UAS Employee Recognition Scheme

The event recognised outstanding work achieved by members of the UAS over the past year. Awards were given to individuals and teams in four categories, which were based on the UAS values.

This year’s winners and citations were:

Value 1 - We deliver an effective and high-quality service

Individual: David Cook

David has been involved in a part-time secondment to support the financial management of the new University of Cambridge Primary School, and his immense input and commitment was pivotal in enabling the primary school to open on time and on a sound financial basis. David worked in areas not familiar to him, namely procurement, yet he was quickly able to develop and use the new skills he had acquired. His willingness and enthusiasm to take on additional work and to perform to a very high standard ensured a very positive outcome for the school.

Team (joint winner): University Biomedical Services Admin Team

This team is being recognised for its excellent administrative skills, particularly in light of a challenging period of change. The team have worked to a very high standard and have taken on additional responsibilities with ease and without complaint. The Admin Team have significantly improved the standard of clerical support of UBS operations, provided faultless administrative support for the governance processes of biomedical research and have ensured ongoing legal compliance. Their collective efforts exemplify the ethos of high-quality service provision.

Team (joint winner): Sports Service ground staff

The Sports Service ground staff are responsible for maintaining both the University’s cricket ground and tennis courts at Fenner’s and the athletics ground at Wilberforce Road. The cricket ground and tennis courts host international matches and championships and really are first class.

Wilberforce Road hosts a programme of over 30 large athletic events each summer, including regional athletics championships and the Varsity Athletic Match. The ground has become home to several large community clubs using the facility several times a week, which speaks volumes.

The Sports Service ground staff undertake their roles with great enthusiasm and take enormous pride in their work. The quality of the sports fields enhances the University’s reputation for providing top quality facilities for staff and students, the wider community and further afield. Ensuring that the grounds are in good condition, particularly during the summer, with back to back events being run, is a huge task and one that is greatly appreciated.

Value 2 – We collaborate and work in partnership

Individual: Kat Willcox

Kat played a significant part in the transfer of the Medical Research Council (MRC) into the University by providing guidance and support through University procedures, ensuring legislative processes were adhered to and that deadlines were met. Kat is being recognised for her high levels of professionalism, pragmatic approach, insightfulness and her ability to expedite complex HR cases whilst ensuring fairness, empathy and equitable treatment of all involved.

She regularly displays a willingness to go the extra mile and her dedication to providing services which progress the work of the University is unquestionable and has high impact. The wider benefits of Kat’s effectiveness in her role reinforce exemplary standards of service delivery, minimising stress and the negative impacts of formal HR processes, whilst carefully handling the needs of the University and the individual, to best effect for satisfactory outcomes. This recognition is greatly deserved.

Team (joint winner): Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) teams

This award is being given to a cross-divisional team whose work clearly illustrates the value of collaboration and partnership working. The work the combined teams undertake in providing returns data to HESA is crucial to the University’s accountability; submitting on time with all outstanding issues addressed greatly reduces the need for further investigation from the governing bodies. The process of collaboration in making accurate returns increases their significance and the importance of data quality. The team work together with dedication and commitment for the greater good. The HESA returns and the funding which depends upon them would be at risk without the teams collaborating and working so well in partnership.

Team (joint winner): Payroll team

The Payroll team is a small, yet critical team, which works collaboratively with individuals and departments to ensure that pay adjustments are made in an accurate and timely manner, as is the monthly payroll. Its efforts in assisting and supporting pay issues where possible warrant high praise. There are many peculiarities that impact on the work of the Payroll team each month, including pensions, CAMbens and salary sacrifice schemes to name a few, and the team collaborates with individuals and teams involved in these facilities to ensure month on month, that the correct pay is assigned.

Value 3 – We are open, responsive and innovative

Individual: Helen Duncan

Helen has undertaken a major piece of highly informative and independently verified research using data from Cambridge students’ scripts to test adjustments made for students with specific learning difficulties. Helen worked hard, and often in her own time, to complete this piece of research, which will be published in the near future. The data Helen used provides relevant information that can be used to develop appropriate and fair exam adjustments. As a consequence of this work, Helen has been invited to a number of international conferences, which shows that her innovative work, with no other such study in the UK, is reaching much further than Cambridge.

Value 4 – We respect others and value diversity

Individual: Caroline Newman

Caroline, in her HR role with the School of Clinical Medicine, is being recognised for her involvement in the programme established to raise awareness of mental health issues. Her work has enabled a greater understanding and empathy around mental ill health as well as supporting individuals to take action to improve their own, and their colleagues’, mental wellbeing. The innovation which characterises the whole programme, the range and impact it has had, and the future plans to work collaboratively with partner organisations are a direct result of Caroline’s immense commitment to ensuring the success of this work. The programme is highly valued and MIND, the national mental health charity, has commended it as an exceptional initiative.

Team: Sports Centre Fitness Team

As a relatively new team, this group of people have worked very hard to foster team spirit and to empower staff, students and the community to start, progress and excel in fitness and sport, regardless of any perceived or actual barriers that they might face. They have worked positively with staff and students to support them with identified stress and anxiety issues and helped with eating disorders, using fitness to promote a greater sense of wellbeing. They have designed and implemented bespoke training sessions for many University, College and community teams that have not only reduced significant injuries but helped improve sporting performance. The Fitness team is respectful of individual needs and their attitude and approach is built on valuing diversity.