Two team members at Lincolnshire care home Whitefriars, in Stamford, have reached the East Midlands final of the Great British Care Awards. Louise Green, Deputy Home Manager and Paula West, Care Leader, have both been nominated for the Frontline Leader award and will be attending the Awards on 24 November at the East Midlands Conference Centre, Nottingham. 

Louise, who has worked in care for 10 years, joined the Trust in 2017, as a Senior Carer. She became Deputy Home Manager at Whitefriars in April 2022. Louise said: “I feel incredibly humbled at being nominated for a Great British Care Award. Receiving the email informing me that I am a finalist was amazing. I am incredibly proud of my achievements and grateful to Whitefriars and OSJCT for supporting my dreams.”

Paula, who is passionate about dementia care, joined Whitefriars in 2018 and has worked in care for over 20 years. She said: “I feel overwhelmed and flattered that my support has been recognised. Being a Care Leader feels very natural to me and I strive to support my residents with professionalism, compassion, and empathy. I am truly humbled.”

Shelly Smith, Home Manager, said: “I am so proud of Louise and Paula. Having two of my incredible staff reach the Great British Care Awards finals is a truly amazing achievement. Both are outstanding in what they bring not only to Whitefriars and the Trust, but also to the social care sector.”

Louise - committed to making a difference and being a great role model

Louise said: “My role is very rewarding and gives me a sense of warmth, gratitude, and pride. I enjoy making a difference, to our residents and their relatives, staff, and members of the community. Whitefriars is an exceptional home, we give our residents high quality care and keep them at the forefront of decisions.

“Whitefriars is a family home, we are one family. Whitefriars provides opportunities not only for our residents but for our employees, as a home we embed the Trust’s values, empowering employees to achieve their dreams. Whitefriars has supported me in achieving my dreams.”

Louise continued: “Over the years I have underestimated how much knowledge I have gained, and that knowledge now guides other staff members. A leader is self-aware, focuses on building positive relationships, empowers others to achieve their dreams, and acts as a role model to others.”

Paula – passionate about dementia care

Paula first joined the care sector in 2000, when she took a job in domiciliary care thanks to a friend’s recommendation. Paula found that she has a natural aptitude to working in care and is gifted at using communication to help people to feel at ease.

For several years Paula worked in the community and became more confident in communicating with people in their own homes and making them feel at ease with sometimes difficult and personal tasks. Paula said: “I found that I could relate easily to people and my sense of empathy grew. As time went on, I moved to work in care homes and found my passion for supporting people living with dementia.

“Our residents at Whitefriars are amazing, and with the support of their relatives, I hope we make a difference daily to their lives. Developing relationships with residents and relatives alike has developed me as a person.

“I try to always be inclusive and candid. I also try to break down the barriers that can be caused by labelling residents living with dementia. We all view the world from different aspects, and it is possible to find different ways to achieve wellbeing.”