Second round of supremos headed for VIP Awards finals

A second swathe of staff nominated by colleagues and customers and shortlisted by a panel for their outstanding service to the community will progress to the finals of Orkney Islands Council’s VIP Awards.

he Awards - which recognise ‘Values in Practice’ demonstrated by OIC employees – see three rounds of nominations, with finalists going on to take part in the annual award celebration in June.

The Awards were launched last September to highlight the great work across Orkney Islands Council and are aimed at recognising work which reflects OIC’s values - People, Unity, Trust, Ownership and Creativity.

Recognising different preferences when it comes to celebrating individual success, finalists can opt out of being named publicly but are still included in the selection process and are invited to the annual awards event.

The second round supremos are:

For the Customer Focus category:

• Bruce Scollay and the Team at Bossack Waste and Recycling Centre: The nomination said they “run an exemplary operation....above all the guys are friendly, helpful and kind”.
  
  
• An inspiring Care at Home assistant: This employee prefers to remain unnamed, but the person who put them forward said “their commitment to making a positive impact on the lives of others is truly inspiring."

For the Working Together category:

• The Glaitness Centre: The nomination highlighted teamwork: “It’s like everyone has the same vision for the service users ... and the team works in partnership to get the desired results... Everything about the team makes me smile, I think our service users here are extremely lucky to have such a special bunch of folk caring for them.
  
  
• The Roads Operations Team: The nomination cited the invaluable support the team provides across the community, including a 24/7 response to emergencies. “"From keeping the Orkney roads safe by delivering winter maintenance services ... and first hand advice and assistance to members of the community...everyone in Orkney should be proud that they have such a dedicated workforce that will adapt to every situation.”

For the Creativity category:

• PJ Dewar, Admin Support Manager: PJ’s nomination says "PJ puts colleagues and communities at the heart of everything we do. They have embraced innovation... to build confidence, trust and to make our people feel valued.
  
  
• Marcel Holdinga, Database and Information Analyst: The nomination recognises Marcel for picking up a number of new responsibilities due to a staffing change, saying “They have done this with energy and focus, identifying improvements as they went along and always ensuring that we keep our customers at the forefront of our minds."

Karen Greaves is the Council’s Corporate Director of Strategy, Performance and Business Solutions, the service area with responsibility for organisational development. She said: “It’s great to once again see people get behind the good work of our employees and take time to convey their appreciation in this way.

“VIP stands for ‘Values in Practice’ and, as for Round One, these finalists once again embody that approach.

“All our nominees receive a thank you card outlining the spirit behind their nomination.

“We’d like to thank people who cast a spotlight on someone this round with a nomination. Well done to everyone who was nominated and congratulations to our finalists – we'll see you at the ceremony in June!”

Would you like to acknowledge great work by an OIC team or staff member?

You can make a nomination at www.orkney.gov.uk/VIPAwards – submissions have now closed for the Finals in June 2024, but any new nominations will go forward for the new Awards season, with the first round closing in September 2024.