Nominations are to be submitted by a Director of Allied Health from a local health district or specialty health network.
Nominees should display exceptional capability in all areas of excellence. A written submission, addressing the reason for nomination (maximum 200 words) and the three areas of excellence (maximum 300 words each) is required in the nomination. Please include specific examples or stories to support responses.
Marking rubric (PDF)
The Allied Health Professional of the Year makes an outstanding contribution to clinical excellence, leadership, education, and culture. They advocate for evidence-based practice, focus on value-based health care, and provide safe, quality, and compassionate patient care. They actively support a positive culture and show kindness, in line with the NSW Health CORE values.
This allied health professional shows commitment to supporting, empowering, and upskilling those around them. They passionately advocate for better patient outcomes through allied health services and collaborate across professions and services to achieve this. The individual is recognised by peers for their outstanding professionalism and the continuous demonstration of pride to be an allied health professional within NSW Health.
The areas of excellence for the Allied Health Professional of the Year are:
This section, though not independently scored, is mandatory to complete. It provides context that may aid the judging panel in evaluating other criteria such as impact, skills/knowledge, and commitment.
Score: 1-12
Score: 1-8
Score: 1-4
Total score: 52
*Guideline will be provided to the judging panel to assist with scoring.
The Allied Health Leader of the Year has continuously exhibited excellence in leadership, focusing on the values of teamwork, innovation, service, quality, compassion, and integrity. They show exceptional skills to support, mentor, and coach staff.
The Allied Health Leader of the Year is a visionary. They drive quality improvement in patient care, service delivery and a commitment to value-based health care. They are leaders of a positive culture and demonstrate kindness across professional groups in line with NSW Health's CORE values. They are proud to be an allied health professional working in NSW Health.
The nominee does not have to be working in a management/senior role.
The areas of excellence for the Allied Health Leader of the Year are:
The Early Career Allied Health Professional of the Year has shown exceptional potential during their first two years of practice. They are committed to supporting a positive culture and showing kidness in line with the NSW Health CORE values and are proud to be an allied health professional working in NSW Health.
This early career allied health professional demonstrates passion and commitment to the provision of quality, safe and compassionate care to patients and their family/caregivers. They are committed to seeking continuous learning opportunities and are driven to demonstrate emerging clinical excellence for their discipline.
The nominee must be less than 2 years post-graduation at the time of nomination to their District Allied Health Awards.
The areas of excellence for Early Career Allied Health Professional of the Year are:
The Aboriginal Allied Health Professional of the Year demonstrates exceptional commitment, professionalism, kindness and compassionate care to all patients. They are committed to improving and advocating for the culturally appropriate health care of Aboriginal peoples and communities and are proud to be an allied health professional working in NSW Health.
The Aboriginal Allied Health Professional of the Year demonstrates their leadership through passionate advocacy for their profession by contributing to the growth and development of the Aboriginal allied health workforce in NSW Health.
The nominee must identify as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person.
The areas of excellence for the Aboriginal Allied Health Professional of the Year are:
The Allied Health Assistant/Technician/Support Person of the Year consistently provides exceptional and high-quality support for allied health professions and allied health services.
They actively support a positive culture in line with NSW Health's CORE values and are proud to be an Allied Health Assistant/Technician/Support Person working in NSW Health. This individual demonstrates a commitment to elevating the human experience by being the backbone of the allied health service for their organisation. They show professionalism and are a proven team player.
The nominee must have a dedicated Allied Health Assistant, Technician and/or Support Person role, which may include providing administrative support.
The areas of excellence for the Allied Health Assistant/Technician/Support Person of the Year are:
The Allied Health Researcher of the Year has made exemplary contributions to research to enhance allied Health practice and services. Their activities have been impactful and can be translated into practice, and they are proud to be an allied health professional working in NSW Health.
The Allied Health Researcher of the Year holds a clinical or clinical leadership role and may or may not have protected research time. They may be completing a higher degree by research or hold a conjoint academic appointment in addition to their clinical role, but this is not their primary role. They contribute to building capacity to conduct and translate research in allied health services, for example by supervising research students, leading research teams, or mentoring novice researchers.
This award is open to researchers with any level of experience. Applications will be assessed based on the impact of their research in NSW Health and how they are supporting clinicians to implement research in clinical practice as well as build research capacity.
The areas of excellence for the Allied Health Researcher of the Year are:
The Allied Health Educator of the Year has made exemplary contributions to the education of others to improve allied health services. This could include teaching of allied health professional peers, students, other health disciplines, patients, or the general public. They demonstrate kindness and are proud to be an allied health professional working in NSW Health.
Their activities have been impactful to improve the practice standards of allied health professionals, the knowledge of specific health conditions or the understanding of allied health services. Education provided can be part of a formal teaching role or in an informal capacity.
The areas of excellence for the Allied Health Educator of the Year are:
*Guideline will be provided to the judging panel to assist with scoring.
The Allied Health Team of the Year recognises a team whose collective expertise, collaboration and commitment have delivered outstanding outcomes. The team demonstrates exemplary clinical practice innovation and shared leadership, working together to deliver high‑quality, value‑based and person‑centred care, while fostering a positive, kind and inclusive culture aligned with the NSW Health CORE values.
The nominated team exemplifies strong collaboration, leadership and effective partnerships to improve patient outcomes, service delivery and staff experience. The nomination should clearly demonstrate how coordinated, team-based practice, shared accountability and the complementary contributions of team members directly enabled the outcomes achieved. The outcomes recognised through this award should be attributable to allied health leadership and/or practice.
The areas of excellence for the Allied Health Team of the Year are:
