‘The most important thing in the world is people’

Staff awards:

Team award: Hopetoun Leisure and Lifestyle.

The team work consistently to provide an amazing, engaged program of work with the Hopetoun residents which is fun, meets the needs of the residents, brings the community into the facility (schools) and takes residents out to engage. It is difficult to put into words the effect this has on the residents, but also staff and the community.

They work collaboratively within their team, with the wider Hopetoun team, and the community to plan events, visits and ceremonies with compassion and excellence, and they are caring and are connected, friendly, and enjoy their work – as evidenced by the social media posts, the Wednesday dress ups, and the celebrations of days and events, the individual support to residents and their families make an insurmountable positive difference to the lives of all. They are a clear example of all the RNH values and a highly respected and valued part of the Hopetoun community.

Individual award: Jason O’Brien.

Jason continues daily to bring excellence to his work. Despite staff shortages and having to, at times, have difficult conversation to cancel services, he continues to be professional and caring while adapting plans to ensure the most vulnerable are supported.

Jason cares for all the clients, taking time to understand their situation and needs, and ensures they are connected to appropriate services.

Jason listens to clients and their supporters and adapts plans to ensure their rights and needs are upheld. Jason is always warm, pleasant and friendly and is a valued well-respected member of the wider team.

He is calm, consistent and a joy to work with.

Improvement award: Quality and Risk.

For the RNH Adverse Event Training Program. This was developed to strengthen NRS’s capacity in responding to Serious Patient Events and Sentinel Events with aims to build coordinated, skilled and confident MDT response ensuring these events are managed consistently, safely and in alignment with SCV expectations.

The team initially recognised the gaps in RNH approach which highlighted an organisation-wide approach was needed. They engaged all appropriate services and leaders (acute, aged care, campuses, community, allied health) and got ELT on board for endorsement.

Using RCA and PDSA cycles to strengthen capacity and improve consistency as they provide practical, repeatable processes suitable for MDTs. Training included SCV RCA training for 8 staff to attend developing an internal capacity. They communicated and supported SCV online modules for all staff and engaged the Grampians Network safer Together Program to deliver Improvement On The Run training day for our staff. Combined, these opportunities embedded consistent evidence-based approaches to serious events. Key outcomes are in inverse in organisation capability, standardisation and improved quality of serious event reporting and responses and enhances MDT confidence and clarity of roles in responding to serious events.

These improvements directly enhance the safety and quality for service and care to RNH consumers.

Partnering with Consumers award: Abby Powell – Mums and Bubs Exercise Group.

Abby recognised a gap in services for new mums and developed structured and supported exercise class for the postpartum community, offering not only physical exercises but an opportunity to bring babies along and socialise. The first of its kind for RNH and using Abby’s experience and skill, the project resulted in great engagement by the mums and developed increase confidence in continuing to exercise outside the program by utilising different strategies (eg: park, gym).

Direct feedback from the participants identified that it had improved their fitness and impacted positively on their mental health. It provided a much-needed opportunity to talk to other mums, share what is happening, built relationships and as babies were an important part mothers could attend without having to worry about childcare. And it was “lots of fun and laughs”.

Leo Casey Scholarships: Courtney Griffin-Jones, Mel Jefferies.

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