The Intensive Support Team is a multidisciplinary team that supports adults and children with a learning disability and behaviours that show their distress in a way that may be perceived as challenging. The team were eagerly waiting for their ‘meeting’ to start when in marched Deputy Chief Nurse Britta Klinck, who put up a DAISY banner and started a presentation of the DAISY scheme. Eventually she concluded:

“The reason I am here today is: we have a winner! Natalie – we are presenting the award to you.”

The whole Intensive Support Team plus a few ‘extras’ were able to celebrate with Natalie, thanks to their clinical lead’s elaborate plot! From left: Judy Tjan-Griffith, Claire Forrest, Georgia Adams, Britta Klinck, Steven Dobson, Kirsten Prance, Natalie Kensett, Harriet Bibbings, Lisa Frost, Simon Jones, Rebecca Raftery and Muntaha Pocha..

Natalie is a behavioural nurse and has been with the team for five years. She was nominated for DAISY by a relative of a patient who wrote:

“Natalie came into our lives during a time of crisis and transition. She always brought a smile on her visits, which we appreciated. We were dealing with uncertainty about our accommodation, and due to my own mental health problems, I was struggling to support my brother who has autism and learning disability.

“Natalie was able to put together a package of care that supported my brother but also considered our close relationship and was thoughtful to think of us as a family.

“My brother struggles with many physical health issues; Natalie provided useful advice and pointed him in the right direction. She took initiative to help us navigate the system when it was hard to juggle life. Natalie saw us through a period of turbulence and was the first to see our new home.

“Natalie always made herself available for us, whether virtually or face to face, which has been difficult during the pandemic. Natalie’s visits gave us something to look forward to.

“Natalie is kind, compassionate and thoughtful, and we have been grateful to have met her.”

Britta said:

“All nominations are anonymous, so our panel of nurses, patients and carers don’t know who is being nominated. But as soon as we read this nomination, we came to a decision very quickly. You have been available to this family and seen them through a difficult time. Well done Natalie – I am really proud of you.”

Britta then presented Natalie with a DAISY pin, a certificate and a hand-carved stone sculpture entitled A Healer’s Touch.

Associate Clinical Director for Learning Disabilities Kirsten Prance said:

“I have had the privilege of knowing you and working with you, and I have seen how you navigate complex cases at a time that has been really difficult in nursing. It has been a pleasure to see you proceed!”

The DAISY Foundation ascribes strict rules for how the scheme is done: the presentation must be a surprise; nominations must be judged anonymously – and all attending must be treated to cinnamon buns. That’s what the team tucked in after a photo call.

About DAISY Awards

The DAISY Awards is an international recognition programme that honours and celebrates extraordinary nurses and midwives. The DAISY Awards were established by the family of J. Patrick Barnes who died from complications of the auto-immune disease ITP in 1999.

Oxford Health joined the scheme in spring 2021. Now any Oxford Health patient, family member or carer on behalf of a patient can nominate a nurse that they feel has made a difference. All nominations are anonymised and winners chosen quarterly by a panel of judges. Nominate someone now