Community healthcare staff who go above and beyond to support colleagues while making sure their patients receive the best possible care have been shortlisted as finalists for 10 special awards.

Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust (NCH&C) has revealed the shortlist for the Recognition of Excellence and Achievement in Community Health (REACH) Awards 2014. Included in the finalists are a combination of frontline clinical staff, such as nurses, therapists and doctors, along with those who work behind the scenes in admin and HR.

Over the past few weeks, the Trust has invited its staff to nominate any colleague or team they felt was worthy of special recognition. Around 170 separate entries were received, revealing a high standard of innovative and diverse work taking place across the NHS Trust. The shortlist was drawn up by a judging panel, from the Trust’s executive and non-executive teams, HR, and frontline staff, who tested teach entry against a set of criteria.

A total of 30 individuals and teams who have inspired their colleagues, improved patient care and achieved the very highest standards have been shortlisted. The winners will be announced during a sponsored awards ceremony on March 27, at Sprowston Manor, near Norwich, where the dedication and skill of all of NHC&C’s staff will be celebrated.

Michael Scott, NCHC&’s Chief Executive, said: “It’s fantastic that so many staff have been nominated for the REACH Awards. They all deserve recognition for their skill, dedication and commitment to provide a first class service, and for going that extra mile to provide the best care possible for our patients.

“What really became clear for us as judges was that it’s not only the big innovative projects that make an impact, it’s the small things that make a difference too. Providing compassionate care isn’t only about caring for a patient’s immediate needs, it’s about placing their wellbeing at the centre of the care we offer.

“It can be too easy to underestimate the importance of a smile, a kind word or gesture or a listening ear, all of which have the potential to turn a life around – our patients tell us this all the time in relation to many of our staff.

“The finalists’ stories demonstrate what can be achieved through dedication and compassion. They have all created environments where the patients and their colleagues feel supported, which ultimately impacts on the outcomes for our patients.

“The judging panel had a tough task selecting the finalists and we deliberated long and hard but, in the end, only three finalists in each category could go through and we were all in agreement on who they should be. I am really looking forward to meeting the finalists on the night as their stories and achievements are truly amazing.”

The finalists in each of the 10 categories are:

Clinical Excellence
o Christine Harvey, Modern Matron, South
o Libby ffrench-Mullen, Principal Speech and Language Therapist, Children’s Speech and Language Therapy Service
o Lucy Molineux, Community Link Nurse, Brundall and Acle Community Nursing and Therapy Integrated Team 

Emerging Talent
o Heidi Davidson, Learning Disabilities Nurse, Starfish West
o Nicola Smith, Community Physiotherapist, North Walsham Community Nursing and Therapy Integrated Team
o Lucy Softley, Pre-Nursing Experience Healthcare Assistant, Specialist Neurological Rehabilitation Inpatients Service, Caroline House, Norwich

Good Corporate Citizen
o Sharon Duneclift, Health Visitor, North and Broadland Health Visiting Team
o Michelle Hanke, Human Resources Assistant, Corporate Services
o Thetford and Watton Community Nursing and Therapy Integrated Team

Governors’ Recognition Award
o Care At Home Team, North
o Dorothy Simpson, Specialist Palliative Care Nurse, Community Palliative Care Service
o Ann Yaxley, Registered Nurse, Pineheath Ward, Kelling Hospital

Innovation
o ‘Mandy Tori’ Project Team, Corporate and Operational Services
o Talk About Project, Children’s Speech and Language Therapy Service
o Wanda Thompson, Team Lead, Virtual Ward and Coastal Community Nursing and Therapy Integrated Team

Inspirational Leader
o Becky Cooper, Assistant Director, North
o Jennifer Maddox, Clinical Link Nurse, Cromer Community Nursing and Therapy Integrated Team
o Darren Sayer and Rebecca Buss, Learning and Development Team, Corporate Services

Integration
o Sure Start Children’s Centres
o Central Children’s Integrated Team, Disability, Additional and Specialist Healthcare
o Starfish West, Learning Disabilities and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services

Looking After You Locally
o Linda Hatton, Heart Failure Nurse Specialist, Heart Failure Nursing Service, South
o Steve Judd, Communication Development Worker, Community Learning Disabilities Team, North
o Starfish+, Learning Disabilities and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services

Team of the Year
o Care at Home Team, North
o Specialist Neurological Rehabilitation Inpatients Service, Caroline House, Norwich
o Mobile Working Project Team

Unsung Hero
o Carla Nobrega-Holloway, Community Assistant Practitioner, City 2 Community Nursing and Therapy Integrated Team, Norwich
o Joanne White, Specialist COPD Nurse, COPD Service, West
o Adrian Willis, Physiotherapy Assistant, North Walsham MSK Physiotherapy Service

More details about the REACH Awards and the individual award categories are available at: www.norfolkcommunityhealthandcare.nhs.uk/reach-staff-awards-2014.htm