A member of staff has won a prestigious national HR Award.
Anne Potter, a HR Business Partner at the Trust, has won a KPMG Star Award at the HPMA Excellence in People Awards which celebrates the very best individuals, teams, professionals and projects working in workforce, OD and HR in healthcare.
Anne was nominated for a number of reasons but was praised in particular for her work to support neurodiverse doctors in training, helping to design and implement a suite of resources, including a dedicated training session aimed at educators.
She noticed that there were increasing numbers of doctors in training requiring support due to neurodiversity (ND) conditions. There was however not only a lack of awareness around neurodiversity conditions, but also a lack of resources and knowledge to support them.
Anne took the time to educate herself on ND conditions, attending webinars, developing relationships with charities and organisations specialising in ND as well as undertaking independent research to increase her own knowledge of conditions such as dyslexia and what support can be offered to those with the condition. She now provides support to staff and guidance to line managers and HR colleagues to ensure the doctors in training receive the adjustments they need in the shortest time possible.
Speaking about the award Anne said: “It came as a surprise but I’m incredibly thankful to be recognised.
“The work that went into me being nominated was in response to a greater need and understanding of neurodiversity in medical training and the impact that has. On setting up a neurodiverse working group with medical staff, we produced a dedicated toolkit and website section that looked to explain, guide, and support our colleagues-in-training.
“The awards night was fantastic, and it was great to be in a space with other HR professionals from different NHS trusts across the country.”