The event was held in person for the first time since before the pandemic. Exploring the theme of Excellence in Clinical Leadership, and hosted by David Wilmott, Director of Nursing, it was a day to celebrate the best of our nursing staff and care at Cygnet.
Following a warm welcome from our CEO, Dr Tony Romero, Mary Mumvuri, National CQC Advisor for Mental Health and Deputy Chair of Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Nurse Directors Council delivered the first Key Note Speech.
Dame Ruth May, Chief Nursing Officer, NHS England addressed the event virtually and explained how the biggest priority for her team currently was centred on the retention of high-quality nurses.
Next, Karen Johnson, Senior Vice President, Universal Health Services delivered her Key Note Speech. She talked about the alignment of UHS’s mission statement with Cygnet’s and looked at differences between US and UK services, explaining that compassion should underpin all of the work that we do.
Speaking after the conference, Karen explained: “It is a thrill to participate in anything which recognises our nurses and support workers and their level of commitment. They do incredibly important work for those who need our support at a time when the world makes it so difficult for many without a voice to have their voice heard.
“It is a treat to be a part of an opportunity to share, to celebrate, to learn, to network and to meet an incredible group of people.
“Nurses lead with their heart and they chose this work out of a place of kindness, respect and a deep concern for people’s welfare. The highlight of the day was the recognition of so many individuals during the awards. Recognition is how people thrive and it is terrific to be able to recognise all of the talented individuals across Cygnet group.”
We were then delighted to launch Cygnet’s 2023-2025 Nursing Strategy, presented by David Wilmott and Agnes Tutani, our Freedom to Speak Up Guardian. The strategy, which was co-produced, provides a framework for learning and experience to be shared across our Nursing workforce to enhance their practice and ultimately deliver the highest standards of professional nursing care.
David explained: “Today has given us an opportunity to celebrate the unique contribution our nurses and support workers make to our patients and service users’ care.
“It was exciting to launch our Nursing Strategy 2023-25 which gives us the opportunity to set the strategic direction for nursing over the next few years. It focuses on patient safety, clinical effectiveness and service user experience. It will be a driving force developing and enhancing the nursing workforce throughout the Cygnet group.
“Our patients and residents are at the heart of the strategy and we would like to ensure all of the objectives of the nursing strategy are built into our everyday practice as nursing and care professionals.”
Following break-out sessions focusing on Simulation Based Education and Nursing in Social Care, the highlight of the day was the Cygnet Nursing Awards, presented by Beatrice Nyamande, our Operations Director, Social Care, David Wilmott and Karen Johnson.
Congratulations to the winners of our Nursing Awards:
- Nurse of the Year – Cynthia Neta
- Support Worker of the Year – Anna Kowalska
- Nurse Leader of the Year – Margaret Ryan
- Speak Up Award – Blessings Sithole
- Diversity and Inclusion Award – Junior Sibanda
- Nurse Education Award – Eleanor Smith
- Nurse Innovator Award – Stacey Burgess
- Nurse Compassionate Leader Award – Claire Griffiths
- Director of Nursing Award – Maxine Thorne
Suzanne Smith, Apprenticeship Manager, and Mandy Blanchard, Head of Learning and Development, then hosted a Graduation Ceremony to celebrate our Nurse Associates. 35 people were recognised and celebrated for their achievements before Daniel King, Head of Quality Improvement, shared an update on Quality Improvement.
Speaking about the event and the importance of our nurses, Dr Tony Romero, CEO of Cygnet Group, said: “I was very glad to be invited to the fourth National Awards for our nurses. It has been a fantastic day. Our nurses are the core, the heart of everything we do. When everybody’s at home, when everybody’s distracted, our nurses are there doing the right thing, when nobody’s watching, for our patients.
“They are the ones that join us together and we need to be so thankful. It is thanks to our nurses and the quality of their care that people improve.
“We owe so much to our nurses and I’m very proud to come here and spend time with them. It is energising.”
