On Saturday 14th May at the Royal Courts of Justice, London provided a spectacular backdrop for the national finals of the Great British Home Care Awards where the twelve category winners were announced.
The Great British Home Care Awards, hosted by Ceretas and supported by h.e.t. software are the national finals from the series of nine regional Great British Care Awards in Autumn 2010. Winners from each region were invited to compete once again to become the national champions.
Sector support includes the Department of Health, the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS), the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE), Skills for Care, Ceretas and Local Authority support and commercial organisations are also supporting the awards.
There were a total of twelve awards categories available for nomination, which represent all areas of the care sector, whether it be older people or specialist services and from frontline staff such as care workers and care managers to people who have made an impact in other ways such as training, specialist care in areas such as demntia and innovation.
The gala awards evening started in style with a champagne reception, followed by a superb gourmet dinner with entertainment in the guise of a breathtaking medley of show songs performed by some of the west end leading singers. The awards were presented by Kate Garraway of Daybreak and GMTV fame and the evening concluded with live music and dancing into the night.
The awards support a chosen charity, Lost Chord an innovative charity dedicated to improving the quality of life and wellbeing of those suffering with dementia using interactive musical stimuli to increase their general awareness and self esteem. £2 from every bottle of wine sold was donated to Lost Chord.
In addition the Care Professionals Benevolent Fund were also supported with all guests given the opportunity to pledge a donation on the night. The Care Professionals Benevolent Fund is the registered charity for the Care Sector and are here to support current, former and retired care professionals, by providing assistance to relieve financial hardship or sickness.
Lisa Carr, Director of the Great British Care Awards said,
“This is just the second year we have held the national finals and we have been overwhelmed by the enthusiasm from our industry. The quality of the finalists from across the country and throughout the sector is extremely high and the judges have had the unenviable task of choosing an overall winner for each category – a true national champion. The awards offer a unique opportunity to celebrate the successes of individuals, teams and businesses throughout the UK – people who really do make a positive impact on people’s lives. During these testing economic times social care has once again suffered the impact of associated adversity – the awards are a positive way of raising motivation within our social care workforce and indeed the profile of the sector as a whole. The evening has been truly exhilarating, everyone here tonight is a winner.
The winners of the Great British Home Care Awards, together with the judges comments are detailed below:
The Care Employer Award (More than 250 employees)
Springfield Homecare – Paul Philips, Helen Lauterbach, Liz Robertson, Joy Sinclair and Graeme Lee Garthforth, Leeds
Springfield impressed the judges as an employer of 600 carers and their families. ‘It’s team work – no short cuts – totally open and accessible and we are protecting quality in tight financial times”.
The Care Employer Award (Less than 250 employees)
Ultimate Care UK Ltd – Marc & Nicola Rowland
Stutton, Ipswich
Marc and Nicola showed a passion for caring which set this company out from the rest. They also displayed a special commitment to staff development and with a talent for true entrepreneurial spirit.
The Ceretas Home Care Worker Award
Percurra – Angela Parker
West Bridgford, Nottingham
Angela demonstrated her kind, caring and compassionate attitude with real life examples that led her to know her career path was in care. She showed warmth and compassion educing the panel to conclude she would be their care worker of choice in old age.
The Care Newcomer Award
Housing 21 – Callum fowler
Aldridge, Walsall
It was refreshing, inspiring and a privilege to meet such a group of high calibre individuals. Two stood out as being exceptional. Callum impressed us with his strong grasp of the fundamentals of care and a clear vision of his future in the industry and how he could make a positive contribution.
The Home Care Registered Manager Award
Domus Healthcare Group – Darren Guy
Oldham, North West
A clear winner who demonstrated he had clear understanding of getting the right balance between a caring business and strategic management. He admits it’s tough to work to his standards but his staff enjoy the challenge and celebrate their achievements.
The Dignity in Care Award
Way Ahead Support Services – Shirley Martin-Abel
Warwick, West Midlands
Shirley has a mature, thoughtful and deeply sensitive approach to preserving and promoting people’s dignity, with a wider view about personal development and shared responsibility. Her statement “If you get dignity right, you get everything right” sums it up.