Thank You Event 2025: Project of the Year – Winner

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.

The DNA Project focused on reducing Did Not Attend (DNA) and Was Not Brought (WNB) rates in the Children’s Speech and Language Therapy (CSLT) Service. This project demonstrates the team’s drive to improve access, empower families, and enhance the patient experience. With an aim to decrease wasted appointments and improve efficiency across community services, the CSLT team embraced this shared challenge and transformed it into a targeted, innovative response. The outcome was fewer missed appointments, better use of clinical time, and more children seen sooner.

The project began with student led projects in Spring and Summer 2024, which highlighted inconsistencies in recording DNA/WNBs and a lack of accessible information, especially for families with English as an additional language. By speaking with clinicians, administrators, and families, the students uncovered a clear issue: many families didn’t understand why they had been referred or what to expect, leading to missed appointments. Instead of seeing this as just another challenge, the team saw it as a chance to make things better for families.

Chaired by Debra Gill, the group worked alongside clinicians to embed a consistent, compassionate approach to managing cases where children were not brought, ensuring alignment with safeguarding and service policies. Nicola Waddington, Clinical Lead, Children's Speech and Language Therapy Service nominated the project and said, “We recognised that to reduce missed appointments, families needed clear, accessible information about the service and what to expect delivered in a way that felt welcoming and supportive.” Thus, the idea for a patient information video was born.

The video was filmed in March 2025 and is currently in post-production. It will be made available in the ten most common languages used by families accessing the service. It offers a warm, clear introduction to CSLT: what the service does, why a child might be referred, and what families can expect from appointments. But more than that, it sends a message: we see you, we understand your concerns, and we’re here to support you.

Throughout the project, collaboration and reflection were key. Kathryn Merrick played a central role in bringing the video to life, offering clear direction and creative vision, and working in close collaboration with Kerr Mackie Primary School to film in a real, welcoming environment. Her leadership ensured the final product was grounded, relatable, and accessible to all families. Melissa Ramskill, the “data queen,” helped the team stay focused with her rigorous approach to tracking outcomes and understanding patterns. Dominic Carroll brought a thoughtful, critical lens to the work, challenging the team to think differently and championing the voices of patients. His energy and belief in the project were a driving force.

The Project Team actively engaged the LCH Youth Board and Leeds Parent/Carer Forum to shape the content, tone, and delivery of the video. Their feedback has been instrumental in ensuring the final product truly reflects the needs and voices of the community it serves.

The video will be shared at referral and appointment stages. Families will receive a link, and referring professionals are encouraged to use it during conversations with families.

The filming day was full of energy and creativity, with several SLTs volunteering to appear in the video, bringing their own children along to play actors for the day. It was a real team effort, embraced with enthusiasm, care, and a shared sense of purpose.

Nicola included, “As a result of increased awareness across the service, DNA rates have reduced from over 10% to 5%, effectively halving the number of missed appointments. This improvement has allowed previously wasted appointment slots to be used more efficiently, directly contributing to more children and young people being taken off the waiting list and a reduction in waiting times. We anticipate that sharing the video with families will lead to further improvements in access to the CSLT service. The DNA Project was grounded in data, driven by family feedback, and aligned with wider organisational goals. Above all, the DNA Project exemplifies the values we hold as a service: compassion, curiosity, collaboration, and commitment. It reminds us that every appointment matters and every family deserves to feel seen, informed, and supported.”

Lynsey Ure, Executive Director of Nursing and Allied Health Professionals surprised the Project Team at Stanningley Rugby Club to present them with a hamper, certificate and cake.