Yolande Dixon
Nominated by: Anonymous
Department: Adult Social Care and Health
Reason for nomination:
I am nominating this particular colleague, she has been an exceptional manager.
This particular individual has gone above and beyond for her team even when things have been tough.
Although she has been through several home closures she has continued to put her all into the work that she does and does so with a smile on her face.
She has been supportive of her staff team and has always answered questions raised.
Chloe Eyre
Nominated by: Jeni Noble
Department: Adult Social Care and Health
Reason for nomination:
I would like to nominate Chloe Eyre - senior practitioner for safeguarding within Amber Valley adult social care and health department.
Since taking on the role Chloe has improved the safeguarding process for others and managed to achieve some great outcomes for the people of Derbyshire by her collaborative working with system partners. When Chloe took on the role there were a high number of safeguarding’s within Amber Valley however with Chloe’s support to others this number has reduced drastically by enabling workers to feel empowered and confident with how they deal with them. Chloe always has time for others and quite happily joint works cases with for that shared support. Chloe has provided much needed team days for the area for safeguarding so that discussions can take place with any queries or questions in relation to different areas of safeguarding. Chloe will happily have 1-1 time with others to discuss on-going safeguarding issues and has supported everyone to complete the safeguarding concern workflows much more efficiently.
Not only does she support all areas of the Amber Valley team with safeguarding’s Chloe has supported myself and others in a practice educator role for the social work apprentices. In my experience Chloe was highly motivated, supportive and a great listener. I strongly believe that without Chloe’s support I would not be where I am today in my final year at university. Chloe faces all challenges head on with such professionalism and has such a dedication to the council’s vision and values. Chloe is a kind, knowledgeable and supportive individual who deserves this award without a shadow of doubt. Thank you Chloe - you are a star :)
Collette Boden
Nominated by: Melisa Bacon
Department: Adult Social Care and Health
Reason for nomination:
Collette Boden is a fantastic employee of DCC. She works tirelessly for the Council and is always willing to go that little bit extra. Collette turned 70 this year and still works in both day and out of hours shifts - nothing is never too much for her and she is always willing to step in and help. She truly deserves to be recognised for all the work she does which often goes unrecognised. When I am carrying out a MHA assessment I know I can always rely on Collette to support both me and the person.
Nancy Wilson
Nominated by: Anonymous
Department: Place
Reason for nomination:
This is relation to the move of the collections when Buxton Museum was closed and sold. I have really enjoyed working up there and I am really proud of what we all achieved. I just wanted in particular to say how great it was working with Nancy Wilson at Buxton Museum.
I have been really impressed how well she handled a difficult situation, treated everyone with respect and explained exactly what needed to be done clearly. Nancy was on with everything which let the rest of the team get on with what we needed to do. I have a lot of respect for her and she did an amazing job.
Collette Boden
Nominated by: Denyse Laking
Department: Adult Social Care and Health
Reason for nomination:
Collette is an outstanding, sometimes undervalued employee. Her competence always makes me feel safe when I am out in the community, working with her. Her thought process is amazing and she is always several steps ahead. When asked to do something, she has already done it. I cannot praise her highly enough. Also the individuals we come in contact with whilst undertaking Mental Health Act assessments, absolutely love her. She is a safe pair of hands.
Collette Boden
Nominated by: Davena Louise Ashman
Department: Adult Social Care and Health
Reason for nomination:
Goes above and beyond and supports AMHPs in everything we do.
Steve Wade
Nominated by: Anonymous
Department: Corporate Services & Transformation
Reason for nomination:
Outstanding Performance: Steve Wade consistently exceeds performance expectations, delivering high-quality work with efficiency and attention to detail. Their dedication directly contributes to authority.
Customer/Client Impact: Whether internal or external, their interactions with clients/customers are professional, courteous, and effective, often resulting in positive feedback and stronger relationships.
Reliability and Work Ethic: Steve can be counted on to meet deadlines, stay calm under pressure, and maintain a positive attitude, even during peak workloads or tough situations.
Company Values: Steve exemplifies the authority's values in all their actions, representing the company with integrity, enthusiasm, and professionalism.
Mya Cooper
Nominated by: Ev Ortton
Department: Corporate Services & Transformation
Reason for nomination:
Mya always delivers excellent care and customer service, she demonstrates a positive attitude and is very supportive, she focuses on meeting the needs of our service and delivers consistently her performance is second to none.
Jenna Hayes
Nominated by: Donna Woodhouse
Department: Children’s Services
Reason for nomination:
I wish to nominate Jenna Hayes, Social Worker in the Children In Care team at Chesterfield. Jenna has consistently gone above and beyond for her young people in care, working late and in her own time to make their family time with birth family so special for them. Jenna has driven the family to Blackpool for days out at the seaside, she has taken other family members long distances to see the young person in care and this has meant so much for the young people and created positive memories for them to have.
The team has been short staffed for a while and Jenna has gone above and beyond to undertake additional duties, covering visits and assessments, whilst having the highest case load in the team, to ensure that the service to the young people was not compromised. Jenna is a real team player and always thinks of others and her team members wellbeing, which creates such a lovely working environment for the team during a challenging time.
Jina Hames
Nominated by: Anonymous
Department: Corporate Services & Transformation
Reason for nomination:
Jina Hames has worked for the council for more than 25 years now and deserves to be recognised for all the people that she has helped over that time. Jina has always been a very supportive person and has looked after her team and the people that we work with. Jina is always very positive person. Jina embodies what the council is about. Jina is very supportive of the team and encourages us to be accountable, just like her. Jina makes sure that her team are always kept up to date with all changes and new information that we may need to complete our roles.
We have a regular team meeting, and we can offer feedback both positive and negative and Jina will take the information on board. Jina definitely makes the best use of the resources available to her and us. If we need something she will not hesitate to find out how to get it and then get it for us. I can offer the example of using Brava, the redacting software that we use. Jina even came to the training and regularly met with us to ensure the task was doable for us. She then checked with the SEN team to ensure we were providing the correct service to enable them to meet with others.
Jina is a real inspiration to everyone who she comes into contact with. Jina makes sure that we all read the Council Plan each year to ensure that we know and understand what the council wants to achieve and how we contribute to the Council Plan.
John Dawes
Nominated by: Allen Shepherd
Department: Corporate Services & Transformation
Reason for nomination:
John manages the disposal of Assets in the wider Estates Team and comes up with creative and effective ways to maximise the value and the Capital receipt the Council receive when selling land and buildings.
John worked creatively to assemble parcels of land and included problematic sections to alleviate issues and risks to the Council in the future.
Selling assets is always an emotive issue and draws huge criticism and attention from the public and John has always dealt with enquiries professionally and sympathetically whilst protecting the financial interests at all time.
The sales included Assets of Community Value which were sold to Community Groups at below 'best consideration' to ensure that Communities continued to have use of facilities and a safe space in their locality to ensure the continuation of important and much needed Community Activities including cafes, meeting places, sporting and crafting/hobby areas.
Alan Parker
Nominated by: Summa Watson
Department: Corporate Services & Transformation
Reason for nomination:
Alan has been innovative - using the digital tools we have to design and create excellent data collection opportunities for our team in a number of new ways. He is helpful, listens carefully and suggests ideas and options, always looking to collaborate to design the best solution for our team so that together we can deliver goals.
He values our team (Disability Employment in Public Health) and trusts us to work together to get really effective data to move us forward and improve results and efficiencies. Alan will ask questions and make sure everyone is putting in the correct data, looking for the best ways to do this and query tasks he feels might be the wrong choice - holding us all accountable for moving forward effectively.
Adam Rhodes
Nominated by: Helen Forster
Department: Corporate Services & Transformation
Reason for nomination:
I, on behalf of Property SMT, nominate Adam Rhodes for the Employee of the Year award. Adam's unwavering commitment to excellence has made an invaluable impact on our organisation. Adam consistently goes above and beyond expectations, ensuring that we stay on track to deliver significant savings through optimising the assets the Council occupies. Adam's role is essential to exiting or delivering efficient assets. Adam is quiet and lets his work do the talking and this, despite his reluctance, makes him a natural leader. Adam has successfully guided teams of more senior officers through the complex process of vacating premises at an unprecedented rate. With a keen ability to coordinate efforts, manage challenges, and foster collaboration, he has led these transitions with professionalism and precision.
Beyond his operational expertise, Adam is deeply committed to safeguarding the council’s data, taking proactive steps to protect sensitive information and uphold data management standards. His diligence in this area is a testament to his responsibility and dedication to the Council, its officers and the public.
Adam's ability to work cross-functionally is truly commendable. Whether partnering with various departments or liaising with external stakeholders, he consistently demonstrates adaptability, teamwork, and a solutions-focused mindset.
For these reasons and many more, Adam exemplifies what it means to be an outstanding employee. His passion and quiet leadership make him a deserving nominee of the Employee of the Year award.
Katy Rhodes
Nominated by: Janice Taylor
Department: Children’s Services
Reason for nomination:
I am nominating Katy because since starting her position she has always been extremely professional, supportive and always makes sure to meet everyone’s needs. Whenever I need anything admin related she is straight on board to help me and get it completed. Katy’s achievement is ongoing as she continues to be friendly, welcoming, polite and professional.