A famous children’s author has joined the Vice-Chairman of the Council to honour a devoted Council employee for helping young people with medical conditions to cope with their schoolwork.
Today, the writer Jeremy Strong and Vice-Chairman Cllr Neil Butters presented Lara Dyte, administrative officer from the Council’s Hospital Education and Reintegration Service, with an Employee Excellence Award in recognition of her commitment to ensuring sick children get the teaching support they need.
Lara surpassed herself last November when senior team members were unavoidably absent and she stepped up a level – increasing her co-ordination and communication skills with such efficiency that one of the teachers she works with decided to nominate her for Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Employee Excellence Awards.
Sandie Sheppard, hospital teacher, said: “She is always so cheerful and together and really helped us all get on with our jobs while other interim measures were put in place. She is a joy to work with and is always so cheerful.”
Celia Widdowson, interim manager, commented on Lara’s caring nature along with her attention to detail and thoroughness in getting the job done. Fellow interim manager, Candi Diederich, added: “Thanks to Lara’s ability to think outside the box with such a diplomatic manner, the management transition has gone very smoothly with no impact on the children we serve.”
Famous children’s author Jeremy Strong joined the award presentation for Lara at the Royal United Hospital’s Children’s ward. He has often worked voluntarily with the ward teachers and with pupils on home tuition to enrich their education by explaining the craft of the writer.
Cllr Neil Butters, Vice-Chairman of the Council, said: “Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Employee Excellence Awards are our way of recognising and thanking staff for going the extra mile in providing valuable services to our communities. Lara’s devotion is inspirational and has obviously had a profound effect on her colleagues as well as the children and young people that they all serve.”
Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Hospital Education and Reintegration Service, based at Bath’s Royal United Hospital, encompasses a small but focussed team of subject specialist teachers who educate children and young people while they are out of school for medical reasons. These pupils – from across Bath and North East Somerset – may be in hospital, for short or long term, or be recovering at home.
Beverley Boyd, Paediatric manager, said: “Lara is a great support for the Hospital Education and Reintegration Service. The ward staff work closely with the teachers and everyone knows how tirelessly Lara contributes to the success of the service in helping our patients continue with their education whilst in hospital.”
For more information about the Hospital Education and Reintegration Service, or home tuition for children out of school for medical reasons, please contact [email protected].
