Nominate Your Next Unsung Hero of Care!
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the care industry’s leading publication The Carer, we put up a “Unsung Hero of the Decade“ competition, and asked care homes to nominate somebody who often goes that extra mile, working extra hours, extra shifts, covering staff sickness, fundraising, generally putting in that extra time and effort which can sometimes go unrewarded.
We have to say we were overwhelmed with the responses, wonderfully heartwarming and uplifting nominations from every department . It has been one of the hardest jobs of the year, but we were delighted to announce The Carer’s Unsung Hero of the Decade as Mrs Tina Higginson of Sambrook residential care home in Newport, who won a two-night luxury break in a choice of over 300 hotels throughout the UK.
We were also delighted to meet with with Sambrook home director Neil Robson who nominated Tina. Neil visited our stand at the care show in Birmingham earlier this month, and gave a very heartwarming detailed account of Tina’s work at the home. Neil said: “Tina is a fabulous mentor for new staff members, a fabulous cook who will step into the kitchen on the odd occasion coupled with phenomenal stamina and is, we consider, the backbone of our organisation”.
Neil added “Tina is a natural carer demonstrating exceptional compassion, kindness and understanding particularly with the end of life situations, I’m delighted to nominate her for this accolade and am humbled by her commitment.”
We received many wonderfully inspiring nominations for individual carers, care homes and care institutions, and it has made us very proud to be part of such a magnificent industry, which does not get the recognition it so richly deserves!
We would like to take the opportunity to congratulate all our incredible nominees – all very deserving!
We all found it quite a humbling experience to read of the devotion, commitment, hard work, warmth and affection individuals and teams in care environments have gone to enhance the lives of those they care for.
It was such it a difficult job picking an outright winner, We decided to add on two runners-up with two extra £50 Marks & Spencer vouchers! Chris Warry who is an “integral part of Abbey View Care Home” in Sherborne. Chris has worked at the home since 1997, and is still working in her retirement, even returning to help out after major surgery.
Colten Care’s operations manager Martin Corrigan said “Chris has always been an amazing support to the team by over the years helping the staff through many difficult times. We all consider her to be the mother of the home. Chris is loved by all and I delighted to nominate her”.
And a £50 Marks & Spencer gift voucher went to Thandeka Nkopo (Tandi) who is a RGN at Plas Y Mor Nursing home in Rhyl Denbighshire. Manager Karl Roberts said: “Tandi has fully embraced this role and continues to provide excellent care and support in both her clinical role and as the deputy manager. She is an inspiration to Junior team members and an asset to the company. She supports the home with staff shortages, covers for nurses to have annual leave and often has put aside her personal commitments so that others can have time off work or, so residents can achieve their wellbeing.”
We were so delighted with the feedback from the competition, the wonderfully uplifting and heartwarming nominations, so we have decided to do the same again for Christmas!
Yes, on 21 December we will be drawing another “Unsung Hero”, and the prize again is a luxury two night break for two people.
So please get nominating at
nominate@thecareruk.com
Send us just a short paragraph about your nomination and why you think they deserve an award. It can be anybody from any department, somebody you think has just gone that extra mile and deserves recognition!
