We're happy to share our 'Employees of the Month' for January. Thank you to everyone who took the time to nominate.
Below are the names of the winners in the categories of MacIntyre Adult Services, Children and Young People, MacIntyre No Limits™, and Specialist Support Services, together with an extract from their nominations.
Jodie Ward - Adult Services, Bedfordshire
Well this is a first for MacIntyre, Jodie has been awarded Employee of the Month two months running! This time, her nomination picked out her kindness and support for her colleagues. A member of Jodie's team recently had the devastating news that her husband was diagnosed with throat cancer. While supporting her husband through chemo and radiotherapy she is unable to work full-time. This staff member says:
Jodie has repeatedly checked in on us and supported me mentally and emotionally in a way I can't even begin to explain. I am so grateful to her for taking the time in her busy work and home life. She is an amazing human being and a credit to MacIntyre.
Zoe Page: Children and Young People, Wingrave
As part of her work to gain an Intensive Interaction qualification, Zoe has been working with her Mentor and has focused on her practice with a young person we will call Jim (not his real name). It is often difficult to hold Jim's interest, and Zoe has competition from the toys he likes to play with. Zoe specifically wanted to work with Jim because she felt using Intensive Interaction techniques would benefit him. Zoe's Mentor identified that this is admirable as it would have been simple for Zoe to collect evidence with another student who is more familiar with Intensive Interaction and is 'easier' to engage with. Instead she specifically chose to work with Jim as she knew what a benefit it would be to him. The interactions between Zoe and Jim are joyful and a pleasure to watch. They are also great role-modelling for other staff.
Natalie Lewis: No Limits, Bedford
Natalie has joined the team recently and hit the ground running. She always comes to work with a positive attitude and goes above and beyond her job role. Her enthusiasm towards the students is amazing to see. You can see the brilliant work she is doing and how the development and understanding of the students have deepened with her support. Natalie is great with students and staff alike. She thinks of innovative ways to engage students in activities and has a real passion for her role. She is a great asset to the No Limits team in Bedford.
Safi Ford and Jessie Bryden: Specialist Support Services
In another Employee of the Month first, we have a tie in this category. Here is what their nominators said.
Safi Ford - HR Advisor
Safi always impresses me with her positive, person-centred outlook. Safi has a compassionate approach and is knowledgeable and experienced. I really appreciate and value her advice and the way she doesn't minimise concerns but is calm, pragmatic and positive. I love how Safi always makes me feel like she cares about our staff team, is non-judgemental and wants the best for them, seeing this as integral to doing our best for the people who draw on our support. Safi is also a member of the Diversity group and contributes greatly to our organisation. Thanks for everything you do Safi!
Jessie Bryden - Payroll Assistant
Jessie is a fantastic part of the payroll team, and if you see her at work it is evident just how essential she is to the function of this vital team. Jessie is on hand to answer any specific questions I have relating to the ins and outs of payroll - even really obscure stuff - and is always willing to teach. At one point this month, Jessie took the time to show me how she processes new starters so I could appreciate more how this process continues past my own involvement as Recruitment Administrator. This allowed me to ensure I am passing the right information over to payroll every time. Jessie is intelligent, funny, skilled at her job, and I just love working with her. She is kind and helpful, and brings sunshine to office. She oozes Macintyre's DNA.