Kind-Hearted’ Care Home Matron Who Overcame Cancer Up For Lifetime Achievement Award

A Knowsley Matron, who has successfully run St. Bartholomew’s Court Nursing Home for nearly 25 years, is up for a lifetime achievement award.

St. Barts’ Elaine Allison, described as ‘selfless’ by colleagues, is a finalist at the Our Health Heroes Awards, delivered by Skills for Health.

During her decade spanning career as Matron, Elaine has overcome numerous challenges, not least being diagnosed with bladder cancer and suffering a bereavement at the height of the pandemic in 2020.

Despite all the odds, Elaine continues to have the energy and commitment of people half her age.

Much of the care home’s staff has been with Elaine the entire time she has been Matron, which is unusual for the sector.

Testament to the bond Elaine shares with her colleagues, a number of St. Barts staff have brought their own relatives to be cared at the home as they know the strong leadership and clinical supervision that the team receives.

Speaking about their one in a million colleague, Michael Dutton, Deputy Matron at St Barts says: “Elaine is a kind-hearted, hardworking, committed manager. She is so selfless that she donated a kidney to her brother. Elaine will listen to everyone’s troubles and find a workable solution; she has supported poorly staff with forms to ensure they receive the correct benefits in her own time, and this was once they were retired through ill-health and technically no longer her responsibility. If the word ‘leader’ had a picture, Elaine Allison would be it!”

Jocelyn Castaneda, RGN at St Barts adds: “Elaine is always the last woman standing. She covers clinical shifts and is on call 24/7 (whether officially or not). Elaine will work days, nights, weekends. She has weekly meetings with the teams and stays late every Thursday to ensure that night team have sight of a manager; demonstrating her care and commitment to the entire team.”

The Chair of the Board of Trustees of St Barts, Natalie Myers comments:

“As a voluntary board of directors, it is reassuring to know that Elaine is at the helm. She makes sound, evidence based decisions, which is always resident focused. Elaine has excellent strategic vision and has embedded the core values throughout the business: honesty, empathy, achievement, respect and teamwork. This has ensured that care delivery has compassion and integrity at every point.”