Care Assistant, Kelly Orme, who has worked at Ash Tree House since 2018, has been recognised for her bravery, courage and commitment to support others around her at the Ideal Care Awards.

Kelly, who won the ‘Pandemic Hero’ accolade, was extremely worried about the effects of the Covid-19 virus when so little was known about it and the fear of the unknown caused her to be anxious prior to each shift. However, with the support of her colleagues and family and friends, Kelly continued to put her own feelings aside to take care of her residents, and soon became a support system for others experiencing the same feelings.

The annual Ideal Care Awards were created in 2019 to recognise, reward and pay tribute to the Ideal Carehomes staff team who go above and beyond their roles.

After a callout for nominations, the group received a record breaking 1200 entries across 14 categories, ranging from Housekeeping Hero and Resident Outstanding Contribution to Home Manager and Home of the Year.

Internal judging days took place in July which determined the finalists who were invited to celebrate their achievements at a gala dinner at Casa Hotel in Chesterfield. The awards were hosted by Shaun Williamson, well- known for his role as Barry Evans in EastEnders.

Shaun entertained the finalists with stand-up comedy before announcing each category winner. He said, ‘It was a real honour to have been asked to join Ideal Carehomes at their awards ceremony. The stories of each finalist were incredibly moving, and it made every award extremely meaningful. Congratulations to the winners, you are all such a deserving bunch of people!’.

Judges on the night, commended Kelly for her approach to working on the frontline and explained to guests on the evening how her invaluable support to those around her kept everybody’s spirts and morale high.

Speaking after the awards, Kelly, said, ‘I am incredibly thankful to everyone who nominated me, I truly appreciate it. Despite my own fears, I feel as if I was just doing my job, supporting others! I love my job at Ash Tree House and I really feel like we have a great team of people here – we are one huge family. I believe this award is not just for me, but for everyone here at Ash Tree House!’.

Home Manager, Chris Durnan, said, ‘Kelly is a hugely valued member of our team, and I am incredibly proud to see how she turned her fears into a driver to inspire others to feel confident in their place of work – showing just another reason our staff team are one of the best at what they do, supporting and caring for others! Congratulations Kelly’.

Ash Tree House is operated by Ideal Carehomes and is rated as ‘Good’ by the Care Quality Commission. All 60 bedrooms are en-suite, enabling staff to deliver person-centred care in a dignified manner, promoting independence as far as possible. For more information about Ash Tree House, contact Chris on 01942 256089 or visit https://www.idealcarehomes.co.uk/