• REACH Awards 2022 background image

    REACH Awards 2022

    Recognition of Excellence and Achievement in Community Healthcare

2022 REACH Awards

NCH&C's staff recognition awards returned on Thu 27 October following a three-year break.

REACH stands for Recognition of Excellence and Achievement in Community Healthcare. These awards are our way of celebrating individuals and teams who have gone above and beyond in the call of duty.

Here are the winners and runners-up in each category:

Community Award, sponsored by Norse

This award recognises the individual or team that best demonstrates commitment to the NCH&C value of community. They will have made a significant impact working with others and their ability to develop effective relationships generate enthusiasm across the trust.

Winner:

NCH&C Charitable Fund Team

“Carol and Tracy have been instrumental in supporting staff to deliver the best care they can, and ensuring that our patients receive the best care we can provide, through the work of the charity. “They tirelessly promote the charity to secure sustainable fundraising in the most challenging of financial circumstances. Through their commitment and support, and by working together with each other and many more, they improve staff and patient experiences at NCH&C.”

 

Runner up:

NN2 Place Community Nursing Team

“The work the NN2 Team has completed as a collaborative has impacted patients significantly, providing positive experiences, attaining optimum outcomes for their patients, and leading the way in high quality, evidence-based care. They have set a high standard of care delivery with the patient at the heart of their actions, whilst providing each other effective peer support and review.

 

“The work this team has and continues to complete demonstrates commitment, support, and the ethos of working together to a high standard for the community.”

Compassion Award, sponsored by G4S

This award recognises the individual or team that best demonstrates commitment to the NCH&C value of compassion. They have made a significant impact on their own service and have developed effective relationships with their colleagues, consistently putting care and compassion at the forefront of their approach.

Winner:

Alan Dawson, Strategic Finance Manager

“Alan embodies the trust’s value of compassion in everything he does. He works diligently and with care in any work situation. In his role as a financial analyst this can sometimes lead to challenging conversations, which he always manages sensitively and with empathy.

“In addition to his main role, Alan has taken it upon himself to be a health and wellbeing champion to the team, and he has been key in the creation of the team’s staff engagement action plan. Alan is a real role model in compassionate leadership.”

 

Runner up:

Alex Wilson, Specialist Learning Disabilities Nurse

“Alex joined Starfish+ during 2020 and has since become a valued and admired team member. Alex is boundlessly compassionate about her work for the young people we work with, and for her colleagues. Alex always speaks clearly, coherently, and compassionately about every child we work with. Alex is also a compassionate colleague. She leads by example and always models and shows this value and ensures that she looks after the wellbeing of others.”

Creativity Award, sponsored by InHealthcare

This award recognises the individual or team that best demonstrates commitment to the NCH&C value of creativity. They have improved their service area by removing obstacles and by being innovative, going above and beyond to deliver results.

Winner:

Miranda Gretton, Marketing Communications Officer

“Miranda has shown an incredible example of creativity, with her creation of the trust podcast: Take a Moment with NCH&C, taking the project from scoping and concept, right through to successful implementation and ongoing continual improvement. The podcast has been beneficial to staff and external listeners alike. It has garnered wider interest from other trusts and service providers who wish to replicate something similar for themselves – this helps to put NCH&C at the forefront of creativity and innovation. Creativity is defined as the creation of something new and valuable. I think this is one of the strongest examples of creativity I have seen at the trust in a long time.”

 

Runners up:

Infection Prevention and Control Team

“At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, this team developed a drive-through screening service in the space of five hours. This was the first in the county, and one of the first in the UK. The team were part of the system response to business outbreaks by providing screening of up to 1,000 staff in factories. This brings us to today, whereby the team have provided screening in people’s own homes for Monkeypox.

 

“This fluidity of service has ensured the Norfolk & Waveney healthcare system was able to work to the best of its ability in incredibly challenging times. Ensuring staff were tested in the timeliest way and able to return to work as quickly as possible.”

 

Holly Hearle, Specialist Physiotherapist

“Holly has shown immeasurable creativity over the last two years, developing better systems at Caroline House to enhance the quality, effectiveness, and safety of patient care. You may have seen Holly in some trust communications as she developed a communication board for patients’ bedrooms, which displays all the necessary information to be able to provide bespoke, safe, and effective care, with a 24/7 rehab focus. Holly was instrumental in designing, piloting and then resourcing these boards for every in-patient bed at Caroline House. Holly has also been completing the Quality Champions Programme and has set-up a joint working clinic to enable physiotherapists from Specialist Services at the Colman Centre to work jointly with our community colleagues to support their management of complex patients. Whilst it is in its infancy, it has received great feedback from community staff.”

Rising Star Award, sponsored by The Candle Brand

This award recognises an exceptional student, trainee, apprentice, or someone in a development role, who demonstrates commitment to learning and developing in their career with the NHS.

Winner:

Robert Blowers, Nursing Assistant Practitioner

“Rob has a passion for Learning Disability care, which has been recognised externally by sharing his journey into LD nursing at the Fourth National Learning Disability Symposium. He has also raised awareness internally, writing an article for the Equality and Diversity Newsletter and supporting the trust’s Healthcare Assistant Recruitment webinar. Rob continues to promote his key catchphrase that ‘there is no age limit to get out there and train!’ Rob goes above and beyond his role to promote LD nursing, training, and to support the recruitment of LD nursing. Rob’s involvement at a national level shows the outstanding work he does to support the LD community.”

 

Runner up:

Jade Hutchinson, Administration Assistant

“Jade joined the trust in early 2021 as an apprentice, working with both the Central Booking and Single Point of Contact admin teams. Even as an apprentice, Jade was keeping up with the existing members of the team, completing her workload efficiently and accurately, asking the right questions and challenging appropriately.

 

“In 2022, Jade became a permanent member of the Central Booking admin team, and her skillset dramatically expanded, which it continues to do. Jade provides admin support for multiple clinical services, and has become incredibly quick, efficient, and accurate at whatever challenge is thrown at her. I look forward to seeing where her career takes her.”

Leading By Example Award

This award recognises a member of staff who has shown a natural ability to lead and support their colleagues, keeping teams connected while inspiring others to achieve great things. They are a mentor to staff and pass on their expertise to improve the effectiveness of their service.

Winner:

Alan Dawson, Strategic Finance Manager

“Alan is the finance, procurement, and charity teams’ wellbeing champion. He is highly proactive in this role, taking all opportunities to share good practice and encourage all those around him to lead healthier, better lives. Every team needs an Alan, and our Finance Team would not be as resilient and supportive without his energy and input. If all of us did 5% of what he did in everything we do, the difference to our teams would be amazing. The energy and enthusiasm Alan brings to his role, and his embedding of wellbeing into the way he works and lives, makes our teams think more about leading healthier lives.”

 

Runner up:

Emma Lunny, Deputy Director of Finance

“Emma demonstrates exceptional leadership qualities to her team, her peers and those in the wider Support Services teams. Throughout the pandemic, Emma successfully led the finance and procurement teams when they were facing unprecedented changes both in terms of working environments, but also the requirements placed on them. Outside of the pandemic, Emma has mentored and coached, and informally supported several aspiring leaders. Emma’s insight, strategic awareness and kind nature means she is approachable, warm but also incredibly talented in her profession and in leadership. Emma demonstrates a natural ability to lead and support not only her team, but her peers and colleagues across the organisation, inspiring personal and professional growth.”

Partnership working, sponsored by NCH&C Charitable Fund

This award recognises a team or individual working collaboratively and across team or organisational boundaries to improve services. They work as a truly cohesive partnership, those team spirit shines through.

Winner:

First Contact Practitioner Team

“The First Contact Practitioners team are based in GP practices and provide specialist musculoskeletal care to patients.

 

“After an initial pilot in Feb-March 2020, the service commenced in February 2021 at the height of the second major COVID-19 lockdown. Establishing a completely new service during one of the most challenging periods in the history of the NHS has been remarkable. The musculoskeletal team has demonstrated an incredible level of commitment and versatility. It is a service which has quickly become very recognisable and popular with both patients and GPs alike. It is a truly advanced and forward thinking service which encapsulates the principles of partnership working.”

 

Runners up: 

Adult Learning Disability Service

“In June, the Adult Learning Disability Service hosted an LD awareness event to support Learning Disability Week 2022, incorporating this year’s theme, “living with a learning disability”.

 

“The day saw some incredible partnership working, not only internally between adult learning disabilities, Starfish Services, and our closely linked NCC colleagues, but also the 13 other external agencies/organisations who participated in the event. The day provided a great opportunity for all professionals in both health and social care and charities to showcase all the amazing work they’re doing. This has now become a yearly event and a date in the diary for all, with organisations desperate to be a part of it, which is testament to the energy Heidi and many other LD clinicians put into the day.”

 

Acute Diabetic Foot Team

“The Acute Diabetic Foot Team is a small group of specialist podiatrists that provide specialist footcare interventions and support for patients with acute diabetic foot complications. Their aim was to identify and eliminate barriers to specialist foot care to improve patient and system outcomes. “They formed a system-wide working group, including representatives from all three providers of podiatry services, including clinicians, commissioners, and service managers. This team is amazing, with endless drive to not only provide great care with compassion but to lead, influence and act to improve care across multiple systems. This small team have achieved so much, and they truly deserve to be recognised for their efforts.”

Place Based Team of the Year, sponsored by Birketts

This award recognises a team or service within their Place or SSOCS that has demonstrated award-winning innovation and improved our services by using an innovative approach. Building on learning from others and best practice, the winner will have developed and implemented their ideas to make a difference.

Winner:

High Intensity User Team

“The High Intensity User team is a 10-person team based in Norwich which delivers an innovative approach to support some of the most vulnerable people in society with a goal of reducing frequent healthcare use.

 

“The team work above and beyond to identify and support clients at their most vulnerable time, helping to prevent frequent usage of multiple services system-wide. They always demonstrate compassion and kindness to each other whilst undertaking this challenging work. They have been truly flexible and adaptable and open to innovation and change. All members of the team have used what skills they could to help with the response to the pandemic, for example working in vaccination clinics at short notice, delivering vaccine supplies and working to help with social isolation in shielding patients. The team has worked quickly to implement the new Dialog+ framework. Using Dialog+ enables the HIU team to ask patients questions about their welling in a consistent way. The change has joined up the patient journey across NSFT, primary care and our organisation.”

 

Runners up:

Home First Hub/Virtual Ward (West)

“This team has demonstrated incredible innovation, creativity, and flexibility in rapidly implementing the national Discharge to Assess guidance.

 

“The Home First Hub was created in response to the pandemic and was rapidly implemented through seconding people from multiple
organisations. The team has then been on a continuous improvement journey; having a more sustainable service, working in a truly integrated way with partners, and ensuring the best patient experience possible. The focus has always been to enable patients to be supported at home wherever possible. The success of this team is not only down to everyone’s commitment and compassion but working as a multidisciplinary team across different partner agencies.”

Volunteer of the Year

This award recognises a volunteer who has gone above and beyond to help service users, carers, visitors, or staff. They are proactive in initiating new tasks to support staff, improve efficiency, and enhance patient experience.

Winner:

Ernie Pinch, volunteer at Priscilla Bacon Lodge (PBL)

“Ernie has been a member of the volunteer team at PBL since 2017 working as a ward volunteer almost 20 hours each week. As well as his outstanding commitment, empathy and hard work on the ward Ernie also meticulously maintains all the bird feeding stations in the PBL grounds which give a lot of pleasure to the patients. Ernie is 100% determined to make a difference to each patient and their loved ones going over and above completing the tasks on his role description. They all know him by name and often ask for him. On the rare occasion that Ernie takes any time off he is missed by everyone.”

 

Runner up: 

Gary Hamilton, Stockroom Support Volunteer at North Walsham Community Hospital

“Gary’s input is invaluable to ensure the smooth running of the NN2 community nursing team. Gary is great to have around too. He always seems to be happy and enjoys what he is doing, and I can’t thank him enough for the contribution that he pays to this team. As community nurses, we are always in a rush and busy, but you always know when Gary has been in because the storeroom looks amazing and clean. He is very friendly and always polite to staff. By having Gary’s help, it helps us deliver more nursing to people in their own homes.”

Outstanding Recognition Award, sponsored by VerseOne and Wagestream

This award recognises a staff member who has made an outstanding contribution to the delivery of safe, compassionate care for our patients and their families. They will have embodied our values of Compassion, Creativity and Community.

Winner:

Steve Worley, Head of Procurement

“During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Procurement Team played a vital role in sourcing and providing a range of vital products and equipment to the trust, including the all-important PPE.

 

From the beginning, Steve demonstrated stellar leadership and commitment to both his team, the organisation, and individual services across the trust. Steve also helped to cover the trust’s Incident Command Centre (ICC) and worked a different shift pattern, late evenings, and some weekends to support the seven-day, twelve-hour opening times of the ICC. Steve stepped outside of his comfort zone and area of expertise, he was willing to learn, grow and develop as part of a greater cause. He put others first and was a true role model to all those around him as we journeyed through the pandemic.”

 

Runner up:

Allison Coxon, Service Lead for Long-term Conditions & Specialist Nursing

“Alli has pioneered the development of the Post-COVID Service. She has pulled together a fantastic team of clinicians by using innovation, flexibility, and compassion. Alli creates a positive inclusive workplace.

 

“Despite overseeing many services, she always seems to have time for everyone. She always makes you feel valued and proud of the work you do. Above all, Alli always puts the patient at the centre of the decisions she makes and brilliantly uses her clinical experience and collaboration skills to make the Post-COVID Service the success it has been. Alli has been able to bring cohesion and unity to the team and takes a leading role in service development and improvement. Alli will always stop and help, whether patient or staff, she can be counted on as a loyal team member.”

Patient Choice Award, sponsored by Virgin Media Business

Nominated by patients, their carers, and family members, this award recognises a clinical team or staff member that has gone above and beyond the call of duty and has made an outstanding difference to our patients.

Winner:

Dr Josephine Scott, Specialist Clinical Psychologist

“In March 2020 I suffered a brain injury. I found it very difficult to come to terms with, and the whole situation was exacerbated by the pandemic. I was referred to Jubilee House and have been treated by Dr Scott. It is fair to say that she has single-handedly helped me through the most challenging experience of my life, and I cannot thank her enough. She is knowledgeable, astute, warm, intellectually curious, humorous, greatly empathetic, and adept at knowing when to draw one out or keep quiet. I have had to see various senior specialists because of my injury and have often felt patronised or an inconvenience. This most assuredly has not been the case with Dr Scott, who has skilfully used a variety of tools and techniques to adapt to what I have needed without self-consciously drawing attention to her own very evident expertise. I don’t like to think how I would have fared without Dr Scott’s support. I am extremely grateful for the help she has given me and believe she is most worthy of recognition.”

 

Runner up:

Anna Alpe, Community Link Nurse

“Anna has all the qualities that the public expect to see in a nurse. She cared for my mother and was calm, professional, and exuded compassion. Behind her mask you could see her eyes smiling. She had exemplar communication skills as she knew mum was fearful of medications and wanted to fight to the end. She was able to discuss the reason for symptom relief in her last 48 hours. The other amazing team members, who were all calm and professional, said they had been taught by Anna. In this busy and challenging world of the NHS, Anna put her patient at the centre of care, checked the family was ok, and went over and above liaising with primary care to ensure mum’s last few days were peaceful. Anna is a credit to NCH&C, nursing, and most of all patients that experience her care. As a family we cannot thank her enough.”

CEO’s Choice Award

Winner:

Carol Abel, Linen Chargehand 

Chair’s Choice Award

Winner:

Chioma Goodchild, Podiatrist and Freedom To Speak Up Guardian

REACH Awards - Stars