Publish date: 6 September 2023
July's Employee of the Month winner is Michael Holloway, Acting Ward Manager, LSU Allerton Ward at Rathbone Hospital. Michael was nominated by Melisa Ralph for the value of Support.
I have worked alongside Mick on day shifts and witnessed him, on numerous occasions, respond to disturbance alarms and take a hands on approach in deescalating situations.
He actively gets involved and supports colleagues which does not go unnoticed.
This has happened when he perhaps has not had to, but he has wanted to be involved in any current issues not just on his ward but across our unit. This has had a positive impact with our staff as he has led by example. Even though he has his own duties as our ward manager he is still evident on our wards at the LSU. He is always at hand to provide support and will come in early to speak with night staff if they have had any issues. He is approachable, kind and fair in his management duties and will try to ensure the needs of staff are met. I have worked at the LSU for a number of years now and met various managers, but Mick has definitely impacted on the way I practice as a nurse. He is an inspirational leader.
Nursing staff feel supported resulting in more positive handovers and staff dynamics on the ward. With him being evident when he can be the patients feel as though they can speak with him when they may not want to speak with the nurse on shift. Patients are listened to, Mick regularly attends community meetings on the ward to listen to our patients and as a result I feel as though we are working within 'least restrictive practices' more than ever. With our manager being present and listening first hand to our patients 'wants' we have been able to trial things at the LSU such as takeaways during the week rather than on a set day. Mick checks in with his staff to see how they are feeling during challenging times, and this makes the staff feel valued and appreciated. Mick has also recognised staffing issues and will put out set shifts for staff to come in to facilitate activities so our patients don't miss out.
He truly is an asset to our unit.
July's Team of the Month winner is Cheshire Liaison and Diversion Service. The team was nominated by Rachel Penketh for the value of Continuous Improvement.
The Cheshire Liaison and Diversion service work from Runcorn Custody suite and Warrington combine Magistrates court.
The team members complete assessments with individuals within the criminal justice system. Through offering these screening assessments they are able to identify vulnerabilities and signpost people into services within the community to meet their needs. The team take pride in the service they offer individuals and are always asking for feedback from individuals on ways to improve the service we offer. Within the custody suite staff use a variety of techniques with individuals to get them to engage. The staff offer screenings with juveniles and will often take them into the exercise area to try to make them feel more comfortable and more engaging. The staff in the team have offered alternative options to individuals to engage with an assessment by offering for them to be contacted following their release from custody suite.
Through the teams constant need for improvement of service they have been able to offer more assessments/screenings to individuals in contact with the justice system. This is working towards achieving our goal of reducing reoffending by signposting and supporting individuals into community services to best meet their needs. Offering this service in this environment and being flexible to offer outside of the custody setting has also had an impact on the engagement of individuals with people reporting that they feel more comfortable talking about their problems outside of the custody environment. For some individuals this might be the first time they have come into contact with the justice system and to receive a holistic screening/assessment can have a huge impact on their life moving forward. The team continue to work towards achieving perfect care and offering a service within a challenging environment.