The superb contribution staff members make to the success of Reaseheath College and University Centre, particularly to its student experience, has been recognised at a presentation ceremony.
The Reaseheath PRIDE Awards are presented at the end of each academic year to exceptional teams and individuals who ‘go the extra mile’ in role modelling the Nantwich college and university centre’s values of People, Responsibility, Integrity, Diversity and Excellence. All nominations come from colleagues and were this year selected from a total of 663 staff.
The Principal’s Award, for the staff member or team judged to have made the most outstanding contribution of the year, went equally to two teams – University Centre Reaseheath’s Veterinary Nursing team and the Construction Department’s T Level team.
Over the past four years the UCR Vet Nursing team has worked tirelessly developing and delivering the BSc (Hons) Veterinary Nursing degree programme. Their hard work and dedication culminated this year with this course becoming accredited by the industry’s leading professional body, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), and with its first cohort preparing to graduate with a 100% pass rate.
The accreditation proves that this programme achieves the strict standards set by the RCVS and positions UCR as a leading provider of undergraduate veterinary nursing education and training. Successful graduates qualify for their highly recognised and respected Registered Veterinary Nurse status with licence to practice without the need for further training and can confidently move forward within their profession.
Construction T Level Team
The Construction department has this year been recognised as Grade One for the first time in its 31 year history. The team has also successfully launched two new T Level courses which have finished the first year with an excellent 100% student retention and has received recognition from the Department for Education for its expert planning and implementation of the T Level Onsite Construction route.
Team members have wholeheartedly supported the T Levels, upskilling where required, and have worked tirelessly to find new T Level partners to offer work placements and material support. These include specialist lender Together, which has donated £110,000 over the next five years to support the building of a bungalow by students onsite and Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) cards, and Ibstock, the UK’s leading manufacturer of clay and concrete building products, which has donated £500,000 of bricks to the department.
The team has also secured the continuation of the Building Heroes programme, which has trained over 365 military veterans over the past five years.
PRIDE awards for individuals went to:
Lisa Brewitt
An Entry and Foundation Course Manager, Lisa was put forward for being an outstanding practitioner who truly cares about all her students and who also inspires, supports and guides colleagues.
She quietly pre-empts tasks, taking the initiative and guiding colleagues. New staff find her support, advice and guidance exceptional. She supports them through team teaching, by offering classroom management techniques and by boosting their confidence.
Nick Robertson
The Head of Apprenticeships, Nick was selected for leading his team skilfully and competently, for caring deeply about the apprenticeship provision, the apprentices and their wellbeing, and for his constant efforts to improve the offer, quality and environment for everyone.
In particular he has introduced PICs, a dedicated management system, and a ‘Good News’ teams channel where members can celebrate apprentice achievements, results and awards.
Laura Steele
Laura, a Level 1 Sport Course Manager, was chosen for her unwavering commitment and genuine care for her students and colleagues, making her an exceptional role model.
Her dedication to her students is evident through her tireless commitment to their growth and academic success. She designs innovative and engaging lessons, tailoring her teaching approach for each student uniquely, and goes above and beyond to ensure that students make the most of their Reaseheath Experience.
Chloe Coathupe
Chloe, an HR Administrator, stepped up during a period of short staffing to take an active role in driving staff recruitment. She quickly built excellent working relationships with recruiting managers and has actively sought to promote and support them with recruitment campaigns.
She has balanced this additional responsibility with her Level 5 CIPD apprenticeship studies and has enthusiastically embraced these additional opportunities as part of her own learning and development journey.
Chris Buckle
Chris, Access and Participation Co-Ordinator, was put forward for being an outstandingly positive ambassador for UCR and for Reaseheath College and for demonstrating a real ethical and principled commitment to his work, coupled with the enthusiasm and drive to make things happen.
His commitment and engagement with the diversity agenda is exceptionally strong and he leads steering groups and participates in the wider college Ethnic, Diversity and Inclusion Committee.
Kate Chandler
A positive and enthusiastic staff member of our Food Department, Kate is a member of the team which ensures that our Food Department maintains the highest possible food safety standard and that we remain the only college in the world with British Retail Consortium Global Standard accreditation to the highest standard..
This year she has also stepped in to help fill the role of bakery lecturer and has reduced food waste by altering recipe batch sizes, helping the department to control its spend.
Gareth Ferris
Our IT Systems and Infrastructure Manager, Gareth was put forward for his consummate professionalism and for constantly going the ‘extra mile’ to keep Reaseheath’s IT infrastructure working effectively.
He has introduced modern IT practices and keeps these at a high standard, completing complex challenges such as stripping out duplicate services, migrating to more cost effective solutions and establishing failover connections between buildings and cybersecurity with ease. All this ensures that Reaseheath and its colleagues can operate smoothly and efficiently.
Rob Whitehouse
A Lecturer and Course Manager in Animal Management, Rob was applauded for the exemplary care he shows for his students, going above and beyond to help them both pastorally and academically.
His outstanding support for his students includes planning revision sessions during his free periods and he has even brought in a collection of frozen birds, allowing his students to get close to species which they wouldn’t normally have the chance to see! His lessons are fun and interactive and he excels at engaging his group.
Megan Irvine
A Content Marketing Officer and Copywriter in our hard working Marketing and Communications team, Megan was recognised for her dedication, work rate and consistent contribution.
She writes content for the college and university centre prospectuses, booklets, emails, social media posts, newsblogs and websites, successfully building relationships and working closely with staff and students to tight deadlines. She has also embraced a range of new tasks, learning new skills while maintaining the highest standard.
Long Service Awards
Long service awards were also given to staff who have worked at Reaseheath for 20 years or more, and went to:
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