National award for care home’s team

Care workers in Seaham have won a national award for their work with people who have learning and physical disabilities.

The team at Highlea Care, in Lighthouse View, Seaham, won the executive board award for outstanding achievement in the annual National Care Group awards.

The sevenstrong team is led by Julie Cowens and provide supported living to people with learning and physical disabilities as well as mental illness and autism spectrum disorders.

The team has been recognisedfor the care they provided to one man in particular after he was diagnosed with cancer, for which he underwent initial surgery but then declined further treatment.

Julie said: “Having felt his prognosis wasn’t good, this individual decided he wanted to spend his final days being supported by those who knew him best, and that was our team at Highlea Care.

"During that time, we managed to organise a reunion with his daughter, which had been years in the making, and were able to arrange for him to spend Christmas with his family before he passed away.

"We were touched by the family’s gratitude. While we’re all incredibly sad heisnolongerwith us, we’re humbled to have been given this award for the support we gave him.”

James Allen, CEO of the National Care Group, said: “What the High lea Care team did for this individual and his family personifies our values of respect and collaboration, putting the individual’s requests at the heart of everything they did.

"We’ re extremely proud of everything they’ ve done over the past year.”