Nursing professionals, a library and knowledge manager and a dedicated volunteer are amongst the winners of this year’s You’re A Star Awards. The awards, organised by Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust, celebrate the work of extraordinary Care Trust staff and volunteers – the everyday heroes who have gone the extra mile to support local communities.

The You’re A Star Awards showcase the very best examples of outstanding care across Bradford, Airedale, Wharfedale, Craven and Wakefield.  Now in their eighteenth year, the awards are the highlight of the Trust’s calendar.

Members of the Executive team paid surprise visits to all finalists at their places of work, during a two week You’re A Star Awards celebration event, where the winners of the awards were revealed.

Staff and volunteers from across the district were recognised across seven award categories: Improvements and Innovation; Non-clinical Star/s; Service User, Carer and Volunteer Contributions; Team of the Year; Unsung Hero; Working Together and a new category introduced this year: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.  A panel of judges had the difficult task of choosing the award winners from across the Trust.

Andy Arnfield, Library and Knowledge Manager, scooped the award for the Unsung Hero Category. He stood out with judges for his kindness and the excellent guidance and support he provides to students working through their district nursing qualifications. Andy often goes above and beyond to ensure those in the infancy of their careers succeed.

Lisa Singleton, Community Team Leader for District Nursing and Helen Muff, Nurse Case Manager were the winners of the Working Together Award Category. The duo was selected for their work to enhance community care support and the experience and quality of care for people living in care homes, their families and their carers.

Emma Greenwood, Freedom to Speak Up Deputy Guardian, impressed judges to become the winner of the Non-Clinical Stars Award Category.  Emma has been described by colleagues as ‘a great listener, who is compassionate and professional’ when supporting colleagues through her role.

The winner of the Service User, Carer and Volunteer Contributions Award Category went to dedicated volunteer Matthew Riley, known for being a friendly, empathetic and a caring presence. Matthew has supported people on Trust wards, listening to concerns to positively impact patients’ experience and care.

The LRA App Development team were crowned the winner of the Improvements and Innovation Award Category. The team have come up with lifesaving technology with the development of a ligature risk assessments app that can enhance patient safety and provide real time risk assessments.

The winner of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Award Category went to the Beacon Network.   Standing out with judges for the pivotal role it plays in ensuring that equality, diversity, and inclusion are central to the Trust and in creating a safe and inclusive workplace that helps foster a positive experience for all.

The Care Trust’s Dementia Assessment Unit impressed judges with their caring and supportive approach to work and was crowned the winner of the Team of the Year Award category.  The team are known for their ‘can do’ attitude, going above and beyond to help colleagues and putting patients at the heart of care.

The Living our Values 2022 annual winners are selected from monthly award winners from the last 12 months who embody the Trusts values. They are:

The Patient Advice and Complaints team scooped the We Care Award category.  Amanda Stewart and the Intellectual Disability Trauma Informed Care team were crowned the winners of the We Deliver Award category and Airedale Intensive Home Treatment team were announced as this year’s We Listen Award category winners.

All the You’re a Star Awards winners received £750 to support their ongoing professional work to benefit people who use Care Trust services, courtesy of the event’s main supporter, Bradford-based Sovereign Health Care. Other supporters, that help to make the NHS awards a reality, include Davric Construction Projects Ltd and P+HS Architects.

Chair of Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust, Dr Linda Patterson said: “The You’re a Star Awards are a time to celebrate the work of outstanding individuals and teams over the last year. The awards reflect the extraordinary care our dedicated staff and volunteers deliver every day, often going above and beyond to ensure that people that use our services get the best possible care. Their dedication, enthusiasm and skill is making a real difference to the health and wellbeing for the people of Bradford, Airedale, Wharfedale, Craven and Wakefield.”

Videos of the winners and finalists at work can be found here.