Belong Newcastle-under-Lyme team named care champions

Care workers at Newcastle-under-Lyme Belong care village have been recognised for at an annual awards.

The team from Belong, on Lower Street took home trophies for outstanding dementia support, high quality end-of-life care and effective community engagement at the not-for-profit organisation’s annual Champion Awards.

Belong villages, which employ over 1,000 people across the North West, were brought together in an online ceremony designed to showcase the dedication of team members across the organisation and their positive impact on people’s lives. Customers and relatives logged on to applaud the village teams via live stream as the 32 finalists were recognised for their work carrying out a range of roles supporting older people, from housekeepers and bistro assistants to support workers in the villages and the wider community.

Assistant Support Manager, Josephine Mollison, was named the organisation’s Dementia Champion, while the End-of-Life Care Award went to Support Worker, Liam Coffey, who was praised for his “inspirational and caring approach” to the later stages of the customer journey.

The judges applauded Josephine’s attitude to supporting those with dementia, commenting that she is “absolutely focused in her efforts to ensure the best possible outcomes… and she clearly never gives up on anyone.”

The Experience Day Team was presented with the Community Engagement Award for their extensive links with charities and organisations, both in the local area and worldwide. In particular, judges commended the village’s support for those affected by the Australian bushfires, as well as recognising the positive impact of building intergenerational relationships between residents and young people in the community.

The winners were determined by an external independent judging panel, who conducted a series of interviews as part of the rigorous assessment process. Speaking of the village’s success, General Manager at Belong Newcastle-under-Lyme, Peter Norman, said: “The village has gone from strength to strength since opening and I am incredibly proud that the team’s dedication to enhancing the lives of our customers has been recognised organisation-wide – you are all true champions.”

Belong’s People and Development Manager, Tim Kirk, added: “It’s been a very challenging year and the outbreak of the pandemic part way through our awards process disrupted our plans to bring everyone together, as it has so many other things. This made it even more important to find a way to celebrate the commitment and successes of our team members and the incredible difference they make to people’s lives. We are thrilled that so many of our customers and their relatives could join us for the online event.”

The awards come on the back of Belong Newcastle-under-Lyme being named the Health and Social Care Apprenticeship Programme Placement of the Year by the Newcastle and Stafford College’s Group for its excellent learning and development opportunities.

The Champion Awards 2020 was made possible thanks to the support of Collective Purchasing, Marr Procurement, Person Centred Software, Search Consultancy, Pozzoni Architecture, Triangle PR and the Seddon Group.