A workforce champion who covers two Black Country NHS Trusts has been nominated for a prestigious award celebrating innovation and quality improvement.
Sebastian Smith-Cox, Group Head of Workforce Intelligence and Planning at Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust and The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust (RWT) has been nominated in the KPMG Star Award category of the HPMA Excellence in People Awards this year.
The KPMG Star Award category aims to recognise workforce practitioners that do their role brilliantly well.
Sebastian’s job role entails providing strategic leadership for the Electronic Staff Record (ESR), Workforce Intelligence (WI) and Workforce Planning functions.
His role includes spearheading transformational quality improvement initiatives, which align with the strategic direction of both Trusts. To do this, he actively engages with and empowers stakeholders within both organisations to collaboratively enhance infrastructure support, aiming to improve colleague experience and drive better patient outcomes.
He was nominated by Walsall Healthcare’s WI Team Lead and Ergonomist Moving and Handling Lead.
The Star Award Application Summary they submitted read: ‘Sebastian exemplifies unparalleled dedication and expertise, serving as a beacon of excellence within our organisation at Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust. Through innovative process improvements and fostering a collaborative workplace, he exceeds expectations, driving efficiency and employee empowerment. His unwavering commitment demonstrates exceptional leadership and a relentless pursuit of innovation.’
Sebastian said: “Being nominated for the 2024 HPMA KPMG Star Award is a profound honour, especially as I was unaware of my nomination until I received notification I’d been shortlisted.
“It is incredibly humbling to know that my team have recognised my contributions. This acknowledgement reinforces my commitment to an inclusive leadership approach to our mantra of ‘First Class Intelligence for First Class Decision-Making’.
“It motivates me to continue empowering our stakeholders to enhance both colleague experiences and patient outcomes. I am truly grateful for this recognition.”
The father-of-one added: “I will be attending the awards with my wife Latoya. I’m looking forward to what should be a great evening celebrating the best of health and social HR professionalism.”
The awards will coincide with the 50th year at the HPMA Conference Exhibition and Awards. Winners will be announced on Thursday 3 October at the awards ceremony which will be hosted at the Europa Hotel in Belfast.