SESLHD CORE Awards

This Award recognises initiatives that support SESLHD’s vision for a sustainable health system that delivers outcomes that matter to patients, is personalised, invests in wellness, and is digitally enabled. The nominations for this category must demonstrate ‘value’ through equity of access, health outcomes that matter to patients, and positive experience in receiving and providing care. 

The award acknowledges innovative projects and programs which promote:  

• Building new and innovative partnerships between the public, private and/or non-government sectors to ensure access to the best possible health care for all.
• Defining business models that improve productivity and efficiency. 
• Creating formal links between primary, community and hospital services to deliver health care that meets the needs of patients over time and delivers the best possible health outcomes.  
• Care provided in cost-effective settings that are close to home and keep people out of hospital. 
• Continuity of care between hospital, primary, community, residential and aged care settings.  
• Innovative funding models, governance arrangements, and information technology solutions that support a sustainable, integrated system of care.  
• Engaging consumers and clinicians to develop person-centred models of care that are efficient, effective, and sustainable, and promote individual responsibility for health.   

SESLHD is committed to improving the wellbeing of the community through preventative healthcare and by collaborating with our partners and consumers. This award aims to acknowledge innovative projects and programs which promote: 

 Reducing negative health impacts through improvements in environmental health 

• Action to support individuals, families, and communities to make healthy lifestyle choices 
• Closing the gap in Aboriginal health outcomes 
• Improving lifestyles by targeting public health priorities such as tobacco control, physical activity, obesity, infectious disease, oral health, diabetes prevention and addressing harmful risk factors 
• Identifying and improving health outcomes for risk groups, e.g., children, youth, older people, workers, and disadvantaged groups 
• Primary, secondary and population health prevention. 

Excellence in Aboriginal Healthcare recognises exceptional healthcare delivery through strong partnerships across NSW Health and external agencies. This may include:

• Valuing and fostering respect for the expertise and knowledge of ACCHSs and their staff.
• Collaboration in designing and delivering services.
• Strong consultation, strategic collaboration and/or partnership, and sharing of resources.
• Responsiveness to the local Aboriginal community's health needs, as identified by the Aboriginal Health Unit.
• Capacity building and utilisation of relevant Partnership Agreements or Burudi Muru Yagu Action Plan. 
• Partnership with the Aboriginal people and communities in the design, implementation, evaluation, and evidence building.

Mental Health is a priority area for the NSW Government and SESLHD. This award recognises and showcases innovation in improving the quality and safety of mental health patient care within programs which display:

Best practice, excellence, and innovation in mental health service delivery

• Development of consumer-focused services
• Positive mental health and wellbeing through consumer and carer participation
• Improved prevention and early intervention.

SESLHD is committed to translating research and innovation into clinical service models that deliver positive health outcomes for our community. As part of this commitment, SESLHD aims to build research and innovation capacity and capability within SESLHD, increase community access to research and innovation and foster a culture of innovation, research, and translation within SESLHD.  

Awardees may have demonstrated outstanding and innovative achievements by establishing:

• Ways of assisting clinicians and health decision makers to find or use research effectively
• Research partnerships or collaborations involving clinicians, health service providers, decision makers and/or consumers that have led to outstanding examples of research that have positively changed policy or practice. This includes innovative future focused infrastructure and digital health initiatives. 
• Acknowledgement by decision makers of the impact of research on their policy or practice
• eHealth, health information and data analytics to support and harness health & medical research and innovation
• Clinical practices and processes delivered through innovative built spaces including new approaches to effective and efficient building outcomes to deliver clinical outcomes.

In SESLHD, our goal is for everyone in our community to have access to safe, compassionate, and high-quality healthcare. In addition, we continue to focus on fostering innovation and translational research into clinical service models to deliver positive health outcomes. Providing world-class clinical care where patient safety comes first, is a key priority for NSW Health and SESLHD. NSW Health has a shared vision that patient safety is everybody’s business. This award acknowledges a commitment to putting patient safety first, every day. Projects within this category will display patient safety first in:

• Leading quality improvement to ensure safer patient care.
• Delivering innovative approaches to improving patient safety.
• Engaging patients in approaches to improve patient safety.
• Demonstrating leadership or role modelling behaviour that puts patient safety first.

The People and Culture Award recognises teams who develop and support our people and culture and ensure a safe and healthy environment for patients and staff. Initiatives within this category will show support for people within NSW Health by:

• Working collaboratively within the NSW Health system to improve health outcomes. 
• Growing and supporting a skilled workforce by hiring and developing the right people, with the right skills, at the right time. 
• Developing effective health professional managers and leaders. 
• Improved systems and efficiencies to support better workplace safety and health outcomes. 
• Ownership and adoption of workplace health and safety practices. 
• Support for long-term behaviour change to strengthen the staff health safety culture.
• Increased awareness of the importance of personal safety alongside patient safety. 
• Enhanced access and training in workplace health and safety. 
• Fostering a culture that reflects the NSW Health CORE values and respects diversity.

Partnering with our community is a critical component of SESLHDs Exceptional Care, Healthier Lives Strategic Plan 2022-25. This award recognises that patients are partners in their health care and aims to acknowledge projects or programs that promote collaboration between the patient and the health care team. Entries should be able to demonstrate innovation in:  

• Empowering patients to take control of their health and be supported in managing their own health conditions.
• Shared decision making, with the patient as the expert in their own values and needs.
• Clinicians planning and delivering care in partnership with the patient.
• Enhancing access to patient-centred care for people living with chronic illness.
• Engaging consumers in strategic planning and governance processes. 

This award recognises a team that has demonstrated outstanding commitment and achievements in promoting and implementing environmentally sustainable practices within SESLHD. The recipient/s will have shown leadership and embedded environmentally sustainable improvements that reduce our consumption of resources and/or reduce the environmental impact in the way our services are provided.  

The award aims to encourage and recognise initiatives that contribute to reducing environmental impact of the health sector, whilst promoting a culture of environmental sustainability at SESLHD.  

This category includes programs, initiatives, innovations that:  

• Create sustainable of models of care, by either decarbonised high value care or culling low value or harmful care. 
• Reduce waste, either by targeting reduction in procurement, encouraging re-use opportunities, or improving diversion of waste from landfill. 
• Support mental and physical well-being with prevention, intervention strategies and delivery of services for improved community health outcomes. 
• Deliver integration and efficiency across infrastructure, utilities and transport that support the NSW government Net Zero objectives. 
• Create communities where people love to work and patients are able to access spaces that promote a healthy lifestyle, improve air quality and urban biodiversity. 
• Demonstrate leadership or role model behaviour that creates an environmentally sustainable movement. 

This award recognises demonstrated excellence in digital innovation by a team, securing better outcomes for our patients & the communities we serve. The recipient/s will have harnessed the power of digital innovation and data to make Health services more accessible, affordable, equitable, efficient, and effective. This category includes programs, initiatives, innovations, or improvements that: 

• Boost innovation and cultural change and digitally transform the way we work and deliver services to our customers 
• Design and deliver better tools and solutions using data and analytics to drive data insights, for better and more responsive decision making 
• Support innovation led productivity in the way we use technology 
• Support digital capability uplift in the health sector 
• Support technology development and technology skills of the future. 

This award brings together two individual awards, staff member of the year and collaborative leader of the year. It aims to recognise NSW Health employees who have made an exceptional contribution through effective collaboration to the NSW health system. This award aims to acknowledge an individual who:

 As part of their clinical or support role in NSW Health, provides excellence in service to support staff, patients, carers or families.

• Is a role model for promoting positive cultural change and inspiring other staff within NSW Health.
• Uses new and innovative ways to collaborate with staff, patients, carers, or families. 
• Supports effective teamwork to collaboratively improve patient care. 
• Demonstrates strong corporate, clinical governance and CORE values in all health services. 

The Volunteer of the Year Award recognises the significant contribution of an individual to volunteering within SESLHD. This award aims to acknowledge an individual who:

• Provides excellent support for patients, carers, and families.
• Acts as a role model for volunteering in SESLHD which promotes volunteer services and inspires other volunteers.
• Uses new and innovative ways to engage patients, carers, and families.

This award recognizes an individual within SESLHD who has demonstrated exceptional leadership potential and is a strong role model for all.  

• Nominees should be early-mid career professionals who have already made significant contributions to their field and have the potential to become future leaders in the NSW Health system. 
• An individual who strives to lead by example and motivates their colleagues to continuously improve and challenge the status quo. 
• This individual demonstrates a growth mindset and passionately contributes to make a difference in their field for the benefit of our patients and/or staff.
• This individual fosters collaboration, and actively works to promote interprofessional teamwork.

To recognise outstanding achievement by an individual who has demonstrated exceptional talent, potential, and dedication in their role within NSW Health. This award is designed to recognise talent within SESLHD – an individual who is making significant contributions in their role and is likely to continue to be well placed to progress their career in the organisation.

•  Demonstrates exceptional performance and achievements in their role within SESLHD.
• Models the way in living the NSW Health values.
• Demonstrates commitment to their ongoing professional development and to improving the experience of patients and/or staff.
• Demonstrates clear potential and desire for career progression within SESLHD.

To recognise an individual or team who has demonstrated exceptional commitment to upholding and promoting the CORE values of NSW Health. This award is designed to recognise those who have gone above and beyond in living the CORE values and in doing so, have made a positive impact on their colleagues, patients, and/or the wider community.

• Demonstrates exceptional commitment to modelling and promoting the CORE values of NSW Health through their work.
• Demonstrates positive impact on colleagues, patients, and/or the wider community as a result of their commitment to the CORE values.
• Collaboration: Collaborates effectively with all stakeholders in the healthcare system including clinical and non-clinical staff, consumers, and partners. 
• Openness: Shares ideas, encourages communication and participation, and provides a safe environment for expression.
• Respect: Respecting the diverse perspectives and backgrounds present in the workplace.
• Empowerment: Fostering a positive environment where individuals are encouraged to grow, develop, and succeed.

This award recognises SESLHD staff who consistently demonstrate a strong work ethic, exceptional commitment to service, and dedication to their role in NSW Health.  

• An individual who consistently goes above and beyond in their role without seeking recognition and may be seen an unsung hero in the organisation.  
• This individual has a significant impact on their team’s performance and/or functioning/impact and is invaluable to the delivery of support and services to our patients and/or staff.  
• They are an exemplar in modelling the values of NSW Health.