Thank You Event 2025: Team of the Year, Winner
June 25, 2025
Every year we celebrate our amazing staff and their achievements at our Thank You ceremony. Board members will surprise colleagues at their bases and present them with a hamper, balloons and a certificate for being shining examples of our magnificent staff behaviours.
Despite undergoing a service review which involved losing staff members due to funding cuts, the Long COVID Rehabilitation Service have continued to be outstanding, resilient, innovative and are leading the way forward to improve care for patients in this new and evolving condition.
Being supportive of colleagues, the team have an excellent bond and support network in place, underpinned by an ethos and culture of care and compassion. This is demonstrated in a variety of ways e.g. peer support meetings, relaxation sessions led by an Occupational Therapist in the team, delivering joint therapy sessions, and meeting outside of work in times of need, and they all demonstrate a can-do attitude, always willing to go the extra mile to support one another.
The full team have been involved in every step and decision in all service changes throughout the last five years. This has led to a team culture and ethos of being able to challenge and suggest new ideas/ ways of working in an open and honest, safe way. Excellent staff survey results gives staff not only reasons to celebrate but also allows the leadership team to identify areas to improve demonstrating the teams determination to continuously excel.
The team’s social secretary has a crucial role in organising a variety of outside work events including, a theatre trip, crazy golf, crown bowling, a fun Taskmasker competition and more. As well as this, the team have been fundraising for a staff member who was recently diagnosed with cancer and are hoping to attend a charity ball.
Recent integration work has built relationships with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), pain services and the Integrated Care Board (ICB), enabling the team to work better together. The health Inequities working group have done outreach work, forging relationships with third sector organisations and community groups. They also continue to work with Leeds City Council developing peer support groups, Shared Harmonies with LC breathing groups and poetry and painting sessions with re-stART - Creative Outreach C.I.C as examples.
The team recognise the importance of effective and clear communication, with service information and links to resources available on the information hub; all accessible in different languages and by providing personalised care and a flexible pathway to meet individuals needs e.g. digital support for patients. They also offer Video Group Assessments which are not only an efficient innovative way of providing first assessment but also brings in an important element of peer support. The team also recognises the importance of the patient voice and have a good relationship with the established Patient Carer and Public Involvement group, who influence change.
The team have made two publications in the last year, supporting and building on the Long COVID (LC) evidence base, communicating internationally the knowledge they have acquired, and presenting at the national Long COVID clinical conference. All compliments and learning from incidents are shared and discussed at team meetings and every individual within the team is celebrated at away days with feedback shared.
The team were nominated by Rachel Tarrant, Clinical Pathway Co-ordinator (Long COVID Rehab Service) and Helen Rowney, Operational Manager (Long COVID Rehab) who said, “This team is absolutely amazing. The culture and ethos within the team from day one to where we are now, we’ve gone through some really tough challenges and we’ve stayed together as a team, including those who have left showing our close bond. I want to say a huge thank you for all your hard work everything you all do daily to support our patients to move the service forward to take us in a new direction with the rebranding and where we’re going in the future, thank you and we’re so proud of you.”
Andrea Osborne, Executive Director of Finance and Resources presented the award to the team and said, “A huge well done to you all. The nomination shows you are the embodiment of Leeds Community Healthcare and its values. Given all the challenges you’ve faced, the way you work together and supported each other through the process and put patients at the centre of everything, it's admirable. Very well deserved!”
