Chief Executive’s Message – Friday 7 October
October 7, 2022
A very special event is happening tonight when we celebrate the finalists in our annual star awards and announce the winners. These awards showcase an amazing breadth of teams and individuals who have done and continue to do exemplary work to support our patients, our people and our population. I am really looking forward to joining in the celebrations and would like to wish good luck to all those up for an award tonight.
Almost 400 nominations were received and, sadly, not everyone can be a finalist or a winner. Everyone who was nominated deserves recognition. Seeing the range of nominations I am incredibly proud of the broad and diverse church that make up our SWB family. On the subject of diversity, October is Black History Month and an opportunity to appreciate the different cultures and stories that make up our workforce and create this truly unique organisation. Everyone’s contribution is significant, and we are richer as individuals and teams when we celebrate and learn from others’ experiences. We were reminded at our leadership conference that taking time to understand colleagues’ heritage is really important. We mustn’t make assumptions about people based on their perceived background or identity. We become a stronger, more values driven organisation when we stop, listen and find out about each other.
Throughout this month we are hoping that Black History Month is an opportunity to capture, educate and share positive achievements and knowledge across the Trust. Our BME network are still looking out for stories so please share these with trina.bme@nhs.net and check our communications bulletin for information on events and free resources available in the local area.
This month we re-introduced Schwartz Rounds as part of our weLearn approach and staff wellbeing offer. The Round title was ‘The Power of a Thank you’. I am certain we are often thankful for what our colleagues do, but do you always make it obvious and clear what you are thanking them for? Not every “thank you” has to be big. There is a correlation when we are appreciated and thanked: it builds positive relationships, brings joy into your work and, as one of our Trust values, creates Compassion and a compassionate workplace. At our leadership conference, we learned that civility saves lives. The evidence for it is compelling. “Thank you” to our panellists for sharing their personal stories in the session on 4 October and those who attended for engaging and contributing to the conversation.
It is clear that recognition, appreciation and simple “thank yous” have a big impact. Do please bear this in mind in every interaction you have with a colleague.
Have a good weekend.
Richard