The 2024 Cygnet OT Conference Video - Part 1
On Wednesday 6th November we held our annual Occupational Therapy Conference and Awards.
The theme of this year’s conference was ‘Neurodiversity and Occupational Therapy’ and we were delighted to welcome a variety of speakers from Cygnet, public and independent sectors, as well as service users and residents.
Occupational Therapy colleagues from across the country came together and dialled in to the virtual conference and celebration. The conference covered topics such as sensory integration, disability activism and supporting neurodiverse staff as well as service users.
Victoria Wisniewski and Sylvia Dubarry, Cygnet’s Occupational Therapy Directors, said: “This OT Week, we’re thrilled to extend our heartfelt thanks to every Occupational Therapist and Occupational Therapy Assistant across Cygnet for the vital work you do for our service users. Your commitment, skills, and compassion truly make a difference, and we’re incredibly grateful to have you on our team.
“Every day, you bring patience, creativity, and deep commitment to the work you do – helping individuals find meaning, independence, and hope in their daily lives. Your work is essential to our mission and during OT Week, we want to highlight just how valued and appreciated you are.
“As part of our appreciation, we were excited to host our annual Cygnet OT Conference. This event was an inspiring showcase of the outstanding work you do every day, providing a space to share achievements, learn from each other, and strengthen our community. We also took the opportunity to celebrating our Occupational Therapy Awards, honouring those who have gone above and beyond in their roles.
“Thank you for everything you do. We couldn’t do it without you!”
Our Occuptional Therapy Awards winners 2024 are as follows:
Service Users First Award
Entries for this category had to demonstrate regularly going ‘above & beyond’ to support individuals in our care with a consistent focus on achievement of person-centred goals.
Winner: Holly Ford, Occupational Therapy Assistant, Cygnet Hospital Colchester
Holly has been described as thoughtful and creative in her approach to patient interventions, always putting patient care at the heart of what she does.
She has adopted a unique way of working with her patients and uses evidence-based practice, linking in with family members to achieve the best possible outcomes.
Value and Develop Our Staff Award
Entries for this category had to demonstrate they had encouraged and facilitated staff to develop and share skills and knowledge whilst also actively contributing to building an open culture.
Winner: Joshua Jones, Regional Lead and Head of Occupational Therapy, Cygnet Hospital Kewstoke
Josh has demonstrated authentic leadership with a drive and passion for staff development. This person has worked dynamically across disciplines with the MDT to harness better joint working and CPD opportunities for colleagues.
Deliver Service Excellence Award
Entries for this category had to demonstrate that they encouraged others to strive for clinical excellence whilst consistently achieveing excellent outcomes.
Winner: Theoca Moodley, Head of Occupational Therapy, Cygnet Hospital Godden Green
Theoca has demonstrated outstanding contributions to service development at her service and within the wider Acute/PICU service line. Her dedication, expertise, and innovative approach have significantly enhanced the quality of care provided to our patients.
Help and Support More People Award
Entries for this category had to demonstrate facilitation or provision of high quality student placements and coming up with innovative ideas relating to the provision of student education.
Winner: Rebecca Griffiths, Head Occupational Therapist, Cygnet Manor and Sheffield Day Services
Rebecca supports and mentors junior staff and OT students in a way that shouts out: Nothing is too much trouble. Her enthusiasm and ‘above and beyond’ attitude promote the role and identity of Occupational Therapy wherever she goes.
Innovation for the Future Award
Entries for this category had to demonstrate completion of Occupational Therapy research, leading QI projects and to have presented at external conferences.
Winner: Courtney Greene
Courtney has played a pivotal role in spearheading Quality Improvement projects aimed at mitigating violence, aggression, and self-harm. Her contributions also extend to scholarly pursuits, as evidenced by an article published in the NAPICU journal and presentations at a wide variety of prestigious external conferences.
Sarah Thompson Legacy Award
This award is in memory of our colleague and friend, Sarah, who lost her brave fight against cancer this year. This award celebrates the exceptional contributions of Occupational Therapists.
Winner: Elizabeth Kelly, Occupational Therapist, Cygnet Aspen Clinic
Elizabeth started her OT journey very recently. From the go, she has shown passion, motivation, drive, and forward thinking. She has been described by many as ‘a breath of fresh air’. She quickly created several links with community services and is supporting service users who haven’t accessed the community for years to engage in community groups.
