Julie Cooling
Nominated by: Donna Archer
Department: Childrens Services
Reason for nomination:
I am nominating Julie Cooling who after 40 years of service continues to be an inspiration to staff new and long serving. Julie works with colleagues and partners to ensure that we are providing the best possible support to young people across Derbyshire. Julie never ignores a communication and is quick to recognise where service improvements can be made, working with partners to confirm we are sending conference invitations and reports to the correct departments and striving to understand how we can support each other to make certain we send and receive communications effectively.
Julie is an excellent team leader and has a positive impact on the happiness, engagement, productivity and development of staff within the team. Julie sets clear goals and is able to encourage staff members to achieve their full potential through effective use of PDR’s, 1:1’s, identifying training needs and tracking progress against them. Julie has effectively recruited and trained staff over the last few years to help build our team from levels as low as 50% staffed in 2020 to reaching a fully staffed position in October 2023.
Julie is well known and respected throughout the authority as she has consistently delivered exceptional performance within all the roles she has undertaken within the authority. Julie is aspirational about the Business Services vision for the future and has been a member of several working groups to develop and improve training resources for current and future staff. Julie’s most recent contributions this year have been in the development of materials and presentations which are used for the induction of new business services staff across children’s services and ensuring that all processes within Child Protection, Exploitation Strategy (including Missing and Placed-based Risk) and IRO Services have work instructions on the CS Info Hub. This work is ongoing.
Karen Foster
Nominated by: Zoe Taylor and Julie Hallam
Department: Childrens Services
Reason for nomination:
We are nominating Karen Foster for the lifetime achievement award. She has worked for Derbyshire for 40 years in varied roles and is a real attribute to Derbyshire.
Her current role as Early Help Team Manager she is overseeing a frontline service who are actively working with families, partners and the community to ensure children are safe. She leads on many projects including being a part of LCP, CRE panel, ASB, Early Help Board and Public Health to name a few. As part of the LCP she brings professionals together to agree the future agenda and priorities so problems can be tackled in the local communities with a multiagency approach.
She is an extremely fair and supportive manager who treats everyone equally with compassion and will always listen and respect others views. She will always support team development to sure each person is the best at what they do meaning the families have the best chance of sustained change. Karen has helped to grow the Early Help Service within High Peak and North Dales. She is clear with her expectations and loves a good process to keep everyone to task and ensure the service is effective. Karen has a very strategic mind which is positive for both the team and families of current times but also for the future of the service.
We want Karen’s service and commitment to be recognised at the highest standard as working with her has been inspirational and motivating and created a culture where everyone in High Peak feels valued and appreciated and she should be proud of this achievement.
Elizabeth Naylor
Nominated by: Shobha Anand
Department: Adult Social Care and Health
Reason for nomination:
I would like to nominate Elizabeth Naylor, affectionately known as Liz, who has dedicated over 30 years to working with Derbyshire County Council for the Lifetime Achievement Award. She began her career as a "home help" in 1989 and steadily progressed to become a DSO and later a social worker, where she served for 19 years. Derbyshire County Council sponsored her social work degree, demonstrating how investing in talented staff can benefit the organisation.
For the past 16 years, Liz has been an invaluable member of the hospital team, steadfast despite numerous changes. She is an exceptional professional, remaining composed under pressure, displaying kindness, attentive listening skills, and gentle yet firm challenges to health professionals. Liz advocates passionately for vulnerable individuals and her enduring presence amidst evolving hospital practices reflects her wealth of experience and a touch of stubbornness – a blend of common sense in a chaotic world.
Liz generously shares her knowledge, mentoring numerous colleagues who have since moved on from the team. She is widely respected among her health colleagues for her fairness, transparent approach, and the high quality of her work.
Liz is retiring this year, and this nomination would be a timely recognition for all her hard work.
Sue Jackson
Nominated by: Michelle Parker
Department: Place
Reason for nomination:
In December 2024 Sue will have worked for Derbyshire Library Service for 40 years. Sue always knew that she wanted to work in libraries and started voluntary work at Bolsover library in 1981 while in the sixth form. This led to a Saturday assistant post where back in the day she earned £3.50 an hour!
Sue took on a relief library assistant post for the Bolsover Cluster and then in December 1984 a full-time library assistant post came up at Clay Cross Library. Sue got the job and loved every minute and had no desire to move for a long time. After having a family, in 2004, Sue worked as an Assistant in Charge at Pinxton Library and in 2009 Assistant in Charge at Clay Cross Library. In more recent years she has taken on management responsibilities in her Senior Library Manager, Service Delivery Manager, and current Service Manager roles.
Sue felt she had achieved her career goal when she secured the Service Delivery Manager role and was pivotal in implementing change. She was given the responsibility of self-service implementation across the service and was proud of its success. She has since taken on major transformational projects, more recently procurement of a new library management system.
Sue stands out as an exceptional manager and people person with her passion for the service shining through. She leads and supports staff to achieve their personal goals whilst meeting service objectives. Sue has adapted to many changes within the service and has played a vital role in sharing her exceptional knowledge and providing stability. Throughout her career, Sue’s focus has remained on providing an exceptional library service to the residents of Derbyshire.
Julie Cooling
Nominated by: Anonymous
Department: Childrens Services
Reason for nomination:
Julie is a real lifetime achiever, she has a wealth of knowledge and experience, which she has gathered over 40 years working for Derbyshire County Council. She is conscientious and works hard on any task she undertakes. Julie supports colleagues and partners through her role, which in turn helps to support local communities. Julie still manages to be an inspiration to her team, managers and peers. Julie is not afraid to ask for help herself, she values and respects everyone she encounters, is always welcoming and happy to help others as much as she can, or to direct them to the right source for help.
Julie is an advocate for continuous learning and development and has been involved with the group across CS Business Services to improve such opportunities for the service as a whole. Julie sees potential in the individuals she manages and encourages them to work towards positive goals to help their journey to become the best they can be.
Julie is conscious of how her role impacts on the operational teams, who are working to support children, young people and families. When there were a number of vacancies across the team, Julie worked hard to reduce the stress and impact on the individuals whom she line managers, as well as other colleagues in her team and her own manager.
Julie looks for ways to improve processes in a way that is positive for her team/manager/service and reduces the impact of such processes on partners, thereby helping to have a positive effect on the communities we serve.
Julie continues to be enthusiastic, and encourages a positive working environment, she is always kind and supportive to everyone she encounters.
Josephine Ellis
Nominated by: Adam Cope
Department: Childrens Services
Reason for nomination:
Jo has worked for the authority since September 1987 in a combination of roles supporting children, young people and their families. She has continually and consistently performed to the best of her skills and abilities to ensure the safety and promote the wellbeing of children and young people that she has worked with. She is an exceptional support for her colleagues and due to her experience is able to advise and work through challenges and problems with them, always being creative and working with the resources that are available. Jo is a kind, approachable and conscientious person and has upheld the values and ethos of the council going above and beyond to help families and colleagues. Jo is rational, calming and has provided the stability for all the teams that she has worked in across the years. Jo has always put herself forward for new challenges, she is reflective and takes onboard the views and ideas of others both within the workplace and in her interventions with young people and families. She has consistently advocated the opinions of young people, supporting hundreds into employment through her role as a Personal Advisor and to help them work through trauma and to return home, when appropriate, through her time in Residential. Within her current role Jo supports partner agencies to delivery their Early Help offer to ensure the safety and wellbeing of young people and families further reinforcing the values of Derbyshire and encouraging everyone to be the best that they can be.
Kath Kirkwood-Fleet
Nominated by: Jessica Walton
Department: Adult Social Care and Health
Reason for nomination:
Kath has worked as an adult social care; as a care manager / assessor, and completed her social work training to become a social worker, then senior practitioner and currently the service manager in the "Eckington" team / North East Derbyshire Northern team for 20+ years. Before this, Kath worked for many years before as a DSO. Kath is retiring in April 2024 and she will be dearly missed by many.
Kath has shown commitment to working with partner agencies and members of the community our team is in contact with, to make sure they receive a high quality service which is also fair.
Kath has led the team through change, difficult times but also been positive and encouraging to celebrate good times. Kath has been devoted to ensuring that all team members reach their potential, she has ensured all colleagues have had access to guidance and support to enjoy work. Many colleagues who have been in the team have continued with Derbyshire County Council and progressed to develop their career in other area teams.
As a mentor and strong leader for me since I joined the team 7 years ago, Kath has given inspiration to myself to progress with my own professional development and ambition.
Before Kath retires, I would like to say thank you on behalf of the team and Derbyshire County Council.
Martin Hammond-Hallam
Nominated by: Caroline Croll
Department: Adult Social Care and Health
Reason for nomination:
January marked 40 years of dedicated service to Derbyshire County Council for Martin Hammond-Hallam (Senior Practitioner, Enhanced Support Team). He has worked in a variety of roles over the years, including as a day service worker, Social Worker, Service Manager and Senior Practitioner. His vocation lies with supporting people who have learning disabilities, autism or both. His commitment to ensuring the best possible care and support for those he supports and their families, is indicative of who he is, as a person.
The Government introduction of the Transforming Care and Building the Right Support Agendas triggered a significant change as to how a specific cohort of people who have learning disabilities, autism or both were to be supported in future. Derbyshire County Council had a duty to ensure these agendas were implemented and Martin was at the forefront in developing how this client group could best be supported, whilst ensuring that statutory duties were met. He has been pivotal to the development of the Enhanced Support Team and positive outcomes for numerous clients.
Martin’s vision and drive alongside his passion for the work are infectious, despite the ongoing challenges faced daily, he continues to fight the good fight with true grit and determination. His support to colleagues and students is both inspirational and invaluable. With a wealth of knowledge, that he is always willing to share, Martin is a true asset to Derbyshire County Council and the Enhanced Support Team.
His 40 years of dedicated service to Derbyshire County Council and all of his achievements should be celebrated, which is why he deserves a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Sue Jackson
Nominated by: Michelle Parker
Department: Place
Reason for nomination:
In December 2024 Sue will have worked for Derbyshire Library Service for 40 years. Sue always knew that she wanted to work in libraries and started voluntary work at Bolsover library in 1981 while in the sixth form. This led to a Saturday assistant post where back in the day she earned £3.50 an hour!
Sue took on a relief library assistant post for the Bolsover Cluster and then in December 1984 a full-time library assistant post came up at Clay Cross Library. Sue got the job and loved every minute and had no desire to move for a long time. After having a family, in 2004, Sue worked as an Assistant in Charge at Pinxton Library and in 2009 Assistant in Charge at Clay Cross Library. In more recent years she has taken on management responsibilities in her Senior Library Manager, Service Delivery Manager, and current Service Manager roles.
Sue felt she had achieved her career goal when she secured the Service Delivery Manager role and was pivotal in implementing change. She was given the responsibility of self-service implementation across the service and was proud of its success. She has since taken on major transformational projects, more recently procurement of a new library management system.
Sue stands out as an exceptional manager and people person with her passion for the service shining through. She leads and supports staff to achieve their personal goals whilst meeting service objectives. Sue has adapted to many changes within the service and has played a vital role in sharing her exceptional knowledge and providing stability. Throughout her career, Sue’s focus has remained on providing an exceptional library service to the residents of Derbyshire.
Patricia Booth
Nominated by: Karen Day
Department: Children’s Services
Reason for nomination:
It is my honour to nominate Trish for a lifelong achievement award. She will have been a DACES tutor for 50 years in 2024 and during that time has delivered yoga classes to many hundreds of students. Her students, colleagues, managers and OFSTED inspectors have all praised her work and can-do attitude. Over this long period of time she has witnessed a great many changes but has always adapted with a willing heart. Her students love and respect her and travel many miles to attend her classes. She exemplifies B.K.S. Iyengar’s principals and demonstrates to all that yoga can be practised by anyone, whatever one’s state of mind or health.
Andrew Gaunt
Nominated by: Alan Thorne
Department: Corporate Services and Transformation
Reason for nomination:
Andrew Gaunt has spent over 40 years at the council and has always given 110% in everything he did.
He was a manager for many years with the respect from everyone around him.
Andrew always went above and beyond and was always approachable no matter what was asked of him.
Andrew was always looking at how he could help the council move forward into the future and helped implement whatever was needed of him.
He was a valued member of staff and will be greatly missed at Chesterfield Depot.
He retired Tuesday 13 February and has passed on his knowledge and experience.