And the winners are...

Well done to all of our winners and our shortlisted finalists at The Stars Awards evening, you should all be very proud.

The winner of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Award is... The Participation and Engagement Team for ensuring that our community, patients, and services users have their voices and concerns are heard.  

Well done team

The finalists were: 

Name Division
Clare Rose Corporate division
Community Inclusion Team (CIT) Corporate division
Nina Falade Community Care division
Participation and Engagement Team Mental Health Care division
Rachel Albrecht Mental Health Care division

Below are a list of all those nominated for this award.

Abdi Ahmed
Claire Dutton
Clare Rose
Community Inclusion Team (CIT)
Ed Kelly and Ann Taylor
Karl Smith, Ann Taylor and Edward Kelly
Kieran Armstrong
Nina Kabaa-Jones
Participation and Engagement Team
Rachel Albrecht
RECONNECT

 

The winner of the Creativity and Innovation Award was…   

St Helens Recovery Team for supporting our service users to use their strengths at their gardening group.

Well done to our Preceptorship Development Team for being highly commended.

Well done teams

The finalists were:

Name Division
Fern Ward Mental Health Care division
Preceptorship Development Team Corporate division
St Helens Recovery Team - Gardening group Mental Health Care division
UCOPE and Student Liaision Service Mental Health Care division
Unilink Project Team Secure Care division

Below are a list of all those nominated for this award.

Advanced Clinical Practitioners
Astley Ward
Eleanor Besant
Fern Ward
ICRAS Community Discharge Matron Team
ICRAS - North Sefton (Zoe Skelton, Clare Boaler and Karen Ryder)
ICRAS Transfer of Care Hub
Joanne Rogers
John Kilshaw
Julie Spencer
Kerry Roberts
Life Rooms (Secure)
Lisa Martin and Dave McNabb
Liverpool School Health Team
Lynne Morrison
Mary Hargreaves
Medicines Management Clinical Informatics Team
Mersey Care Community PEF Team - Karen Deane and Lee Carruthers
Neuromodulation Team
Nicola Saadati
Older Adults Community Hub - Halewood, Huyton, Whiston
Paediatric Therapies Team
Patient Safety
Physical Activity Workers (PAW)
Preceptorship Development Team
Quality and Compliance Team/Business Intelligence Team
Rebecca Ratcliffe
Research and Evaluation Team
Sandra Watkins, Alison Murphy and Wendy Porter
Sefton Long COVID
Silver Birch Hubs, Natalie Patterson
Simon Craske
Sophie Kenny
St Helens Neurodevelopment Team
St Helens Recovery Team - Gardening Group
Street Triage Car Service
The CYPMHS Programme of Change Leads (Dave Mulholland, Lisa Simpson and Trish Mattison)
The Fibromyalgia Project Team - Michelle Cunneely, Paula Dixon, Emily Clarke, Joanne Lunt and Kate McGuire)
The Life Rooms Mid Mersey Team
Trusted Assessors
UCOPE and Student Liaision Service
Unilink Project Team - Julie Mealey, Project Manager, Jacob Henderson, Clinical Systems Administrator, Dragana Jovanoskia, Catering Team Manager, Emma Hyland, Dietitian, Neil McAdam, Clinical Service Manager (HSU), Kristen Humphreys, Ward Manager (on behalf of wards), Paul Thomas, Clinical Services Manager (MSU and LSU), Michele Anderton, Director of Security, Gill Elms, Deputy Director of Security, David Williams, Estates, Lee Harding - Desktop Support and Michele Vibrans, Patient Shop.
Zoe Owen

 

The winner of the Volunteer of the Year Award was our Hollins Park Chaplaincy Team for making a HUGE difference to the wellbeing of our patients and staff.   

Well done to Joseph Jones for being highly commended for his work as a meet and greeter at Clock View Hospital.

The finalists were:.

Name Division
Hollins Park Chaplaincy Team Mental Health Care division
Joesph Jones Corporate division
Kelly Burrows Corporate division
Ken Long Corporate division
Steve Aird Community Care division

Below are a list of all those nominated for this award.

DD Gardening Volunteer at Hollins Park
Hollins Park Chaplaincy Team
Joseph Jones
Kelly Burrows
Ken Long
Pippa Witter
Steve Aird
The Chaplaincy Team

The winner of the Learner of the Year Award was Dhanya Pillai for her enthusiasm to learn and adapt after coming to Mersey Care from a different country. Dhanya has built up therapeutic relationships with both our staff and patients.   

Well done Dhanya

The finalists were:

Name Division
Alison Aitken Community Care division
Dhanya Pillai Secure Care division
Dr Elizabeth Chamberlain Mental Health Care division
Erin Devlin Corporate division
Kim Matthews Community Care division

 

Below are a list of all those nominated for this award.

Alison Aitken
Dhanya Pillai
Dr Elizabeth Chamberline
Emma Wilkinson
Erin Devlin
Fatima Sharif Ali
Felicia Hodjii
Gabriella Hall
Hannah Wilson
Katy Reeve
Kim Matthews
Kimberley Cawley
Lesley Mooney
Leticia Bernal
Lucie Devine-Penman
Marie Pickervance
MCAS Knowsley
Michael Turner
Paige Anderton
Paul Bousique-Green
Samantha Hemans
Shruti Joshi
Stephanie Hewitt
Tasmin Denny
Vicky Harris

 

The winner of Just and Learning Culture Award was the Musculoskeletal Team for demonstrating their positivity, teamwork, and willingness to embrace the Just and Learning Culture.

Well done team

Finalists were:

Name Division
Julie Spencer Community Care division
Musculoskeletal Team Community Care division
Paula Orme Community Care division
St Helens Community Podiatry Service Community Care division
Yasmin Majeed Corporate division

Below are a list of all those nominated for this award.

Julie Spencer
Kat Silcock
MSK Team
Paula Orme
Sefton Place Leadership
St Helens Community Podiatry Service
Yasmin Majeed

The winner of Health and Wellbeing Award went to The School Health Team for raising awareness of potential threats and dangers, in a fun and interactive way to our young people.

Well done team.

Finalists were:

Name Division
Bootle Green District Nursing Team Community Care division
Inayah Robinson-Greenidge Corporate division
Muscular Skeletal Assessment Service Knowsley Community Care division
School Health Team Community Care division
Specialist Perinatal Service Community Care division

Below are a list of all those nominated for this award.

Adele Doyle
Amy Poole
Bootle Green District Nursing Team
Churchtown District Nursing Team
Erica Daly and Riverside District Nursing Team
Inayah Robinson-Greenidge
Jennifer Gavin
Laura Clark
Leah Jones
MCAS Knowsley
School Health 5-19 Service
School Health Team
Specialist Perinatal Service (Physical Health and Wellbeing QI group)
Zero Suicide Alliance (ZSA)

 

The winner of Team Health and Performance Award went to Blake Ward, for continually demonstrating their commitment to providing the highest standard of care to some of the most complex and unwell patients.

Well done team.

The Finalists were:

Name Division
Blake Ward Secure Care division
Childrens Community Bladder and Bowel Service Community Care division
Early Supported Discharge Team Community Care division
Greater Manchester Specialist Support Team Secure Care division
Knowsley Childrens Community Nursing Team Community Care division

Below are a list of all those nominated for this award.

Alt Ward
Blake Ward
Care Home Liaison Team Warrington
Childrens Community Bladder and Bowel Service
Churchtown District Nurse Team
Community Nursey Nurse - Central Team 6
District Nurses Knowsley Teams
Dr Rath and Corric
Early Supported Discharge Team
EPRR Team
Greater Manchester Specialist Support Team
Homelessness Outreach Team
Knowsley Childrens Community Nursing Team
Liverpool Community Phlebotomy Service
Liverpool Wheelchair Service
Longmoor House
Michael Allcock and Knowsley Children in Care Team
Newton and Slaidburn/H Rosendale, G Clegg, P Searle
Preceptorship Development Team
Rapid Response Team
School Health Team
Southport Health Visitor Team (Hampton and Hoghton)
Warrington MHST

 

The winner of Excellence in Leadership Award was Sarah Pilling for demonstrating courage , passion, confidence, commitment, ambition and for nurturing the strengths of other managers. ​​​​​​

Well done Sarah

The finalists were:

Name Division
Gareth Jensen Community Care division
Lucy Howarth Community Care division
Owen Winsland Mental Health Care division
Peter Styzaker (RNMH) Community Care division
Sarah Pilling Secure Care division

Below are a list of all those nominated for this award.

Aimee Topping
Alexandra Close
Amelia Woodhouse
Andrew Hull
Ashley Freeman
Becky Shaw
Charlotte Jewell
Cheryl Parr
Claire Gibbsons
Clare Grierson
Danielle Thompson
Donna Clark
Dr Ruth O'Shaughnessey
Elaine McLean
Elisha Marsden
Emma Heeley
Gabriella Hall
Gabrielle Archer
Gareth Jensen
Graham Donaldson
ICRAS Community Discharge Matron Team
Jade Foran
Jennifer Gavin
Jennifer Hesketh
Joanna Worswick
Julia Musker
Julie Spencer
Justine Maher
Karen Robinson/Karen Ryder
Kate Massey
Kayte Bond
Kelly Palethorpe
Kim Catton
Kirsty Jones
Knowsley Looked After Childrens Team
Laura Moore
Linda Seerey
Lisa Kenwright
Lisa Weston
Liza Alexandra and Natalie Briggs
Lucy Howarth
Lynn Schinkel
Maria Kelly
Melaine Harrison
Michael Turner
Nicola Byrne
Nikki Willinski
Nisha Jose
Owen Wisland
Paula Leatherbarrow
Peter Styzaker (RNMH)
Rebecca Denson
Ruth O'Shaughnessy
Sarah Herlihy
Sarah Pilling
Scott Westwood
Sharon Burke
St Helens and Knowsley CYP Team Managers
Trusted Assessors
Warrington SLT

 

The winner of the Research Achievement Award was Oladayo Bifarin, for increasing the visibility of research and innovation as an integral part of our clinical workforce development and also in patient outcomes.

Well done Oladayo

The winner of Your Choice Award is…​​​​  was Nicola Maddock who recently had a significant role in the planning, co-ordination and delivery of specialist palliative care for a very brave 23 year old patient and her family.

Well done Nicola

The finalists were:

Name Division
Albert Ward Mental Health Care division
Carer Engagement Team Corporate division
Liverpool Community Equiptment Service Community Care division
Nicola Maddock Community Care division
Side-by-side complex needs Corporate division

Below are a list of all those nominated for this award

Albert Ward
Amy Harvey
Ann Brunskill
Barry Eccles
Benedict Brown
Carer Engagement Team
Catering Team Rowan View
Cheryl Taylor
Cheshire and Mersey Specialist Perinatal Service
Childrens Community Bladder and Bowel Service
Childrens Community Nursing Knowsley
Elaine Raynard
Emma Welsby
Halton Mental Health Support Team in Schools
Hayley Phennah
ICRAS
ICRAS and Longmoor Admin Team
Jade Corbridge
James Scholey
Jessica Edwards
Jo-Anne Nash and team
John Ludden
Joy Cropper
Katie Nicholls
Knowsley Children's Looked After Service
Leon Farley
Liverpool Community Equiptment Service
Liverpool Long COVID Service
LLAMS Halton
Louise Houghton
Marie Ventre
Samantha Hewitt, Medicines Management Team
Melissa Holt
Michelle Bilsbarrow
Newton Ward
Nicola Ashes
Nicola Maddock
Nikki Corns
Peer Support Workers in Silver Birch Hubs, Maternal Mental Health Service
Peter Boden
Phillip Harris
Phlebotomy
Rebecca Mann
Samantha Guest
Scott Parker
Shona Brennan
Side-by-side complex needs - project team
Stephanie Troughear
Strategic Programmes and Development
Tawfix Elhaj-Houssen
The Vauxhall District Nursing Team
Tracy Collard
Transfer of Care Hub
Wesman Baker

The winner of the Quality Award was Southport Older Adult Community Mental Health Team for upskilling their staff, identifying training opportunities and for reducing their waiting times.   

Well done to the Patient Safety Team for being highly commended

Finalists were:

Name Division
Paediatric Therapies Community Care division
Patient Safety Corporate division
Rydal Ward Mental Health Care division
Silver Birch Hubs Community Care division
Southport Older Adult Community Mental Health Team Mental Health Care division

Below are a list of all those nominated for this award.

Amanda Evans
Amanda Martin
Astley Ward
Bladder and Bowel Team
Business Support Team
Catherine Lovejoy
Childrens Community Bladder and Bowel Service
Chloe Webb
Chris McHale
City Complex Lives Intergrated Care Team via Katy Wafer
Continuing Healthcare Team
Eden Ward, Rowan View
Eleanor Besant
Estates Planning Team
Gaynor Chisnall and Knowsley and St Helens Immunisation Teams
Halton Mental Health Support Team in Schools
ICRAS
ICRAS Clinical Coordinators
ICRAS Community Discharge Matron Team
ICRAS Coordination Team
Intravenous Therapy Team
Joanne Williams
Jukanti Raju
Knowsley MHST
Knowsley Unscheduled Care Admin (SPOA) team
Knowsley Wheelchair Service 
Liverpool Children and Young Peoples Services
Mary Hargreaves
Matron Group HSS
MCAS Knowsley
Melanie Harrison and St Helens Neurodevelopment Pathway Team
Mental Health Liaison Team
Nicola McNulty
Okey Ibuza
Older Adults Community Hub St Helens
Paediatric Speech and Language Therapy Team - Knowsley
Paediatric Speech and Language Therapy Team - St Helens
Paediatric Therapies
Paediatric Therapy Team
Patient Safety
Rachel Farrell 
Rachel Shan
Rathbone and Hollins Park Low Secure Teams
Research and Evaluation Team
Rydal Ward
Sharon Burke
Sharon Taylor-Jessop
Silver Birch Hubs, Maternal Mental Health Service
Single Point of Access - Knowsley
Southport Older Adults Community Mental Health Team
Specialist Perinatal Service - Knowsley, St Helens, Warrington and Halton
St Helens and Knowsley CYP Team Managers

St Helens Neurodevelopment Pathway Teams

St Helens Neurodevelopment Pathway
St Helens Neurodevelopment Pathway (0-19)
St Helens Primary Care Service
Step Forward Mental Health Leads and Assessment Practitioners
Tracey Collard
Walk-in Centres/Urgent Treatment Centres
Yasmin Majeed
Zoe Mulholland

 

The winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award was Margaret Fillingham, for many years has been the heart and soul of the team in Iris and Taylor Ward. Margaret always goes above and beyond to provide support to her team and patients.   

Well done Margaret

Name Division Reason for nomination
Ann San, Community Matron Community Care Division Ann is an exceptional woman whose first foray into Nursing came at the age of 29 where she left a job in Littlewoods to follow in the footsteps of a long line of nurses in her family. After working in Intensive Care, then a long spell working as a manager on a surgical unit, she came to work as a Community Nurse. Anne was one of the first Community Matrons that started in 2005 – this was a pioneering job that was engineered to effectively case manage patients with Long Term Conditions, helping them to better manage their care at home and prevent unnecessary admissions. Ann excelled in this, her fantastic people skills built up tremendous relationships with Primary Care, Secondary Care, Community Care and most importantly her patients and their families who have without exception, always valued and adored her. She has done this role for almost 2 decades, and as well as providing the vital support, care and devotion to her patients and their carers, has also been a massive support to her colleagues.
Ann became a Staff Governor during the pandemic, after what she described as 'seeing first hand the effect of the Pandemic on colleagues. Experienced nurses…cracking under the strain….or leaving due to the stress… they felt vulnerable and scared.’
Ann wanted to be their 'voice’ and boy what a voice she was! Never too shy to avoid awkward questions or situations…she would always be there no matter what! Having a 'gut instinct' and desire to fix what wasn't right has always been Ann's forte and we all need a friend like that!
And during all this, Ann was going through her heartbreaking trauma at home caring and supporting her beautiful daughter, Jen who sadly died aged 41 after battling breast cancer for five years. Jen, like Ann, was a warrior who fought til the end. She had been brought up to always help others, and was a child protection social work manager. Ann has always said that to support patients and families was one of the greatest honours and privileges and has paid tribute to the amazing care and support her late daughter received. I think it is only fitting that we say a massive thank you to this exceptional nurse, whom I am so proud to know, who has just retired from our Trust last week.
Donna Wilk Cardillo famously said that, 'Nurses are the heart of healthcare.'  I would say that Ann has always been the heart, providing care, comfort and compassion but she has also been the backbone at times, supporting those around her and giving the right structure and support to her team, her patients and their carers. Thank you Ann for everything. You will be sorely missed love!. xxxx
Elaine McCormick, Operational Service Manager Community Care Division Elaine commenced her NHS career on the 2nd February 1983 as an auxillary nurse on a care of the elderly ward at the Royal. She spent the first 22 years of her career working in secondary care, before making the move into community services, and as she says "the rest is history". Elaine took opportunity to undertake her nurse training in 2005, subsequently completing her SPQ and becoming a District Nurse Team Lead, and latterly moving into an Operational role.
Elaine is kind, compassionate and caring, she supports the teams that she leads, keeping patient safety and staff wellbeing her upmost priority. Elaine is reactive and flexible to the priorities and needs of the service, this was evidenced in reason years where she was on the cusp of submitting her retirement paperwork, only to feel compelled to support the CHC team in their post covid recovery. This work made ELaine realise that she was not quite ready for retirment and saw her move into the sefton place portfolio, where she currently works in an operational role in community nursing. Elaine has been welcoming and supportive to new members of the senior leadership team, sharing her wealth of knowledge and experience to induct new operational members. She is a joy to around, she is alwyas smiling, she promotes a positive inclusive work environment, living by the Mersey Care values whilst cracking jokes about the infamous amount of hairspray she uses on her bob. Having lived experience, Elaine recognises the challenges that our category A nursing servies are under, and even more so with the changes in our population health. She works dynamically and has been instrumental in creating unity between the north and south sefton localities enabling flexibility across the footprint to ensure the delivery of the right care by the right person in the right place to pur patients. Elaine is deserving of this recognition of the 40 years of dedication she has given to both the NHS and the liverpool and sefton localities. She is a much valued member of the senior leadership team, who positivly contributes towards the leaership and development of our community nursing services.
Irene Harris, Chaplaincy Team Volunteer Mental Health Care Division

I would like to nominate Irene Harris for a lifetime achievement award as she has worked selflessly and  tirelessly in a voluntary capacity for the NHS for over forty years; showing dedication far beyond the expectation of a volunteer role! She has overcome many hurdles in her own life not letting these stop her committment to improve the lives of our service users by, amongst other things, improving,influencing and helping to shape services for the better, to how they are today. She has bore faithful witness to the volunteer's vital contribution to excellent healthcare delivery. 
Irene was a patient in Winwick Hospital when she became involved in setting up the first 'Patients Council' back in; she had and still has a passion to get the voice of the patient heard and this led to helping our service users feel visible, valued and respected;  Irene was one of the founder members of WATCH (              ) and hers and the project teams enthusiasm and longing for continuous improvement for service users was powerful and evident for all to see; it efected much change for the better.
Still active and committed many years later Irene became voluntary P.A. to myself, the chaplain, and helped and supported both myself, other volunteers and many service users and staff using her knowledge and her many skills aquired over her years of service to the trust. She was with me at the beginning when we started our weekly 'Drop-In' for our inpatients, something which has grown from strength to strength over fourteen years and helped improve the quality and wellbeing of many patients in our care and beyond..During this time she has taken on varied roles helping and supporting wherever she can.  

Irene has also been a trustee both in .........................and currently holds that role today, not letting age or ill health get in the way of pursuing her passion to get the patients voice heard and improve the lives of the people she holds so close to her heart.

Jane Laverty, Cognitive Behavioural Therapist (Early Intervention Team Liverpool) Mental Health Care Division Jane has worked for the NHS for over 40 years as a general nurse and a mental health nurse. She has spent the last 6 years of her time working as a CBT therapist in the Early Intervention Team.
As part of this role Jane has lead the team's understanding psychosis group on a number of occasions helping service users link in with other service users and using a CBT framework offer information advice and hope about a future with psychosis.
Jane has also singlehandedly set up and ran a monthly peer support group for a year now with current and past service users being involved in meeting together and spending time thinking about their experiences of psychosis and choosing subjects to focus on each month together in terms of maintaining recovery and helping each other.
Jane's commitment to the service is unwavering to the point she has passed retirement age and carried on. She has now finally made the decision to "go part time" (retire and come back 2 days a week). I'm sure her caseload will reduce however I bet she continues to be involved in as much as she can fit into those two days.
Jane is well respected by everyone she meets - staff and service users alike. She has a fabulous sense of humour that she uses to ease stress on her colleagues but also a kind and caring nature second to none. She always has time for anyone who needs it and has been a valuable member of the team for many years.
What do you write? Anecdotes - we all dread the bi yearly 30 mile walk from Jane's house to Southport pier, but it has become a bit of a tradition raising thousands of pounds for charity.
Her dry sense of humour and wit are loved by everyone, her love of Liverpool Football Club sadly lets her down a bit, surrounded by 'bitter blue's' in the EIT CBT team she proudly stands alone.
Jane is an invaluable member of the team. I'm gad she has decided to go part time and not retire... She's the type of person you need to be phased away from slowly! I'm nominating Jane as I believe she deserves recognition for all of her hard work that she has given to the NHS, and I'm sure they are many staff members in Merseycare who would agree.
Margaret Fillingham, Team Secretary Mental Health Care Division Margaret Fillingham is an exceptional candidate for a lifetime achievement award, embodying the true spirit of dedication, compassion, and resilience. Her unwavering commitment to Iris and Taylor Ward has been the heart and soul of the team for many years. As an outstanding member of the team, she consistently goes above and beyond to provide unwavering support and mentorship to her colleagues, patients, and anyone in need.
One of the key reasons Margaret deserves this nomination is her immense impact on countless lives. Her selflessness and willingness to lend a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on have been a source of comfort and strength for everyone she interacts with. As a mentor, she has guided and inspired numerous individuals, nurturing their personal and professional growth and leaving an indelible mark on their lives.
Even after her retirement, the void Margaret left was deeply felt by her colleagues and patients. However, her return on a part-time contract brought immense joy and relief to the entire team. Her commitment to the well-being of others surpasses any challenges she faced, including her courageous battle with cancer. Despite her own health struggles, she continues to come to work, proving to be a true warrior, and offering unwavering emotional support to those around her.
Margaret's dedication to the Iris Ward and her unwavering support to everyone she encounters truly make her a beacon of inspiration and an embodiment of the lifetime achievement award's criteria. Her legacy of kindness, mentorship, and resilience has left an indelible impact on the lives of many, making her an exceptional and deserving nominee for this prestigious recognition.

 

The winner of the Employee of the Year Award was Kelley Hayde Each month we have an Employee of the Month Award and Kelley has won this overall for the year.

Well done Kelley

Name Division
Ashlie O'Connor Mental Health Care division
Kirsty Love Community Care division
Kate Sanders Mental Health Care division
Lisa Burrows Community Care division
Kelley Hayde Corporate division
Ryan Lillie Mental Health Care division
Kayte Bond Mental Health Care division
Hayley Curran Mental Health Care division
Michael Holloway Secure Care division
Aisha Mirza Secure Care division
Gemma Hamlett Community Care division

The winner of the Team of the Year was Cheshire Liaison and Diversion Service 

Each month we have a Team of the Month Award and our Cheshire Liaison and Diversion Team have won this overall for the year. 

Well done team

The finalists were:

Name

Division
Criminal Justice Liaison and Diversion Team Mental Health Care division
Dickens Ward Secure Care division
Astley Ward Secure Care division
Quality and Compliance Team (CQC) Corporate division
Coniston Ward Mental Health Care division
Integrated Community and Equiptment Services (ICES) Community Care division
Green Ward 1 Community Care division
Cheshire and Merseyside Resilience Hub Corporate division
Walton District Nursing Team Community Care division
Cheshire Liaison and Diversion Service Mental Health Care division
Maghull District Nurses Community Care division
CAMHS Response Team Community Care division

The winner of the Chief Nursing Officer’s Award is Maghull District Nurses, congratulations team.

Well done to our Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service for being highly commended

The final award is the Chief Medical Officer’s Award, and the winner was our Addictions Service at Brook Place for their work on becoming the first addiction service in the country to achieve this.

Well done team.