Surprise recognition to OT Sarah in Witney

Sarah Cellan Jones, occupational therapist and assessment team lead in the Witney Adult Mental Health Team became highly commended in the June round of Exceptional People Awards.

Surprise recognition to OT Sarah in Witney

Sarah said:

“This came as a complete surprise and a really lovely one. It was very timely after an intensely difficult two years in community mental health services. I am so fortunate that I work with such an outstanding team of caring, hardworking and supportive clinicians.”

Sarah had been nominated by consultant psychiatrist Dr Rebecca Sheriff (pictured above left) who said:

“Absolutely brilliant to be able to present Sarah with this well-deserved award. It lifted the morale of the whole team to see her hard work and patient-centred care being recognised.”

In her nomination Rebecca wrote:

“Sarah is not only utterly patient centred and caring; she also spurs on all members of the team to provide the best possible care for service users. She helps service users feel understood and engages them and carers in utilising the best possible interventions for their mental health needs.

“She is an extraordinary clinician, with a deep understanding of mental health issues and how to engage people in improving their mental health. She thinks in innovative ways with service users and carers about how to improve their mental health within their own context. She makes the Adult Mental Health Team feel like a real ‘team’ where team members go above and beyond to ensure the best possible care. She makes sure that every member of the team feels heard and valued and can work to the best of their ability.

“Sarah is often the first to volunteer for difficult tasks and is not afraid of getting her hands dirty. She has supported staff across all disciplines with hands-on and exemplary supervision. She has supported and led the team through the difficult times of COVID and long-term staff absences. She pre-empts potential problems and does numerous, often unseen things on a daily basis to make sure the team works smoothly, and everyone feels heard and appreciated. She personifies what clinical leadership should look like with an understanding that every clinician wants to do a good job, and she works her socks off every day to make it happen for every member of the team.”

The individual Exceptional People Award is judged every month by a panel of Trust governors who represent patients, carers and members of the public from Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire.

Nominations are welcome at any time – make a nomination online here.

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Published: 1 July 2022