Seeing double with two Stars of the Month

During the NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin (NHS STW) all staff development event, held on Tuesday 14 February 2023, colleagues were seeing double when two stars of the month were announced by Simon Whitehouse, Chief Executive.

Charmaine Whitehouse, Primary Care Team Administrator, and Rachael Jones, Senior Communications and Engagement Manager, were chosen from many nominations as winners of the award.

Charmaine was nominated by Philip Morgan and Bernadette Williams.

Phil said: “Charmaine re-defines the word "indispensable" - she is the glue that holds the Primary Care Team together! She regularly goes well over and beyond the call of duty across all her work areas and has developed an extremely professional and effective way of dealing with the one area that keeps her very busy - that of finance and invoices! She responds quickly, politely, and constructively to queries from external providers. In addition, she always provides clear and helpful information to the rest of team when it comes to IT issues and other practical arrangements that the rest of us would rather ignore. Finally, despite all the requests and additional work that gets thrown at her, Charmaine always responds in a cheerful and friendly manner - what would we do without you, Charmaine!”

Bernadette said: “Charmaine has been working hard alongside the CSU IT team to help the primary care team prepare for the migration of our team files to the cloud. She has been doing this whilst delivering the 'normal' admin tasks as part of her role alongside the PA support to directors. She has been professional and calm throughout and deserves some recognition for her hard work.”

After being awarded Star of the Month, Charmaine said: “Thank you to the team for the nominations, I was overwhelmed by their kind words and totally shocked to win Star of the Month. It’s been a hard few months but if it wasn’t for the fantastic colleagues I work with every day, I would never be the person I am, it's my pleasure to be there to support them. Thank you so much.”

Rachael was nominated by her colleagues - Alice Lomas, Cameron Higgins and Naomi Martin.

Alice said: “Rachael is a wonderful member of the Communications and Engagement Team. She deserves this award as she is truly a star - she works extremely hard and genuinely cares about everything she works on.

“As a Line Manager, she is very supportive and cares both about professional and personal wellbeing. She always makes time for me, listens, and provides positive feedback on my work. I can talk to her about anything, and she is like a mentor as well as a line manager to me in terms of professional development.

“Rachael is always there to offer advice, help and support to everyone in the team. Her portfolio is vast, yet she works on every single task with huge commitment and care.  I'd like for Rachael to be recognised with this award as she truly deserves it - she's a real  star.”

Cameron said: “Since starting in my role four months ago, Rachael has been the most supportive, kind and encouraging manager that anyone could ask for. It's no secret that joining the NHS for the first time can be a totally overwhelming experience, but Rachael is the type of manager that makes you feel able to take it all on from day one.

“She's always there on call to talk about anything, she's always got your back and she's always got a plan. She brings a positive attitude and a smile to everything that she does, which can make a huge difference on those days that feel as if everything's going wrong. Couple that with a tireless and motivated work ethic (even on those trickier projects) and you end up with a colleague/manager that everyone would want in their camp. I'm not sure what I'd do without her!”

Naomi said: “Rachael is a fantastic member of the Communications and Engagement Team. She is approachable, and professional at all times. Within her work, she is a force to be reckoned with as she is passionate about the projects she works on. She always works with a smile - even when pressures are high. Rachael always helps others in the team where she can and routinely celebrates the teams' successes making everyone feel valued and supported. As a team, we really value her expertise and guidance. Thank you, Rachael!”

Rachael said: “It really is very nice to be acknowledged in this way and it means a lot to hear such lovely words. I’m very lucky to work with a such a talented and friendly bunch of people who are hardworking, committed to their roles, and know how to have a laugh – they make my job much easier and a whole lot more enjoyable.

“I’d also like to congratulate Charmaine and express how deserving she is of such recognition. She clearly does a stellar job for the Primary Care Team and it’s great to share this with her.”

The Star of the Month Award recognises the commitment and dedication of staff members who go above and beyond what is expected of them to make a difference to patients, the public and colleagues.

To nominate for March’s Star of the Month, click here.