Thank You Event 2022- Leader of the Year- Joint Winner
Every year we celebrate our amazing staff and their achievements at our pop-up Thank You ceremony. Board members will pop into video meetings to surprise colleagues and present them with a hamper for being shining examples of our magnificent staff behaviours.
Cherrine Hawkins, Deputy Director of Finance, is the joint winner of our Leader of the Year award.
Leader of the Year – Joint Winner
Deputy Director of Finance Cherrine Hawkins’ leadership of the Finance team, her solution focussed clarity of thought, support to senior colleagues across the Trust, her commitment to excellence and her work ethic identify her as an exceptional leader. Through her leadership and because of her attention to detail, planning and desire to achieve excellence, the team has consistently delivered high quality advice and support to budget holders across the Trust, high standards of financial governance and consistently excellent reports from External Auditors on the Annual Accounts.
This year, with the support of Richard Stephenson, Cherrine has led the Finance team to achieve Level 1 in the national “Towards Excellence” finance accreditation standards. Marcel Manners’ win as Finance Student of the Year in the Yorkshire and Humber Healthcare Financial Management awards in October, provides another example of how, under Cherrine’s leadership, the team is supported to develop their skills and knowledge to better support colleagues across the Trust.
During the year, Cherrine has supported the Leeds Community Healthcare Charity to make the best possible use of the additional funds received from NHS Charities Together, as well as the donations received directly by the Trust. She has continued to provide financial leadership to the Leeds Mental Wellbeing Board and her contribution to that Board is very highly valued by other leads internally and by the partner organisations. Cherrine also played a critical role in ensuring that the financial resources secured from Leeds City Council guaranteed that the Leeds Sexual Health service had a secure financial footing for the contract extension in 2021/22.
Cherrine was nominated by Director of Finance Bryan Machin who added, “Cherrine will be the first to say that this is a team effort and of course it is, but the team works and delivers through its own skills, expertise and hard work whilst being led and developed by Cherrine. Cherrine provides professional but very empathetic advice. Her time management skills, knowledge of the Trust’s finances and her judgement make her an excellent role model for the team and for those in other corporate teams. Cherrine has also valuably contributed to clinical services, provided financial leadership to the vaccine programme during the pandemic, supporting them to deliver fantastic work with pragmatic advice and reporting to NHS England in a way that allows her colleagues to focus on delivering the programme itself. Cherrine’s contribution to the Trust is recognised and valued by so many managers throughout the organisation. “
Cherrine was surprised by Jenny Allen, Director of Workforce, and Bryan Machin, Execute Director of Finance and Resources, in recognition of her excellent leadership.
Jenny said, “I think Cherrine’s leadership of the finance team has been really excellent and I can provide some testament to that since I’ve been here. She really is a stalwart of the organisation, not just because of her expertise and professional knowledge but everything else she offers. It’s so well deserved and I feel really privileged to be able to say congratulations to you and a massive well done.” Bryan added, “I thought it was well beyond time that Cherrine’s dedication and leadership of this team was recognised as well as the contributions she gives to many other projects.”
Cherrine said, “It has come as a complete shock, I had no idea what-so-ever. I don’t really know what to say other than thank you, as far as I’m concerned I just do my job as best I can. If I’d of known I would have put my best blouse on!”
