Pastoral Support team wins national award and commendation

Congratulations to the cross divisional Pastoral Support team on winning the national NHS England Pastoral Support Silver Award and receiving an NHS England Special Commendation.

The Pastoral Support Silver award was recently awarded to the team by Dame Ruth May, Chief Nursing Officer for England.

The team, comprising members from Medicine and Surgery Divisions, Practice Development & Education and Recruitment, won the award for their holistic support for Health Care Support Workers (HCSWs).

“We’re thrilled to be recognised for our dedication and drive to support all HCSWs, both new and experienced,” said Jude Ditton, Clinical Educator. “We provide wraparound support over their initial 12 months, including a two-week induction focusing on teaching the essentials of clinical practice, which correlates to the Care Certificate standards and preparation for practice.

“We follow this up with individual support from Clinical Educators, who work alongside each HCSW in clinical practice and provide practical and pastoral assistance as well as signposting them towards development opportunities.

“We hope that our pastoral care means that they feel supported, valued and listened to as an individual. The HCSW role is a valued and irreplaceable role within the NHS and we hope that we can continue to grow and develop our services.”

The NHS England Special Commendation was presented at a national shared learning event in London on 12 October and recognises the exceptional standard of the Pastoral Support Programme for HCSWs.

Louisa White, Senior Nursing Workforce Manager for the East of England, said: “This recognition is well-deserved and a testament to the dedicated efforts of the team in providing invaluable pastoral support to newly recruited HCSW members at the trust”.

Congratulations to all those involved across all the departments for their achievements and winning both the award and commendation:

  • SCEC Support Team: Natasha Adams, Sally Porter, Lyn Bygrave
  • Medicine Clinical Education: Danielle Rolfe, Kayleigh Foster, Lauren Cutter
  • PD&E (Training Team): Jude Ditton, Rochel Binas, Jess Joyce, Karen Webster, Karen Wade, Kerry Birch
  • HCSW Recruitment: Lynda Hogan, Sarah Bealing