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HR director wins lifetime achievement award
Jan Bloomfield, recently retired director of HR at our Trust, has been given the prestigious lifetime achievement award sponsored by DAC Beachcroft, at this year’s Healthcare People Management Association Excellence in HRM awards.
Jan has undertaken her role with great distinction for many years. She has also chaired regional networks of her colleagues for 10 years or more, commanding their respect and affection in equal measure, while representing the NHS in the national social partnership discussions with trades unions and ministers with credibility and authenticity. In addition, she has been a source of mentorship and support to countless colleagues as they have pursued their careers or faced challenges in their roles.
West Suffolk is quite properly viewed as one of the beacons of good workforce leadership in the NHS. The chief executive rightly receives recognition for the impact of his personal leadership, but he is clear that he was able to build upon the significant work led by Jan prior to his arrival. The strong ethos of compassionate leadership amongst the executive has meant there are effective systems for managing and developing talent, while partnership working is strong and characterised by mutual respect and openness.
Above all, in 2017, the organisation’s people were reported to be the most engaged in the NHS. To read the 2018 CQC assessment of West Suffolk as ‘Outstanding’ is to see the impact that good HR practice, consistently and patiently applied can make to the performance of teams, and ultimately their patients. To read that report is then to see the impact that Jan and her team have made over many years. Singular achievement can be celebrated in colleagues who have chaired the CIPD or whose name alone is shorthand for the importance of compassionately led teams. It is also, however, seen in colleagues such as Jan who have committed to one institution and community and made a real difference to those that work and receive care there.
The awards were held on 6 June 2019 at the Hilton Deansgate, Manchester. Over 500 guests gathered to celebrate some of the inspiring achievements of HR teams across the UK and praise their hard work and commitment to making the NHS a great place to work.
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