Tom Howe

Said the following about Shirley Courtney:

“We would like to nominate Shirley Courtney (Station Team Manager, North Clyde), for her unwavering support of her staff during complex and challenging times in their lives. Shirley’s actions go above and beyond the call of duty and have had an impact on so many lives in the railway family.

The best way to put this into words is through the just one of the deeply personal accounts of her actions from one of her direct reports.

Thank you for your time and your consideration.

"The kindness and compassion Shirley shows every day to her staff was the reason I could approach her to discuss my poor mental health, and her continuous support and actions throughout my recovery got me the help I needed and up to this point where I can discuss such a time in my life.

Every recovery has to have a beginning. The pandemic was my beginning. COVID struck, and when the lockdown was in place, my kids' schools' were closed, and my job changed for what seemed like forever. I knew my mental health was sliding. My family were affected. How could I support my three young boys at home when I felt like I couldn't support myself? As the guidance changed, I struggled to keep up and felt impacted by each decision. I slipped further down that dark path, and now everything spiralled out of control. I leaned on my colleague, Odette, through the early stages and decided to contact Shirley when I was at a point where I was planning to commit suicide at my station. I knew I needed help, and she was there.

When I reached out to Shirley, she listened and understood me; her actions were pivotal in my journey. Shirley showed outstanding leadership and initiative on that day and each day afterwards. She dropped everything and visited me at my station. She also showed compassion throughout our time together discussing this and arranged everything I could not arrange myself.

Shirley was there to listen. She advised and aided me to take some time off work and provided no pressure about returning until I felt ready to return to work. She arranged counselling through Nuffield Health, and it was all in place very quickly after my initial contact. She encouraged me to contact support networks such as The Samaritans and SAMH. As I discussed above, things were getting out of control quickly, and Shirley's actions slowed everything down to a more manageable pace. During my time off, Shirley has an obligation, as each manager does, to check in with staff who are off sick. Well, Shirley went above and beyond. The time with your manager (TWYM) meetings are typically held over the phone once a week or through occupational health phone calls. Shirley knew I was taking walks up the Kilpatrick Hills as part of my recovery and suggested we hold our meetings on those walks, all taken on her time. This action alone positively impacted me, showing how far Shirley will go to help someone and with each action reflecting back on Scotrail.

To get a more genuine sense of her strength and character, when I contacted Shirley about my feelings and planned suicide, Shirley and her family had been through a similar situation when her brother Alec passed in similar circumstances. We were both taking a journey, but her strength was unthinkable.

Shirley has a way of understanding every one of her staff. She gets the best out of anyone. Her leadership, awareness, thoughtfulness and understanding got me through the most challenging moments in my life. She brings a warm heart to her managerial role, and her actions have impacted many colleagues in her catchment. She is ScotRail's vision and values rolled up into one. My story began in 2020, and Shirley is still my line manager. She still has well-being check-ins, and it's only now, at this part of my journey, that I have the courage to tell my story, to tell her story.

Telling this story has challenged me and is a test of where I am now. I am here now because of Shirley. Her dedication to the health and well-being of her staff saved me. It shows who she is as a person, a manager, and a representative of ScotRail. She saved my life, and I can confidently say that I and my family are in a great place, and I know who to thank."“