Clinical Support Worker of the Year award
Above left to right : Steve Ford , Chido Munyanyi and Professor Alice Roberts
Chido Munyanyi , Therapy Support Worker at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust , who hopes to train as an occupational therapist , has won a Skills for Health award .
Supported by NHS England , NHS Employers , NHS Shared Business Services , NHS Race and Health Observatory , SFJ Awards and Integrated Care Journal , the Health Heroes Awards celebrate the wider healthcare workforce that supports our NHS doctors and nurses on the frontline – the often ‘ unsung heroes ’ that make up roughly 40 % of the NHS ’ s million plus workforce .
The awards are a national celebration of their achievements and an opportunity to give thanks for the important role that they play in keeping our health service functioning .
Chido works on an acute stroke unit and as a member of the acute stroke therapy and wider multidisciplinary teams works across occupational therapy , physiotherapy and speech and language therapy .
Chido was nominated for her hard work on the unit and the exceptional way she handles the daily challenges and pressures , remaining positive , flexible and conscientious , and always ensuring patients receive the best care .
She was also recognised for enthusiastically supporting the team with service developments – striving to improve service provision – and being a great role model and champion for the stroke unit .
Chido has also been instrumental in the progress and successes of the acute stroke unit ’ s Shared Decision Making Council , which she chairs , and which strives to improve facilities on the ward for patients and organise activities to improve staff morale .
RCOT Chief Executive Steve Ford presented Chido with her award on 16 April , at a glittering awards ceremony held at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre in London . She told OTnews : ‘ I feel very honoured and proud to have received the award . I work with a great team who go above and beyond in their work , and this always pushes me to do more for the patients and the staff .
‘ Winning has made me feel recognised and appreciated and has definitely boosted my confidence regarding my career path . Since I started working at the trust as a therapy support worker , I have developed an understanding and love for occupational therapy , especially in neurology , which I have decided to follow as a career , by hopefully starting an occupational therapy apprenticeship in 2025 .’ For more about all the award winners visit https :// bit . ly / 49TFiZx
Fit notes must not be used in isolation , says RCOT
On 19 April , UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made a speech on welfare reforms . In it , he outlined ‘ a package of sweeping reforms to put work at the heart of welfare ’ and deliver on his ‘ moral mission ’ to give everyone who is able to work , the best possible chance of staying in , or returning to work .
Commenting on the announcement about welfare reforms and the use of fit notes , RCOT Head of Practice and Workforce , Suhailah Mohamed , said : ‘ Fit notes are a key tool used by occupational therapists and other healthcare professionals to help people stay in work or return to work . However , they should never be used in isolation , and whether someone is seen as “ not fit to work ” or “ may be fit to work ”, there needs to be support and follow-up for that person to help them get better and – wherever possible – return to the workplace .
‘ We must not undermine the serious effects of illness and disability , whether mental or physical , and its impact on someone ’ s ability to do their job well without the right support .
‘ OTs are a key part of the solution to helping people return to and stay in work . With more investment in OTs , we would help reduce the burden on the welfare system by supporting more people back into work and keeping them there .
‘ Our proposals to move more OTs into community settings – including GP practices and workplaces – would help prevent some of the mental health and long-term conditions keeping people out of work , by addressing them before people reach crisis-point , and getting those people the support they need sooner .’
A transcript of the Prime Minister ’ s speech is available at https :// bit . ly / 4btcMPV .
14 OTnews May 2024