Staffing excellence acknowledged at Oscar-style charity ceremony

Colleagues and service-users at Hampshire charity YOU made over 300 nominations for Staff Excellence Awards, which culminated in a cream tea and prize giving ceremony for the winners. Hosted at IBM Hursley, the awards included prizes for a “can do” attitude, and recognition from service users for the outstanding service they receive from staff who go that extra mile every day. “These awards just keep getting bigger every year,” said Chief Executive Nicola Youern. “Our service users include those experiencing mental ill health, homelessness, learning disabilities and domestic violence, and their comments are incredibly moving. Our aim is to deliver services which help individuals facing these challenges to sustain independent and fulfilling lives, and the feedback from these awards shows that every single member of our team is doing what they can to deliver on that mission.” Comments on the nominations from the service user special award for excellence demonstrated the practical impact YOU staff have on people across the region including comments such as “Please give her a medal, she is lovely,” and “She is my saviour, best support worker ever.” The Employee of the Year award was presented to Maggie Thomas, manager of the Compass Point Disability Floating Support Service in Winchester. Maggie was praised for consistently maintaining an excellent reputation in the community and making a difference to so many lives in the region. Her team were also awarded the inaugural Noel Grinsted Award for Business Excellence, honouring a former trustee of the charity whose widow wished to start a prize in his name to recognise the team which not only demonstrated business skills, but also delivered outstanding outcomes for service users. To find out more about YOU’s services or career opportunities, and for a full list of winners and runners up, visit the website at www.lifeyouwant.org.uk -Ends- Words: 303 Image: Award winners celebrate their success at IBM Hursley