“I’m proud of the work I do and the wonderful Highfield team,” said David.

The certificate was presented to David (above right) by Charge Nurse and PICU Ward Manager Tom Lankester in a small ceremony at the Highfield last week. David said:

“It is truly a huge personal honour for me to be commended in such a way. I’m proud of the work I do and the wonderful Highfield team that has helped support my development and enabled me to feel capable to support patients in the best way I know how. I am proud to be a member of this team and to accept this award.”

“An incredible person”

David’s glowing nomination from a patient praised him for his understanding, uplifting and considerate approach.

“David is an incredible person. He listens and advocates for every patient he comes across, even when they seem to be fighting a losing battle. He is funny and always lifts everyone’s spirits. David admits when he has made a mistake or had an oversight and works to rectify it immediately.

He maintains boundaries while also making you feel that he cares about you. He doesn’t patronise you by saying he ‘knows what you are going through’, but will always try to understand as much as he can. David is truly one of the best mental health workers I have ever met and always goes above and beyond to help everyone, patients and colleagues.

“One example is after I had a Care Programme Approach (CPA) where I didn’t get the outcomes I had hoped for. I was distraught and felt betrayed by the health professionals in the meeting because I didn’t feel listened to.

“David noticed I wasn’t feeling great and offered to have a chat with me even though I was late to snack as he felt a chat was more important. He sat down and let me vent about everything without interrupting. Once I’d finished, he was so understanding and didn’t invalidate me at all. He said he would read up on the CPA notes to get a better understanding of what happened so he could support me in a more informed way. When I told him of my displeasure about one particular member of my team, he offered to talk to them about it and be my advocate.

“David wasn’t a member of my care team, but knew that I trusted him, so went the extra mile to make me feel heard and safe.”

Has someone made a difference to you?

If someone has made a difference, however big or small, we would love to hear about it! Nominations for teams and individuals are welcome from staff, carers, patients and service users, and friends and family of our patients and service users. Nominate online here

Exceptional People Awards are judged monthly but you can nominate at any time. If your nomination misses a certain month’s submission deadline, it’ll simply roll to the following month.