This award is an opportunity for patients, families, visitors, and Trust colleagues to say ‘thank you – you made a difference’ to a member of staff or a team for anything (however small!) that helped make their experience of our services better.

Our joint winners for May 2024 are:

Sam Major, Associate Sexual Health Advisor, iCaSH Norfolk, Norwich

Ellen Ballantyne nominated Sam on behalf of Kim Amies, Clinical Nurse Manager, for managing an extremely complex case recently, who had many vulnerabilities. Due to the complexities of the case, the patient scored quite low on the DASH (Domestic Abuse, Stalking and Honour-based violence assessment). Kim said: “Sam pushed this and managed to get the DASH referral accepted. It is to her credit that the patient felt able to disclose as much as she did as she stated she previously felt 'unheard' by other professionals. Sam continued to follow up the case and has also been in contact with Children's Services and there is now regular contact with the family, who are being supported by the domestic abuse support services. Sam has put in a lot of work in to ensure the vulnerabilities of this patient have been addressed and that a support plan is in place for her.”

“Sam has been an amazing support to all patients since starting with iCaSH Norfolk in March last year. She was also able to adapt her thinking 'on-the 'spot' as she thought she was going to be addressing one vulnerability and uncovered a lot of other issues. There was so much going on with this patient and Sam has managed this extremely well and has made such a difference to this patient's life and that of her children. She also presented the case at our most recent Reflective Practice for Norfolk so we could all learn from it.”

Jolomi Mogbeyiteren, Senior Physiotherapist, DynamicHealth - Huntingdon/Doddington locality

Sarah Saul nominated Jolomi for his "can do" attitude, his involvement with junior and student staff, his friendly caring manner, his willingness, his help and support, his kindness, his positive patient feedback and his passion for growth / development / learning, as well as his dedication and belief in the NHS and the care it delivers, making him a wonderful employee to have in her unit.

Sarah said: “We recruited Jolomi from Nigeria 2 1/2 years ago and moving here was a big decision for him and his family. It was always his dream to work within the NHS and "a dream come true" to get a position within our Trust. The recruitment and retention team especially Kirsten Clarke helped him relocate, find local accommodation to where he was going to work and help him settle in and get organised.

"Jolomi started with DynamicHealth as a Band 6 physiotherapist even though he had practiced for 6 years in his home country of Nigeria - this was important to both us and him so he felt in his comfort zone and able to start slowly and work up - it was an invest to save and the training, induction, grounding, peer support and buddy paid dividends and Jolomi is now going to train for a role of First Contact Physiotherapist by completing some university modules locally.”

Jolomi said " I have developed a strong keen interest in Primary care services as an MSK Physiotherapist. This has created a platform for me to apply and be accepted at the University of Hertfordshire for my First Contact Physiotherapist Part 1 course as I will love to pursue a career in First Contact Physio MSK Physiotherapy, do my injection and prescribing courses creating a pathway to become a very good Advanced Physiotherapy Practitioner."

Jolomi felt it was easy to settle in with the support given by the team and he said: "All CCS NHS MSK staff members (clinical and non-clinical staff) are willing to support and help when needed."

Sarah continued: “He receives excellent patient feedback and high levels of feedback from colleagues at work. When I chatted to Jolomi about international recruitment and how we do he said: "The best advice to international recruits is be calm but consistent with your learning, be open to learn/relearn/unlearn, ask for help when needed and never be afraid to and building a career pathway is a slow but steady process."

Jolomi's leads/seniors have said the following: "Jolomi is always very willing to help in any situation, and he gets really good patient feedback. He has really developed since starting with us, he has been very receptive to and acted on feedback and now continues his self-development with a Masters module."

"Jolomi consistently works hard and takes new challenges in his stride, he enjoys supporting others and I look forward to seeing him progress."

"Jolomi is an integral member of the physio team and is not only extremely compassionate and caring with his patients that he consistently receives really positive feedback from his patients, but also will go the extra mile to support the team and Trust. He is heavily involved in educating students, supporting the team with supervision and training and is an active member of the Cultural Diversity Network helping to support individuals and the trust through the network's work. He has also recently taken on further Master study to progress into a FCP role to add another string to his bow. We are very lucky to him and feel that he should rightly be recognised for all his work through the Shine a Light award."

Two examples of recent patient feedback: "Jolomi was the epitome of kind, helpful and thorough, and explained everything I needed to know and take home in great detail. I received everything I needed from my time with Jolomi."

"Before today, I have never been to a hospital appointment alone, and I was very nervous and quite scared to be having to manage the appointment by myself. The specialist who saw me, Jolomi, was so patient, informative, and kind. As soon as I walked in, he asked if I would feel more comfortable with a chaperone; I said no because he immediately helped me feel comfortable and at ease. I felt heard and seen, as well as fully informed and cared for. Jolomi was very thorough and explained every part of the appointment as we progressed, telling me why certain points were significant and how I can best use the information he gave me. I was emailed exercises to do and given a program to help with my self-management and regulation, and Jolomi explained everything in a simple way I could understand (no jargon) and any terms I did not know, he patiently went through them with me.

“Before my appointment, as I mentioned before, I was scared to come in; Jolomi totally took that fear away by just being his genuine, kind, pleasant self. I will be using the plan we made together, and I look forward to us checking my progress in six weeks. Thank you so much, Jolomi: you did so much more than equip me with a plan; you helped empower me to feel confident to come to the hospital by myself next time as well. Thank you."

Sarah said: “I am so proud of Jolomi, and we are so lucky to have him work within the NHS, within CCS NHS Trust, within DynamicHealth and within the Huntingdon/Doddington locality - Thank you Jolomi for your work with us so far.”

Outstanding winners this month!

Other nominations this month included:

Liz Walker, Specialist Housing Children Occupational Therapy, CYP Cambridgeshire
Liz was nominated for an evaluation of a young girl's special needs and how it impacted the family. The mother said: “Liz wrote an accurate report, which helped us get home adaptations. These adaptations have made a massive difference to our daughter as well as to her co-triplets and to us as parents.

“Liz also helped us a few months later when the adaptations needed to be completed. Liz understood us and was able to identify with our needs. We think she is very special and that she deserves recognition. She knows her job and she has the compassion and kindness that is needed for it.”

Zoe Nutt, Health Visitor, 0-19 Luton Children Services
Karen Mustoe nominated Zoe for always going over and above in her work with families in Luton. Karen said: “She often works late into the evenings to ensure her record keeping is up to date. She has had amazing feedback from families she has worked with recently.”

Luton Adult Admin team
Marie Fernandes nominated the adult team from managers to colleagues, for all being shining stars. Maria said: “You accept me on your team and have been supporting me so much I don't have enough words to thank you.”

Kim Millighan, Recruitment Administrator, Luton
Marie Fernandes nominated Kim for being “an amazing person who is there to support us all, always helping everyone. Thank you, Kim you are a shining star.”

Sarah Mugford, Practice Lead, 0-19 Services Shefford and Biggleswade, Bedfordshire
Sarah was nominated by Michelle Hill for stepping up to perform both the practice lead role and the team lead role, without being asked and without expectation. Michelle said: “Sarah has been an excellent source of support, containment and operational management, way over and above her practice lead role. Her kindness, care, and ability to be flexible has ensured the teams have not crumbled or felt overwhelmed in the absence of the team lead. She has done all of this with a smile on her face and a nothing is too much attitude and has been marvellous. I would really like to acknowledge how much she has done, and how amazing her support has truly been.”

Claire Taylor, Assistant Practitioner, Norfolk Healthy Child Programme
Claire was nominated by Rebecca Twiddy for completing some amazing work with engaging fathers / grandfathers / families in these communities, engaging a hard-to-reach community. Rebecca said: “Claire has made incredible links and offers ongoing support on sites to ensure their voice is heard and improving the outcomes for children and families in their community. We feel proud to have Claire as a part of our team in west locality and want to say thank you and continue the great work!”

Charlie Miller, Improvement and Transformation Specialist, Improvement and Transformation Team
Sarah Denmead nominated Charlie for being instrumental and a key part of the development of the Virtual Ward work streams ensuring collaborative working between organisations. Sarah said: “Being new to a role looking more at implementation of new pathways and services Charlie has been a great support to myself and I am sure our wider teams/colleagues. Charlie always ensures to include myself/ELFT in discussions so we are kept in the loop as to developments and asks, even if Charlie does not have the answer he will support to find out. This is just a way as to recognise Charlie and all his hard work over the past 12-18 months and say thank you from myself/ELFT.”

Maria Bousted, Health Visitor, Healthy Child Programme Bedfordshire
Maria was nominated by Victoria Marsh for her exceptional dedication and tireless efforts in supporting a family in the Bedford area. Victoria said: “Maria has wholeheartedly embraced the ‘Think Family’ approach, ensuring that every child and adult in both the immediate and extended family is considered and cared for. Her commitment is exemplified by her proactive support for a grandmother struggling to cope at home, making a referral when no one else had thought to do so. Maria has forged a strong bond with the family, navigating complex and challenging decisions with empathy and professionalism.

“Maria's unwavering dedication to safeguarding the children and adults within this family is truly remarkable. She understands the critical importance of safeguarding in her role and approaches it with diligence and passion. Despite the considerable time and effort required, Maria never complains and consistently excels in her responsibilities. The safeguarding team and I extend our heartfelt gratitude to Maria for her extraordinary efforts and commend her for the positive impact she has made on this family's lives. Her work embodies the highest standards of care and compassion, and she is truly deserving of this recognition.”

Helen Donnelly, Specialist Orthoptist, Community Eye Service, Luton
Helen was nominated by Aisha Raja for being an outstanding member of staff for many years but especially over the course of the last year she has gone above and beyond. Aisha said: “She provides an excellent service to the patients and has on many occasions received compliments from patients in CCS and in the Luton & Dunstable Hospital. She provides an excellent stroke outpatient and on ward service on behalf of the eye service, she takes into consideration the entire patient journey and not just a singular appointment. She provides as many resources as possible and sign-posting to patients and their families following a stroke which is extremely reassuring and comforting to parents.”

Tom Goddard, Administrator, MSK Physio - Wisbech - Rowan Lodge
Geraldine Stephenson nominated Tom for going above and beyond to assist a patient who presented to the reception of DynamicHealth physio service. Geraldine said: “The patient and carer attending with them did not speak any English - with Bulgarian being their only language. Using Google Translate Tom was able to ascertain the patient’s name, but whilst checking the booking system there was a power cut within the department. Tom asked them to take a seat in the DynamicHealth waiting room and once the power was reestablished Tom was able to ascertain that they were not there for an appointment within his working department. He took time with the patient and carer to establish why they had attended, and they advised they had received a call and been asked to attend for physio – during the exchange Tom became aware of a recent illness affecting the patient which gave an inclination as to where the appointment might be scheduled to take place.

“Due to the patient’s obvious mobility issues Tom retrieved a wheelchair and took the patient to the appropriate department. As there was no reception staff in the department Tom did his best to ensure the patient would be seen and was indeed now in the correct place for that appointment – but his efforts were unsuccessful. He was however furnished with a telephone number that he “could try.” Tom therefore returned to his desk, reassuring the patient and carer that he would return once he had made a few calls, unable to get a reply Tom took his own personal mobile back to the department where the patient was waiting and after a few calls was able to ascertain that the patient was due for a home visit and there was in fact no need for them to attend the hospital.

“During this Google translate conversation with the patient and carer, the carer received a call on their mobile from the physio who was outside their home – Tom was therefore able to speak to that physio and explain that the patient was at North Cambs Hospital and that it had not been made clear to the patient that the scheduled appointment would be a home visit – the outcome was that the physio advised Tom they would attend North Cambs and Tom was able to confidently advise the patient and carer to remain within the department and that the physio would be a further 5-10 mins but would arrive for the patient to be seen.”

Amazing examples of our wonderful staff going above and beyond - well done to everyone nominated this month!