Health and social care students at Oxford Brookes have singled out five of our teams for providing them with outstanding support, care and opportunities during their work experiences.

Our Early Intervention Service (EIS) at the Warneford, the Witney-based Community Therapy Service, Donnington Health Visiting Service, and Glyme and Kingfisher forensic wards at Littlemore, each won their respective categories in the university’s recent annual Placement of the Year Awards.

A further nine Oxford Health teams were highly commended:

• District Nurses, Chipping Norton
• District Nurses, Jericho, Oxford
• Linfoot Ward, Witney Community Hospital
• North and West Oxfordshire Adult Mental Health Team
• North Oxfordshire Community Adult Mental Health Team
• Oaklands Health Visitors
• Oxford City Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service
• Oxfordshire Stroke Rehabilitation Unit, Abingdon Community Hospital
• Sandford Ward, Fulbrook Centre, Oxford

Richa Boreto, a newly qualified occupational therapist at the trust, nominated the EIS team for her time spent with them during a placement in her final year at the university.

Delivering a speech at the awards ceremony Richa said: “I felt valued and part of the team very early on.

“This inspired me to do my very best and push myself out of my comfort zone to further develop my skills and contribute to the work of the team. I helped build my confidence both professionally and personally.

“It was a pleasure and a privilege to work with such a fantastic team and their continuous hard work and support for occupational therapy students should be recognised.

“The work you do is inspiring; thank-you for such a wonderful final year placement and for all that I learnt during my time with EIS.”

Marie Crofts, chief nurse at the trust, said: “This is a great honour for our teams to be given such recognition from the Oxford Brookes students and for four teams to win in five categories in this annual ceremony is very special.

“There are so many fabulous teams around the trust, each working tirelessly to make a difference to our patients’ lives – but also working hard to inspire new generations of health professionals. We hope that as they graduate and seek out their new careers that the Brookes students join the Oxford Health team. There’s nothing better than home-grown talent.”

EIS won the Occupational Therapy Placement of the Year, while Witney’s Community Therapy Service scooped both the Placement of the Year for Physiotherapy and Health Education England’s award for Thames Valley. The Donnington Health Visiting Team also came out on top for the category of Adult Nursing in Oxford.

At Littlemore,  Glyme Ward won the Children’s Mental Health Nursing Placement and Kingfisher Ward scooped Mental Health Nursing category.

Lynda Dix, head of nursing in forensic services at the trust, said: “I’m so pleased for our two forensic wards that won placement of the year and for those teams who received nominations. The teams really enjoy and are committed to making the student experience a good one and showcasing how rewarding forensic nursing can be.”

Sarah Khan, acting head of practice education at Oxford Brookes University, said: “Practice learning is such an essential part of our students’ health and social care education. The support of experienced practitioners in supervising and assessing students to integrate theory and current evidence base into professional practice for the direct benefit of patients and clients, is a crucial component of practice education quality.”