TV doctor Dawn Harper praised care home workers as “the unsung heroes of our society” at Kingsley Healthcare’s glittering awards ceremony
TV doctor Dawn Harper praised care home workers as “the unsung heroes of our society” at Kingsley Healthcare’s glittering awards ceremony. The star of ITV’s Embarrassing Bodies and daytime television said it was a privilege to announce the 15 awards during the celebration at Ivy House Country Hotel in Lowestoft. She said: “It is through my work as a GP that I frequently come into contact with carers who are absolutely the unsung heroes of our society.” She added there was a “great karma” at the awards indicating the Lowestoft-based company was a great place to work. Staff travelled to the event from as far afield as Cheshire and Dorset and the journey was made worthwhile for the team at Park Lane care home in Congleton when they carried off the flagship Care Home of the Year award, pipping runners-up Kirkley Manor in Lowestoft and Thorp House, in Griston, near Watton. Meanwhile, Paula Baker, manager at Yaxley House care home, in Yaxley, Suffolk, won the award for Manager of the Year, leaving Hanro Steytler, deputy manager at Spring Lodge, in Woolverstone near Ipswich and Jayne O’Sullivan from Park Lane as runners-up.
The Hummingbird Award for the Ultimate Wings Champion went to Laura Crowley, manager of Brooke House, near Norwich, who has played a lead role in developing and rolling out Kingsley’s industry leading Wings dementia care programme. Kingsley CEO Daya Thayan, who started the company with his wife Sumi with one care home in Lowestoft in 1999, thanked guests, who included key business associates, “for being here to celebrate our employees’ success story”. He told staff: “You are the backbone of our operation and it is your commitment and compassion that we celebrate here today. “You fulfil the expectations of our residents and their families; you bring love, warmth and affection.” “As a company, we have grown from one care home to a group with 27 homes across the country but our values remain the same.
Every one of our homes must always be good enough for our own parents.” Mr Thayan said Kingsley would continue to invest in facilities such as their new care academy, being set up in conjunction with Lowestoft College, and in new training programmes that would help staff to be the best. Full list of awards: Directors’ Award for Dedicated Service, Mariusz Ciepielewski; Registered Nurse of the Year, Jolanta Gebura; Support Worker of the Year, Nicola Turner; Activities Co-ordinator of the Year, Carole Cook; Maintenance Person of the Year, Danny Gould; Care Home Business Support Champion, Adriana Jaracz; Care Home Support Services Champion, Theresa Rampley; Chef of the Year, Amanda Wilmerson; Hummingbird Award, Laura Crowley; Rising Star, Luciana Grecu; Head Office Star, Emma Filby; Motivational Leadership, Gina Dennison; Personality of the Year, John Twomey; Manager of the Year, Paula Baker; Care Home of the Year, Park Lane.
If you want a caring career rather than just a job, take the first step to joining Kingsley’s winning team by calling recruitment manager Beverley Lambert on 01502-502743.
For more information visit Kingsley Care Awards website: http://awards.kingsleyhealthcare.co.uk
