On Saturday 23rd November, the Hilton Hotel, Newcastle provided a spectacular backdrop for the finals of the Great North East Care Awards, where the sixteen category winners were announced.

The Great North EastCare Awards, supported by the Department of Health, are part of the Great British Care Awards, a series of regional awards which celebrates excellence in social care and pay tribute to those who work in the sector throughout England.  The awards are all inclusive, bringing together the statutory, independent and voluntary sectors, as well as unpaid carers; promoting joint working.

The Great North East Care Awards have received nominations and support from all corners of the sector. Sector support includes the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS), the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE), Skills for Care, Ceretas and the English Community Care Association.  Local Authority support and commercial organisations are also supporting the awards.  Care Talk magazine is the media partner.

There were a total of sixteen award 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 dementia and innovation.

Nominations came in from all corners of the sector and region and successful candidates were invited for interview for infront of a panel of sector experts.  Thegala award evening started in style with a champagne reception, followed by a superb gourmet dinner and the awards presentation with Falklands war hero, Simon Weston and then dancing into the night.

Winners from the awards will be invited to attend the national finals for either the home care or care home sector which will take place in April and June 2014 at a prestigious venue in London.

The awards support a chosen charity; The Care Worker’s Charity is the registered charity for the Care Sector and is 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,

“We are delighted to be staging the Great North EastCare Awards for the fourth time. The care awards are going from strength to strength with this year’s regional events.  The support from sector partners has been overwhelming and the quality and sheer nominations has been astounding.

These awards recognise and pay tribute to the efforts and dedication of all those who work tirelessly to ensure that so many people are able to live independent lives in their own home. They are the perfect showcase to reflect on best practice in the social care sector. A sector where people truly dedicate themselves to their work and take pride in their achievements.

The people of the North East are incredibly fortunate to have such dedicated people caring for the vulnerable and elderly members of their communities. Congratulations to everyone this evening – everyone here is a winner!”

The winners of the Great North East Awards, together with the judge’s comments are detailed below:

 

The Care Employer Award – Katherine Hall, Pathways Care & Recruitment Ltd

Katherine is a self deprecating person who hasn’t allowed her own severe disability to prevent her from developing a thriving business where she is loved and appreciated by all her staff.

 

The Care Home Worker Award – Kirsty Short, Leyton Healthcare

Kirsty stood out to the judges because of the extra mile she goes for her service users – even to the point of learning the ukulele as part of an activities programme! A truly deserving winner – well done Kirsty!

 

The Care Newcomer Award – Angela Magnusson, Ideal Care Homes

Angie sparked with enthusiasm for her job and the judges were swept away with her dedication, empathy and insight. The manager spoke very highly of her skills and the judges fully agreed! Congratulations!

 

The Care Home Registered Manager Award – Kathleen Burns, Prestwick Care

Kathleen is very passionate and positive about her role. She promoted a positive culture within the home to meet the diverse needs of the residents – A great role model to all staff!

 

The Home Care Registered Manager Award – Lesley Shaw, Boltonshaw Homecare

This was an exceptionally difficult category to judge as all candidates were truly outstanding so after a lot of deliberation Lesley stood out because of her respected ethos programme and commitment to her 12 week induction programme. Well done Lesley!

The Nutrition & Hydration Award – Joy Elliot, Community Integrated Care

Joy’s passion, dedication and professionalism shine through. She actively encourages resident participation and celebrates special events for individuals with a sense of fun to enhance people’s lives.

 

The Dignity in Care Award – John King, Community Integrated Care

John is a strong ambassador for dignity.  Dignity is at the core of his approach to care and he promotes the values of dignity through colleagues, the sector and the wider community.  Congratulations John!

 

The Dementia Carer Award – Stephen Capstaff, New Prospects Association

The judges were impressed by Stephen’s knowledge of dementia and the need to include family and friends and to prepare them for how the condition deteriorates. Always focussed on the individual Stephen never takes the easy option and is keen to maintain their lives before the disease. They may not be able to climb Everest but Stephen will find them their own mountain they can climb.

 

The Care Team Award – The Mews Team, Voyage Care

Impressed by a strong vision the team recognised that supporting all staff is key to delivering high quality care. They have high aspirations to delivering outcomes for all residents and will not be constricted by any barriers to deliver person-centred care.

 

The Care Home Activity Organiser Award – Janice Rice, Four Seasons Healthcare

Janice says we give our residents dignity, self respect and self esteem so people continue to have a life and not just exist. Activities are the heart of the home and Janice’s passion and commitment to this task clearly shone through. Well done Janice.

 

The Ancillary Worker Award – Hazel LeCamp – RMBI

Hazel impressed the judges with her real passion for her role. She demonstrated the importance of both privacy and dignity for her residents. Congratulations Hazel!

 

The Care Innovator Award – Colin Howes, Creative Thinking Resource Centre

The foundation of this business was to create an outlet for the skills people had developed to lead to a real employment and fulfilment. Colin’s passion shone through and he does this purely because he enjoys it! Well done Colin.

 

The Frontline Leaders Award – Ann Dale, Anchor

Ann demonstrated a real passion for her work. She transferred her care team through her skill and expertise and show real commitment to developing staff at all levels. A very worthy winner of this award – well done Ann!

 

The Home Care Co-ordinator Award – Theresa Gillie, Bluebird Care

With Theresa’s infectious smile and bubbly personality it is very easy to understand why she is so popular in a role so often requiring a good balance between carer’s wishes and service users’ needs. Well done Theresa!

 

The Putting People First Award – Charlotte Grange, Community Integrated Care

Margaret and her team clearly demonstrated that the residents of Charlotte Grange are at the heart of the home. Their needs, wishes and personalities drive everything which happens even down to choosing the colour scheme in the refurbishment. Well done Charlotte Grange!