Care Home Manager nominated for top industry award

Emma Bailie, Home Manager at The Salvation Army’s Youell Court in Coventry, has been nominated for the Care Home Registered Manager award at the 2020 Great British Care Awards*.

The award which acknowledges ‘exceptional skills’ in managing a care home and ‘commitment’ to high levels of person-centred care is one of 23 categories recognising the work of care staff.

Emma, who has worked at the home since January 2017, says she was in shock when she received the call from the awards body, and that she doesn’t know who nominated her.

She said: “It was just before Christmas and I was on annual leave at home wrapping Christmas presents while my children were at school. I had a call from the awards body and I was just so shocked. I was so touched, I felt so emotional. I would like to know who nominated me so I could say ‘thank you’.

“Receiving the nomination itself is amazing - I’ve got goosebumps just talking about it - but the impact it has had on both the staff and residents is so touching. To know that our home and our team has been recognised is fantastic.”

As part of the ceremony, the Great British Care Awards have asked the staff and residents from each nominated home to perform a short routine to a pop song chosen by the awards body. All the videos will be collated and shown on the night.

Emma added: “One of our care staff has a friend who runs a dance school in Coventry. She put together a little routine for us, she taught it to us in the car park, and we learnt it and put it together. We dressed up in fancy dress, we had lots of dance practice, and we had so much fun with our residents.

“On one of the days, the residents watched us, judged us, told us what they thought of our performance, and gave us marks out of 10 - it was like Strictly Come Dancing!”

However, Youell Court are taking the routine one step further as they plan to challenge other Salvation Army care homes around the UK to do a routine with their staff and residents. All the videos will be compiled to create one big dance.

“When it’s gone around all the Salvation Army homes, we want to put it together as one video. It would be fantastic to see all the Salvation Army homes together knowing that everybody has had as much fun as we did doing it.”

*2020 awards delayed to 2021 due to the pandemic.