to staffing, service delivery, reporting and leadership yet the team have faced every challenge with unshaken enthusiasm and dedication the supporting young people in North Yorkshire.
Every success of our service is 100% down to the team that deliver it and we are incredibly proud to be part of such a hard working, compassionate and supportive team.
On behalf of the local leadership team in North Yorkshire we hope all Compass staff have a lovely restful and peaceful Christmas and New Year and an extra sprinkle of sparkle for our very special team in North Yorkshire – keep being awesome! Merry Christmas, best wishes for the new year and again a huge, huge thank you for everything you do.
– Zoe, Rachael and Lotty at Phoenix
I would like to wish my new team a Merry Christmas and thank them all for being supportive and welcoming in my new role at Warwickshire.
– Karen Barnes, Youth Justice Worker, Warwickshire CYPDAS
Can I say thank you to my team at Enfield Sort It, they have been great support and have made me feel part of the team so quickly.
– Toniann Rizk, Young Persons Drug & Alcohol Misuse Practitioner, Enfield Sort It!
Take Good Care – Your Health and Wellbeing with Danielle Grant
Get active
Winter can be hard on the soul; the daylight hours are limited and the weather isn’t always inviting and it can be a barrier to any of those ‘Wellbeing’ intentions. For many people ‘Seasonal Affective Disorder’ or ‘SAD’ can have an undeniable impact on their Wellbeing.
There isn’t much we can do about the position our rock has in the sky and how many hours of daylight we get in the day. But by mid-December after the ‘Winter Solstice’ or ‘Shortest Day’ the light does start slowly coming back; minute by minute – so keep hope!
The ‘Winter Blues’ main symptoms are:
- having trouble waking up, and sleeping more than usual
- feeling tired and lethargic
- feeling more hungry than usual and craving ‘comfort food’
- gaining weight
- finding it hard to stay connected with family and friends
- feeling anxious, irritable and experiencing a low mood
- having difficulty concentrating or making decisions
- feeling heavy, sluggish and moving slowly
There are some things that you can do to ease the symptoms and manage these feelings if you are suffering with them, even if only mildy.
Sunlight really is key, this helps the body regulate the circadian rhythm in the body which can help you feel more awake in the day and sleepy at night. Sunrise can be around 08:00-08:30 in the midst of winter, sadly in the North you might not get a chance to see this before work; but the weekend it is a great opportunity to catch the sunrise. Walking down to a clearing, or even better into nature to watch the colours in the sky and the brightness spreading across the sky is, and always has been, truly awe inspiring. Getting light exposure, not only makes you feel great, it does help with setting your circadian rhythm. (* Link for more information on this below)
Focus on ‘Being Active’ in sunlight this month. Even if you can’t catch a sunrise; you could still benefit from getting outside and moving in the sunlight during the day. You don’t need to be a runner, or cycling enthusiast to be active. Walking the dog, scavenger hunt with children, collecting stones on the beach, playing games in the park are all ways to ‘Get Active’ outside. If you can get other people involved it is a lot more motivating; jog with a friend or cycle with your family. (As a safety note, please do be conscious of low lighting and ensure high visibility clothing and / or bike lights are used).
Once you have got some sunlight in your life, you can also look at other ways to boost your fitness and feel-good hormones by moving more inside. Daily stretches, group fitness classes or an ‘online workout’ with a friend are all ways to ‘Get Active’ at your own pace, your own style and your own level. Get some sunlight, eat well and ‘Get Active’ for happier, healthier wellbeing this Winter.
More information, guidance and tips below on the NHS and BUPA websites.
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/circadian-rhythm
https://www.bupa.co.uk/newsroom/ourviews/seasonal-affective-disorder
https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder-sad/overview/
Values Champions Awards
A total of 25 nominations were made this year by managers for the CEO Values Champions Awards.
We will have a full update on who got nominated in the January issue.
HR update
Donna introduces herself and explains her role as HR Business Partner
Hi – I thought I would take the opportunity to introduce myself. I joined Compass at the beginning of October, so still a newbie. I’ve been made to feel really welcome, by my colleagues in my own team and those in the wider organisation.
I am based in a small village in Lincolnshire and during my career in HR (which is longer than I like to think about) I have worked mostly in the third sector. I came to Compass following a ten month contract with my local NHS Hospital Trust. My role is Human Resources Business Partner, and I’m working on projects that will make life easier for our managers and team leaders, which will have a positive impact on all of our colleagues.
Compass seems like a great place to work, I love that the values are so deeply integrated with everything we do, and that people are so passionate about the work they’re involved in. It’s such an exciting time with all the growth we’re undergoing. I’ve met a few people on my travels and hope to be able to meet more of you in the coming weeks and months.
I hope you all enjoy a festive break from work, and on behalf of the HR Team, wish you a happy Christmas and a great New Year.
– Donna Wilson
Flexible working
The Flexible Working policy has been updated and is available on the P Drive. One of the key changes is that where possible we will consider informal flexible working requests from day one of employment. This will be where there is no impact on changes to contract and therefore no requirement to follow the formal process outlined in this policy. Where informal requests have been agreed between the line manager and employee, an email from the line manager outlining the arrangement details should be sent to Human Resources to save on the employee’s file. If it is decided a formal flexible working request needs to be made the process should be followed as outlined in this policy and the criteria must be met.
Annual leave
As we now have three and half months remaining in our leave year, HR encourages staff to use your full annual leave entitlement within the leave year (1st April – 31st March).
This leave is very important for your health and wellbeing, as well as allowing you time to relax away from the workplace. Please submit all holiday requests via My Compass for approval in line with the Leave Entitlement policy, which can be found on the P Drive. As per Section 8.0 on ‘Carry Forward’ this may occur in exceptional cases whereby the maximum of one week of contracted hours may be carried forward into the following year; however, any leave in excess of this will be lost. Carry forward must be in agreement with the line manager.
Under the Working Time Regulations leave “may not be replaced by a payment in lieu except where the worker’s employment is terminated” therefore employees cannot receive payment for untaken annual leave.
Business car insurance cover
Reminder: Do you travel during working hours in your own vehicle?
We wanted to remind colleagues of the need to have Business Car Insurance if you use your own car for anything related to work during working hours (this is classed as business travel).
If you do use your own vehicle for business travel, then it’s your responsibility to ensure you have the correct insurance cover – for business travel, you will need Business Class 1 insurance.
For example, if you:
- Travel between different business sites
- Travel to business or client/service user meetings that are not held at your work base location
- Run business errands during the day
- Drive colleagues or business contacts around
It is important to ensure your car insurance includes business usage in order that you have the appropriate level of cover and protection.
Please check your Vehicle Insurance documents to ensure you have the correct form of and adequate car insurance cover. Any queries please contact your insurance broker or provider.
Appraisals reminder – Getting ready for your review meeting
Managers are scheduling an initial end of year (EOY) performance appraisal review (PAR) meeting in November, December or January. In advance of the meeting, your manager will ask you to prepare your EOY PAR. You will need to use the Word based Performance Review Form and upload this onto ‘My Compass’ (please refer to the ‘My Compass’ user guide for instructions on the system use – included is a section on how to upload your PAR form).
Find the forms and FAQs
The user guidance for ‘My Compass’ can be found here:
U:\HR\My Compass\My Compass Self-Service User Guide V6.0.pdf
The PAR Word document can be found here:
U:\HR\Performance Review Process\Documents & Forms\Forms\Performance Review Form – Compass v4.0.doc
Charity worker shopping discounts
As prices rise in the shops, this may help…
Discounts are available to charity workers and volunteers. All you need is your name, postcode and the charity you work for.
Click the image to learn more.
Tell us all about the events you mark in your service
Upcoming in December and January…
| Dec 25 | Christmas | |
| all Jan | Dry January | https://alcoholchange.org.uk/get-involved/campaigns/dry-january-for-workplaces |
| 27th | Holocaust Memorial Day | https://www.hmd.org.uk/what-is-holocaust-memorial-day/ |
We are creating a new Awareness Calendar for 2023 and it will be with you in our January Compass Points. Do you have any suggestions? If so, contact Cliff Edwards.
We know that services have already established events they mark which may not be on our calendar.
We’re really interested in hearing about all you do and aim to include your events in the overall calendar so it builds over time.
Tell us your news.
The deadline for stories and pictures for the next issue is
Midday, Tuesday, 17th January. Please send submissions with Compass Points in subject line to cliff.edwards@compass-uk.org Happy Christmas, everyone!