Hospice

[Gladys]

35 minutes ago, Mr Helmut Fromage said:

I’ve long thought that paying a retired but well known exec £50 £70k  per annum to head up Hospice funded by tax and bequeathed dollar was a complete waste (it’s a gig I’d absolutely love - piss easy) but with a parent with Stage 4 cancer and now experiencing the service for the first time and encountering the individuals involved it is a magnificent organisation.

Indeed it is, and they are highly committed and expert professionals dealing with immensely complex issues.  The value of getting the management right just cannot be underestimated.  

ETA sorry to hear about your parent, very hard to watch, but they will get the very best care in there.  It is actually quite a nice, respectful and caring place to be, even though no one really wants to be there. 

Edited October 6, 2022 by Gladys

[Capt_Mainwaring]

17 minutes ago, Gladys said:

It is actually quite a nice, respectful and caring place to be, even though no one really wants to be there. 

It is, yes. Couldn't have asked for anywhere better for my Uncle. You just felt he was getting the best care in the circumstances; the food was amazing, they'll bring you a drink if you want one. The nurses are the best, how they do the job I'll never understand. I'd get too emotionally involved.

[0bserver]

Wouldn't it just be easier to email OHR or similar and ask why the job is listed on the Government vacancies site? 

I don't know why it's there but I also doubt there's some big conspiracy. 

ETA in fact I'll email OHR today to ask and I'm happy to share their response. 

 

6 hours ago, Capt_Mainwaring said:

It is, yes. Couldn't have asked for anywhere better for my Uncle. You just felt he was getting the best care in the circumstances; the food was amazing, they'll bring you a drink if you want one. The nurses are the best, how they do the job I'll never understand. I'd get too emotionally involved.

Like @Capt_MainwaringI can only praise what they do there. I hope none of you ever have to be in a position where a family member spends their final days there, but if you do find yourself in that position then I hope you find the same care and compassion there that I did. I've truly never found a place to be so amazingly caring. And I second that I too can never understand how they do what they do. 

Edited October 7, 2022 by 0bserver

[Jarndyce]

9 hours ago, Gladys said:

The value of getting the management right just cannot be underestimated.

The truth of this view is being demonstrated across the road from the Hospice right now - sadly, not in a good way.

[Gladys]

Just now, Jarndyce said:

The truth of this view is being demonstrated across the road from the Hospice right now - sadly, not in a good way.

By right now, are you referring to the Ranson case or are there issues with the new management?  It takes time to change the culture but are you seeing evidence of a change being instigated from the top and action taken where it is met with resistance? 

[Jarndyce]

19 minutes ago, Gladys said:

  It takes time to change the culture

That’s true, of course - but one hopes for change for the better.   Importing new faces from across to continue the old regime of bullying by managers; calling everything from the old regime bad, thus risking throwing away any good aspects in the “Stalinist” purge; while the board sit over it all, smiling like the sun in splendour - I’m sorry, but as morale at the sharp end continues to plummet like a stricken submarine, I feel that the culture change needs to accelerate.

Evidence: Mr Paul Moore on MR recently, apparently excusing bullying in ED as passionate people being misinterpreted - not good.

Hospice seem to get it right, most of the time.   The comparison is striking.

Edited October 7, 2022 by Jarndyce
Added a bit

[WTF]

15 hours ago, John Wright said:

They’re out of date and, if strictly applied, discriminatory

fair point ,

[Apple]

8 hours ago, 0bserver said:

And I second that I too can never understand how they do what they do. 

It also applies in many areas of the health and social care - some incredible people in a lot of different areas. The provision for such care in people own home if they choose is important as well.

 

5 hours ago, Gladys said:

It takes time to change the culture but are you seeing evidence of a change being instigated from the top and action taken where it is met with resistance? 

I know some who are very upset at the loss of some of the good practices they worked hard to establish., some of which has fallen by the wayside, according to the CQC reports.  Some of the things they found should never have been allowed to develop in the first place. In my view some of those that were employed as 'Leaders' failed clearly to inspire changes for the better, for even stop the decline.

The current arrangements - more people, more committees, more money,  more board meetings etc new. Ministers - will inevitably improve things but we will have to eventually pay the prices that come along with it. We know where this is heading. See the new DHSC Strategy.

[2112]

The NPM has a news story today with the outgoing ‘boss’ of IOM Hospice saying that services may be reduced, and appealing for funds. Hospice gets £900,000 per annum from taxpayers, and it costs £5.5million a year. I can imagine that donations and other income streams may have dried up, in part to the Covid Pandemic and the Cost of Living Crisis, this is affecting everyone. I’m sure many on here support the hospice, in one way shape or form, either financial donations, sponsorship or donations of stock for their charity shops. Life is hard, I don’t know whether they are passing over the begging bowl to Manx Care and IOMG? From a personal perspective, I do feel that IOM Hospice has grown into a large organisation, and as such has large overheads such as staff. Also I object to the idea that charity bosses, not just here but everywhere, are on large salaries, and it’s management as well who are on very competitive salaries. 

[Passing Time]

25 minutes ago, 2112 said:

The NPM has a news story today with the outgoing ‘boss’ of IOM Hospice saying that services may be reduced, and appealing for funds. Hospice gets £900,000 per annum from taxpayers, and it costs £5.5million a year. I can imagine that donations and other income streams may have dried up, in part to the Covid Pandemic and the Cost of Living Crisis, this is affecting everyone. I’m sure many on here support the hospice, in one way shape or form, either financial donations, sponsorship or donations of stock for their charity shops. Life is hard, I don’t know whether they are passing over the begging bowl to Manx Care and IOMG? From a personal perspective, I do feel that IOM Hospice has grown into a large organisation, and as such has large overheads such as staff. Also I object to the idea that charity bosses, not just here but everywhere, are on large salaries, and it’s management as well who are on very competitive salaries. 

Head of Finance. Part-time 22.5 hours per week. Salary c. £54,000 - £60,000 (pro rata depending on skills and experience). - not bad for a part timer

[Twitch]

17 minutes ago, Passing Time said:

Head of Finance. Part-time 22.5 hours per week. Salary c. £54,000 - £60,000 (pro rata depending on skills and experience). - not bad for a part timer

A tricky one admittedly and a common challenge to charities. Hospice needs to raise £5million-£6 million per year. They won't achieve anywhere near that figure without professional, skilled staff generating funds and encouraging significant donations. Volunteers can only do so much. 

I know that the care they offer patients and their families is fantastic and much in demand in the Isle of Man. 

Personally I would rather live in a society where key services are not run/propped up by charities, but are instead properly funded via taxation. 

[Ringy Rose]

43 minutes ago, Passing Time said:

Head of Finance. Part-time 22.5 hours per week. Salary c. £54,000 - £60,000 (pro rata depending on skills and experience). - not bad for a part timer

£60k FTE for a finance manager in charge of the finances of an organisation with turnover in the millions seems reasonable to me. 

1 hour ago, 2112 said:

Also I object to the idea that charity bosses, not just here but everywhere, are on large salaries, and it’s management as well who are on very competitive salaries. 

Charities need professional staff to run them.

You wouldn't want the nursing staff in Hospice to be volunteers doing it on their day off, and the management functions are no different.

[forestboy]

Government should fund 50% from general revenue. 

[2bees]

Hospice is amazing and worth every penny. They do so much more than people imagine. 

Maybe the government could look at charities that are leeching monies that could goto Hospice, there are so many charities. In no way am I saying that the other charities are not worthy but from an admin and fund raising point of view, perhaps it isn't necessary to have 7000 charities all for the same thing. (This is a nutshell view of a much deeper thought)

[John Wright]

1 hour ago, Ringy Rose said:

£60k FTE for a finance manager in charge of the finances of an organisation with turnover in the millions seems reasonable to me. 

Charities need professional staff to run them.

You wouldn't want the nursing staff in Hospice to be volunteers doing it on their day off, and the management functions are no different.

No. And I do admire a lot of what hospice does. But it’s a growing empire with many staff and volunteers. I went once, this autumn, to a support group, after two consecutive positive tests for return of Leukaemia, and whilst waiting for the results from an invasive procedure for the third ( thankfully negative ) test.

There’s no Leukaemia specific support group here. The type I had is rare. 120 a year in UK. No one else on island has had this one diagnosed. 

Three paid workers, three volunteers and 7 service users. We actually didn’t chat or support. There was a guest speaker who droned on about “mindfulness”, something I’m pretty dubious about.

I decided not to go back. It wasn’t for me. In fact I found it offensive and annoying.

26 minutes ago, forestboy said:

Government should fund 50% from general revenue. 

I’m not sure the government should. Yes for agreed commissioned services. But without commissioning there’s a risk charities will grow and spend money and provide services that aren’t necessary, but nice to have, at the expense of other public sector services. Just like faith schools. The diocese decides, spends, gets the money back. That affects other state schools funding.

Edited December 7, 2022 by John Wright