Appreciating our social care heroes

We would not be who we are without our team of talented, dedicated and caring staff and we are grateful to them every day for what they do. But some weeks more than others, we are reminded of their passion for care and the sacrifices they make as well as the impact the work they do has on residents and their families.

Over the past fortnight, we have been surprised and extremely grateful to receive a number of gifts and cards from the families of residents who have sadly passed away in recent months. Our residents very quickly become part of our Palms Row family and it is always hard when we lose somebody - especially for those who care for them most closely. We also build relationships with family members, so it is always lovely when we hear from them again. Thank you so much to everyone who has been in touch.

With nominations now open for the August Social Care Hero Awards, we are taking the opportunity to recognise the work of another two of our fantastic team members:

• Health care assistant, Shirley Madeleine, is Westbourne's nominee. Shirley has worked for Palms Row for many years and is a hardworking, supportive team member. She is always keen to develop her own skills as well as supporting new staff members with their development.

• Senior carer, Robert Turley is the nominee from Northfield. An experienced and well-liked member of the team, Rob is passionate about care. He is great with our residents and utterly reliable.

We appreciate everything they do and wish them both the very best of luck for the awards.

Finally, last week, Westbourne's Laura Hibbard was featured in online news site, The Rooftop's Real Voices. In the piece, Laura talks about her life as a carer and outlines how the sector has changed in the 18 years since she started out. She describes her experiences of the pandemic and some of the misconceptions about the work that carers do, particularly among those who are not exposed to the sector. It's well worth a read for anyone who hasn't already seen it.