Barchester Healthcare recognised and rewarded the best of its employees at the Barchester Care Awards 2018 in Manchester at The Midland Hotel early in October.
The awards celebrate staff and volunteers who go the extra mile for the benefit of residents and patients living in Barchester care homes and independent mental health hospitals. There were 19 categories, which include: ‘Registered Nurse of the Year’, won by Ridel Francisco from Lynde House Care Home in Twickenham; ‘Lifetime Achievement of the Year’, which was won by Gillian Mcknight from Four Hills Care Home in Strathclyde, and ‘Chef of the Year’, which was won by Dinar Matre from Strachan House Care Home in Edinburgh.
Special awards included the ‘Residents Garden of the Year’ award, which was presented to 91 year old resident Bob Maven from Chester Court Care Home in Northumberland and Barchester’s youngest volunteer Anais Rose Davis, who received the ‘Volunteer of the Year’ award for her efforts to bridge the generational gap at Tyspane Care Centre in Devon.
More than 1500 nominations were received from colleagues, friends, neighbours and residents from Barchester homes and hospitals across the UK and all entries were of a very high standard. There were 75 shortlisted divisional winners across the UK who were then interviewed by a panel of judges for the final round. On the 11 October, the divisional winners, specially invited guests and friends all gathered at a special awards ceremony, where the national titles and trophies were given to the winning homes and individuals, alongside a £500 gift voucher by Barchester’s CEO Dr Pete Calveley.
Calveley, the presenter for the night and a judge for two categories, says: “This event is all about recognising our incredible staff for their contributions to care at our Barchester homes and hospitals, and celebrating their dedication to not only the individuals we care for, but to their teams, their communities and to the wider business.
"It’s always a hugely enjoyable and moving event. The awards recognise individuals who have worked hard to celebrate the lives of those who live with and are cared for by us here at Barchester. They recognise people who promote our key values of dignity, independence, responsibility, integrity, and have a passion for person-centred care, with a strong commitment to our overall purpose of providing a premium caring experience.
"It is always inspiring to hear how each role at Barchester contributes to the experience of the people that we care for, but it’s so much more than that. It is the passion they bring to their career, to working as a team, to volunteering their time, to utilising your best skills and I am proud to be able to honour each of our amazing staff for all that they give.”
Graham Allen, the senior general manager of Worplesdon View Care Home in Surrey and the national winner of the 'General Manager of the Year' says of his win: “I am very proud and very honoured to be receiving this award. We work hard here at Barchester with a focus on the people we care for, and not for accolades, but it really is very special to be recognised in this way.”
Anna Shirley, director of marketing and a judge for two categories, says: “The Barchester Care Awards is our biggest event of the year and the teams across Barchester Healthcare homes and hospitals truly deserve to be recognised for the incredible work that they do. We’re all looking forward to next years’ awards as the brand continues to grow, and our teams and our quality of care only get better!”
