It was an incredible evening at our Pennine Care People Awards on Thursday 1 December 2022.
It was tough for our judges to choose from the outstanding list, but we're delighted to announce the winners and finalists (see below) for our 12 categories.
Many congratulations to everyone who was nominated, we’re so proud of you all.
This is chosen by patients, carers, partner colleagues and people from the wider community.
Watch the community choice finalists' video.
Winner: The Stockport younger and rarer dementia team
This tremendous team take away the stress and offer a lifeline to families whose loved ones are diagnosed with dementia.
There’s always someone available with advice and a smile; offering a listening ear, free from judgement. And they put in extra effort to organise regular carers groups and activities so no one feels isolated and alone.
Finalists:
Liv Greer, registered nursing associate in the Hope child and adolescent unit in Bury
Liv is a ‘superhero without a cape’, who saved the life of a young person after a major decline in their mental health.
Liv’s kindness and empathy was reassuring and reduced anxiety about the unit and medication.
It changed the young person’s whole perspective on the mental health system and inspired her to study as a nursing associate.
Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) team from the Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale child and adolescent mental health service
Enlightening and outstanding are just two words used to describe this talented team, who help young people to understand and overcome intense emotions.
Their skilful and calming approach using dialectical behaviour therapy, a type of talking therapy, has helped one young man to develop coping skills he’ll use for the rest of his life.
Watch the brilliant partnership finalists' video.
Winner: Mental health joint response services for Bury, Rochdale, Oldham, Stockport and Tameside and Glossop
Practitioners from Pennine Care and officers from Greater Manchester Police are jointly attending call outs, to better support people experiencing a mental health crisis.
Over 1000 people have received support, leading to a dramatic reduction in the number taken to A&E or a secure 136 suite and made efficiency savings of around £150,220.
Finalists:
Home intensive treatment child and adolescent mental health team
This team aims to keep children and young people out of hospital, which relies on working effectively with patients, parents, carers and a range of partners.
Despite launching at the beginning of the pandemic, they helped to prevent many young people being admitted to hospital. More than two years on, they continue to provide vital community-based care to highly vulnerable young people.
Healthy Minds Tameside and Glossop and Tameside Macmillan information service
Established four years ago, they’ve provided mental health support to around 300 people who have cancer and are experiencing low mood or anxiety.
Recovery rates have far exceeded targets and feedback is positive, with patients feeling better mentally and physically.
They link with a range of partners to enable further development and are pushing for therapy to be embedded in cancer support services across England.
Watch the colleague of the year finalists' video
Winner: Ann Hallam, activity co-ordinator on Tameside’s Taylor ward
Ann stepped out of her comfort zone to develop a fantastic programme of creative, engaging and inclusive activities to improve health and aid recovery.
She works tirelessly with other organisations to benefit patients, support new starters and promotes Pennine Care as a great place to work.
Colleagues are constantly empowered and inspired by the positivity she radiates and the challenges she overcomes.
Finalists:
Matthew Hall, trainee advanced nurse practitioner in Bury
It’s rare to find someone who is complimented as often as Matt, thanks to his positive, nurturing attitude and great sense of humour.
Matt is an asset and always has patient’s best interests at heart. His innovative work has significantly reduced waiting times, improved people’s pain management skills and reduced their dependence on medications.
Beth Winstanley, staff nurse on Saxon Suite in Tameside
It hasn’t taken Beth long to make a massive impact on everyone, due to her empathy, problem-solving skills and her determination to provide the best care.
She is a passionate advocate for patient rights and can always see their perspective. Her calm and fair decision making inspires confidence in colleagues and helps to de-escalate even the most stressful situations.
Watch the comedic genius finalists' video
Winner: Dan Love, senior communications officer
Everyone loves Dan’s fabulous and witty sense of humour. He pitches and times it perfectly - to brighten the room or diffuse a difficult situation.
His humour extends to our social media, which he runs in a safe, light-hearted way; getting great results.
His humour helps build effective relationships and he brightens his own team’s day, by generating bucket-loads of camaraderie.
Finalists:
Pete Cowden, administrator from the Stockport older people’s mental health liaison team
Pete is well known for his lightning-quick sense of humour.
He draws people in with a plausible story, then knocks them out with an unexpected punchline (ask him about R.E.M). He’s also known to tell the occasional ‘dad joke’ which are so bad they’re good.
He’s a larger-than-life personality and is always happy to help.
Frances Molyneux, head of clinical contracts
During a difficult period, Frances went out of her way to re-introduce fun and laughter into her team.
Her jokes, witty one-liners and funny stories helped boost morale and brought the team together. She reminded her colleagues about the importance of having fun, looking after their wellbeing and not taking life too seriously. She’s an asset to the team.
Watch the great innovation finalists' video
Winner: Claire Chadwick and Jessica Smith, youth support workers from Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale child and adolescent mental health service
This dynamic duo has introduced neighbourhood support groups for young people waiting for a mental health assessment. Some young people no longer need to see a specialist clinician after completing the group.
They also support young people with significant mental health needs, in between their appointments with a specialist clinician.
They are warm, full of energy and will always go above and beyond to meet young people’s needs.
Finalists:
The i-KARE project team in Bury - led by consultant psychiatrists Dr Sarmad Nadeem, Dr Ade Akinola and senior pharmacist Sarah Harris
The i-KARE (knowledge, attitude, resource, environment) programme is an online tool to support trainees to improve the safety of medical prescribing.
It aims to build confidence and develop their knowledge in an interactive and engaging way.
Prescribing errors have reduced significantly and feedback has been positive, with trainees feeling more confident and empowered.
MindSet sketchPad initiative - led by the medical education team
Using real stories and psychological principles, this low cost and innovative video guide aims to support junior doctors to improve their mental wellbeing.
Junior doctors say it’s enriching, relatable and reassuring and they feel less alone.
It’s now being adapted to include stories relevant to doctors in low and middle-income countries. They hope to be awarded a grant to test it in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Zambia.
Watch the hidden talent finalists' video
Winner: Lynn Burton (aka Bunksy), service manager for primary care networks, access and criminal justice mental health teams in Oldham
In 2020 Lynn unveiled her hidden talent. She created digital portraits of 99 colleagues and highlighted their outstanding contributions. Portrait 100 saw Bunksy reveal a long-awaited self-portrait.
She was fair and inclusive, with her portraits spanning a breadth of roles and levels.
Finalists:
Dr Nojrul Chowdhury, consultant psychiatrist and clinical director for child and adolescent mental health services
In addition to being an exceptionally kind and caring doctor, Noj is a published writer and accomplished wedding singer.
His singing talent saw him win the prestigious Pennine Care Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale CAMHS has Talent competition. Sadly, he was unavailable for the Royal Variety Performance, but his colleagues are confident he’d have stolen the show.
Paul Duthie, improvement lead
Paul is an avid bee-keeper. His two hives can house up to 80,000 bees, which is no mean feat.
He’s harvested hordes of honey over the last two years, often bringing it in for colleagues to keep them sweet. Paul’s colleagues are buzzing he’s been chosen as a finalist.
Watch the improving lives finalists' video
Winner: Freya Lama, care coordinator in Stockport’s early intervention team
Learning that a highly vulnerable patient had been taken to a deportation centre, Freya acted quickly to help.
She refused to give up fighting for her patient’s rights, meaning a successful urgent appeal was made and the patient was released to continue their recovery journey.
Freya demonstrated outstanding compassion, empathy, skill and determination. She has a keen sense of justice and her team is so proud.
Finalists:
Laura Aldalou, primary healthcare facilitator for the Stockport learning disability team
Laura is committed to improving the lives of people with a learning disability. She tirelessly builds relationships with a range of partners to make sure people’s health needs are met.
Thanks to her dedication, 71.2% of Stockport people with a learning disability received a vital annual health check, which is higher than both the Greater Manchester and national average. Her colleagues are so proud.
David Croft, technical instructor with the occupational team on Stockport’s Arden ward
David plays a vital role in improving the lives of vulnerable patients. He has a wealth of knowledge and experience. He’s calm, kind, caring and has a great sense of humour.
He sees beauty and creativity in every patient and encourages them to harness it to benefit their recovery.
Despite being busy, he’ll willingly step in to offer nursing assistant support when needed.
Watch the inclusion champion finalists' video
Winner: Katherine McGuirk, operational manager for the Greater Manchester Resilience Hub
Equality and diversity are second nature to Kathy and she’s committed to ensuring the service is inclusive.
She’s kind, fair, makes people feel valued and is always considerate of someone’s background and experiences.
She inspires her team to celebrate diversity, learn more about each other and be more inclusive. Her colleagues feel lucky to work with her.
Finalists:
Michelle England, union/partnership officer, health and wellbeing lead for Unison and LGBT+ staff network lead
Michelle lives and breathes equality, diversity, and inclusion; determined to make a positive difference
to our LGBTQ+ community.
She’s committed to educating people and challenging poor behaviour, so we can improve.
Often supporting colleagues with challenging and distressing issues, she’s able to remain calm and listen. She’s always respectful, warm, attentive, kind, and fair.
Amraze Khan, head of equality, diversity, and inclusion
Amraze has a positive impact on everyone. He’s brought our equality, diversity, and inclusion agenda to life, revived our staff networks and encourages people to learn.
He takes tremendous care of people; getting to know them and offering support.
His compassion and determination are a breath of fresh air, and his energy is contagious. The world would be a better place with more people like Amraze.
Watch the inspirational leader finalists' video
Winner: Kate Kubacki, step two team lead for Healthy Minds Bury
Kate has a magnificent impact on everyone.
A true leader, she takes a collaborative approach, gets to know each colleague, and offers unconditional support and encouragement. Her unfailing confidence makes the team feel valued and motivated.
Her clinical work is also inspirational, she achieves all this with good grace and humour. She’s a credit to
the service.
Finalists:
Gary Kershaw, operations manager for the Tameside child and adolescent mental health support team
Gary is a natural leader, establishing rapport between colleagues and other services.
He’s gifted with many empowering traits, which are felt across the team. He supports everyone to be the best version of themselves by promoting self-belief, encouraging development and making them feel valued.
He wants to provide a gold standard service and gets the job done with a smile and sprinkle of humour.
Nicola Innes, team manager for the Bury early intervention team
Nicola is an amazing role model. She leads by example, possessing maturity and leadership skills beyond her years. She has an open door and is patient, kind and fair.
She inspires others with her hard work, knowledge, skills, attitude, and modesty.
She strives to achieve high standards, while ensuring her team enjoys coming to work. Through her leadership,
the service’s national quality rating has improved.
Cheralyn Bratley, team manager for the Cheralyn Bratley, team manager for the child and adolescent home treatment team
Cheralyn always goes the extra mile for patients and colleagues. She genuinely cares about everyone.
She’s extremely supportive; leading by example with her enthusiasm, ingenuity, compassion, and fairness. She has an unwavering determination to ensure the highest standards of patient care.
She recognises every individual’s contribution and sees their strengths and positive attributes; encouraging them to shine.
Watch the ray of sunshine finalists' video
Winner: Jill Dodge, receptionist and administrator for Oldham child and adolescent mental health service
Jill has dedicated over 20 years to the service and is still going strong at 86. She never lets anyone down and greets everyone with a welcoming smile and kind word.
She is generous to colleagues and patients alike and determination should be her middle name. She’s a shining star and the service wouldn’t be the same without her.
Finalists:
Biya Azami, senior psychological wellbeing practitioner for Oldham Healthy Minds
Biya is warm, welcoming, accepting and a joy to be around. Her colleagues’ wellbeing is top of her list;
she’s never too busy.
She has a strong work ethic and passion for supporting staff; everyone feels equal and important. She’s the number one person everyone turns to.
Heidi Maloney, early intervention team manager in Heywood, Middleton, and Rochdale
Heidi helps her team to thrive by providing leadership, guidance, care and support. She treats everyone equally and makes them feel at ease. She checks everyone is ok and will do her upmost to support individual needs.
She makes the office a fun and friendly place to be, so staff enjoy coming to work.
Watch our rising star finalists' video
Winner: Christopher Hardy, care co-ordinator with the Heywood, Middleton, and Rochdale learning disability team
Since joining less than a year ago, Chris has become an inspiration.
He finds creative approaches to meet vulnerable patients’ needs and will always stand up against injustice.
He’s patient, kind, professional and never too busy to offer support. He’s skilled at getting to the heart of an issue; exploring every avenue to find a positive solution.
Finalists:
Madeleine Proctor, senior pharmacist
Since arriving in 2021, new to mental health, Maddie has impressed colleagues with her motivation, forward thinking and drive.
She’s quickly developed her knowledge and skills, gained qualifications and successfully led on several projects.
She’s navigated a range of challenging situations, showing real determination and strength of character.
Rachel Simms, response hub practitioner in Heywood, Middleton, and Rochdale
Since qualifying three years ago, Rachel has made her mark. She’s compassionate and has a real desire
to make a difference.
She is a champion for carers and families. She established drop-in sessions, developed materials to support them through their loved one’s journey and volunteered to re-establish and lead triangle of care meetings.
Watch our team of the year finalists' video
Winner: Domestics team in the south network
We’re swept away by the hard work and positive outlook of our domestic colleagues.
Nothing is too much trouble, these often-unsung heroes always pull together to keep services exceptionally clean and safe.
They are the heart of our services and always have a smiling,
cheerful greeting for patients, colleagues and visitors.
Finalists:
Rapid response teams for child and adolescent mental health services
One big family is the best way to describe this team, which helps keep young people experiencing a mental health crisis out of hospital.
The care and compassion they show to young people and each other is endearing and evident in the excellent feedback they get. They’re a guiding light of hope.
Bevan Place, rehab and high support unit at Stockport’s Stepping Hill Hospital
An incredible mix of skills, teamwork and empathy help Bevan Place provide the best care for men with severe mental health problems and complex physical health needs.
They work hard to engage people with their care plans, build effective working relationships with other services and are always the first to help other colleagues.