About the Staff REACH Awards 2025
REACH (Recognising Excellence and Achievement in Combined Healthcare) celebrates our staff, service user representatives and carers over the past year.
The 2025 awards will take place on 13 November at the DoubleTree by Hilton, Stoke-on-Trent.
For those not able to attend in person, the whole event will be broadcast live.
We are delighted to be presenting REACH in partnership with our new main event sponsor, Dedalus.
We are also grateful for awards and event sponsorship from the following organisations:
- Interclass
- LEDsynergy
- Port Vale FC
- RLDatix
- Rowtype Printers Ltd
- SERCO
- Stoke City FC
- Town Hospitals Ltd
- UNISON
Below is the full list of REACH Award categories together with the criteria for selecting winners
Nominations can be made by staff and service users and the nominating period is open NOW!
The awards
Diversity and Inclusion Award
(Sponsored by Stoke City FC)
Criteria
This award recognises the contribution of staff and volunteers who have made a positive difference in developing greater diversity and inclusion. This might be improving access and experience to services or employment for people in disadvantaged or minority groups, improving quality of life or quality of working life.
Leading with Compassion Award
(Sponsored by Rowtype)
Criteria
This award recognises a member of staff who values and develops people, sees them as individuals and encourages working together for better lives through an open and honest approach.
It recognises an individual who has demonstrated compassionate leadership with patients, colleagues or their wider team.
Learner of the Year Award
(sponsored by RL Datix)
Criteria
This award recognises and celebrates our learners and the contribution they make to Combined and its service users.
This award is open to students, apprenticeships and anyone studying as part of their role across the Trust.
Lived Experience Shining Star Award
(Sponsored by Town Hospitals Ltd)
Criteria
This award recognises an individual who has lived experience of mental distress or who has accessed mental health services and champions recovery values, inspiring hope and supporting others to be the best version of themselves.
Partnership Award
(sponsored by Interclass)
Criteria
This award showcases how an individual or team can work in partnership to produce results to improve the lives of others. Successful individuals or teams will have broken down professional barriers across the trust and/or with partner organisations, leading to a positive impact on the experience of service users.
Proud to CARE Award
(sponsored by Serco)
Criteria
This award recognises someone who exemplifies our Proud to CARE values: compassionate, approachable, responsible and excellent. Staff vote to decide the final winner from a shortlist.
Research and Innovation Award
(sponsored by Dedalus)
Criteria
This award recognises innovation or achievement in research and development or practice which has a positive impact on mental health care or improves quality or value for money services through innovative approaches.
Rising Star Award
(sponsored by Dedalus)
Criteria
This award recognises emerging exceptional leaders who are exceeding expectations and making change happen. The award aims to recognise the influencers of today, and the senior leaders of tomorrow.
Service User and Carer Council Award
(sponsored by Interclass)
Criteria
Nominations can only be made by Service Users and Carers. This award values individual or teams who stand out from the crowd for being thoughtful, for listening and responding to our service users’ needs.
Team of the Year Award
(sponsored by Port Vale FC)
Criteria
This award is given to a team which shows, through their actions and approaches, how they work together to improve the lives of others and demonstrate creative approaches to problem solving.
Unsung Hero Award
(sponsored by UNISON)
Criteria
This award pays tribute to an individual who has exceeded the expectations of their role with an outstanding attitude and behaviour. Working behind the scenes, or in a supportive role, they have a positive attitude and, through their actions, help to make a difference to others.
