Sunrise Senior Living UK and Gracewell Healthcare has celebrated the 12th anniversary of its Heart & Soul Recognition Programme, an employee benefit scheme that celebrates team members’ invaluable contributions to their care communities and homes.
The Heart & Soul Awards is the central event in the calendar of Sunrise and Gracewell’s benefits programme and recognises team members who embody the compassionate values of the organisations, going ‘above and beyond the call of duty’ in serving residents.
A special guest of honour, Lou Banks, a former team member and founder of the Heart and Soul Awards, hosted the ceremony. She says: “The awards were introduced at Sunrise 12 years ago, and they have come a long way in that time, evolving from a small initiative recognising team members, to a company-wide awards programme.”
Lou believes that every organisation should have an initiative which acknowledges the valuable role that individuals play and invest in their people.
The awards recognise team members for:
Principles of Service – those that go the extra mile to improve the quality of life for residents and who demonstrate the Sunrise and Gracewell Principles of Service at all times
Core Values – those who are guided by and epitomise Sunrise and Gracewell’s core values
Living Values – those that show kindness, integrity, empathy and respect
Team Credo – those that live and breathe Sunrise – carrying the organisation in their heart
Team Spirit – those that embody the Gracewell Team Spirit
This year, the awards also celebrated excellence in 2018 – only 2% of care homes receive an ‘outstanding’ rating from the Care Quality Commission and Sunrise and Gracewell were absolutely delighted to announce that Sunrise of Winchester, Gracewell of Camberley and Sunrise of Sonning were three of the top care homes in the country.
Alison Fisk and Suzanne Foody, who are part of Sunrise and Gracewell’s award winning rewards team – who organise the awards every year, said: “It’s a great pleasure to celebrate all our amazing team members each year. It’s not just about the high-quality care residents receive, but it’s about the lasting friendships that blossom and the special memories that grow, too.
"Whether it’s a grand gesture of just the little touches, the teams always go above and beyond to fulfil the residents’ dreams and desires. Thank you all for everything you do.”
