Dignity in Care Awards honour exemplary local care workers

Local care workers and personal assistants who have gone the extra mile to provide outstanding care and support to residents took centre stage at our annual Dignity in Care Awards ceremony on Tuesday 9 July 2024, at York House in Twickenham. 

The awards recognise high quality care within the borough, raise awareness of the importance of dignity in care, and reward and celebrate the staff and teams who work hard to create a culture of care that prioritises compassion, tenderness and generosity for residents and families.

Cllr Piers Allen, Chair of the Adult Social Services, Health and Housing Committee and Richmond’s Health and Wellbeing Board, said:

"Our Dignity in Care Awards shine a light on the integral work that health and social care carers do in our borough, and they are also an important way for us to promote the importance of dignity in providing care — the kindness of care we would all hope to extend and be extended to those we love.  

Richmond Council has care at the heart of its commitment to the people who live here, and we believe that everyone deserves high-quality care when they need it and are working hard to support everyone to be able to live independently. We take our commitment to championing our many carers seriously — paid, unpaid, at any age — to ensure they are seen and receive the support they deserve. We look forward to working with the new government to look at ways we can improve the funding and delivery of adult social care in our borough.  

In the meantime, I am pleased we have this local opportunity to honour over 160 people nominated for this year’s awards. This is a huge testament to how well dignity in care is recognised by our residents and families, and I would like to commend each of these individuals for their fantastic work, with special recognition and congratulations to the award winners and highly commended nominees for their outstanding achievements."

This year’s awards are spread across five categories, with a winner and shortlist of highly commended nominees carefully selected by a judging panel comprised of Council, Integrated Care System, Hounslow and Richmond Community Healthcare NHS Trust, community and voluntary sector officials.

Dignity in Care Awards winners

Read about each of our winners below:

Carer of the Year for Home Care and Day Services

Abdul Wahab Bapube from Amber Home Care was nominated for his demonstration of exceptional respect and above-and-beyond care in supporting residents at home. His work has made a marked difference on those he supports, with compassionate care and concern at the forefront of all his actions.

Carer of the Year for Learning Disabilities

Shane Brown from United Response was nominated for over 10 years of service dedicated to providing holistic and person-centred support. Through his work, he has built close relationships with family members and wider networks of support to understand and anticipate both the practical day-to-day and emotional needs of the people he supports.  

Carer of the Year for Older Peoples' Care Homes

Jackie Maskell from White Lodge Farm was nominated for her consistently positive and warm demeanour, combined with professionalism and an unwavering commitment to residents and their families. Her meticulous attention to detail, proactive and compassionate approach to care and her commitment to excellent communication ensures the residents of White Farm Lodge receive the best care and their friends and families feel reassured and informed.

Ken Yew Personal Assistant of the Year Award

Michelle Blyth was nominated was nominated for her enthusiasm, kindness, and consistently going the extra mile to not only to provide outstanding care and love to the people she supports. She doesn’t just perform care duties but takes time to engage with people, working seven days a week to provide care for older people in real need.

Carer of the Year for Day and Community Services

Sue Seath from RHP was nominated for creating a culture of kindness and support in her work environment. She makes people feel secure and well looked after and is a role model to all the colleagues and residents she works with, having been described as ‘an angel’.  

Learn more about the awards and our role as a Dignity Champion.