A CARE trust has celebrated the work of its staff and volunteers.

Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust staged its annual You’re a Star Awards.

Now in its 16th year, the initiative recognises and celebrates those who have gone ‘above and beyond’.

A record 75 nominations were received for this year’s awards, just before lockdown.

Due to the Covid-19 outbreak, members of the judging panel met online to evaluate each entry.

The usual live awards ceremony scheduled for July had to be postponed, but the winners were instead announced at a virtual event.

Awards were presented across six categories – Improvements and Innovation; Non-clinical Star/s; Service User, Carer and Volunteer Contributions; Team of the Year; Unsung Hero, and Working Together.

Winners each received £750 to support their ongoing work – courtesy of the awards’ main supporter, Bradford-based Sovereign Health Care.

The winners were:

Improvements and Innovation – the community dental service, for its Adam goes to the Dental Hospital anxiety management film which supports children attending hospital for dental extraction.

Non-clinical Star/s – the physical health administration team, which provides telephony and administrative support for podiatry, speech and language therapy, continence, tissue viability and palliative care services, as well as co-ordinating orders of uniforms and equipment.

Service User, Carer and Volunteer Contributions – Jack James Allison, a volunteer with the learning disability service and active in the Bradford voluntary/advocacy services, who is also involved in the recruitment of trust staff and training for student nurses.

Unsung Hero – Laura Ellis, an occupational therapist who has established an exercise programme for patients at Lynfield Mount Hospital, which is available even after discharge for continued support and wellbeing.

Working Together – Katy Grainger, a music therapist supporting the recovery and wellbeing of inpatient service users and the driving force behind the Lynfest and Lynfrost festivals of music and arts and service user-led jam sessions.

Team of the Year – city cluster district nursing teams, which provide complex nursing care to the most vulnerable service users.

Trust chairman, Cathy Elliot, pays tribute to all the winners.

She said: “Each person and team who has won an award exemplifies the creativity and the caring and can-do attitude of so many of our staff.

“Our winners have demonstrated how they go above and beyond the call of duty to deliver our aim of Better Lives, Together. Their dedication, enthusiasm and skill are making a difference, providing high-quality care, health and wellbeing to the people of Bradford, Airedale, Wharfedale, Craven and Wakefield.

“I’m thrilled we are able to recognise their work and the impact they have made on colleagues and service users in this way.

“No matter the challenge, they have shown that they put their thinking caps on and come-up with successful solutions. It’s wonderful that so many staff across all areas of our trust were nominated this year, not just by their colleagues but by service users too. Each and every nominee should be proud of their work and the difference they are making. Congratulations to all our winners and our nominees!”

She added: “Each year the You’re a Star Awards offer an opportunity to reflect on the excellent work carried out – day in, day out – by many more unsung heroes across our organisation. It is particularly poignant to reflect on that this year, when so many people stepped-up to the challenges posed by coronavirus.

“The ‘Oscars-style’ ceremony could not go ahead this time but with so many staff to pay tribute to this year the trust was determined to still hold an event.

“Our staff make the NHS what it is today – a much-loved institution we can all be proud of.”