Sarah works in the Trust’s Swindon Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) and was thrilled to be handed the award at a surprise event.

She said: “Two of our service managers organised a meeting with me to discuss a project that we had been working on, so I prepared for that. Every so often someone would come in and leave again, which happens as sometimes the room is double booked.

“Then Marie Crofts and Catherine Sage walked in with the award and it all made sense!”

Sarah, who lives in Cricklade, has worked for Oxford Health for around 15 years and managed the Swindon clinical teams until three years when a change in process for children and young people with an autism and learning disability diagnosis presented a new opportunity.

Her current job is to support children and young people with complex needs which often includes autism and/or a learning disability to ensure there is an effective multi-agency approach to ensuring all of their needs are being met.

She explained: “My job title is Consultant Mental Health Practitioner which doesn’t mean much to many people. But what the BEE Awards does is put the spotlight on what Allied Health Professionals and Social Workers do and, most importantly, the difference they make, in order to enrich lives of the people we are privileged to work with’.

The nomination was made by Sarah’s manager and head of CAMHS service, Lisa Miller. In it she said: “Sarah has a natural ability to be first and foremost an advocate for children, young people and their families; they are at the centre of everything she does.”

The BEE Awards were set up by Oxford Health to acknowledge and reward the excellent work of the Trust’s Allied Health Professionals (AHP’s) and Social workers.
Anyone who has received excellent care or treatment can make a nomination to say thank you. Colleagues can also nominate someone they work with who they feel makes an extra-special contribution.

Marie Crofts, Oxford Health’s Chief Nurse, said: “Congratulations to Sarah for being our latest BEE Award winner. It is really nice to be able to surprise people and see their reaction when they realise that their hard work, and the difference that it makes to people and to the teams that they work in, has been recognised.

“Allied Health Professionals and Social Workers make a massive contribution to the work of Oxford Health and the BEE Awards is about recognising and rewarding that as well as promoting their work and achievements.

“I would urge anyone who has received care from Oxford Health to take a look at the BEE Awards pages and think whether there is anyone they could nominate.”

If you would like to nominate someone for a BEE award. Please tell us your story! You can find out more about the awards and how to nominate someone here.