The Care Professional of the Year awards have again brought recognition to individuals in the adult social care sector making a difference in the county and city.
Nominated by family, friends, their colleagues, or the people they support, the finalists were recognised at Leicester Racecourse recently for going the extra mile to deliver compassionate service.
The night was organised by Inspired to Care, who support recruitment and retention for the adult social care sector in conjunction with Leicestershire County Council and Leicester City Council. The ceremony was hosted by Tristram Gardner, deputy CEO of Skills for Care, who work to improve the training and growth of the sector.
A total of 21 awards were given out on the night for a variety of roles across the sector, including the best care home professional, HR/recruiter, office staff member, and diversity champion.
The big award of the night, care professional of the year, went to Lesley Mansfield, who celebrated 30 years of working at the Old School House Residential Care Home in Thringstone. The award was presented by last year’s winner, Julie Rudd.
It's great to be recognised. We've got a great team who I love. It's a rewarding job. You get back what you give.
Person:Lesley Mansfield, care professional of the year, pictured above
Inderjit Lahel, the county council’s assistant director for strategic commissioning, made an appearance on the night to thank all the nominees.
He said: “It was a real privilege to be there and see the faces behind the stories. It’s important that people hear the impact our adult social care workers have in transforming people’s lives, and to remind everyone of how vital they are to our county.”
Kate Galoppi, the city council’s director of commissioning for adult social care, mentioned the wide variety of roles held by the finalists.
“As social care professionals, no matter how big or small your role is in someone’s care journey, they are all contributions that build up to make a real difference.
“People should know that the compassion we’ve seen in this sector does not go unnoticed or unrewarded. The winners should be very proud of what they’ve achieved, we are proud of them.”
The night was sponsored by multiple organisations across Leicestershire and Leicester: Enable Inclusive Support Ltd, Blue Light Card, Aspirations, Vita Health Group, Inspired to Care, BA Healthcare, Care Choices, Co-Op Funeral Care, BM Estates, Wood Street Optical, and East Midlands Chambers.
Discover more about Inspired to Care careers: