Carers’ achievements celebrated at awards

Aformer pub manager from Newcastleunder-Lyme who swapped the bar for the reception desk of a care village is amongst those who have been recognised at an annual awards ceremony.

Care workers from Belong’s Newcastle-underLyme dementia care village and its corresponding home care service, Belong at Home, came together with colleagues from across the region at the recent annual Belong Champion Awards ceremony hosted at Cheshire’s Peckforton Castle.

Receptionist Siobhan Coleman shared the Newcomer of the Year title for making a big impression on colleagues and residents after just nine months in her role, including developing trusting relationships with many residents, whom she supports with daily tasks, such as making appointments and shopping.

Commenting on what set Siobhan apart from strong competition, Robert Armstrong, chair of the Belong Board and member of the judging panel who conducted a series of interviews as part of the rigorous assessment process, said: “Siobhan has a really bubbly personality and has brought many of her skills developed working in the pub industry to go outside of her job description and help our customers.”

Meanwhile, Andrew Shield, business manager of the not-for-profit operator’s home care service, Belong at Home, received the Leader of Year title for his “visionary management style” which resulted in the provider being ranked amongst the country’s top 20 for the fifth year running by leading online reviews site Homecare.co.uk.

The Newcastle-under-Lyme service was also placed in the Top 20 Home Care Providers in the West Midlands. Andrew was promoted to his current role last year after starting his career with the service over a decade ago as a community support worker.

Belong Non-Executive Director and Champion Awards judge, Tony Bristlin, said: “Andrew does a fantastic job leading the team; he understands the importance of the ‘journey for life' and makes sure his team understands this as well.”

A year of successes also saw Belong ranked in the UK’s top 20 mid-size care home groups at the Carehome.co.uk awards.

Summarising the event, Belong’s chief executive, Martin Rix, added: “We've had a fantastic evening celebrating our colleagues' hard work and success. Congratulations to all of our finalists and winners.”

Belong Limited is a charitable organisation, operating villages with a range of care, housing and support options for older people, as well as extensive amenities in the village centre. These include bistro, hair salon, specialist exercise studio and function rooms. People can choose to live independently in a Belong apartment or within a supported 24-hour care environment.

Belong specialises in supporting people with dementia, and 24-hour care is provided in extended family-sized households, with modern open plan layouts specially designed around the needs of people with dementia. All employees working in Belong villages are trained in dementia awareness, from domestic assistants through to bistro staff. The organisation is also a registered domiciliary provider and can support people in their own home, through its Belong at Home service.

There are eight Belong villages in Atherton, Chester, Crewe, Didsbury, Macclesfield, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Wigan and Warrington, with two more under construction in Birkdale and Wirral. For more information, see www.belong.org.uk.