Carer credited with saving lives wins award

A kind-hearted Blackpool carer said to go ‘above and beyond’ to help others, has scooped a top award for the second year running.

Anne Scully, of at home care specialists I Care, was named ‘Carer of the Year 2018’ after glowing recommendations from clients that heaped praise on her caring and pleasant approach.

One family even credited Anne’s dedication to their father’s care as being instrumental in reviving his will to live.

“Without my dad’s carer he would – without any doubt – be dead,” they said. “He would be lost without her help.”

Anne was named top carer at the seventh annual Blackpool Council and Blackpool Home Care Provider Forum’s Carer of the Year awards.

She won the same Carer of the Year title last year, making it the first time ever an employee from the same care provider has won the title twice.

Anne received her award from Mayor of Blackpool Cllr Ian Coleman, at a glittering award ceremony that celebrated the best of local ‘at home’ care.

Philip Gradwell, senior registered care manager at ICare Group, said Anne’s win was well-deserved recognition of the amazing effort she puts in to helping people remain independent in their north Blackpool homes.

“Anne really goes above and beyond when it comes to looking after people.

“It’s unprecedented for someone to win this award two years running and we are delighted that her efforts have been recognised.”

The awards are organised by Blackpool Council and the Blackpool Home Care Provider Forum, made up of the nine independent home care providers which are commissioned to provide care and support in the area, various official agencies and the Director of Adult Social Care, Karen Smith.

The awards recognise the work of frontline care staff as well as ‘behind-the-scenes’ office staff. However the Carer of the Year Award is judged on nominations that come directly from service-users, making it a particularly and often poignant award.

Letters sent to judges from Anne’s clients praised her reliability, cheerfulness, punctuality and friendliness.

One particularly touching nomination said Anne’s help had changed a male relative’s life for the better: “It is only because of the good care he receives from this carer that he is able to live in his own home and not in a nursing home.”

Anne, one of 120 ICare carers in the Blackpool area, will mark 20 years as a community care worker in April.

ICare, which provide short term or long term care packages, has provided homecare services in Blackpool for nearly 25 years.

Find out more about ICare by visiting www.icaregroup.co.uk