Pic: The winning team
A project supporting people who are homeless or vulnerably housed in Brighton & Hove has been celebrated this week, as the winner of the Nursing in the Community award at the Nursing Times awards.
Working alongside the NHS and other partners, the year-long project, which was funded by a grant from the Masonic Charitable Foundation, delivered training on palliative care to key workers who work with the homeless in Brighton & Hove. Martlets contributed specialist knowledge from Clinical Nurse Specialists about delivering palliative care in the community.
A report by the Care Quality Commission in 2016 highlighted the inequalities in end-of-life care, where people who are homeless were highlighted as one of nine marginalised groups. Following this report, staff at Martlets took note of recommendations that an important to help end this inequality is improving the knowledge of frontline staff.
Helen Lyons, Senior Staff Nurse who led on the project for Martlets, said, “It was amazing to have recognition of the work of Martlets and Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust Homeless Health Inclusion Team collaborating and making a demonstrable difference for this vulnerable group of our community.
“End-of-life care for those who are homeless is a huge challenge. Our project taught key workers about the importance of a holistic approach to care; the mental and social aspects are crucial as well as the physical.
“The training was a ‘culture change’ for organisations across our city, who had a focus of recovery. Sadly, some of their clients may not recover and we were able to teach them to recognise the signs of deteriorating health and what support is available. It meant that their clients could then die with dignity in their preferred place, which is often supported accommodation (a hostel).”
Donna Lamb, Chief Nurse at Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust, added: “It was a fantastic event and we are delighted and very proud that our nurse leadership has been recognised nationally. It is a testament to the hard work of our staff and their determination to continue delivering outstanding care to our patients in the community.”
Each year, Martlets helps over 3,000 people affected by a terminal illness access specialist support and care. All of its care is free, thanks to the generosity of the local community.
For more info on Martlets, CLICK HERE
