Gateshead care home team member shortlisted in national awards

Home news

May 14, 2021

A care home team member in Gateshead is celebrating after being named as a finalist for a national award.

Gary Smith, a member of the maintenance team at Care UK’s Hadrian House, on Garden Street, has been shortlisted in the ‘Best Facilities Management or Maintenance Team’ category at the Care Home Awards.

The Care Home Awards recognise and reward excellence and innovation in UK care home management, operation and delivery. The winners will be announced at the annual awards ceremony in September.

Throughout the pandemic, Gary has also gone above and beyond to ensure residents’ routines could remain as normal as possible, sometimes stepping up to support other teams and working in the kitchen or working longer hours when needed.

In addition to his duties as a member of the maintenance team, Gary likes to get involved in the various activities at the home and support the lifestyle team – which has even seen him dressing up as Santa to deliver Christmas presents to residents. He has developed a strong bond with residents at the home and can often be seen helping them to rearrange their room or encouraging residents to join in when it comes to maintenance tasks, which can be incredibly beneficial for older people, giving them a sense of purpose and pride in where they live.

Always looking for new ways to create dementia-friendly features in the home, Gary has created a ‘memory lane’ in one of the corridors, featuring garden benches, black and white photos of residents in their younger years, and streetlights, all designed to encourage reminiscence. He’s currently working on a garden project with the residents, which will see new benches, potting tables and a greenhouse added to the home.

Gary said: “My role, and therefore my priority here, is to keep everyone safe, and I take that very seriously. 

“I care for the residents, even though I’m not a carer. I’ll always get people involved if it’s safe and practical, even if it’s asking someone’s advice or for their opinion. This is my first role in a care home, but I have never looked back.”

Jane Fox, Home Manager at Hadrian House, said: “We are thrilled to see Gary has made it to the finals in the ‘Best Facilities Management or Maintenance Team’ category at the Care Home Awards.

“Gary has been an invaluable part of the Hadrian House team since he joined, but even more so in the last year. He always goes above and beyond for residents and team members alike, even if this means dressing up, taking on a new role in the kitchen for a day or spending time with a resident. The home has never looked better, and it’s exciting to see his garden project already coming to life.

“We’re very lucky to have him, and we’re keeping our fingers crossed for a win later this year!”

The winners will be announced at the annual awards ceremony taking place on 10^th September 2021.

Hadrian House is a state-of-the-art Care UK home, which provides full-time residential and dementia care. The home is designed to enable residents to live enjoyable and fulfilling lives, the care home has its very own cinema, cafe and hair salon, with plenty of space both indoors and out for relaxation and recreation.

To find out more about Hadrian House care home, contact Jane Fox, Home Manager, at jane.fox@careuk.com or call 0333 920 2997.

For more general information visit: careuk.com/hadrian-house