Worcestershire County Council proud to support Worcestershire Care Heroes award

We launched the initiative this week and are asking readers of the Worcester News, Malvern Gazette and Evesham Journal to nominate carers who have been an inspiration in the pandemic.

Over the next three weeks, we will profile these heroes in our titles to celebrate them, and ask our readers to vote for their favourite, with the overall winner revealed in our papers on Christmas Eve and that Care Hero receiving prizes from Waitrose in Worcester and Iconic Beautique salon in Evesham.

A county council spokesman said: "At Worcestershire County Council we are delighted to be able to take this opportunity to celebrate carers in the county and to support the Worcestershire Care Heroes campaign. The effort that carers across the county have put in, and the time they dedicate to support those in need every single day, has been one of the consistent highlights of an unprecedented and difficult time for many of us."

Councillor Adrian Hardman, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, said: “We rightly celebrate the contribution that has been made in recent months by our doctors and nurses. However we must not forget the huge part that social care staff in Worcestershire and the army of unpaid carers in our county, have played in the response to the coronavirus pandemic. Carers, paid and unpaid, have been on the frontline throughout this crisis providing the support, companionship and the care that the most vulnerable in our society need so much.

“I am proud of our staff in our residential settings and of our teams who provide care in people’s homes. As a council we work very closely with the Worcestershire Association of Carers and I am very grateful for the huge contribution made by its members.”

Many volunteers and carers have been recruited through Here 2 Help Worcestershire, which was set up by the County Council in March of this year. More than 2,000 people from all parts of the county have volunteered their time to help those who have needed extra care and support. From delivering food parcels and collecting medicines to making a phone call to someone who is self-isolating, Here2Help volunteers are making a real difference to people’s lives.

Here 2 Help Worcestershire remains open to requests for help online and by phone. When demand has been at its highest, extra county council staff have been drafted in to respond.

Paula Furnival, Worcestershire County Council’s Strategic Director of People, said: “Here 2 Help Worcestershire has enabled people to volunteer their time to care for others. We have been contacted by people of all ages, some of whom have never volunteered before. People who already have care responsibilities have volunteered their time to do even more. The response has been fantastic and is a credit to the county. We have been able to divert our own staff to handle the requests for help. When Here 2 Help was first launched, for example, it was our library staff who were on hand to take calls and to coordinate volunteers. It’s been a huge team effort.”

There are 179 care homes in Worcestershire. The majority are privately owned. Care workers have continued to work throughout the pandemic, often under great pressure but always putting residents first.

Regular testing is provided for staff and for residents. Trainers from Worcestershire County Council have provided vital infection prevention control training. They are working with NHS colleagues to ensure that residential settings are fully supported with correct usage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

The council spokesman added: "There have been many times when staff have gone above and beyond. We’ve seen examples of paid carers voluntarily providing 24-hour care to residents, ensuring much needed support whilst helping to shield the most vulnerable from the virus. When times were at their most challenging in the county’s care settings, the council appealed for relief workers to help support frontline care staff. The response was immediate and significant. Many who put themselves forward had little or no previous care experience, but just wanted to offer their help.

"Carers in Worcestershire are making a difference to people’s lives every day. Worcestershire County Council is proud to support the Care Heroes campaign."

For prizes, Waitrose in Worcester is offering a Christmas hamper, a case of Christmas wines and a £100 gift card, worth a total of £250.

Iconic Beautique in Evesham’s will give away its Complete Festive pamper package worth £280, which includes a 60-minute facial, 60-minute massage, pedicure and manicure, full hair treatment and cut and blow dry with salon manager and art director, James.

You can vote for your Worcestershire Care Hero 2020 by filling in the form on this page. You can also vote by emailing michael.purton@newsquest.co.uk.

Please put ‘Worcestershire Care Heroes 2020’ as the subject of the email, and include the following information: The name of the carer, where they work, why you think they deserve to win the award, your name and your contact phone number so that we can call you in order to gather details for the feature profiling the carer you’ve nominated.

The deadline for voting is 11am on Monday, December 21. The winner will be announced on Christmas Eve in the Worcester News, Malvern Gazette and Evesham Journal.