When working in a sector responsible for life itself, ensuring that quality and safety are of the utmost importance is a fundamental principle upheld by all staff. In situations where even the smallest compromises can result in negative outcomes, continual learning and improvement measures are key to driving a service’s outcomes to the highest possible standards.

This award is to recognise a staff member who’s tireless work has fundamentally improved the quality and safety of their service – and continues to do so – innovating and developing processes to address an issue and eliminate it from future practise.

What we are looking for in this award:

Nominees should have undertaken an initiative or intitiatives to address factors that place patients at risk and promote safety as an essential part of healthcare. There should be a clear link between actions taken and outcomes observed. In particular we would like nominations to focus on:

• Safety improvements – What specific actions have they taken to make care safer for patients, clients, or staff? Give us details about new protocols developed, safety systems implemented, risk assessments conducted, or training programmes delivered for instance.
• Evidencing quality – Is there data or evidence that show care quality improved because of their impact? This might incorporate clinical indicators, patient outcomes, incident rates, audit results, or inspection feedback.
• Setting the standards – How do they promote and maintain high standards in their workplace? Tell us about their role in developing policies, conducting audits, providing training, or monitoring compliance.
• Changing culture -What shows they’ve helped create a culture where everyone focuses on quality and safety? Perhaps staff are highly engaged in the safety culture, there is increased reporting for learning purposes or there has been widespread adoption of safety policies.
• Measurable success – Have there been any reports or audits that show impact? Be specific! You can provide before and after comparisons, external recognition or formal evalution results as part of your submission.

Who can nominate and how?

Nominations can be made by colleagues, managers, patients, or service users who have observed the nominee’s dedication to ensuring safe, reliable, and high-quality care.