The RailStaff Awards 2024

Sharon Giffard

Great Western Railway

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Nominations for Depot Staff Award

David Statham

Said the following about Sharon Giffard:

“A fine supportive manager who always supports the team and someone who is approachable hard working and a asset to the depot“

Ben Griffiths

Said the following about Sharon Giffard:

“To say the past 12 months have been a challenge for Sharon is an understatement and I am sure that everyone at Swansea depot would agree.

In October 2017 Sharon was asked to complete the mammoth task of getting all of Cardiff’s and Swansea’s Guards trained on the new Class 800 trains in less than 11 weeks. Sharon took on the challenge with enthusiasm and determination: organising peer trainers and assessors and then conducting training or assessments herself when there were gaps in the schedule. This meant not only working long hours in the office but also working long, un-socialable hours to match the schedule of the training trains, missing precious time with her young family. All of this was done in conjunction with an already challenging and busy day job which Sharon still completed on top of the additional tasks. I believe that Sharon has demonstrated all of qualities of not only ‘accountable for performance’ but also being ‘committed to our customers’. By ensuring all guards in the South Wales depots were trained to operate the new Class 800 Units; our customers could enjoy the benefits of the new trains.

More recently Sharon has committed to clearing and sorting an area known as ‘the dungeon’ in Swansea depot. As with everything Sharon does she threw everything into getting the area cleared and all of the paperwork and equipment, some of which had been there longer than she had, sorted and correctly filed. This once again took a lot of effort and hard work, not only physically but logistically as Sharon had to balance the needs of her day job against the other projects. The benefits of clearing this area are so Sharon can provide an area for other people to use as a meeting room and quiet room for all the train crew at Swansea as well as ensuring the depot is compliant with the new GDPR regulations once again showing that Sharon is ‘accountable for performance’. ‘The Dungeon’ is now no longer like a dungeon and once again this is thanks to Sharon ‘setting the highest standards’ for her depot.

Sharon embodies the 6 pillars every day and shows the same determination and commitment to everything that she does. Sharon successfully manages her day job against the projects she takes on and is never afraid to take on a challenge. She could have been nominated for any category but I believe that she has excelled in accountable for performance and setting the highest standards. It should also be stated that the projects Sharon takes on are never for the benefit of herself but for her depot or our customers. I have not been managing Sharon very long but I am proud of the hard work she has done and continues to do.

Once the Class 800 training was completed Sharon had another project to manage and that was to be the first depot in the Central Region to be awarded exemplar bronze. Sharon set her mind to getting Swansea recognised for their good practices using the same determination and enthusiasm shown when organising the Class 800 training, once again putting in long hours and doing some work in her own time. All this work paid off and Swansea was awarded exemplar bronze, something I know that Sharon is extremely proud of and rightly so. Sharon is now working toward getting Swansea an exemplar silver award as well as helping other depots in the region get their bronze award. Not only does this show how committed Sharon is to ‘setting the highest standards’ but also how she wants other teams to succeed using the experience she has gained doing exemplar bronze.

Sharon's work with the Class 800 training ensured our customers were able to experience our new trains when promised. This has improved the customers experience when travelling with us.“

Sophie Davies

Said the following about Sharon Giffard:

“Sharon is a true inspiration; constantly striving to drive up the standards not only at Swansea but across the region and company as a whole. Sharon leads by example, and is meticulous in every aspect of her work, she encourages other to raise their own standards, championing personal and professional development. Sharon is not only my line manager but also a wonderful support to me in my role as acting guards manager, she is a trusted mentor to many and demonstrates inclusivity and endless patience. Her vast experience and knowledge of the railway provides a wealth of invaluable information to colleagues across the business.

Sharon has a proven record of achievement, especially during periods of change and often against tight deadlines. Sharon managed to train all the Guards at Swansea and Cardiff on the new Intercity Express trains when they came into service, in record time and with limited resources. Sharon made this happen with tenacity and a positive attitude, managing to keep colleagues motivated throughout the transition.

Following on from that, Sharon worked alongside the Driver team, Hitachi and TFW to solve the teething problems experienced during the attachment of two 800 units each morning at Swansea. This was not something that Sharon was expected to do but she observed the process each morning to fault find, trouble shoot and ultimately ensure a successful system of work was implemented. The performance of this service significantly improved, providing customers with confidence, offering a more reliable journey with less delays. As attachments of the 800 units become more commonplace across the network, the 'Swansea way' is often cited as the best working practice.

Sharon takes great pride in her work environment, wanting to make improvements for all crew members. She has worked tirelessly towards achieving the Exemplar Silver award, which will hopefully be awarded in the next couple of weeks. This hasn't been an easy task as it involved making fundamental changes to the work place that were often met with challenges , reluctance to change, suspicion and apathy. Sharon has almost single handedly overcome all these obstacles to push on and meet the required criteria. Sharon has also helped other depots to achieve their Bronze award by offering advice and support.

Sharon was recently involved in the aftermath of the tragic rail accident at Margam when two track workers sadly lost their lives. Sharon was one of the first on- call managers at the scene and had to adopt the role of the Train Operator Liaison Officer (TOLO), she excelled in this position, having to give direction and make decisions in extremely difficult circumstances.

Sharon embodies so many great leadership qualities and deserves recognition for all the hard work she puts in.“