A prestigious evening Awards Ceremony recognising the best of the independent care home sector will be held tomorrow (Friday 1 April) at the Hilton Hotel in Glasgow. The National Care Home Awards 2021 (rescheduled from November 2021) is an important opportunity to highlight the contribution of care homes and their staff during the Covid-19 pandemic.
88% of all care home support in Scotland is delivered by the independent sector, with these services caring for over 33,000 older individuals and employing nearly 46,000 people.
Scottish Care, the representative body for independent social care services across Scotland and organisers of the event, are encouraging those working in the sector and the wider public to join the Awards Ceremony to recognise and celebrate the role of care home workers.
Winners will be announced by the Awards Host – Pop Idol winner, Michelle McManus.
Awards will be presented over fourteen categories:
- Ancillary & Support Staff Award
- Meaningful Activity Award
- Nutrition & Eating Well Award
- Training, Learning & Staff Development Award
- Emerging Talent Award
- Outstanding Achievement Award
- Management & Leadership Award
- Palliative & End of Life Care Practise Award
- Nurse of the Year Award
- Carer of the Year Award
- Specialist Service/Unit of the Year Award
- Care Home Service of the Year Award
- Positive Impact Award
- Strategic Contribution Award
Dr Donald Macaskill, CEO of Scottish Care and the co-host of the Awards Ceremony said: “Over the past two years, care home staff have demonstrated resilience whilst adapting to the challenges of Covid-19. The dedication and professionalism of care home staff in supporting residents, families and each other has been exceptional.
“We have witnessed new innovative activity and unprecedented collaboration in care homes, with staff often going above and beyond the call of duty.
“The care home workforce has behaved with such dignity, compassion, professionalism and skill over the last few years, as they always do. The awards ceremony is a chance to say thank you and to recognise the particular skills of a few.
“But it is also a night to acknowledge all the individuals, teams and companies delivering care at an incredibly high standard in a challenging period and within an increasingly demanding work environment. We owe them a debt of gratitude.”
The awards have been hailed a huge success in recognising individuals, teams and companies, with more entries than ever flooding in each year from employers, care home staff, residents and relatives nominating their peers, colleagues and local services.
The Care Home Awards follows a full-day conference for the care home sector with speakers including the National Clinical Director, Professor Jason Leitch and the Minister for Mental Wellbeing and Social Care, Kevin Stewart MSP.
The Scottish Care National Care Home Conference & Exhibition, which is now in its 22nd year has incorporated an awards ceremony for the last 17 years.
The conference will be the first in-person event hosted by Scottish Care since the start of the pandemic.
The title of the conference is ‘Care Chrysalis: An emerging future’, bringing people together from across the sector to share their experiences from the Covid-19 pandemic and plan for the future of care homes in Scotland.
The conference will explore topics as diverse as the role of technology, care home nursing, business and finance, restoring relationships, the importance of family, the role of creative arts in wellbeing and recovery, and workforce.
The conference, exhibition and care awards are the largest of their kind for the care home sector in Scotland.