A speech and language therapist who works with children and adults with highly complex speech impairments and a nurse who supports new overseas recruits settle in to life at the Trust, are the recipients of September’s You Made a Difference award.
Jennie Roy, joined the Trust in April 2012 as a speech and language therapist member within the East of England regional cleft lip and palate service.
Her role involves undertaking assessment, differential diagnosis and intervention with children and adults presenting with what can be highly complex speech and communication impairments. She also works closely with families in the first few months of a child’s life, educating and empowering them to support their child’s speech, language and communication development.
In addition, Jennie is responsible for training and supporting community and less experienced colleagues, as well as professionals from other disciplines across the region, to ensure all patients in the region have access to the best possible care both now and in the future.
Described as a ‘thoughtful, thorough and conscientious clinician who puts a huge amount of effort into her work on a daily basis,’ Jennie’s winning nomination explained the difference she made to one patient and her family.
‘Our daughter Sophie had her last regular speech therapy appointment with Jennie, who has been working with us over the last three years. Sophie’s complex speech problems meant that as a toddler very few people, including family members, could understand her. Now, just weeks from starting school Sophie speaks so clearly and confidently that she no longer needs speech therapy.
‘For an appointment that fell on Sophie’s fourth birthday, Jennie created an amazing session of birthday speech therapy games, even including pass the parcel and balloons. We feel so lucky that Jennie has been such an important part of Sophie’s young life and has given her such a positive experience of hospitals and the on-going treatment she has faced.'
The progress Sophie has made over the past three years is amazing and all thanks to the countless times Jennie has gone above and beyond for her. We will always be so grateful for her determination to help Sophie’s speech develop to the extent it has. Thank you, Jennie.
Diana Addison, was a student nurse on K3 in her second year and made a great impression on the team at that time.
‘We were very happy to have her successfully apply as a newly qualified nurse and she has been with us since Oct 2016. Diana has a very gregarious character and is welcoming to all our staff, visitors and patients.’
‘She is fun to be around but professional and this nomination is a perfect reflection of her considerate and caring nature. We are all extremely proud of her! It is great that her hard work has been recognised with this award, especially as she does it on top of her already demanding role on K3.’
This is reflected in the winning nomination; an extract of which told us:
‘Diana has been very active in spearheading the welcoming of different groups of new staff to Addenbrooke's. She is in regular contact with the recruitment office even in her own time, using her personal day off to welcome people with a smile. Diana meets staff who have arrived from different parts of the world and has organised a programme to set and prepare warm meals, address their questions about the UK, the hospital and run through other essentials like transportation and stores.’
She understands that it can be overwhelming for new staff and that is why she leads this program, so they know they have a family here at CUH.