"Humbling Pie and eating it"

About: Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust / Adult Mental Health Services - Community (City)

(as a service user),

Hi, I’m A Catherine Wheel and I access adult mental health services via the Stonebridge Centre, City (East) Team, Nottingham

My post is about Humbling Pie and eating it, at the Stonebridge Centre

For some time I’ve been chuntering, moanin’ un groanin’ about the reception staff at the Stonebridge Centre and now I take it all back because I have made two visits recently and have been welcomed and looked after with the utmost cheer and helpfulness. So I’m overjoyed to now be eating humble pie despite failing to find the custard app on my laptop.

A whopping thank you to the staff on reception. You have supplied mugs so I could have some water - twice, spent a great deal of time procuring a prescription that had not been left with you for me to collect, and helped me with some pronunciation queries.  

If this is not enough on both occasions I buzzed the intercom to get in the Centre, and you kindly and encouragingly said to just open the door. This was further topped on both occasions with a welcoming reassuring smile and warm greeting. This had a very positive affect on me as on both occasions I was quite anxious. The latter time because I was seeing a psychiatrist I had never met before and felt worried and tense about this. You put me so much at ease that the consultation started well and progressed even better. I think you enabled the tone of that consultation to be set so that I could benefit a great deal from the appointment. Thank you so much.

I feel warm inside writing this post. It brings to mind those old school days in the Netherlands recalled in the song I can’t remember. That occasion….. 

I ate humble pie

When I was in Reception

I thought you’d never change

At the Stonebridge Centre

You have proved me wrong

Greeting me with a friendly look in your eyes

Made me realise 

Humble Pie’s just my dessert

You’re surely ace

Now I see us all in sweetness and light

I have to say

i was oh so wrong

And I’ve learnt something else now, that's right

I am just amazed

At your warm welcome

Makes me want to come

To the Stonebridge Centre

Who needs custard on pie

Now a bottomless jug of your love’s

Held out to me

By your care and kindness

At the Stonebridge Centre 

Thank you, thank you, thank you

And it’s down to you

You’re really great, thank you

It’s a dream come true

I so want to thank you, thank you

At the Stonebridge Centre

(Acknowledgements: In the style of: When I kissed the Teacher. Songwriters: Benny Goran Bror Andersson / Bjoern K Ulvaeus. When I kissed the Teacher lyrics, Union Songs Musikforlag AB. Universal/Union Songs Musikforlag AB) Accessed online: 8 May 2019.

Thanks to everyone in Reception, reckon it’s love all.

Re-seeing you

A Catherine Wheel 

In the Certain Ages, with nothing to lose and everything to gain

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Responses

Response from Tim Constable, CPN, Adult Mental Health - Mansfield, Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust 5 years ago
Tim Constable
CPN, Adult Mental Health - Mansfield,
Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust
Submitted on 10/05/2019 at 09:00
Published on Care Opinion at 09:00


Dear Catherine Wheel

Thank you for your warm words for our wonderful reception colleagues at Stonebridge. It is very kind of you.

Please let us know when we do well, or when we get it wrong in the future. Care Opinion is a great way of helping us improve your and all our other servicve usrers and carers experience

kind regards

Tim

  • {{helpful}} {{helpful == 1 ? "person thinks" : "people think"}} this response is helpful

Update posted by A Catherine Wheel (a service user)

Thanks Tim for your response. Credit where it's due, the reception staff are being outstanding, and indeed have been so today too! Well worth singing the praises of staff who provide a warm, generous welcome in a mental health setting.

I'm pleased that you also would like our local services to be positive, and for services to be in places people feel "good", safe, "at home". Maybe too often elsewhere seems "other", and inaccessible. It's hopeful to know at least we can come to our services, and that people there are knowing, and tell us in so many ways they're here for us, and that is what they are indeed here for. For us. Sometimes that in itself can be enough to keep on going.

Thanks Tim for reading the post, and valuing Care Opinion as a way to share the story.

A Catherine Wheel

Response from Tracey Taylor, Operational Manager, Nottingham City Community Mental Health Services, Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust 5 years ago
Tracey Taylor
Operational Manager, Nottingham City Community Mental Health Services,
Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust

I manage community mental health services, Nottingham City

Submitted on 15/05/2019 at 09:02
Published on Care Opinion at 12:04


picture of Tracey Taylor

hi A Catherine Wheel


Thanks for another wonderful post, I always look forward to reading them. I admire how you get serious points across with such humour!

And thank you too for thanking the reception staff in person, they really appreciate it.

Best wishes

Tracey
  • {{helpful}} {{helpful == 1 ? "person thinks" : "people think"}} this response is helpful

Update posted by A Catherine Wheel (a service user)

Hi Tracey

I am full of admiration for the reception staff at the Stonebridge Centre for having turned the warmth of their welcome and their helpfulness around. It's such a delight to go there. Just to see a kind, friendly face means so much. And the reception staff have acknowledged this and done wonders to provide a warm, receptive, and gentle welcome.

I never thought it would change, and I have been proved wrong!!! So, a big thank you to the Stonebridge Centre's reception, and what a reception it is now! Superb.

A Catherine Wheel

Ps don' think I ever kissed the teacher!!!!! But the tune's good! Just another example of "would I lie to you?"!!!

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