For immediate publication
 
10 October 2018 

Celebrating the best of CNWL at Milton Keynes staff conference

A CNWL manager from Milton Keynes' new Home 1st Service was among seven award winners at a staff conference promoting innovation and wellbeing.

Karen French picked up the Milton Keynes Community Services Director's Award and also accepted the award for Placement of the Year for the Home 1st service - a service that supports people to finish their recovery in the comfort of their own home rather than in a hospital setting.

She joined with 290 members of staff who took time out from their busy schedule to listen to presentations about wellbeing and innovation and also to take part in an awards ceremony to take part in workshops during the event at The Ridgeway Centre at Wolverton Mill.

Karen's nomination read: "The Home 1st Project has been a massive undertaking and Karen has been the front person who took the concept and ran with it resulting in the final launch of Home 1st Services at the start of the year.

"This service has had an increasingly high profile across the whole health and social care economy and Karen's work within this has really done her and CNWL proud.

"She has been innovative, determined and dogged to get this service to where it is now; clearly she has a fabulous team, but she has been the inspirational leader.

"She is passionate about improving services for patients and passionate about her staff and services."

The Home 1st Service also received an award for Placement of the Year, which was presented by Milton Keynes Mayor, Cllr Martin Petchey.

The event also celebrated the 70th anniversary of the NHS.

To mark this, Cllr Petchey joined with Divisional Director Graeme Caul, Divisional Nursing Director Louise Morton, and Rami Jumnoodoo, Branch Secretary of UNISON, and Chair of Staff-Side (the joint negotiating committee) at CNWL, in helping cut a birthday cake.

Other award winners:

Service user representative Nick Canham, from Westcroft in Milton Keynes, received the Volunteer of the Year Award. Nick, who had been treated for an eating disorder until earlier this year, wanted to give something back to the service that helped him. Part of his nomination read: "His journey to recovery was moving and his dedication and keenness to share his story and support others is admirable and inspiring."

Out of County Placements Manager Nicky McCallum received the Milton Keynes Mental Health Services Director's Award. One reason was for his "tireless" work in reducing the number of external placements in Milton Keynes.

Mental Health Nurse Shirley Bonsu-Osei received the Mentor of the Year Award. One comment from a student read:  "Throughout my placement Shirley was always able to find time to help me with my concerns of medication administration and sharing detailed feedback on my progress, which supported me in the development of skills."

Specialist Dementia Nurse Kevin Saunders received the Excellence in Wellbeing Award. Part of his nomination read: "Kevin makes every effort to ensure his patients get the best possible care and support within nursing homes and has implemented ideas which have lifted the spirts of people living with dementia putting positivity in to their care.  Kevin has come up with ideas such as chicken therapy, a number of nursing homes now keep chickens.  He has also implemented the hydration stations and pimp my Zimmer frame."

The Infection Prevention and Control Team for Milton Keynes won the Excellence in Innovation Award. Its nomination read: "The team has been critical within the division in achieving 74.9% of front line staff being vaccinated against flu in the 2017 season. 

"This was the highest percentage across the Trust and should be celebrated and was only possible through the team's commitment, dedication and support that they provided to directorates, services and individual teams to be vaccinated." 

Divisional Director Graeme Caul said: "Our amazing staff provide absolutely outstanding work to the community day in and day out.

"This event gave us time to thank them for their work and to reflect on good practice. 

"To me, our staff are all winners. Well done all of you."  

Editors' notes

Two photos are attached. One shows Cllr Petchey with Karen French and Graeme Caul; the other shows (left to right): Divisional Nursing Director Louise Morton; Rami Jumnoodoo, Branch Secretary of UNISON, Divisional Director Graeme Caul and MK Mayor Cllr Martin Petchey.

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
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Tel: 020 3214 5756 e-mail:communications.cnwl@nhs.net