Staff excellence celebrated at Awards Ceremony

Dedicated individuals and teams at Optalis were honoured by their colleagues at the annual Star Awards ceremony held at Easthampstead Park Conference Centre on 17 May. The event consisted of an awards section followed by an afternoon tea and was attended by all the shortlisted candidates, their nominators and senior managers from Optalis.

A judging panel consisting of staff and a customer chose the winners based on how they best demonstrated the Optalis Core Values in all they do for customers, colleagues and the local community. There was also a special Managing Director’s award for the team that had excelled in their role.

The winners were:

Respect Award – Carole Fisher, Occupational Therapist, Care Brokerage & Professional Support
Customer Service Award – Denise Norwood and Christine Witts, Care and Support Workers, START team
Communication Award – Amy Martin, Supported Employment Service Coach
Transparency & Integrity Award – Hamis Missanga, Care and Support Worker, Suffolk Lodge
Continuous Development Award – Maz Burgisser– Operational Lead, Woodley and Earley Day Services
Enjoyable & Rewarding Award – Derek Johns and Jamie Janko, Volunteer gardeners, Suffolk Lodge
Outstanding Team Effort Award – Supported Employment Service

Optalis Managing Director Mette Le Jakobsen said: “The winners of these annual awards should be seen as representative of an extraordinarily dedicated, hardworking and passionate workforce who, every day, do everything they can to ensure our customers receive the best care and support possible. I’m really proud to be celebrating their achievements.”