Lincolnshire care homes OSJCT Whitefriars in Stamford, and OSJCT Gregory House in Grantham, have reached the Great British Care Awards East Midlands Awards final on 3 November at the East Midlands Conference Centre. Both care homes are run by The Orders of St John Care Trust (OSJCT).
Shelly Smith, Home Manager, and her team at OSJCT Whitefriars in Stamford are finalists in the ‘Care Innovator Award,’ and Anna Lewkowicz, OSJCT Gregory House Home Manager is a ‘Care Home Registered Manager Award’ finalist.
The team at OSJCT Whitefriars were nominated for introducing a new initiative at the 56-bed care home, where residents can take up empowering volunteer opportunities in their home. Home Manager Shelly Smith came up with the idea.
Roles were advertised on an Opportunities notice board, and included Volunteer Manager’s Assistant, Volunteer Housekeeper, and Volunteer Gardener. Residents completed application forms and then took part in interviews carried out by care home employees. The response from residents was fantastic, and applications flooded in. This innovation has been a huge success with positive feedback from relatives and local nurse and health care professionals.
Shelly explained: “I am delighted that we have been nominated for the ‘Care Innovator Award’. Staff and residents have enthusiastically welcomed the residents’ volunteer initiative.
“Our residents all have wonderful skills and experience from their working lives or running their own family home. By offering them the opportunity to take on easy tasks, which fall within their capabilities, they feel empowered and purposeful. It really contributes to that feeling of a family home.”
The team at Whitefriars are already winners, as they received a Ferrers Innovation Award for the residents’ volunteer initiative at the recent OSJCT Lincolnshire Awards.
Anna Lewkowicz, Home Manager at OSJCT Gregory House, is a finalist in the ‘Care Home Registered Manager’ category and will also be attending the Awards ceremony on 3 November. Anna has managed the Outstanding rated care home since January 2018. This year Gregory House has been rated as one of the top 20 care homes in the East Midlands by the consumer rating website carehome.co.uk.
Anna received the Lincolnshire Care Association (LinCA) Registered Manager Award earlier this year. Anna said: “I am delighted to be nominated for a Great British Care Award in the ‘Care Home Registered Manager’ category and was the OSJCT Lincolnshire Leader of the Year 2020. Being part of a team is extremely important to me and we run Gregory House like a family. We are all passionate about providing the highest standards of care to our residents.
“I am really proud of everyone at Gregory House for everything they do to make our home a wonderful place to live and work. They truly deserve the recognition and positive ratings which we’ve received from our residents, their families, and friends of the home.”
Winners from the Great British Care Awards regional finals will be invited to the national finals which are due to take place in March 2023.
; 
