Denise Collier, support worker at Laverneo care home in Pennywell, Sunderland, has been named as the winner of The Care Home Worker Award in the Great British Care Awards for the North East.
Denise Collier, who is retiring in November, has worked at Laverneo since 1996, caring for individuals with a range of physical and learning disabilities.
During her time at the home, Denise has taken up a variety of different roles, helping to build positive relationships with many of the individuals in her care. She has taken responsibility for taking residents on trips, planning daily activities and mentoring and training new staff members, amongst several other important roles.
The Great British Care Awards are a series of regional events throughout the UK and are a celebration of excellence across the care sector. The awards pay tribute to individuals who have demonstrated outstanding work within their field.
Denise said: “I am delighted to have won this award, and it couldn’t have been done without the fantastic team at Laverneo.
“I have spent my entire 46-year career working in care, with 26 of those years as a support worker at Laverneo.
“It has been a passion of mine to do the work I do and not a single day has felt like work. I feel incredibly lucky to have dedicated my life to caring for others.
“This is a lovely way to end this chapter with my friends at Laverneo, as I look forward to retirement.”
John Godden MBE, CEO of Salutem Care and Education, said: “On behalf of the whole Salutem family, I’d like to congratulate Denise for this extraordinary recognition.
“Denise and the team at Laverneo’s dedication has really come to the fore over the past 18 months when they have gone above and beyond to offer every opportunity for the people we support to live their best lives.”