Publish date: 17 June 2022
Specialist Hospital Service Hosts Inclusion and Connection events
The Daisy unit in Devizes, a specialist hospital service for people with a learning disability, hosted a programme of events to mark Inclusion and Connection Week this June. Bringing together service users, carers and staff, the events were designed to celebrate equality, diversity and inclusion.
The Inclusion and Connection Week (13th – 17th June) was launched by Dominic Hardisty, Chief Executive of Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust (AWP), alongside Charlotte Hitchings, Chair of the Trust, and Mayur Bhatt, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Lead at AWP. When launching the week of events, Dominic shared three key values to inspire The Daisy team: compassion, involvement and improvement, each of which is central to the delivery of services to people with a learning disability at The Daisy.
Events during Inclusion and Connection Week included a Bake-Off contest, team building experiences with a local forest school, a creative arts and crafts workshop to explore non-verbal expression, a picnic supper, working collaboratively to focus on hopes and aspirations for the future, and a special visit from Albert the therapy dog.
Reflecting on the success of the week, Charlotte Hitchings said: “From The Daisy Bake-Off to the arrival of therapy dog Albert, the full programme of events during Inclusion and Connection Week created a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the diversity of The Daisy team, our service users, their carers and families. I was delighted to be part of the kick-off of this fantastic week. I would like to thank the team at The Daisy for everything they are doing, as they reflect on the many positive outcomes from the week and strive to continually improve the service.”
Mayur Bhatt added: “At The Daisy, I found that everyone learns from each other and for me personally it was fantastic to see and speak with diverse people. It was great to be invited to the opening of the week and to be among those who really care, inspire and motivate us to be compassionate and inclusive. Seeing everyone who is involved with The Daisy connecting with each other showed that diversity really is a strong asset in our services.”
