Annual report 2010/11

Kirklees Community Healthcare Services | Annual Report 2010/112

Our MissionTo deliver high quality healthcare, closer to home

Our VisionWe will strive to understand the needs and wants of our patients and will deliver excellent quality and best value care to exceed the expectations of the people in Kirklees. We will raise the bar of community healthcare and become the first choice provider by embracing new technologies with a well-trained, well-managed, focussed and motivated team.

Our ValuesThis is a vibrant organisation with a driving ambition to provide the best possible community healthcare for the people of Kirklees. We’re passionate about people and patients and we know the wisdom of developing effective relationships with our stakeholders. All this, together with our local experience and expertise, built over the years, means we are very much a part of this community and deliver the services local people want and need - closer to home.

With a budget of £47.2m and 1124 employees, we provide community healthcare in a wide range of locations around the area including health centres, local authority children’s centres, Holme Valley Memorial Hospital, GP practices and patients’ homes. Our aim is to deliver a first class patient focussed service to the Kirklees community in the following areas:

• district nursing

• health visiting

• school nursing

• community matrons

• palliative care

• community dentistry

• stop smoking support and sexual health

• podiatry

• speech and language therapy

• physiotherapy

• occupational therapy

Huddersfield South

Spen Valley Batley Birstall and Birkenshaw

The Valleys

Huddersfield North

Denby Daleand Kirkburton

Dewsbury and Mirfield

Who are we and what do we do?

Kirklees Community Healthcare Services (KCHS) serves a population of over 400,000 across seven localities in Kirklees, the third largest local authority in England. Our localities mirror those of Kirklees Council, the Police and Fire Service. Our region is one of diversity, with densely populated urban areas, Green Belt land and sparsely populated rural towns and villages.

// Throughout this Annual Report we have included positive comments sent by patients or their families //

Annual Report 2010/11 | Kirklees Community Healthcare Services 3

One of the key building blocks of the new organisation is already in place. During the year we have successfully piloted the ‘Community Care Team’ which is a multi-professional group of staff individually tailored for each patient. The concept is now being rolled out across Kirklees and it will be successful thanks to integrated working with Local Authority social care teams, GPs and our local hospitals.

We have refined our pioneering use of technology, with our front line staff using Tough Books and patients with long term conditions being monitored with Telehealth equipment. These tools mean staff are saving travel time and are truly mobile, spending the time necessary with their patients.

It has not been an easy year. These are financially challenging times but we have continued to deliver first class patient care alongside extending our performance measures and constantly striving to minimise infections.

None of these developments would have been possible without the dedication and commitment of our staff and we thank them for that. We also want to place on record our appreciation of the contribution to our services made by a small army of volunteers.

The future will be one of continuity – always putting the patient at the centre of all we do; working to exceed their expectations – and one of change, as we work in a new, less bureaucratic, but still challenging environment.

The past year has been one of consolidating previous developments, whilst continuing on our journey to becoming a new organisation.

We began the year knowing that we would separate from NHS Kirklees, the local Primary Care Trust, but we were unsure what type of organisation we would become. With staff we examined the options open to us. We put in a Right to Request to become a social enterprise in August 2010 and after an extremely rigorous process during which we had to produce a detailed business plan, we received final approval from the Secretary of State to proceed in February this year.

Then the work began to design and shape our new organisation - a community interest company with staff and community members. Our staff have been involved all along the way, deciding on the new name – Locala – and developing the Locala brand and corporate colours. You can read more information about Locala on page 11 of this Annual Report.

A time of change, and continuity

Board members 2010-2011

Key areas for delivery over the year for KCHS have been:

Ensuring that we constantly improve our services, making sure that safety and quality are paramount

Continuing to roll out our ambitious mobile technology programme, enabling front line services to have access to patient records in the patients’ homes

Working very closely with partners, particularly Kirklees Council’s Social Care, helping to bring about a seamless service, reducing duplication and increasing efficiency

Empowering our service and clinical leads to make more decisions based on their patients’ health needs and in their patients’ best interests.

All directors confirm that, as far as they are aware, there is no relevant audit information of which the auditors are unaware and they have taken all steps they ought to have taken as a director in order to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the auditors are aware of that information.

No director holds a company directorship or has a significant interest which may conflict with their KCHS responsibilities.

Suzy Brain EnglandChair (Non-Executive Director)

Munir AhmedNon-Executive Director

Patricia DrakeNon-Executive Director

Robert FlackManaging Director

Janice BoucherFinance Lead

Tina QuinnClinical and Operational Lead

Kirklees Community Healthcare Services | Annual Report 2010/114

Working together for KirkleesWe rely on our people - their enthusiasm, commitment and talent helps us continue to provide first class community healthcare in Kirklees. We are delighted with what has been achieved by everyone within KCHS during 2010/11, a time of change and uncertainty. Colleagues have been working together and with our key partners to continue to improve patient care and services throughout the Kirklees area.

Investors in PeopleIn 2010 KCHS, together with NHS Kirklees, received the Investors in People award. This is a national quality standard awarded to well run organisations demonstrating good management practice with a high emphasis on people management and development. The award highlighted that KCHS has built a ‘people oriented culture where staff, learning and development is strong’.

The KCHS workforceAt 31 March 2011 KCHS had 1124 members of staff. The breakdown by staff group is as follows:

Nursing and Midwifery 46.4%

Additional Clinical Services 19.0%

Administrative and Clerical 18.9%

Allied Health Care Professionals 9.4%

Medical and Dental 3.6%

Senior Managers 0.8%

Estates and Ancillary 1.3%

Students 0.6%

The most significant change in these figures compared to 2009-10 is a drop in the percentage of senior managers in the organisation from 2.3% to 0.8%. This further demonstrates our commitment to a lean management structure which empowers its workforce.

The profile of the workforce by ethnic origin:

White 92.1%

All other ethnic groups 7.3%

Undefined/not stated 0.6%

Everyone has their sayOver the past year the Staff Partnership Forum has met on a monthly basis to discuss areas of mutual concern. Workforce representatives and managers have considered a wide range of issues and members of the Forum are committed to creating a working environment where everyone’s opinions are valued.

Maintaining a high quality effective workforcePatients benefit from the team at KCHS being well trained, motivated and focussed. All colleagues participate in an annual mandatory training programme that covers fire; health, safety and risk; basic life support and infection control. During 2010/11 86% of clinical staff completed the training and 68% of non-clinical staff complied with this requirement. We are introducing flexible e-learning for mandatory training which mean staff will not have to travel to a classroom setting and can complete the modules at a time convenient to them.

We ensure that our team, both clinical and non-clinical retain the necessary competence to provide highly skilled care through in-house and external activities and courses. Further development and learning is encouraged and discussed in one-to-one development review sessions. We have 25 staff members studying for vocational qualifications and 48 studying at higher degree level/occupational qualifications.

It is important that new employees get the best possible start to their career at KCHS and everyone takes part in the two phase induction programme that introduces them to the organisation and our vision and values.

Leading to meet our challengesThe KCHS Leadership Framework was introduced in 2009 and has continued to evolve with direct input from staff. In 2010/11 it was used to support the Personal Development Review process for approximately 200 leaders, including clinicians. The Framework sets out clear expectations for the leadership behaviours and attributes that we value and expect in KCHS. During the year ahead it will be extended across the whole organisation as a clear, simple and useful tool which will also measure operational performance.

// Your considerate professionalism contributed such a lot to making it possible for Mum to continue living happily and independently in the house in which she and Dad had lived for very nearly all of their 66 years together. //

Annual Report 2010/11 | Kirklees Community Healthcare Services 5

Checking up Kirklees residents aged 40-74 years can now apply for a free NHS Health Check designed to reduce the risk of developing heart disease, type-2 diabetes, kidney disease and stroke. Our Specialist Primary Prevention Nurses provide the new service at appointment-only sessions in a variety of venues across Kirklees.

The risk of developing these diseases increases with age. The risk increases further with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, being overweight, lack of physical activity and smoking. All these factors are investigated by the nursing team during the Health Check. They discuss test results and provide advice and information on making lifestyles healthier. They will refer on for further tests if necessary.

Supporting our teamIn 2010/11 the Human Resources team has provided a wide range of support for colleagues within KCHS. These include maternity, childcare and carers support, occupational health, counselling and stress management. The sickness rate for KCHS staff this year was 4.7%.

Praise from our studentsKCHS has had another fantastic evaluation from healthcare students on placement with us during 2010/2011. The majority either strongly agreed or agreed that their expectations were met and that they had gained confidence in their professional practice as a result of their placement experience. They were given the opportunity to interact with other members of the healthcare team and felt supported. A total of 88% said they would recommend their placement in KCHS to other students. Well done to all involved.

//All the Out of Hours team were wonderful both to my Mum and to myself. The care, professionalism and support you gave to both of us was second to none.//

Drumming up success The KCHS Staff Awards presentation evening was held once again at the Galpharm Stadium, Huddersfield in October 2010. This year a Brazilian Carnival theme brought Samba drumming, whistles and colourful, flamboyant dancing to the event. Even the menu reflected the theme with Brazilian dishes to tempt the partygoers who all bought tickets for the event.

This was the final year of a joint awards evening with NHS Kirklees and the entertainment kicked off with people from both organisations playing percussion (after hasty tuition) in a surprising and very successful presentation for colleagues.

Long service Awards were presented to 25 members of staff who had achieved 25 years’ service and to two colleagues with 40 years’ service. The roll of honour for the specialist awards is:

• Chairman’s Award – Lindsay Andrews, Family Nurse Partnership

• Leadership Award – Lorraine Williams, Health Visitor Team Leader

• Innovation Award – Kim Baldwin, District Nurse Team Leader

• Sharing Our Success Award – Long Term Conditions Community Matrons and Case Managers

• Salsa Award – Dominic Ward, Performance Team

• Copacabana Award - Margaret Summers, Locality Manager for Denby Dale and Kirkburton

• Coffee Bean Award – Gillian Bell, P.A. Dewsbury Locality Manager

6 Kirklees Community Healthcare Services | Annual Report 2010/11

Spreading the word on frequent callers

Improving services for patientsWe have continued to invest in our services and our people in order to improve patient care.This includes state-of-the-art technology such as Tough Books and Telehealth and also organising our teams so they can work more effectively to deliver a better service.

Inventors of the emergency care plan

‘Frequent callers’ to the emergency services costs the health care system £800,000 a year in Kirklees. KCHS Community Matron Angela Harris, her close colleagues, members of Yorkshire Ambulance Service and the A&E department at Dewsbury District Hospital are now extending their work on a simple and potentially award-winning answer to this costly problem.

They devised a bright yellow, highly visible emergency care plan for the patient’s home. It details the patient’s condition plus their medication and blood pressure, heart rate etc. which are normal for them but might be considered abnormal generally.

The plan helps ambulance staff and other health care professionals decide the most appropriate course of action for that patient and means the 999 call doesn’t always have to result in a hospital visit.

Now they are taking the emergency care plan to care homes. Through training sessions they are helping staff

there understand the issues and that on some occasions there could be an alternative to hospital admission.

As a result of this work A&E and other hospital admissions have reduced by 70% among this target group in Kirklees since the plans were introduced. It also means the underlying causes of the patients’ repeated 999 calls are being addressed, leading to better quality of care for them and reduced pressure on the urgent care system.

“The Emergency Care Plan” team was a finalist for two Nursing Times awards last year and has now, with the care home development, been shortlisted for Team of the Year in this year’s Awards. This work has been taken up in other areas in Yorkshire and Humber and now nationally.

New look at Fartown Exciting redevelopment work at Fartown Health Centre, Huddersfield, has brought improved facilities for patients and staff. It includes a new layout to allow new consulting/treatment rooms to be created and a total refurbishment resulting in a pleasant, modern, streamlined interior. Revised office space features hot desks, rather than permanent work spaces for mobile workers.

Major additions to services there include the transfer of Dermatology, Musculoskeletal (MSK) and Neurology clinics from Moorfield Primary Care Centre which was previously based at Crosland Moor, Huddersfield, and a new clinic for people suffering from chronic lung disease (COPD). Other services, such as Continence, Dental, Falls and Long Term Conditions remain at the health centre.

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Celebrating the days Our staff like to recognise and celebrate where possible special designated days for health conditions or services. Just two of those that they embraced during the year were:

Dignity Action Day in February when Maple Ward patients at Holme Valley Memorial Hospital, Holmfirth, planted daffodil bulbs in their therapeutic garden. Patients’ relatives joined in the event which was made possible thanks to the donation of bulbs from the hospital’s League of Friends. The support group also met the £30,000 cost of creating the ward’s gardens 18 months ago.

World Hepatitis Day in July when before the day KCHS staff who work with Lifeline Kirklees visited Langsett Reservoir in Derbyshire with the Lifeline Hepatitis C Group. On the actual day service users had the opportunity to be tested for the virus Hepatitis C and have vaccinations against Hepatitis A and B. A wide range of information and advice was also on offer together with a quiz and healthy goodie bags.

Annual Report 2010/11 | Kirklees Community Healthcare Services

Chair, Suzy Brain England (centre right) and Infant Feed Co-ordinator, Jayne Heley, celebrating with KCHS and Local Authority colleagues, Mums and tots.

// Keep up the fantastic job you’re doing – we need more nurses like you!. //

Baby Friendly successKCHS has been given an international stamp of approval for our breastfeeding advice and support. Our health visiting service has been recognised for achieving the highest standards in the support and care of new mothers who breastfeed with a “Certificate of Commitment”. This is the first step towards gaining international recognition from the UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative and KCHS is now working towards Stage 1 of the accreditation process.

The Baby Friendly Initiative, set up by UNICEF and the World Health Organisation, is a global programme that provides a practical and effective way for health services to improve the care provided for all mothers and babies.

Our Chair, Suzy Brain England, joined health visitors, breastfeeding peer supporters and parents at a popular Baby Bistro in the Huddersfield Central Children’s Centre at Brian Jackson House to celebrate receiving the Award.

Since taking part in the scheme KCHS has introduced a number of initiatives to support new mums. These include Baby Bistros, Baby Cafés, a quarterly breastfeeding bulletin, a Breastfeeding Friendly Places Booklet, listing all the retailers in the area who support the scheme and even a Facebook page.

One of the keys to the success in Kirklees is the team of 40 Breastfeeding Peer Supporters. These volunteers, usually mums themselves, are fully trained and offer practical help and support to other mothers.

8 Kirklees Community Healthcare Services | Annual Report 2010/11

In 2010/11 KCHS spent £47m. This was against income of £41.4m from NHS Kirklees & NHS Calderdale plus £5.6m of income from other sources.

Financial SummaryKirklees Community Healthcare Services has not had a statutory duty to prepare independent financial accounts for the year 2010/11. A full set of financial accounts has been produced by NHS Kirklees and these incorporate both commissioning and provider costs.

A copy of these full accounts can be obtained free of charge by writing to:

Director of Finance NHS Kirklees, Broad Lea House Bradley Business Park Dyson Wood Way Huddersfield HD2 1GZ

One of the PCT’s financial duties that relates to the provider arm is ‘The PCT is required to recover full costs in relation to its provider functions’. So the key financial goal for Kirklees KCHS has been to manage its services within the budget agreed with NHS Kirklees. The performance for 2010/11 is as follows:

Summary financial statements

2008/09 (£000)

2009/10 (£000)

2010/11 (£000)

Provider gross operating costs 43,783 47,288 46,988

Provider Operating Revenue (4,770) (4,906) (5,603)

Net Provider Operating Costs 39,013 42,382 41,385

Costs Met Within PCTs Own Allocation (39,233) (42,451) (41,398)

Under/(Over) Recovery of Costs (220) (69) (13)

How KCHS spent its money during 2010/11 financial year

2009/10 2010/11

Therapies 19% 26%

Long Term Conditions 12% 12%

Health Visiting 10% 10%

District Nursing 27% 23%

Community Dental 4% 4%

Sexual Health (inc CASH & Chlamydia) 5% 4%

School Nursing 4% 4%

Kirklees Community Equipment Stores 3% 3%

Other Clinical Services 6% 3%

Overheads 10% 10%

9Annual Report 2010/11 | Kirklees Community Healthcare Services

Measuring our successOur performance figures show our front line staff have cared for a high number of patients and demonstrated considerable successes. For example, the national target for the wait for outpatient treatment is 18 weeks; our figures impress with an average wait of between two and five weeks, depending on the service.

The KCHS approach to caring for patients with long term conditions at home as much as possible (Community Matrons working with Local Authority Case Managers) is reducing the need to be admitted to hospital for an increasing number of people.

Steps taken by our staff to encourage parents to have their children immunised have resulted in improved figures with a corresponding reduction in the number failing to keep their appointment.

As we have increased and improved performance measuring we are able to present a far richer picture of our activity. This will continue year on year.

Waiting Times to Treatments

ServiceAverage

Wait in weeksTotal Patients

Treated

Dermatology 5 (5) 1564 (1378)

Musculoskeletal North 3 (4) 2064 (1677)

Musculoskeletal South 4 (2) 939 (1017)

Neurology 5 (5) 215 (180)

Plastic Surgery 2 (7) 367 (443)

Podiatric Surgery 4 (5) 853 (847)

Total 4 (4) 6002 (5542)

Childhood Immunisations

IndicatorAnnual Target

Actual

% 1yr olds completedrecommended immunisation

95%DTaP/IPV/Hib = 95.8% (93.9%)MenC = 95.3% (93.3%)PCV = 95.6% (93.5%)

% 2yr olds completedrecommended immunisation

95%

DTaP/IPV/Hib = 97% (97.4%)MMR = 95% (93.9%)PCV Booster = 95.3% (92.6%) MenC Infant = 97.4% (97.7%) Hib/MenC Booster = 95.5% (95.4%)

% 5yr olds completedrecommended immunisation

95%

Primaries = 98.1% (97.3%)MMR 1st dose = 96.2% (95.9%)MMR 2nd dose = 92.3% (90.9%) DTaP/IPV Booster 93.6% (91.5%)

KEY

DTaP/IPV/HibDiptheria, Tetanus, Putussis (Whooping Cough), Polio

MenC Meningitis C

PCVPneumococcal Meningitis,Pneumonia, Septicaemia

PrimariesThe course of three injections for babies given one month apart, as in 1yr old indicator

Activity April 10 - March 11Adult ServicesDistrict Nurse patient contacts:

2008-09 ....275,580 2009-10 ...293,533 2010-11 ...381,428

Children’s ServicesHealth Visitor contacts:

2008-09 ....51,815 2009-10 ...81,440 2010-11 ...115,015

School Nurse contacts:2008-09 ....8,754 2009-10 ...16,915 2010-11 ...24,449

Children’s Specialist Nurses contacts:2008-09 ....No data 2009-10 ...2,800 2010-11 ...4,661

Location Admissions Discharges

Maple Ward(HVMH)

206 (185) 194 (173)

Batley Hall 85 (98) 87 (97)

Fieldhead Park 157 (197) 155 (191)

Westmoor 190 (181) 181 (176)

Intermediate Care

A total of 21,847 (26,996) appointments were made; 14,378 (16,847) patients were seen; 7,469 (10,149) appointments were not kept = 34% (38%). (2009-10 figures)

For the period Oct 2008-March 2009 the total caseload was 1007 patients. Oct-Dec 2008, 58% fewer patients were admitted to hospital after being referred to this service.

Jan-March 2009, that figure increased to 71%. For both April-June 2009 and July-Sept 2009 the reduction was 52%. (This is the latest available data.)

Long Term Conditions – Community Matrons

Stop Smoking Specialist Advisors

The % of patients referred to the service who had quit after four weeks was 65% in 2008/09; 73% in 2009/10 and 63% in 2010/10.

(2009-10 figures)

(2009-10 figures)

10 Kirklees Community Healthcare Services | Annual Report 2010/11

Emergency PlanningAll our services have developed business continuity plans to ensure we are able to respond to emergency situations. A major Incident Plan, which is fully compliant with NHS Emergency Planning Guidence 2005, is in place.

Risk ManagementWe have implemented systems to ensure that all actual – and potential – incidents are reported and fully investigated. Further consideration is given to all incidents by a KCHS team to ensure that any trends or organisation-wide issues are identified and resolved at an early stage. We have introduced incident monitoring training for senior and middle managers and the number of incident reports submitted increased by 100% over the year. This shows our work to increase awareness of the importance of incident reporting has been successful.

Compliance with national standardsKCHS declared full compliance with the national Standards for Better Health criteria during 2010-11 and, in April 2010, the Care Quality Commission provided KCHS with full registration for all clinical services.

The annual PEAT (patient environment assessment) at Holme Valley Memorial Hospital was undertaken in March 2011 and demonstrated that the quality of the environment was good and both food and privacy and dignity were excellent (provisional).

Listening to youWe are always happy to receive compliments about our services but understand that sometimes things go wrong. We welcome comments, suggestions and complaints so that we can investigate and ensure that our services make improvements when necessary.

All our services have undertaken questionnaires during the year to help us further improve patient care and we have developed links with Patient Opinion, an organisation that allows people to make comments through email, telephone contact or letter, and which then publishes them on a website that is available to all members of the public. We encouraged patients attending Moorfields Primary Care Centre to share their experiences in this way and of the 16 who did so 15 were overwhelmingly positive about the care they had received. One person was concerned about the waiting time for an appointment. As a result we have reduced waiting times and are considering how we can extend this system to other KCHS services.

In 2008-2009 (KCHS) dealt with 20 official, written complaints. The number for 2009-2010 was 36 and for 2010-11 it was 22. During the year there were more than 750,000 patient contacts. It is crucial that the organisation learns from all issues raised. The following are just some of the changes we have made as a result of receiving written complaints:• telephone messages collected and responded to on the

day of receipt• steps taken to improve the management of distraught

children and parents in clinics• gaining funding for additional therapy staff to improve

waiting times• working with other health care providers to improve the

patient’s journey from one provider to another

Our patients are our focus and we want them and their families to be completely satisfied with the care they receive. If someone is unhappy about any aspect of our services whether clinical or not we want to know.

How we measure up on quality and governance

//You enabled Mum to stay in her own home for which I am truly grateful and she was pain free and comfortable right to her end.//

Tackling infectionKCHS is committed to delivering safe and effective care. In 2010/11 all staff received infection control training.

InspectionAn unannounced inspection of cleanliness and infection control procedures at Holme Valley Memorial Hospital by the Care Quality Commission in June found that we met its rigorous requirements.

Hand hygieneStaff compliance with our ‘hand hygiene’ and ‘bare below the elbows’ requirements has been 98%.

MRSAWe were set a target of no more than two cases of MRSA during 2010-11. We had no cases. Mandatory MRSA screening of all patients admitted to intermediate care

beds and undergoing podiatric surgery produced 100% negative results.

Clostridium DifficileWe were given a target of no more than 10 cases for 2010-11. During the year three patients were diagnosed with the infection. In each case an in-depth review was carried out and recommendations for improvement implemented.

NorovirusThere was one outbreak of Norovirus (diarrhoea and vomiting) in the ward at Home Valley Memorial Hospital during 2010-11 resulting in closure to new admissions for 15 days. The outbreak affected 15 patients and 24 staff. Compliance with our outbreak policy was closely monitored by our Senior Infection Prevention and Control Nurse.

11Annual Report 2010/11 | Kirklees Community Healthcare Services

Looking ahead to LocalaLocala Community Partnerships CIC (Community Interest Company) is the new organisation that will form from KCHS on 1 October 2011. This is a very exciting development for community services in Kirklees and the surrounding areas. It aims to bring care closer to home, and to work at the heart of the places it serves. The company will be separate from the NHS, whilst retaining the ethos of the NHS – excellence, integrity and free at the point of care.

Locala has been created as a mutual company, with membership from staff and local people. This ethos runs throughout the whole organisation, with the intention that decision making takes place as near to patients and those who care for them as possible. This means budgets, quality improvements and performance measures are owned by those who know most about the services we provide.

Locala is not a private company; as the ‘CIC’ in the name indicates it is a form of social enterprise which will invest any surpluses in the community either by further developing local services or directly into the community.

Looking ahead the challenges Locala faces are to deliver the best possible care and support within stringent financial boundaries whilst, at the same time, driving innovation through every part of its business. This means Locala will

• invest in technologies that can make our workforce even more mobile

• explore the opportunities the internet brings to us to improve our clinical service

• look to strengthen further the close working relationships between health, social care and GP practices to bring about a more integrated service and seamless patient experience.

Locala’s biggest asset is its staff. They will not merely be members of Locala; they will be shareholders; they will own the organisation. This is a dramatic shift in the balance of power compared to a traditional NHS organisation.

We will continue to provide NHS services and all that our patients and their families and carers should notice in most cases, is hopefully an improved service.

What will change is that the front line staff providing their care will have had an unprecedented opportunity to shape that care.

They will be able to stand for election to the representative Members’ Council and vote for others who are doing the same. The Members’ Council appoints the Chair, the Non-Executive Directors and the auditors and has direct links

How you can get involved Locala is looking for as many local people as possible to be members of the community interest company. You can be a member if you are a patient, a carer, a health professional who doesn’t work for Locala or just someone who would like to know more about, and potentially influence, community health services in Kirklees. You can also be a member if you live or work elsewhere but care for someone who receives Locala services.

As a member you will automatically receive information about the organisation and be able to attend the Annual Members’ Meeting. You will also be invited to certain ‘Members only’ events. You can be more involved if you wish; taking part in focus groups, for instance.

Locala has a Members’ Council which acts as the link between the members and the Board of Directors. You will be able to stand for election to the Members Council and to vote other people onto the Council.

There are 20 members on the Council – 10 representing staff, two co-opted representatives from the Local Authority and two co-opted from the local GP community. The remaining six members are elected from the community membership.

This is an amazing – and unusual – opportunity to help shape community health care services in this area. You can be involved from the start.

What next?You can become a Member now. Go to www.locala.org which is our website holding page and click on the link to our online membership application form.

We look forward to hearing from you.

with the Board of Directors. As owners the staff will have the right to company information which as employees they would not have.

Locala understands the importance of a highly professional and dedicated workforce. With this in mind the organisation will use the innovative potential of the staff to improve the services we offer to the community – and to deliver an unrivalled experience of our services.

The local community can be reassured that as a community interest company Locala is governed financially by the Community Interest Company Regulator and clinically, as a provider of NHS services, by the Care Quality Commission.

Kirklees Community Healthcare Services First Floor Beckside Court Bradford Road Batley WF17 5PW

www.kirkleeschs.nhs.uk

If you would like further copies of this Annual Report or require translation into a language, other than English, or large print, Braille or on audiotape please contact our Customer Liaison Team on 01924 351531 Email: Amanda.thomas4@kirkleeschs.nhs.uk

Date of publication: September 2011 * Ref: AT3071 * ©Kirklees Community Healthcare Services.