Operator celebrates staff excellence at Life in Colour Awards

RESIDENTIAL care provider Borough Care celebrated its first in-person staff awards night since 2019.

The winners were announced at a fun-filled awards ceremony in Stockport hosted by BGT semi-finalist and All Together Now judge, Rob Bowden King.

This year’s Life in Colour Awards generated 1,200 nominations from staff, residents and their families – the most nominations ever received.

Judges had the difficult task of shortlisting across the 10 categories, with individual awards handed out by CEO Mark Ward and the team awards presented by the chair of Borough Care’s board, Isla Wilson.

With 12 care homes to maintain standards of care in, not all members of staff could make it on the night.

Award winners: The Helping Hand – Katie Jeffries, admin at Bryn Haven in Brinnington; The Precious Gem – Doulton Hamill, care assistant at Bamford Close in Cale Green; The PCS Champion – Amie Keats, senior care assistant at Lisburne Court in Offerton; The Amazing Addition – Jis Johnson, senior care assistant at

Shepley House in Hazel Grove; The Game Changer – Megan Lachevre, home manager at Bruce Lodge in Offerton; The Inspirer and Mentoring Champion – Hayley Weston, home manager at Lisburne Court in Offerton; Outstanding Colourful Care Award – Leigh Cherie Jones, ALF at Cawood; Anita Case, night senior at Bamford; Ellie Whittaker, senior care assistant at Bruce Lodge; David Swindells, day senior at Bryn Haven; Olga Walicka, housekeeper at Hen Cloud; Laura Nelson, ALF at Lisburne Court; Heather White, care assistant at Meadway; Brahim Karak El Ghazi, housekeeper at Reinbek; Chloe Pollard, care assistant at Shepley House; Amanda Palmer, catering at Shoemaker Place; Lindsay Hadfield, ALF at Silverdale; Valerie Collins, care assistant at Wellcroft and Michelle Freeman, purchasing and procurement manager at head office. The Stronger Together Award – The Catering and Hospitality Team; The Family Connections Award – Cawood House in Brinnington; Care Home of the Year – Silverdale in Bredbury.

“Half my family are carers and paramedics. I think it comes naturally – it’s in the blood.”

Her first experiences of caring also came via her family.

“I cared for my granddad, who had lung cancer and emphysema, and I looked after my Great Nan too,” said the 33-year-old.

“It’s something I’ve always loved doing, and I wouldn’t treat the people I care for now any differently to my Grandad. We become part of the family – that’s what I love most about the job.

“It’s a big thing to have someone in to look after you. You can’t take over their lives. You have to be respectful and allow them to maintain their independence and dignity, so it’s really rewarding when they accept you and let you in.”

The key, she added, is to allow people to be themselves.

“They’ve always been themselves, doing things the way they want to, and they can feel they lose that around carers,” Rebecca added.

“You have to make it easy for them to be themselves. They are all different and unique in their own ways.

“If they want a change, they can have it; if they don’t want to do anything different, they don’t have to. You have to let them be 100 per cent themselves.”

She remembers one service user who made a particularly profound impact on her: “There was one little lady who was 102, and she was so independent and strong. Both mum and I would see her, and when mum was there she would always ask after me and remember my name.

“Just before she died, she said to my mum: ‘Rebecca didn’t get a piece of my birthday cake.’ Being appreciated and remembered like that is what makes the job so worthwhile.”

A single mother of two, Rebecca, who works from the Broadland office of the family-run company, has plans to take her caring career further, and is currently studying with a view to eventually becoming a district nurse.

“I absolutely love my job, and I want my children to see that I’m doing something good. Every day in care is different, because you’re working with different individuals. And every individual has been part of my caring career. I remember all of them – and they’ve all left a little something with me.”

Extra Hands, which also has offices in Heacham, was established in 1993 and offers a variety of home care visit packages across the county to suit all requirements.