Occupational Therapy News OTnews April 2019

VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION FEATURE • • • • portions and healthier options, in response to feedback from staff; reviewing all drinks sold, ensuring they contained less than 10 per cent sugar content from July 2017, in line with NHS policy; redeveloping the café environment, making it more appealing to compete with other cafes locally; installing card payment facilities, offering customers flexibility with payment options, thus increasing footfall; and changing the coffee brand and machine to increase consistency and quality of hot drinks offered. Significant outcomes In summer 2018, the Health Bar opened, offering healthier options, along with increased range of work roles for service users. Kier Group generously donated materials and labour to develop the Health Bar in August 2018, brightening the area and rendering it appealing to customers. It decorated the main café with a brighter colour scheme, reflecting the new coffee brand. As the trust’s preferred builder, this work was completed out of corporate responsibility. The card payment machine ensures that customers do not need to have cash, as previously custom was lost as a result. A new coffee brand was identified, Change Please, as offering high quality coffee, but also as a social enterprise combatting homelessness, and its work compliments that of the service. A new commercial standard coffee machine was installed, and all staff and service users were trained in its use. Service users now develop industry standard barista skills, which are transferable to many cafés nationwide, thus enhancing their long- term employment prospects. On 2 November 2018, Café on the Hill was officially re- launched as the first-ever NHS Change Please Café. Change Please is a social enterprise empowering the homeless community by training them to be baristas. The ethos is that by buying a coffee, consumers are not only just buying a good coffee, but also doing ‘good’ for the community at the same time. The enterprise provides homeless individuals with full barista training, jobs paying London Living Wage and support with housing, bank accounts, and mental wellbeing. Most importantly, the transition to Change Please significantly benefits service users working in Café on the Hill. Through the re-branding to Change Please and brightening the Café on the Hill environment, service users report an increased sense of worth for their work and pride for belonging to the Change Please community. Feedback and future plans A customer feedback survey was recently launched to seek people’s views on the changes to Café on the Hill, to seek suggestions to enhance the café experience. Feedback suggests that the brightened environment and healthier options have been well received, along with the new coffee proving highly popular. The Health Bar and new coffee machine have enhanced the work skills of service users and increased revenue is being evidenced. As a result of feedback, the café now opens at 7.30am, offering an earlier breakfast service. Over the coming months, Café on the Hill will be focusing on developing the fruit delivery service to the forensic wards and widening the Health Bar menu. Furthermore, there service users will start to rotate across a variety of roles, for example, the Health Bar, front of house, stock management and main kitchen, along with an earlier start time, to better replicate the skills and working hours of commercial café settings. Additionally, the café will be seeking National Autistic Society Accreditation for being Autism Friendly, while it is being promoted to other NHS trusts as an example of good practice, in terms of linking vocational projects with social enterprises and having a positive impact on society overall. Charlotte Carpenter, clinical specialist occupational therapist, West London NHS Trust. Email: Charlotte.carpenter@westlondon. nhs.uk 7– 8 June 2019 Olympia London Come along to The Alzheimer’s Show 7-8 June Olympia London, the UK’s leading event for dementia information, resources, help and advice for healthcare professionals, carers and families. Sponsored by In partnership with Research Charity partner Supported by • Practical activities • Interactive features • Admiral Nurses • Expert speakers • Specialist exhibitors es • 1-2-1 advice clinics servic • Latest products & • Q&A sessions ation inform & tips ul • Helpf TICKE £15 ONLIN Accredited by TS E To book tickets and for more information visit www.alzheimersshow.co.uk N213 OTnews April 2019 29

Occupational Therapy News OTnews April 2019 | Page 29