Recognition is one of the simplest and most powerful ways we can make a difference to someone’s day. Whether it’s a heartfelt thank you, celebrating a team achievement, recognising years of service, or nominating a colleague for an award, taking the time to acknowledge great work helps people feel valued, connected and proud of the contribution they make to patient care and our services.
The CSS Recognition Hub brings together everything you need to celebrate and recognise the people around you. Here you’ll find our tiered recognition approach, guidance on different ways to recognise individuals and teams, practical tips for making recognition meaningful, and a range of useful resources, including digital e-cards, award information, celebration ideas and recognition toolkits. Whether you’re a colleague, manager or leader, this hub will help you create a culture where appreciation is part of everyday practice and great work never goes unnoticed.
Day to Day Recognition
Day-to-day recognition is one of the simplest and most effective ways to help people feel valued, motivated and connected to their work. Small acts of appreciation, given regularly and sincerely, can have a powerful impact on wellbeing, engagement and team culture.
Recognition does not need to be formal or costly. It can be as simple as saying thank you after a busy shift, acknowledging someone’s support in a team meeting, sending a thank you card or email, celebrating a colleague’s achievement on social media , or taking time to highlight how their actions have made a difference to patients, colleagues or services.
When appreciation becomes part of everyday practice, it helps create a culture where people feel seen, valued and inspired to give their best.
🔆Download a Digital Thank you card – email, or print, to brighten someone’s day 🔆
Giving recognition is most powerful when it is specific, meaningful and timely. The AID model is a simple way to make recognition more impactful by focusing on the Action, the Impact, and the Difference it made. Rather than a general “well done”, the AID model helps you describe exactly what the person did, explain the positive impact of their actions, and reinforce why it mattered.
This not only makes recognition feel more genuine and personal, but also helps individuals understand the behaviours and contributions that are valued and appreciated. Use the tips below to make every thank you count.
Celebrating and Showcasing Excellence
The next tier of recognition focuses on celebrating and showcasing the outstanding contributions of our people through more visible and formal recognition opportunities.
This includes professional celebration days, which are particularly important within CSS given the breadth and diversity of professions that make up our workforce. Throughout the year, we have opportunities to recognise and celebrate colleagues through events such as Biomedical Science Day, International Nurses Day, Allied Health Professions Day, Healthcare Science Week, International Day of Radiology, National Pharmacy Day and Dietitians Week. These occasions help raise awareness of the vital contribution different professions make to patient care and provide an opportunity to thank colleagues for their expertise, dedication and impact.
This tier also includes Excellence Reports, which highlight exceptional achievements, innovation and great practice across our services, helping to share success and inspire others. Every month we will share a selection on CSS News to highlight the amazing work happening every day.
You can also send a Shout Out to someone using the Trust Open Door Recognition platform
Alongside this, you can also submit a celebration story, or nominate your team to be featured as a ‘Team Spotlight’ to be shared at a future Team Brief or CSS News by emailing rachel.naughton@mft.nhs.uk
Together, these forms of recognition help colleagues feel valued, increase visibility of great work and strengthen a culture where success is noticed, celebrated and appreciated.
CSS Star Awards – Celebrating Outstanding Contribution
The highest tier of recognition within CSS is the CSS Star Awards, our annual celebration of the incredible people and teams who make a difference every day.
The awards provide an opportunity to formally recognise outstanding achievement, innovation, compassion, teamwork and dedication across Clinical and Scientific Services. Nominated by colleagues, patients and partners, the awards shine a spotlight on those who consistently live our values and go above and beyond to support patients, service users and one another. With hundreds of nominations received each year, being shortlisted is a significant achievement and reflects the exceptional calibre of work taking place across CSS.
The Star Awards give us the opportunity to celebrate success, share inspiring stories and recognise the impact our people have across MFT and beyond. To find out more about the awards, nomination process, previous winners and this year’s finalists, click the images below.
