Care home staff in Cramlington receive award for pandemic efforts

In addition, all staff members at the home, which offers support to people in later life with residential care, nursing and residential dementia support, have been awarded a British Citizen Award Certificate of Recognition for their ‘exceptional endeavours in the workplace community.’

The awards aim to recognise individuals taking what are described as ‘extraordinary’ action in the local community, and it is reported that anyone can be nominated for an award, providing they have had a proven, meaningful impact on individuals around them.

Care home manager Sam Buxton received the honour in recognition of her leadership during the Covid pandemic – a particularly hazardous time for the residential care industry.

The sector has been shown to have been hit harder than many other healthcare sectors during the pandemic, as people of older age have been shown to be more at risk from the virus than most other groups.

According to government statistics, during the second wave of the pandemic in the UK in January 2021, before vaccines had been widely administered, an estimated 60% of those admitted to hospital after testing positive for Covid were over the age of 60.

In response to the extreme risk that the illness posed to residents of the home, staff at Scarbrough Court were, like many other homes across the country, forced to implement measures to protect their vulnerable residents.

Receiving the award, Sam said: “It’s a real honour to be recognised for the work that we do, as well as each of our staff members, who go over and above every day to support the residents within our care.

"It has been a challenging few years but we have emerged stronger and closer as a team.”

At the start of the pandemic in 2020, the national ‘clap for carers’ initiative, which occurred every Thursday at 8pm, would see many across the country stand on their doorsteps and balconies clapping for care workers as a token of appreciation for not just care workers, but NHS as a whole staff too.

For more information on the British Citizen Corporate Award’s, visit https://www.britishcitizenawards.co.uk/