Vote Katie to become Our Health Hero

A Trust staff member helping people to find work has been named as a finalist in the Skills for Health Our Health Heroes Awards.

Katie Whittam is a facilities and IT co-ordinator at the Trust. She has been nominated in the Operational Support Worker of the Year Award category, having transformed the way that the Trust attracts candidates for hard to fill portering and housekeeping roles.

Katie joined the estates and facilities team in 2012 as a domestic operative, and has worked her way up into her current role.

Based on her own experiences and working in collaboration with recruitment and HR colleagues, Katie has created a new entry into work process, which introduces individuals who are out of work to meet the team and experience the various facilities roles that the Trust has to offer.

Due to Katie’s work more and more people are able to find work in the local area and the Trust is keeping hold of its staff for longer than it was before.

“The quality of the programme she has designed is recognised regionally within the NHS and is providing a solution to both recruiting to facilities roles and long-term unemployment,” says Nick Phillips, associate director of estates and facilities.

“It is this desire to improve both for herself and others which makes her a true rising star.”

You can show support for Katie’s achievements by casting your vote here: www.skillsforhealth.org.uk/awards/vote. The Skills for Health Our Health Heroes Awards is sponsored by Unison, NHS England, NHS Employers and more. Following a public vote, gold, silver and bronze Operational Support Worker of the Year Award winners will be announced at a ceremony held in London on 7 June.