Shining stars recognised at Care South’s annual awards ceremony

CARE South celebrated the outstanding achievements of its staff at its annual Stars Awards ceremony at AFC Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium.

Now in its 14th year, the Stars Awards recognise and reward individuals and teams from across the company for their outstanding achievements and excellent care provision.

They are an important event during which time is taken to celebrate care staff and thank them for their frontline duties and commitment to residents. Nominees are put forward by colleagues, residents and relatives. Awards on the day included Management Team of the Year, Carer of the Year, Care Team Leader of the Year, Rising Star, Pride in your Home, Dining Experience of the Year and Activities Team of the Year. Care South’s chairman Chris Kean and chief executive Simon Bird hosted care homes and Care South at Home offices who had been named as finalists.

Simon said: “Our Stars Awards are now in their 14th year and really are a highlight of the year. Many congratulations to all our homes across the Group who certainly did very well and led the way this year.

“The awards provide a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the professionalism, passion, and commitment to care that is delivered day in, day out by our staff, and gives us the chance to acknowledge and thank everyone for their hard work and dedication.

“We received an incredible number of nominations this year and all our finalists and winners should be extremely proud of themselves.”

Home of the Year was presented to Wickmeads due to numerous factors, including KPIs that lead to the overall success of the care home and consistently delivering fantastic care all year round.

The winner of Residential Carer of the Year was presented to Linda Robertson from Castle Dene in recognition of her outstanding teamwork, passion, and ensuring the best possible end of life care for both residents and their loved ones.

Kizzy Cook from Fern Brook Lodge was selected as the Care Team

Leader/Nurse of the Year.

Kizzy was recognised for being both professional and cheerful, going over and above to support colleagues and putting residents at the heart of everything they do, all whilst maintaining a sense of humour.

The Rising Star award went to Liam Conlan from Buxton House in recognition of how much he has grown in confidence and skill over the past 12 months.

Liam was praised for his warm and calming influence, working hard on ensuring care planning is truly based on individual needs and empowers the residents, and putting his heart and soul into positive outcomes.

The winner of the Dining Excellence award was Kenwith Castle for its consistent high standards of fresh and well-balanced meals, and its welcome and well-presented dining room.

The home was also praised for holding regular food-related activities.

The Activities Team of the year was Dorset House for its fun and stimulating activities and its close links with the local community.

The home received a special mention for its drive and determination, even getting compliments sent in from passers-by.

Buxton House took home the coveted Residential Management Team award for working tirelessly to continuously improve the quality of care at the home, support the team and build an excellent reputation within the local community.

They were highlighted for bringing energy, focus and enthusiasm into the home and being a pillar of the community.

The IT team was selected as the Support Team of the Year winners for being responsive, friendly, and exceptional. The team was recognised for dealing with individual queries and protecting the company with a multitude of combined skills and knowledge.

Pride in your Home was presented to the Housekeeping and Maintenance team at Fairlawn. The team was selected for not only taking pride in their work but also for being so friendly and engaging to residents and going out of their way to meet people’s needs, always with a warm welcome.