Burton carer nominated for inaugural South Staffordshire PCT health award

A Burton woman who worked her way up from cadet to senior management in a town care home has been shortlisted for a ‘Carer of the Year’ award.

[UKPRwire, Thu Aug 27 2009] Vicki Harris, 32, who began working at the Bridge Court Care Home in Burton at the age of 16, has this week learned she’s been nominated for a coveted ‘Patients’ Choice – Quality and Excellence’ Award, organised by South Staffordshire Primary Care Trust (PCT).

The winners will be announced at an awards evening – the first the PCT has staged - on September 9 at the Staffordshire County Showground in Stafford.

Apart from taking her job very seriously, Vicki also works in her own time making items to sell for the residents’ Comfort Fund.

She explained: “I left college with an NVQ Level 2 and I went on to complete my Level 3 and I’m working towards Level Four in Senior Management.

“I’ve been here for 15 years and I love my job. It’s very hard work but very rewarding too – the kind of job in which you can really see you’re making a difference to people’s lives.

“I was pleasantly surprised when I found out I’d been nominated. I’m really looking forward to the awards night.”

South Staffordshire PCT launched the Patients’ Choice – Quality and Excellence Awards in April and received nearly 100 nominations from patients and the public in South Staffordshire who had identified quality of care and sheer excellence of service and wanted to recognise this by nominating staff, carers and members of the public who have contributed to health and social care locally.

A panel of judges consisting of five independent representatives had the difficult job of selecting the shortlist within the six categories which will now go forward to the Awards ceremony in September.