Ivy Ritson, who works for local home care provider Bluebird Care Gateshead, is celebrating after being recognised as a top five finalist at this year’s annual Bluebird Care Awards.
Hosted at the world-famous Fortnum & Mason Department Store, London, the Bluebird Care Awards recognise the top outstanding team members from over 10,000 Bluebird Care staff across the UK.
Ivy was described as “exceptional” by her team, who nominated her for the top award. The judging panel heard that Ivy had built supportive relationships with her customers, and her support meant so much to one customer that she was asked to attend her husband’s funeral because she was part of ‘his dream team’ of support.
Ivy’s intuition and responsiveness has also meant that she has been able to prevent dozens of hospital admissions, as she is able to recognise the slightest indication that her customer may be about to develop a urinary tract infection – an extremely common cause of hospitalisation for older people. By picking up on subtle signs and patterns of behaviour, Ivy is able to intervene to stop the infection from taking hold, significantly boosting the wellbeing of those she supports.
Before becoming a care professional, Ivy held a job in retail for 23 years. Speaking about her career shift at the awards, Ivy told the judges “It’s the best thing. I wish I had done it years ago”.
Each nominee for the Bluebird Care Awards had been shortlisted from hundreds of applicants down to five finalists in three categories: Care Expert of the Year, Team Member of the Year and Registered Manager of the Year.
All 15 nominees had been invited to Fortnum & Mason in London for afternoon tea to celebrate their achievements and to meet with the judging panel to discuss their exceptional work in more detail, where a winner in each category was determined. This included hearing first-hand the impact each exceptional nominee has had on those in care, their colleagues and their local communities.
The judging panel, made up of experts from across the sector, included: Gemma Lloyd Editor of Home Care Insight Magazine, Neil Browning, Head of Risk and Governance at HSBC and Jane Townson, Chief Executive of the Homecare Association.
Ivy Ritson, Bluebird Care Gateshead, said:
"I can’t express enough how rewarding working in care can be. Going to see somebody in their own home and helping them to have more independence, or more connection, is an incredible feeling. I would recommend this job to anybody with the right values and frame of mind.
Being in the top five finalists for this award is amazing, and I’m so grateful to my incredible team and manager for nominating me.”
Katheryn Haswell, Director of Bluebird Care Gateshead, said:
“We are so proud of Ivy, for being recognised out of thousands of care professionals across over 200 of Bluebird Care’s offices. Ivy embodies our values and always goes above and beyond to put a smile on the face of her customers and team members. This accolade is very well deserved and is testament to Ivy’s hard work and natural passion for care.”
