Inspirational people’s dedication and commitment is recognised at NHS Trust’s Staff Excellence Awards
The winners of 10 award categories were announced at Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust’s (NSFT) Staff Excellence Awards ceremony last night, 16 November.
Finalists from the mental health trust were invited to the ceremony hosted by former BBC Radio Suffolk presenter Georgy Jamieson at Trinity Park, Ipswich, to celebrate their work with colleagues and service users from across Norfolk and Suffolk.
Winners with lived experience helps us improve care services
Being familiar with the principles of recovery helped John-Paul Gartland, a Peer Support Worker at Cedar House in Ipswich and winner for the Haley Gosling Award, to support other’s recovery. John-Paul uses experience to develop relationships with service users, giving them hope and explaining care in a relatable way.
Jennifer Manson Volunteer, a Recovery College Peer Tutor and Expert by Experience with the Waveney Recovery Team, won the Positive Impact Award for her work on Recovery College projects. Jennifer’s lived experience allowed her to improve the design of an evaluation project to make it more accessible and effective for service users.
Carl Coughlin, who works as a Lived Experience Knowledge and Understanding Framework Trainer, also won a Special Recognition Award for his work volunteering tirelessly for nearly a decade on the Trust’s personality disorder strategy. Carl brings his unique lived experience of recovery and management of complex needs into staff training, changing ways of working and improving services.
Multiple service users nominate People's Choice Award winner
The People's Choice Award invited the public to nominate any staff members, volunteers, or teams from NSFT they thought deserved recognition. The winner Dr Shamim Ruhi, who works at Willows Ward at Woodlands in Ipswich, was nominated five times by service users for his commitment to transforming lives and making a real difference to them.
One nomination said: “I am very impressed by the treatment, care and support that Dr Ruhi and his team have provided. It has given me a new lease of life.”
Joy in Work Award nominees went above and beyond to support colleagues
Lucia Hanning-Heskett, Clinical Team Lead for Norfolk Secure Service Community Team at Hellesdon Hospital in Norwich, won the Joy in Work Award. Judges awarded this to Lucia as she has been integral to reinventing the Suffolk Forensic Community Mental Health Team while also leading the equivalent team in Norfolk. Lucia went above and beyond, making sure everyone’s needs were met.
Another Joy in Work Award nominee, Jodie Millard, who is Staff Wellbeing Co-ordinator, won a Special Recognition Award on the night. This recognised how Jodie’s passion and dedication have made a significant difference to the lives of her colleagues.
Caroline Donovan, Chief Executive at NSFT, said: “We are immensely proud of the commitment to excellence of all the inspirational people who were nominated for these awards. The 460 award nominations received reflect the hard work done to improve the experience of service users and our staff over the last year and a half.
“I’m delighted we are able to recognise those who demonstrate an outstanding commitment to making our organisation a great place to work and improving the services we deliver. All nominees should be proud of the work they do, the differences they make to the lives of the people we serve, and the support they provide to fellow colleagues.”
Full list of winners
- Haley Gosling Award: John-Paul Gartland, Peer Support Worker
- People's Choice Award: Dr Shamim Ruhi, Consultant Psychiatrist
- Working Together Award: Ipswich IDT Adult, East Suffolk
- Joy in Work Award: Lucia Hanning-Heskett, Clinical Team Lead for Suffolk Forensic Community Mental Health Team
- Inspiration Award: Dr Yasir Hameed, Consultant Psychiatrist, Lead of 'SHIFA' Specialist Services
- Encouraging Participation Award: The NSFT Pride Committee
- Positive Impact Award: Jennifer Manson, Volunteer
- Spotlight Award: Alison Gamble, Financial Services Officer
- Star Award: David Brown, Intensive Support Team
- Special Recognition Awards: Jodie Millard, Staff Wellbeing Co-ordinator and Carl Coughlin, Lived Experience Knowledge and Understanding Framework Trainer