Social worker gets monthly CS gong

Matthew Hylton

(CNS): Matthew Hylton, a social worker in the Needs Assessment Unit, has earned the civil service’s workplace award for Best Employee for December 2014. The last accolade for the year was given to Hylton, officials said, for his level of service and professionalism as well as his mentoring of the department’s clients and his own colleagues. Often in desperate need of help, and invariably stressed and frustrated, the NAU’s clients can demonstrate aggressive behaviour towards its staff, officials said.

But Hylton’s “caring and respectful yet firm approach” puts clients and colleagues at ease, even in difficult times, they added. Hylton was described as taking pride in treating everyone with respect, regardless of their circumstances. Skilled in defusing tough situations, he is high demand by many of the department’s clients

Officials said that Hylton goes beyond the call of duty to offer clients extra counselling to empower them in areas such as budget management and helping to enhance the quality of their lives. And his expertise and ability to help are so well-known that other government agencies frequently seek his assistance.

Deputy Governor Franz Manderson, who created the award and has recently highlighted the importance of customer service provision by government workers, congratulated Hylton and said his work ethic and skills made him a prime example of a dedicated civil servant, worthy of emulation by his peers and younger employees in the public service. Lauding the entire department for their hard work, Manderson added that the focus of the awards was exceptional civil servants who do a great job.

Describing the award as an “entirely unexpected honour”, Hylton credited his colleagues. He said that “as civil servants, we do our duty to the best of our abilities. To be recognised for that is an enormous honour and immensely motivating.”