Published: 07 November 2024
Deborah Harding, Professor of Learning and Innovation for Practice at St George’s School of Health and Medical Sciences, City St George's, University of London has been awarded an inaugural CAHPO Gold Award for Excellence from Professor Suzanne Rastrick OBE, Chief Allied Health Professions Officer (CAHPO) for England.
The award has been launched this year to acknowledge and celebrate excellence, where a significant, outstanding and exceptional contribution has been made by a member of the Allied Health Professions community. For the inaugural awards Professor Rastrick personally identified 22 recipients.
An affirming recognition
Speaking about receiving the award Deborah said: “As a speech and language therapist by profession, I have always been proud to be part of the allied health professions (AHP) community. I have worked with Suzanne Rastrick in her Chief Allied Health Professions Officer role to deliver several projects which have influenced and informed AHP policy and practice guidance. I've always enjoyed being involved in the work but of course, it is really affirming to receive this award in recognition of my contribution.”
Reflecting on her proudest career achievements so far, Deborah shared:
“I am really proud of the impact of the AHP leadership work which I delivered along with my City St George's colleague, Liz Treadwell. I've also been very pleased that my PhD research has had extensive multiprofessional influence, specifically enabling me to lead the work to produce NHS England's Workplace Supervision Guidance for Advanced Practice. It is fantastic to be an allied health voice influencing in these multiprofessional practice contexts.
- Professor Deborah Harding -
“I also get enormous satisfaction from the multiprofessional learning and teaching I do, particularly promoting learning with, for and from patients. I love nothing more than to hear a health professional thinking differently about how to work with patients as a result of something we have explored in our teaching.”
Deborah further added: “As a university offering training to so many allied health professions, I look forward to further opportunities to work with Suzanne in the coming months, both in her CAHPO role at NHS England but also in her role as Visiting Professor here at City St George's.”
The awards will be presented by Professor Suzanne Rastrick OBE at NHS England Regional events over the next eight months.
Congratulations Deborah on this well-deserved accolade!
Find out more about our Centre for Allied Health here.