Minutes of the VSS Health & Wellbeing Committee

Friday 29 November 2024

Remote via Zoom

 

 

HWB Committee Members Present:

Sandra Horley (SH)                      VSS Board Member & Committee Chair

Catriona MacArthur (CMcA)          VSS Board Member

 

 

VSS Officers in Attendance

Tara Lewsley (TL)                         VSS Head of Learning and Growth

Karen Morgan (KM)                      VSS Health and Wellbeing Case Manager

Deirdre Scullion (DS)                    VSS Health & Wellbeing Case Manager

Brónach Twomey (BT)                  VSS Administrative Officer (minutes)

 

 

A      Apologies

 

Carol Carmichael (CC) VSS Community Partnership Manager.

Nicola Nugent (NN) VSS Head of Health and Wellbeing.

 

 

B      Minutes of Previous Meetings

 

The minutes of the previous HWB Committee meeting held on 11th September 2024 were agreed.  

 

C      Action Points

 

TL provided an update on the outstanding action points, noting all have been completed, in workplans or are on track for completion

 

D      Policies: New & Under Development    

                 

KM advised the committee that the VSS Managing Disclosures of Non-Recent Abuse Policy and VSS Duty of Candour and Being Open Policy have both been reviewed by the HWB Team applying Trauma Lens. Committee members welcomed the updated to both, with SH raised the different forms of Domestic Abuse, in particular Coercive Control. Members will share some comments/tracked changes they have. The policies were approved by the Committee, subject to the consideration of the tracked changes.

 

 

E      Training & Development (Verbal update KM)

       

        HWB Casemanagers have delivered Level 1 Awareness of Adverse Child hood Experiences (ACE’S) training with a rollout of Level 2 (developing Trauma Sensitive Approaches) to commence in December 2024. The aim is for all staff training to be largely completed by Christmas with a mop-up to be carried out in early January 2025 to include any further new members of staff or anyone who were unable to attend initial training dates.

 

F      Clinical Governance

 

F1    Client Risk / Safeguarding / Serious Adverse Incidents

 

KM provided an update on the Client Risk report. There were no adverse incidents or new unacceptable behaviours recorded during the period.    

 

G     Service Development Updates

 

G1    Historical Institutional Abuse     

 

DS provided an update on HIA support and services. It was noted that TEO media campaign commenced on 4 November 2024 – April 2025, encompassing local & regional media. COSICA are lead organisation with referrals progressing to VSS then WAVE. DS noted that VSS has seen an increase in service users due to this campaign. VSS have been given additional resources to support this increase. VSS will commence a needs analysis in the New Year with survivors and other relevant stakeholders to help support services for the next five years.

 

 G2   Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries, and Workhouses

 

DS updated the committee that the Independent Panel have recently completed regional in person engagement events. Feedback suggests there have not been large numbers in attendance at these events, however, the Panel has noticed an increase in contact since the events, as have VSS. Further engagement events will be held in the New Year. Panel have been granted a six-month extension to continue their work around gaining access to records for survivors.

 

G3    Troubles Permanent Disablement Scheme (TPDPS)

 

TL provided an update on TPDPS provided by the Community Support Team. VSS along with our five community partners have providing support with VPB applications, recently met with the Victims’ Payment Board (VPB) to give constructive feedback around new videos which are to appear on VPB website. Our aim was to ensure videos were accurate and Trauma informed.

 

 

 

 

G4    Regional Trauma Network

 

TL provided an update on RTN provided by the Community Support Team. Discussions are ongoing between VPB and RTN around developing a specific RTN pathway for individuals who have received a diagnosis through the TPDPS.

 

H      Staff Welfare and Support                                                

 

TL updated that the HR Manager is to review the Employee Wellbeing Action Plan. A staff survey is in development for early 2025. The HR Manager will attend the committee in February 2025 to provide a further update on this work.

 

I       Health and Wellbeing Committee Work Plan                   

 

The workplan has been rolled forward from previous year and it was agreed that members would have a separate meeting to review the objective again with a self-assessment process to take place at the end of the financial year.

 

 

J       AOB

       

The Committee agreed that a meeting to review updates to the Health and Wellbeing Work Plan, Committee Terms of Reference and meeting structure would be scheduled for January 2025.

       

        Date of Next Meeting

 

The next VSS Health and Wellbeing Committee meeting is scheduled to take place on 12 February 2025 Via MS Teams.