diff --git a/app/sequencescape_excel/sequencescape_excel/specialised_field/value_required.rb b/app/sequencescape_excel/sequencescape_excel/specialised_field/value_required.rb
index c0c2f416d5..38adc2a0ad 100644
--- a/app/sequencescape_excel/sequencescape_excel/specialised_field/value_required.rb
+++ b/app/sequencescape_excel/sequencescape_excel/specialised_field/value_required.rb
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ module ValueRequired
       extend ActiveSupport::Concern
 
       included do
-        validates_presence_of :value, message: "#{name.demodulize.tableize.humanize.singularize} can't be blank"
+        validates_presence_of :value, message: "^#{name.demodulize.tableize.humanize.singularize} can't be blank"
       end
     end
   end