SHEILA Leonard of Noble’s Hospital, Lynsey Radcliffe of Manx National heritage and Jennifer Gribbin and Andy Williams of Treasury Income Tax are the nominees for the Bridson & Horrox award for ‘Public Sector Achievement of the Year’ at the Isle of Man Newspapers Awards for Excellence on Thursday evening.

A pioneering programme at Noble’s Hospital is helping people with learning difficulties, the elderly and those with mental health problems.

The ‘Transforming Care’ programme is making a real difference to the lives of the more vulnerable groups in the Isle of Man and the project has nominated “champions” from each ward and department, including Sheila Leonard.

Adopting the adage ‘prevention is better than cure’, concerns are met before they escalate, leading to a reduction in complaints.

A scheme launched this year to provide free admission for children to the Isle of Man National Heritage sites has been a huge success with more than 6,000 visits between January and September.

The scheme came about through close co-operation between MNH and the Department of Education. Sponsorship came from the private sector. The innovative approach to engage and encourage children to visit heritage sites is to be used as a case study for museum entry in other jurisdictions.

At the Treasury Income Tax Department, increased efficiency and tangible cost savings are two key achievements through the use of technology.

The division overcame challenges to provide a simple, secure interface to a complex back-office system, simplifying processes to the benefit of Isle of Man taxpayers.

Departmental and website changes were embraced by government staff, demonstrating a strong working relationship between departments. The take-up of the enhanced online service for returns has exceeded expectations.

The award will be presented by Darren Horrox of Bridson & Horrox.