Glasgow City HSCP’s (Health and Social Care Partnership) Staff Awards for Excellence 2022 took place as a virtual event this year on 26 October. The Awards recognise and celebrate individual staff, teams and projects who have ‘gone the extra mile’ in their work in a number of categories.

Both Health and Social Work staff working within our HSCP, whether in a frontline or business support role, were eligible to be nominated. There was also an awards category for volunteers, and individuals outwith the HSCP could be nominated.

Winners of each award category will be invited to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s (NHSGGC) Celebrating Success Awards to be held in Spring 2023, at which the overall winner for our HSCP will be announced.

This year’s awards were hosted by our HSCP’s Chief Officer, Susanne Millar, and the Chair and Vice Chair of our Integration Joint Board (IJB), Councillor Chris Cunningham and Simon Carr. Along with them, Sharon Wearing (Chief Officer, Finance and Resources) and Gary Dover (Assistant Chief Officer, Primary Care and Early Intervention) announced category winners and commendations.

Susanne said: “I was genuinely delighted to take part in our staff awards, and it’s one of the events in my calendar that I look forward to each year. It’s so important for us to take time to recognise our staff and appreciate the work that they all do. To pick people out is really challenging. They’re all winners, and people have taken time to write these nominations to show how much they appreciate the work that they all do and how they have a positive impact on our patients, service users, carers and their families.” 

In total 116 nominations were received from across the HSCP. After reviewing and shortlisting the nominations, a judging panel made awards and commendations in each of the five categories. Awards were made as follows.

Team of the Year

Winner: The Ukrainian Crisis Response Team

The team was assembled in rapid response to the Scottish Government's commitment to support and resettle Ukrainians fleeing the ongoing war in Ukraine. The team hit the ground running and have been responding and adapting daily to the ever­changing situation where children and families are arriving in Glasgow with minimal possessions, often exhausted after long journeys.

Since being established, the team has been successfully matching individuals to sponsors in the community who have stepped up to support Ukrainians in their own homes. The team is made up of 11 colleagues who offer information, support, advice and advocacy for refugees, and they signpost to other services within the Local Authority that can provide extensive support to the families when they are resettled. They also provide practical support and advice to help people rebuild their lives in Scotland.

Commendation: The Residential Older People’s Services Team

The service provides 24-hour care and support for 550 older adults with complex needs across our HSCP’s five care homes, which are Orchard Grove, Riverside, Meadowburn, Victoria Gardens and Hawthorn House.

Over the last two years, with the immense challenges that the COVID pandemic has presented us with as an organisation, staff within Older People Residential services have continued to offer care and support to residents and their families. Residential staff worked under unbelievable pressure with an enormous responsibility to care for some of our city’s most vulnerable people.

Leader of the Year

Winner: Anna Toland, Team Leader, Older People’s Services

During the height of the COVID pandemic, Anna carefully adapted service delivery within Older People’s services in response to very challenging circumstances. Anna also ensured that the wellbeing of all team members was considered and prioritised, meaning they felt much less isolated. Anna has established a very strong team ethos which made adapting to new ways of working easier. She supports her team and other colleagues on a day-to-day basis, whether in the context of being the Duty Team Leader or offering supervision or regular support to others.

Commendation: Eileen McDade, Team Leader, Counselling and Support Services at Sandyford

The team provides therapeutic support to people who have experienced childhood sexual abuse, as well as rape and sexual assault. Eileen’s team nominated her because she leads by example and has the exact balance that is required to develop great working relationships with all.

Employee of the Year

Winner: Ian Ferguson, Social Worker, Mental Health Team, Florence Street Mental Health Resource Centre

Ian received many nominations from staff. He has a fountain of knowledge and is always willing to share this with others. Ian always makes himself available to service users in crisis, responding in a way that is supportive, considered and without judgement. He has an in-depth understanding of mental health and wellbeing. During the last two years, the service has been under extreme pressure and Ian has provided emotional and practical support to colleagues, ensuring they felt valued and empowered in their role.

Commendation: Jean Carson, NHSGGC Prison Healthcare

Jean has made an incredible contribution to the nursing team at HMP Low Moss. In December 2021, Low Moss staff nurse team had 66% vacancies, and the four staff consisted of two staff new to prison health care and two nurses who qualified four months earlier. Jean agreed to work for three days per week post retiral and transfer to HMP Low Moss to support this staff group. Her organisational and motivational skills and nurse and life experience were a significant influence in service delivery and assisting to prepare for a HIS Inspection earlier this year in February.

Volunteer of the Year

Winner: The Peer Naloxone Programme Team Champions

Peer mentors were recruited to support the peer delivery of Naloxone training and distribution to people leaving prison immediately before their liberation. This service is unique, and the mentors have had the opportunity to influence the lower number of deaths recorded in Scotland that are attributed to substance misuse.

Peer Champions participate in a number of training sessions delivered by both Health Improvement staff and external trainers. These training sessions equip the mentors with the knowledge and skills to carry forward their peer mentor role. Peer Champions provide evidence-based overdose prevention messages, help to dispel myths and encourage safer drug using practices that minimise the harms and risks to their peers. Peer Champions offer Naloxone training and issue Nyxoid (Nasal Spray Naloxone) to their peers the night before liberation.

There are currently 14 volunteers across Prison Health Care (PHC) in HMP Low Moss and HMP Barlinnie. Since the Programme went live in November 2021, the volunteers have delivered training in overdose awareness and the use of Naloxone to 473 people leaving prison and returning to communities across Scotland. Eighty-three percent of these people accepted Naloxone for the first time. The aim is to increase the uptake of Naloxone, helping make communities that people return to safer and contributing to the reduction of drug deaths in Scotland.

Commendation: Mark Howie, Senior Officer, Business Development

Mark is an HSCP employee within the Business Development Team, however his volunteering is not job-related. Mark has gone above and beyond within his community. He volunteered from the start of the COVID pandemic, helping to deliver food packages and fresh lunches to some of the most vulnerable and senior residents within the Cardonald Community.

Many of these residents were isolated from their families and the connection from Mark provided them with a lifeline to the outside world.

During this time, it became clear that this connection was vital for many of these residents of whom many are in their 80s and 90s. The food service is still currently provided and is also now a befriending service.

Over the last few years, Mark has provided this service and has given up much of his spare time to do so. He’s also liaised with his community’s local stores to secure support and generous donations.

Innovation of the Year

Winner: Older People Residential and Day Services and Care Home Liaison Psychology Service

Our HSCP operates five care homes for older people supporting 550 residents, helping residents to flourish within safe and homely environments. The COVID pandemic had a significant impact on how services have been delivered over the past two years, no less than in how social care staff have responded. The service employs over 700 staff.
One of the key focus for the service during this time has been staff wellbeing, and how we could help them remain both physically and psychologically well in order to be able to cope with the demands and pressures of the pandemic.

To do this, the service worked in collaboration with Psychological services of NHSGGC to develop a ‘20 Minute Care Space’, which all staff were able to access.

This approach was identified as best practice within the recent Scottish Government publication ‘Healthcare Framework for Adults living in Care Homes: My Health ­ My Care ­ My Home’.

Commendation: Abortion Care Team at Sandyford

The entire Abortion Care service at the start of COVID restrictions was restructured to become a telemedicine model, to ensure women continued to receive care in a timely manner. The changes made have been replicated across Scotland as a national example of excellent practice to ensure safe and effective patient care at all times.

The increase in home delivery service meant easier access for patients, whilst 'at­home' procedures reduced the need for a significant number of day bed requirements in the acute sector.

Overall, the new service model has been beneficial to patients, with less travel, less hospital attendances, less costs, and to the organisation, economically both in staffing and resources.